Page 22 of Love on the Byline

“Did he hit on you? Curse you out?” Gid had asked. “Threatento tank your career if you didn’t write what he wanted or something?”

“No, no. Nothing like that.”

“Well then, chica, I don’t get what the problem is,” he’dsaid. “You’re a journalist. Are you telling me you’re incapable of setting asideyour prejudices about Hollywood for the sake of a story?”

It was a valid question, and one that had cut right throughany lingering animosity Blake had towards Brandon Cody. The truth was, Olliewas right. She didn’t know either of them, not really. People could change.Even spoiled, entitled, self-centered, arrogant...

Blake took a breath. “I already turned the interview down.His agent is probably apoplectic.”

“If you’re serious, I can fix that. Easy,” Gideon promised.She could hear him typing furiously in the background. “And Sonja doesn’t evenneed to know.”

“Oh my God, really? I appreciate this so much, Gid. Ipromise, it’ll be the best story I’ve put on your desk.” Best celebritybeat story, anyway. “I’ll do some research, get some background on—”

“Yeah. Yeah. That’s great, but make it fast. You’re due onset first thing in the morning.”

“Tomorrow morning?”

“Is that a complaint?”

“Nope.”

Blake had a choice to make. She could either swallow herpride and focus on making this assignment her gateway to better things, or shecould hold on to a grudge about something that happened when she was a teenagerand Bran was barely in his twenties.

Ambition won in the end.

The next morning, she dug through her closet and realizedshe hadn’t been shopping for anything decent in years.

She tried on a pair of skinny jeans and paired it with aboyfriend shirt. “I look like a slob!” Blake yelled.

“No, you don’t!” Enid called back from her room across thehall.

When Blake turned to check how her ass looked in the jeans,her roommate was already standing in the open door. Sizing Blake up, shefrowned.

“Hmm. Hang on.”

She disappeared for a moment before returning with a jacketBlake had admired when she saw it hanging from the hook behind Enid’s bedroomdoor. “This is my sister’s. She left it when she came to visit for Hanukkahlast year.”

It was a retro-style bomber in gold satin with a black stripthat ran across the shoulders and down to each cuff. Blake slipped it on andpushed up the sleeves.

“Is your sister a giant?”

“She’s a model.”

“Of course she is.” Enid was gorgeous, so none of this cameas a surprise. “It probably costs more than my car. She won’t mind me borrowingit?”

“Nah. I doubt she even misses it. I told her it was here,but she hasn’t asked about it since.”

“Promise, I’ll bring it back in one piece.”

“Like I said, don’t worry.” Enid brushed the shoulders offand helped Blake roll up the cuffs. “There. You look amazing. Smart,no-nonsense, and ready to take over the world. Now, get moving.”

“Right.” She stepped into a pair of Skechers, hoisted herbag onto her shoulder, and waved goodbye. “Thanks, I owe you.”

It had been on Blake’s secret bucket list to visit an actualfilm studio. And not just any studio, one of the venerable grand dames of the industry.Few had the gold-plated legacy of Sterling United, a place that had been at theforefront of every major breakthrough in film, from silent to talkies to 3D andbeyond.

Pulling into the lot, she couldn’t help but appreciate thehistory of the place. She accepted her visitor’s badge and parked the car inthe proper lot before checking herself in the rearview mirror.

“I can’t believe I’m going into this blind,” she muttered asshe applied a little mascara and tinted lip balm. She hadn’t even had time to GoogleBran’s career thus far. Ah, well. Maybe it was for the best. She could walkinto this whole situation with a fresh set of eyes and ears. Unbiased. Right.

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