about putting me permanently into the Monday slot, since I’m so reliable.” Sorry, Fjord, but facts were facts. “As for my Thursday slot, I’ve already got this great idea for a segment on what to pack for those quick weekend getaways—”
“Great. Wonderful. Fabulous. Do whatever the hell you want for your Thursday slot, okay? Just wrap up your latest assignment now and get it to me ASAP.”
“And you’ll try to create more room for me in on the Monday slot, yes?”
“I swear, I’ll do everything I can, Joelle. Buzzword’s scheduling director knows about this fuck-up, and that I’m relying on you to fix it. If you can pull this off, plus create content to cover your Thursday slot, it’s going to make you look damn good in his eyes. No promises, except that I’ll push this for you.”
“Good deal,” she said, adrenaline surging through her. She bounded to her feet, eager to get to work… and then realized where she was. “Uh, I’d better go, Heidi. Lots of work to do.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Joelle.”
“What I am is an idiot,” she mumbled to herself as her boss hung up. For a moment she just stood there, mind racing. Naturally her first instinct was to race back home to her own equipment and get things done that way. But this was California. Like the pro she was, she’d put her “Thrift Store Gold” piece in her Dropbox account, so it could be accessed from anywhere in the world. All she needed was a studio to complete the video’s sound. Or, barring that, she had no problem with renting equipment or even buying it outright.
She could do this.
“This menu’s got every damn thing that could possibly be cooked with wine, and then some.” Gus came in, gloriously naked and reading a padded menu. Normally such a sight would make her drool, but at that moment all she felt was a resonating guilt. “Beef tips braised with red wine sounds cool, and it’ll go with that Malbec you like so much. What do you say?”
She bit her lip, wrestling with her guilt. “Do you remember our first date, when you took me to Gillooly’s and got that unexpected work call that pulled you away? It sucked and you hated to allow anything to interrupt what was going on between us, but that’s what being an adult is all about, right? I mean… right?”
He looked up from the menu before zeroing in on the phone in her hand. “What’s up?”
So much for breaking it to him gently. “My boss just called. I have a great opportunity to upload two assignments this week, and I know I can do it. The thing is, I need to get to the nearest sound studio and rent some time there to do the voice-overs. Hopefully, once I find a studio, it’ll only take a couple hours—”
“No.” Closing the menu with a muffled clap, he headed for the phone near the bed. “So, beef tips sound good to you? You want dessert? According to their menu, their cheesecake has won awards.”
She stared at him, not sure she understood. “No? Wait, what does that even mean?”
“It means, no, you’re not going to some fucking studio when you’re here with me living your best life. The rest of the world beyond that door can take care of itself. We’re here in our own little universe where nothing can touch us, not even work, so that’s all there is to it. Now come back to bed and tell me what you want to eat.”
“I don’t want to eat, and I’ve told you what I want.” She shook her head as disquiet snaked through her, dark and acid-filled. But this was her fault, so she had to do her best to make him understand. “Gus, I really am so sorry about this interruption. I know the timing sucks, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get an opportunity like this again, so it’s kind of important that I jump on it.”
“So, our being together isn’t important?”
She blinked, shocked he’d come to such a conclusion. “Of course it’s important. Look, this is just like that time at Gillooly’s when you told me you had to go to work, but that I was still at the top of your priority list so I shouldn’t be offended that work had interrupted our date. I understood, just as I’m hoping you understand now that this is exactly how I feel about you. You are my top priority.”
“Doesn’t look that