Page 135 of Broken Lines

“This new tell-all book about her thing with Havoc.”

“She didn’thavea thing with him, though.”

He shrugs. “Who the fuck cares? She’s going to sell a million goddamn copies anyway.”

Chuck stabs a finger at me.

“You want a gig here?”

I frown. “Um, I—”

“Of course, you do!” He barks. “And I’ll tell you what. It’s yours, kid. I mean it. The job is yours, if you can leak me whatever shit is in that book about you before it hits shelves next month.”

My jaw drops.

“Next month?! I thought she’d just announced this crap?”

He rolls his eyes. “C’mon, you know how these things work. She’s probably had a ghostwriter or two hacking away at it for months. Your mom isn’t a dummy when it comes to self-promo, Mel. I’ll give her that.”

I grit my teeth as my fury simmers.

“Well?”

“Sorry, what?”

“Well, what’s in that book about you?”

I stare at him, shaking.

“I…nothing!” I blurt angrily. “Chuck, it’s allbullshit!”

“Well then go play the nice daughter to mommy and get her to tell you exactly what that bullshit is! I can read between the lines, Melody. You and your mom obviously aren’t chummy. So, if she wants to fuck you with this book of lies?” He shrugs. “Fuck her back first and leak that shit to me before her book goes to print.”

“Yeah, but it’slies—”

“I don’t give a fuck!!” He roars, shaking me as he pounds his desk.

“You want a fucking job at myfuckingmagazine, kid?! You think I give a shit if you can write an article? No! I want you because of your mom. And specifically, your mom’s juicy Penthouse letters celebrity music gossip!”

I swallow as he jabs a finger at me angrily.

“I can’t believeIhave to keep pitchingyouon a fucking job here, Mel! But here it is one more time. Get me the juicy details of Judy’s book, as they pertain to you, and you can have a gig here at—hey! HEY! Get the fuck back here when I’m talking to you!”

But I don’t.

Fuck Judy. And very much fuck the idea of working here.

I storm out, ignoring Chuck’s threats that if I do, I’ll never work in publishing again. Because…I just don’t care right now.

Becca looks at me with a pale face and a weird nervous smile on her face.

“Um…yikes?”

I smile thinly as I walk past her.

“Thanks again for getting me the interview, Becca. I’ll let June know to call you back.”

“Okay! Thanks! Oh, Mel!” She runs after me and smiles as she hands me the phone I apparently left on the desk when Chuck barked at me to come into his office again.

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