Bryce: Ex-Business: An Ex-Club Romance by Camilla Stevens

Author:Camilla Stevens [Stevens, Camilla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-01-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Edie

I’m with the advertising department, listening to more bad news. Subscriptions have already begun a tiny but worrisome downward trend, which will only snowball once the public believes they won’t get their full year’s worth of magazines.

This, in turn, affects our most important source of revenue: ads.

That, in turn, affects morale in the department and already the head has had some preemptive requests to be a reference should anyone leave for calmer waters.

I think that bourbon pecan pie ice cream with a hefty dose of cognac is going to be needed tonight, school night or not. Even after dinner with Dad, who usually joins forces with Sergio to dote on me like I’m still five years old. It’s only a little after noon and I want nothing more than to fall into bed. I’m seriously thinking of rescheduling, but I know I’d never hear the end of it. Dad and I made this promise to one another. Both of us have busy lives and this is the one thing we hold sacred, no matter what.

I’m already slightly frazzled and drained when I come back to my office and listen to my messages from the phone I always leave behind. It’s the one from Bryce that perks me back up:

Edie, apparently word has gotten out. Call me!

At first, I assume he’s talking about this budding relationship of ours—speaking of which, what are we?—but then it occurs to me that something so trivial wouldn’t warrant this kind of a message. Especially considering how urgent his voice sounds.

I call him back.

“Edie!” He says, as though wondering where in the hell I’ve been. Apparently forgetting that I too have a magazine to run. For now.

“What is it, Bryce? You sounded—”

“Someone knows. Not just that, but there’s another corporation already in the works doing the same thing we are. They’ve already gotten in touch with at least two magazines.”

“What?” I ask, all hints of fatigue evaporating. I shoot out of my chair and begin pacing. “What corporation? How do they know? What the hell is going on?”

He proceeds to tell me about his lunch with Jodie Armstrong—A factoid that sent a nice little bristle through my feathers. Everyone knows what Jodie is like—and details everything she told him.

By the time he’s done, I’m back in my chair, more pooped than ever.

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence? I mean, what we’re thinking of isn’t exactly novel,” I suggest.

“And using my name? My magazine,” he rages.

I bite my lip in consideration of that. It’s a worrisome and strange factor.

“So, obviously someone spilled the beans and either fully expects you to join this Cheval Blanc Media or they are trying to mess with your reputation. Any ideas who?” I ask.

I don’t want to state the obvious, since I’m sure Bryce has already thought of it himself—that it must have been one of the people he told.

“The people that you told, how loyal are they to you?” Apparently, he has the same idea about me.

I sit up straighter in my chair.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.