Flirting with Forever: A Hot Romantic Comedy(57)

Tala poked her head in with a smile. “Hey. Have a minute?”

“Sure.” I closed my laptop with a sigh. “I’m not getting anywhere with this anyway.”

“I hate that feeling.” She sat down and crossed her legs at the ankles. Her burnt orange blouse looked great against her skin. “I don’t have anything work related. I just thought I’d pop in and say hi.”

“I’m glad you did. It feels like I haven’t seen you in a while. What’s new?”

“This shirt, for starters.” She plucked at it. “I went shopping with a friend the other day. Tell me honestly. Is it too much?”

“Not at all. It makes your skin glow. Next time you might pair it with lighter pants, though. The contrast would really make that color pop.”

“Thanks. I’ll try that.” She tucked her long hair behind her ear. “By the way, I have to thank you again for your advice about that guy who was always on his phone. I said I wasn’t going to but I went out with him again and it was more of the same. So I broke things off. Then the very next day, I met this guy at the pet store. He’s kind of shy, but so cute. We’ve been out a few times and I think I really like him.”

“That’s so great. I’m happy for you.”

“If I’d kept seeing what’s-his-name, I wouldn’t have met him. It’s almost like you were a matchmaker without even trying.”

“I aim to please.”

“What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, and no. I’m having a hot fling with my neighbor.”

“Ooh.” She leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands. “Tell me more.”

“At first I thought he wasn’t my type. And I guess he’s not. But variety is the spice of life, right?”

“What does he look like?”

“Tall, muscular, dark hair, blue eyes. And lots of tattoos.” I picked up my phone and showed her a few photos.

She raised her eyebrows. “Hot.”

I leaned back. “He’s so hot. The attraction was immediate but we danced around it for a while. In fact, he turned me down at first.”

“What was he thinking?”

I lifted one shoulder. “Who knows. Men can be so stubborn. It was easy to make him pay for it, though. I had plenty of opportunities to tease him.”

“Until he finally gave in?”

“Something like that. Now it’s great. He’s right next door, which is so convenient. And he’s, let’s just say, very talented.”

She pretended to fan herself. “Phew. Someone get a fan. You know, this would make an amazing article. How to have a fling with your hot neighbor. You should pitch it to April.”

I opened my mouth to answer, but paused. How to have a fling with your hot neighbor wasn’t a bad idea for an article. It sounded like something Nora Lakes would write. But I was reluctant and I wasn’t sure why. It wouldn’t have to be personal. I could leave out all traces of my fling with Dex and keep it generic.

Still, there was something about the idea that bothered me.

Before I could reply, April walked by, as if Tala had invoked her name like a summons.

“April,” Tala said, twisting around in her chair. “Do you have a minute?”

“Hi, ladies,” she said with a friendly smile. She was tall and thin with blond hair so light it leaned toward silver. Her beige pantsuit was tailored to her lean frame and her heels emphasized her long legs. “What can I do for you?”

“Nora has a great article idea.” She turned back to me and widened her eyes, as if to say, pitch her the idea. “I think you should hear it.”

“Great,” April said. “Let’s go to my office.”

Tala stood, looking extremely satisfied with herself, gave me a little wave, and left.

I got up and followed April to her office, wondering what I was going to say when I got there. Irritation at Tala pricked at me. I knew she was trying to be helpful, and I hadn’t had a chance to tell her I wasn’t so sure about the idea. But still.

April’s office was decorated with a sleek, minimalist vibe. Her desk had a marble top as did the credenza behind her. She had a few books and decorative items on a small bookshelf and modern art in gold frames on the walls.

We took our seats. She leaned back and folded her hands.

I made the decision in a split second. Crossing my legs at the ankles, I resolved to do what I did best. Own it.

Not the how to have a fling with your neighbor idea. I wasn’t going to pitch yet another sex article, especially not that one. I was going to start taking back creative control of my work.

“I know we’ve talked a little bit about this in the past, but I’d like to expand my column beyond sex. Living Your Best Life used to be about all sorts of things that were of interest to women. Health, beauty, fashion, as well as sex and relationships. I feel like the hyper focus on sex is too limiting, both for me and our readers.”

She paused, considering. “The problem is sex sells. Nothing else gets as many clicks. Clicks mean views and views mean advertising revenue.”

“I realize that. But I think we risk my column turning stale if we don’t offer our readers a better variety. Sure, maybe the sex articles will still be the driving force, but they’ll keep coming back for all the other content that interests them. Besides, we both know women have interests beyond their vaginas.”