to do.”
“You are right about that.” He laughed a bit. “I sure owe you one, Miss Palmer.”
“Nonsense. It was my pleasure.” With that, she left him to scribble and ponder.
True, she hadn’t been forthcoming about her own reaction to the picture—about what had compelled her to pass it along to the chief, ushering the image toward publication. Perhaps at the root of her efforts, more than all else, was a yearning to feel less alone with choices she had once made.
Whatever the cause may have been, there was no reason to elaborate. She had said enough to help.
Chapter 5
The verdict was in. The article had been given the go-ahead, per Mr. Baylor. Ellis felt so light on his feet, it was a miracle he didn’t drift up to the newsroom ceiling.
Yeah, it would have been nice to receive word from the chief himself, but Ellis wasn’t about to nitpick. If all went well, he could soon be assigned to City News, making his way to the crime or political beat.
It wasn’t such a stretch to believe, given the latest development: Ellis was now welcomed to submit similar photos, described as “human” with a “gut punch,” along with—and here was the kicker—articles to accompany them.
Not losing time, he sat at his desk and leafed through his personal file of pictures.
Nothing there of use.
Other photos were stashed at his apartment, but all were more of the same. From here on out, he’d be scouring the streets and alleys, the docks and barnyards with an alert eye and a loaded camera never far from his grip.
“Hey, Reed!” hollered a political reporter known as Stick. The skinny guy with slightly bulging eyes was refilling his cup at the coffee station. He wasn’t more than ten feet away, but his caffeine intake often made him as loud as a carney barker. “Just heard about your feature. Good for you!”
Several reporters suddenly glanced Ellis’s way. In seconds, their interest cut back to their Tuesday leads and calls and fact-checking. But the moment still caused his pride to swell.
He limited his response to a simple thanks, not wanting to seem overeager.
“By the way,” Stick said, “some of the fellas wanna try out a new joint for lunch over on Ludlow. Come if you’re free.”
“Sure. Why not?” More feigned nonchalance.
Stick gave a quick smile. Then he downed a gulp of coffee, probably his fifth cup of the morning, before jostling back to his desk.
Lunch outings were common bonding events among the core newspapermen. A year or so ago, Ellis happened to be at the same restaurant as a group of them and was asked to join. Eventually, out of their small talk arose standard wisecracks about Ellis being a “sob sister,” a reference to female reporters, since most were relegated to sentimental assignments. Like the Society section. After a run of inside jokes he couldn’t follow and tales from college days, which he’d never had, he’d slipped out with an excuse that was barely acknowledged.
But now, with a clear-cut invite, a respectable feature in the queue, things were taking a turn…
The thought was interrupted by a flash of burgundy. It was Lily’s blouse, and Ellis perked up at the sight of her standing alone. A few desks down, she’d stalled to scrawl notes on a steno pad. If his luck today was any indication, he had every reason to be confident. Either way, he needed to act.
He strode on over while trying to look unrushed. She was about to step away.
“Miss Palmer.”
“Mmm?” she replied, distracted.
He continued once she looked up from her notes. “I just wanted to tell you, in case you hadn’t heard. My piece about the kids is scheduled to run Thursday.”
“My, that’s marvelous, Mr. Reed. Congratulations.” She lit with enthusiasm, a good sign. One that would have cooled his simmering nerves if not for Clayton’s typing at the nearest desk. The guy’s precise rhythm perceptibly slowed as Ellis assembled his next words.
“Is there…something else?” Lily’s voice, while still pleasant, gained a trace of impatience. No doubt the chief had already thrown her an endless list of tasks.
“Actually, there is.” Though Ellis preferred not to highlight his Society duties, he dared to plunge in. “Tonight at the art museum, I’ll be covering a new exhibit. Ancient collectibles from China. Should be quite a thing to see.”
She gave a nod, waiting for his point.
No question, a woman like Lily deserved a proper courting—carriage rides, symphony seats, a dinner at the Ritz. None of which Ellis could afford.