Chapter 5
“Smile!” The photographer at the awards gala snapped a photo of the TCN table. They were a handsome group. The men looked dashing in their tuxedos and the women were dressed to the nines. Linney was wearing the elegant black evening gown she’d bought with MJ and she’d been getting compliments on it all night.
Mac’s eyes never left Linney. She could feel him staring as she laughed with colleagues, and she saw a cloud pass over his face as she deftly brushed off overly friendly compliments from other men. She couldn’t decide if he was dying to get her out of her dress, or angry and possessive about the way other men were looking at her. That dress. Linney loved that dress and the way it made her feel. She looked sexy, sassy, and smart, and her eyes sparkled behind her glasses. Mac reached for the wine and filled his glass again. He offered her more, but Linney shook her head.
TCN was up for several awards, including Linney’s first nomination. Linney caught Mac fiddling with his bow tie as their dessert was taken away, an unusual show of nerves. When his category was called, she held his hand and squeezed it tight. “You’ve got this,” she whispered to him.
The table clapped politely when the nominees were announced and held their collective breath until Mac’s name was announced as the winner. As their colleagues applauded wildly, Mac made his way to the stage. In his acceptance speech, he thanked Gemma and the network for their support. Linney felt a small pang of disappointment when he didn’t mention her, but said nothing. MJ noticed too and rolled her eyes. All of the winners that evening had mentioned their spouses or partners. But not Mac. It was always all about him.
In total, TCN picked up seven awards that night, up two from the year before. Champagne flowed, and spirits were high. Linney hadn’t won, but she hadn’t expected to. It sounded trite, but she was honoured just to be mentioned in the same breath as the other journalists in her category. MJ grabbed Linney’s hand when the band started playing and the two were soon dancing with abandon. Their exuberance attracted others to join them and soon the dance floor was full.
When they got home in the wee small hours of the morning, Mac put his statuette on the dresser and turned his attention to Linney’s zipper. “I have been dreaming about getting you out of that dress all night,” he whispered, as he kissed the back of her neck. The black satin puddled to the floor. She looked just as good out of it as she had in it, and Mac pulled her towards him possessively. It was a glorious night.
* * *
February was gloomy in London,but Linney hardly had time to notice. Gemma was giving her more and more interesting stories to cover. Linney had natural instincts, and she turned in consistently great work with unique and interesting angles. The whole newsroom knew it and nobody—except maybe Linney herself—was surprised the first time Gemma assigned her a top-tier story that any one of them would have wanted.
“Thank you, Gemma,” she stammered.
“Go get ’em,” Mac whispered in her ear when the story meeting was over and everyone had their assignments. Linney’s star was rising, and he was proud of her. When the story aired, he took her out to a favourite neighbourhood restaurant to celebrate.
“You’ll be outgrowing me soon,” Mac joked with her over cocktails.
Linney blushed. “I’ve learned so much from you. And I value your opinion. I’m not sure I could ever outgrow you.” She couldn’t quite believe her own success yet.
They ordered a bottle of wine with their oysters and Mac toasted her again.
While they waited for their entrees, Linney went to the ladies’ room to powder her nose and when she returned, she saw Mac beckoning the waiter over for a second bottle. Linney was surprised. Mac had only just poured her a second glass. How could they need a new bottle already? But as she bit into the best fish she’d ever tasted, she forgot to ask about the wine. Mac was spoiling her with this amazing meal.
“This is so good,” she told him between forkfuls and Mac smiled at her enthusiasm.
He raised his glass. “A toast. To London’s newest star journalist.”
Linney blushed but raised hers as well. “And to the man who’s helping me along the way.” They drank, and Mac topped up his nearly empty glass before they turned their attention back to their meals.
As she finished a slice of decadent chocolate cake for dessert, Linney groaned. “I’ve eaten too much.” She was fully sated and pleasantly relaxed from her two glasses of wine. “I don’t think I even have room for coffee. This has been amazing, Mac.”
Mac popped the last bite of his key lime tart into his mouth and gestured to the waiter for a whiskey. When his drink came—a double neat—he took a gulp. “Now,” he started, leaning back in his chair and indicating a shift in the conversation. “We’ve celebrated enough. Let’s talk about what you could have done better.”
Linney looked at Mac in shock at this sudden change, but he continued, his words slightly slurred. “Your intro wasn’t executed well, and you could have asked tougher questions.” He waited for her to reply. “Have you nothing to say for yourself?” He waited another moment. “I thought you were a serious reporter,” he taunted her, taking another drink from the brandy snifter.
Linney gritted her teeth. “I am a serious reporter. And I was pleased with that story. So was Gemma.”
“It was fine. But fine isn’t enough. You need to do better if you want to be great.” His voice was loud.
“Mac, not now. Not here.”
“Yes, right here and now.” He banged the table and people were starting to stare. “How are you ever going to be more than average if you don’t learn from your mistakes? I’m just trying to help you.”
“Mac.” Linney looked down at her lap, tears threatening.
“Fine. Be a crap reporter then. What do I care?” He drained the whiskey, slammed the glass down on the table and pointed at her. “Oh, and you should probably try and drop a few pounds. The camera will love you more.” He waved down the waiter and gestured to his empty glass.
Linney had heard enough and embarrassment made way for anger. “I’m sorry you feel that way.” The legs of her chair scraped on the floor as she stood abruptly and threw the linen napkin on her plate. “I think I’d better go. Do not follow me back to my flat.” She turned on her heel and left the restaurant, bumping shoulders with the waiter who was rushing to refresh Mac’s drink.
Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she walked the few blocks home, blinking her eyes rapidly to avoid the tears. It took a long bath to calm her and Linney was getting ready for bed when her phone vibrated. She almost ignored it. She could not deal with Mac again tonight. But her hand hovered over the phone and when it buzzed again, she picked it up.
Wow!
Seriously, wow!
Linney climbed into her bed and under the covers before dialling Derek’s number. She didn’t waste any time with greetings.
“You saw it? What’d you think? I’m not sure it was that good.” She chewed on her lip nervously.
“It was amazing! I’m so proud of you. You’re as good as Mansbridge or LaFlamme! When will they send you somewhere dangerous?”
Linney chuckled. “Soon, I hope. As long as I didn’t screw this up too badly. I still have things to learn.”
“Good luck. You deserve it. Really, you were great on the news tonight.”
She blushed at the praise. “You’re the best cheering section.” There was silence for a moment and she changed the subject. “How’s wedding planning coming?
Derek groaned. “I can’t wait for it to be over. The wedding that is. But I can’t wait for marriage to begin.”
“Not much longer. The next few months will go by in a flash.” She stifled a yawn, but Derek heard it.
“It’s late for you. Get some sleep. I’ll talk to you soon. Congratulations again.”
They put down their phones, Linney unwilling to spoil their chat by sharing Mac’s outrageous behaviour and Derek equally averse to bringing up Olivia’s wedding obsession.
Over coffee and pastries with MJ on a Kensington Park bench that weekend, Linney brought up her recent piece. “Honestly, MJ, how was it? I think—could it have been better, maybe?”
MJ put down her croissant and looked at Linney like she was crazy. “What are you talking about? It was great. Everyone said so, even Gemma. And you saw the viewer response.”
“Well, not everyone thought it was great.” Linney twisted the sleeve around her coffee cup, remembering Mac’s criticism.
“Do you really think Gemma is in the habit of handing out compliments where they are not deserved? Je pense que non.”
“Well, no, I guess you’re right. I thought it was good, but now I’m not so sure.” Linney sounded deflated.
“Why are you doubting yourself?” The penny dropped and MJ’s temper flared. “Did Mac say something?”
Linney’s head shot up. “How did you know?”
MJ gathered up the paper bag and napkins, balling them up. She strode over to the rubbish bin and dropped them in. “You cannot let him get to you like this,” she said as she walked back. “Gemma would not have given you that story if you were not ready for it, and you delivered. It will get nominated during award season, you know that, oui? Do not let Mac take away your confidence. You are going places. I think you will leave me behind here in London soon. But it will only happen if you believe in yourself.” Lecture delivered, she held out her hand to Linney and pulled her in the direction of the park’s pond.
“Thanks, MJ,” Linney said, a little embarrassed. “You’re a good friend.”
Linney continued to mull it over in her head for several days, while she ignored Mac. To her surprise, he ignored her too and didn’t apologize. Eventually, she decided that Mac had meant well and had been trying to share his experience. She was the one who had overreacted and had left him sitting alone at the restaurant.
“A peace offering,” she said one morning, bringing two cups of strong coffee into his office. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have walked out like that the other night. I know you were just trying to help.”
Mac took one of the cups and nodded. “Glad you understand that now.”
“Dinner at my place tonight?”
“Thought you’d never ask.” Mac put down the coffee and walked around his desk. Kicking his office door closed with his foot, he backed Linney against it. With one arm around her shoulder, he pulled her so close that she could feel his heartbeat. His hand slid down further and his next kiss made her toes curl.
When Linney left his office, smoothing down her skirt and breathing deeply to regain her composure, she didn’t see Mac open his desk drawer with shaky hands and unscrew the cap on a bottle of vodka. The coffee she’d brought, which had started to cool, needed a little something extra to get him through the day.