Bad Liar (The Reed Rivers Trilogy #1) - Lauren Rowe Page 0,47
want to talk to you about in an interview! You’ve never said anything like that to me before. And now I’m dying to know what you mean.”
I look out the car window at the bustling streets of Manhattan. “I’d be happy to tell you over drinks some time. Off the record.”
“I’ll hold you to that. So, what can I do for you, my dear?”
“Nothing.”
“You called me, remember?”
“Oh. Yeah. I just called to tell you how much I enjoyed doing the panel, despite all the griping and bitching I did this past week about having to do it.”
“Aw, I’m so glad.”
“Icing on the cake, I wound up chatting with your friend, Angela, about being an expert witness on this stupid infringement lawsuit I’ve got to defend, and she just now emailed Leonard and said she’s reviewed the case in detail and she’s happy to do it.”
“Fantastic! You’ll love Angela. Your jury is going to adore her.”
“The case won’t get to a jury. Some moron-band nobody has ever heard of is claiming Red Card Riot stole a chord progression that can be found in everything from Mozart to Bruno Mars.”
CeeCee scoffs. “God, I hate people.”
“I would have told you all about it yesterday, but you took off without so much as a quick goodbye.”
“Sorry. You were being mobbed by kiddies, and I only had a short window to grab a coffee with an old friend.”
Bingo. Finally, we get to the good stuff. “Oh yeah? Who?”
“Gilda Schiff. An old friend from college. She’s a journalism professor at UCLA.”
My heart is suddenly thrumming. “Hmm. The woman I saw you leaving with looked a bit younger than an ‘old college friend.’”
“Oh, your eagle eye noticed that gorgeous creature who left with Gilda and me, did it, all the way from across that huge lecture hall?” She chuckles. “The college kiddie with us was one of Gilda’s journalism students. Apparently, she had the bright idea to attend a music school event to meet me and try to land herself a writing job.”
“With Rock ‘n’ Roll?”
“No. Georgina has her sights set on Dig a Little Deeper, though she said she’d take any opportunity.”
My heart rate increases, yet again, just hearing Georgina’s name. In a torrent, I’m suddenly remembering Georgina’s “greatest hits” from last night. Our amazing kisses. The way her tits peeked out of her tank. The way her hazel eyes flashed with homicidal rage when she told me off in front of my house, making me hard as a rock. And, finally, the way she hurled herself into that Uber, and then flipped me off with both hands as her car peeled away. And all of it, despite the fact that anyone else would have stayed and kissed my ass—not to mention, come inside and sucked my dick—to advance her stepsister’s cause.
I clear my throat, my breathing shallow. “So, are you going to hire her?” I ask, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “I gotta think her worming her way into meeting you at a music school event is a point in her favor. It shows she’s capable of thinking outside the box, don’t you think?”
“Oh, absolutely. And being able to think outside the box wasn’t the only point in this young woman’s favor.”
You can say that again.
“She’s a treasure, Reed. An absolute gem. Funny and engaging. Charismatic and confident. An excellent writer, too. I just finished reading her writing samples, and I was duly impressed.”
My eyebrows rise. I didn’t see that one coming, I’m ashamed to admit. Gorgeous, witty, magnetic, sexy, curvaceous Georgina is also an excellent writer? Well, I’ll be damned.
CeeCee continues. “She’s still a bit green, of course. Definitely needs some real-world experience. But with some guidance, I think she’s got potential to become a top-notch journalist.”
My heart is crashing in my ears. Holy fuck, I want this for Georgina. “It sounds like the event was a win for us both, then. I found myself an expert witness for a frivolous lawsuit, and you found yourself a newbie journalist to hire.”
“Actually, no, I don’t think it’s going to work out for me to hire her, I’m sad to say.”
My heart stops. No. “Why not? From the way you’ve been talking about this girl, it seems like hiring her is a no-brainer.”
“It would be, if only I had the right position for her. But, unfortunately, I don’t.”
I take a deep breath to make sure my voice doesn’t sound over-eager. “Surely, you could move things around to make a spot for her. Good