The Reed Rivers Trilogy

Chapter 15 Reed #2

“Nothing. I’m just trying to help a young woman with a dream, out of the goodness of my heart—thereby helping my dear friend. You said she’s got something special, and I want you to have the best people on your staff because I love you so much.”

She laughs. “Wait. There’s goodness in your heart?”

“That’s what you took from everything I just said to you?”

She laughs again.

“Hell yeah, there’s goodness in my heart,” I mutter defensively. “It’s just hard to notice because it’s hidden underneath so many mysterious, enigmatic ‘layers’ of my onion.”

She hoots with laughter.

“Seriously, Ceece, you should hear the way you’ve been talking about this girl. You’re obviously smitten with her.”

“Oh, I am. She was exceptional, Reed. The brightest, most charming and charismatic newbie I’ve met in a long time.

Maybe, ever. I sat across the table from her in that coffee place and thought, ‘Anyone this girl interviews wouldn’t stand a chance.

She’d get them to spill all their secrets in the first five minutes. ’”

I smile to myself. Truer words were never spoken. “Well, there you go,” I say breezily. “Don’t let someone like that get away.”

CeeCee sighs. “The thing is, I’d feel like an asshole offering Georgina an unpaid internship.

After Georgina left the coffee place, my friend, Gilda, told me Georgina’s father recently battled cancer, and Georgina needs a paid position after graduation to help him afford some expensive medication he still needs to take. ”

My stomach drops into my toes at this unexpected revelation.

“Under the circumstances,” CeeCee continues, “I’d feel terrible offering Georgina an unpaid internship. Actually, I was thinking of picking up the phone and trying to help her get a paid position somewhere else.”

“What? You can’t do that. Break your rules and hire this girl for pay, CeeCee.”

“I can’t. My hands are tied. If I make an exception for Georgina and let her bypass the internship program, my staff would flood me with résumés, insisting their best friends and nephews should get the same treatment.”

“It’s your company. Surely, you can make an exception, just this once.”

I hear a slapping noise. Like CeeCee’s just slammed her palms onto her desk. “Okay, Reed. That’s it. What the fuck aren’t you telling me?”

My heart stops. “Nothing. You just seem particularly moved by this girl, and I don’t want you regretting your decision later. To be honest, I’m moved by her, too—by this thing with her father. I know what it’s like to want to do whatever it takes to help a parent in need.”

CeeCee is quiet for a moment in the face of my unexpected comment. I never talk about my mother. And now, in this one conversation, I’ve referred to her twice. Surely, CeeCee thinks the sky is falling.

“I really was moved by Georgina,” CeeCee says wistfully.

“Even before I found out about how she helps her father. She was truly lovely, Reed. A diamond in the rough. Plus—and I probably shouldn’t admit this, but—the fact that she’s so gorgeous and sexy would make her hugely effective if I were to assign her to interview musicians for Rock ‘n’ Roll.

I know it sounds sexist, and maybe a little underhanded of me, but the fact remains that interview subjects, especially male musicians, tend to open up like steamed clams with really stunning interviewers, as I’m sure you’ve noticed yourself over the years. ”

I chuckle. “Why do you think I’ve always opened up the most with you?”

She snorts. “Always, such a charmer. Seriously, though, without even realizing what they’re doing, horny musicians always turn themselves inside out, trying to impress the really gorgeous ones, which never fails to translate into interview gold.”

I pause for a moment. Long enough to make it seem like I’m weighing what I’m about to say.

“I tell you what, CeeCee. I’m going to give you a gift, because I love you and also want to help this girl.

I’m going to make a six-figure donation to one of your favorite cancer charities—the one that supports family members of those affected by cancer.

They can use part of my donation to set up a grant for this Georgina of yours—the equivalent of three months’ salary, plus whatever might be needed to pay for this expensive medicine her father needs.

That way, you can officially hire Georgina for the usual unpaid internship, as far as your payroll department and other employees are concerned, but she’ll actually get paid on the sly.

Boom. Georgina and her father win. You win. Rock ‘n’ Roll wins. Everybody wins.”

“Everybody wins but you. Why would you do this?”

“Because I’m a good guy. Because I love you. But, mostly, because you said she’d be particularly good at interviewing musicians and that gives me an excellent idea.”

“Ha! I knew there had to be a catch.”

“What would you say if, in exchange for my generous donation to one of your favorite charities, Rock ‘n’ Roll does a special ‘River Records issue,’ featuring nothing but my artists?”

“I’m so relieved to find out you have an ulterior motive for your generosity. For a second there, I felt extremely disoriented.”

“My motive isn’t ulterior. It’s parallel. Yes, I want to get something out of this, but I also want to do good. For you and this ‘diamond in the rough.’ Seriously, what’s the downside of my proposal? It’s a no-brainer.”

CeeCee is quiet. Thinking. Processing. Trying to figure out what she’s missing here. Why I’m bending over backwards.

“I’ll roll out the red carpet for this girl,” I say. “She’ll have full access to everyone on my roster, all at once. I’ve never done anything like this before, and I’d only ever do it for you.”

“It wouldn’t just be her,” CeeCee says, and, instantly, I know I’ve got her. “I’d have to assign several people to the issue. Plus, I’m sure I’d write a few pieces, too.”

I smile broadly. “Whatever you want, as long as the newbie works on nothing but the River Records issue during her summer internship.”

“Why?” CeeCee asks, her tone instantly suspicious.

“Because I’m paying her fucking salary, that’s why.”

“Oh.”

CeeCee is quiet for a long moment. And I don’t blame her.

It’s highly unlike me to bend over backwards to help a stranger.

But not outside the realm of possibility, I’d think, considering all the benefits that will flow to both CeeCee and me from this arrangement.

Obviously, I’ve omitted to tell CeeCee the foremost benefit that will flow to me.

My top reason for doing this. Namely, that this arrangement will undoubtedly lead to me fucking Georgina at some point during the summer—which, in this moment, is something I want for myself more than I want my next breath.

Certainly, more than I want the two hundred grand I’m planning to donate to CeeCee’s cancer charity.

But, so what if I haven’t told CeeCee that part?

Omitting that one particular nugget of information doesn’t make what I have mentioned any less true.

“Okay,” CeeCee says. “I’ll agree to the special issue—”

“Wonderful.”

“On one condition.”

I hold my breath.

“It absolutely must include a full-length interview of you.”

I exhale with frustration. “CeeCee.”

“We can’t do a River Records issue without an interview of Reed Rivers. It can be a simple two-pager, if you like, but an interview of you is non-negotiable.”

Again, I look out the window of my limo, just in time to see the bushy trees of Central Park coming into view. “All right,” I concede. “I’ll sit down for a basic one-pager, including a five-by-seven photo of me to take up space.”

“A two-pager, including a three-by-five photo. That’s my final offer.”

Fuck. I say nothing for a moment, mulling my options.

“A two-pager can’t, by its very nature, be as in-depth as the five-pager I’ve been dying to do for Dig a Little Deeper. Plus, don’t forget, this would be for Rock ‘n’ Roll, so it will be fluff. Mostly.”

“So, it’ll be like the ‘Man with the Midas Touch’ interview?”

I can practically hear her devious smile.

“No, it’ll be meatier than that. For God’s sake, Reed, for that one, the only really personal thing you said was you’re not interested in marriage or children.

I’ll need a lot more than that for a River Records special issue.

But, still, yes, the piece will, by necessity, be basically on-brand for Rock ‘n’ Roll. ”

I roll my eyes at my predicament, even though CeeCee isn’t here to see it. “Okay. Fine. A two-pager. But it’s not going to ‘peel back the layers’ of my onion too far. I’ll give a little something more than last time, but my deepest layers will stay firmly unpeeled.”

“Deal. We’ll peel back only one layer of your onion.”

My driver honks his horn and screams at a yellow taxi that’s stopped immediately in front of us to let its passengers out.

“Ah, New York,” CeeCee says. “I can hear it from here.”

I chuckle. “There’s no place quite like it. So, will this Georgina of yours interview me for this onion-peeling interview?”

“Do you want Georgina to be the one to interview you?”

I pause long enough to make it seem like I’m genuinely considering the question. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. She might bring a fresh perspective and voice a more seasoned writer wouldn’t. Plus, you already interviewed me for that ‘Midas Touch’ piece. Might be fun to switch things up.”

“I agree. I was actually going to suggest she do it. I’ve got a hunch she’s going to be particularly talented at peeling back your layers, my dear.”

Another wave of paranoia washes over me.

Seriously now, did CeeCee notice me losing my shit over Georgina—and she’s been fucking with me this whole conversation?

“Just make sure she knows she’s only allowed to peel back one layer of the onion,” I say, hoping my voice sounds playful and calm.

“No additional layers shall be peeled during the course of this interview.”

“I’ll be sure to tell her. No worries, sweetie. Hey, would you be willing to give Georgina a work station at River Records for the summer—just for ease of access?”

Ease of access. Oh, God. I’ve got such a dirty mind.

Upon hearing those words in reference to Georgina, my brain can’t help but imagine myself opening Georgina’s olive thighs and sinking myself deep inside her—getting to feel the Nirvana I’ve been waiting ten fucking years to feel, ever since I first laid eyes on Georgina’s double a decade ago and felt an urgent, animalistic desire to fuck the living hell out of her.

“Reed?”

“Yes. A work station for Georgina would be fine with me. Talk to Owen about it. Just as long as we’re clear that she’s your employee.

Not mine. I don’t want my artists thinking this girl is a shill for our marketing department.

It’s important they know she’s a bona fide reporter for Rock ‘n’ Roll, interviewing them for an important special issue.

You’re her boss. Not me. I want them to take her seriously. ”

“Of course, Reed. So do I. You know I’d never allow my magazine to be used as a propaganda arm of your label.

This issue is going to have journalistic integrity, even if it happens to work to your label’s and artists’ extreme advantage, as much as it works to mine.

” She clucks her tongue. “Oh goodness, my mind is already racing with a thousand ideas. When will you be back from New York? Let’s have dinner. ”

“Not before you head off to Bali, unfortunately. We’ll have to do it when you get back. In the meantime, feel free to call Owen to arrange logistics and scheduling. Let’s get this special issue cooking with gas.”

“Fabulous. Georgina mentioned she’s graduating on the twenty-second. So I’ll get her on-boarded the very next day, right before I head off to Bali.”

My limo stops in front of the Ritz Carlton, right across from the Park, and a doorman in white gloves promptly opens my car door. “I’ve made it to the Goats’ hotel. I gotta hang up.”

“Bags, sir?” the doorman says, and I motion to the trunk before striding toward the double doors of the hotel lobby.

“Have fun in Bali,” I say. “Say bonjour to Francois for me.”

“I will. I’ll call the cancer charity now, right after we hang up, and email you the info for the donation. Oh, and, Reed. One more thing.”

I stop walking, just inside the doors of the hotel, my heart pounding. Is this it? Is she going to tell me she’s sniffed me out?

“Let’s make sure all the horny musicians on your roster treat this young woman with respect and professionalism, okay?”

I sigh with relief.

“I know you didn’t get a good look at her as she was walking out of the lecture hall, but, trust me, she’s stunning. And as we both know, musicians aren’t always the most restrained members of the male species when it comes to beautiful women.”

I smile to myself. The same could be said of music executives. “Don’t worry,” I say. “Owen and I will make it clear to everyone: the newbie reporter is off-limits.”

“Thank you. Georgina has worked her way through school as a bartender, so I’m sure she’s quite adept at fending off horny heathens. But, still, it never hurts to remind everyone she’s there to do a job, and not to get hit on right and left.”

My blood simmers at the thought of any of my guys making a move on Georgina.

But a couple of them, in particular. “We’re on the same page,” I say through clenched teeth.

“I promise, CeeCee, if any of my guys hit on your summer intern, they’re going to have to answer to me. And, I guarantee, it won’t be pretty.”