Halfway to You(57)

Maggie’s eyes shoot over to Ann, shock tingling up her spine.

Grant clears his throat. “Miss Fawkes—Ann—we pride ourselves in journalistic integrity at SBTS, and your requests are . . .” He coughs. “We can’t give you full authority.”

“All I want is to be represented honestly.”

“That’s our goal too. I’m sorry the media has misrepresented you in the past, but I’m concerned about Maggie being the only one to hear the raw recordings.”

“Why?”

“Well, her personal connection to you through Keith, for one,” Grant says. “Who’s to say that Maggie doesn’t have her own spin?”

His words prod at her ego, but of course, he’s right—and Maggie shares his concern. How can she be objective, knowing what she knows?

Grant continues. “This is just an extreme example, of course. I’m not trying to sound suspicious. But we have a process for these things.”

“How can I agree to a podcast about my life—my personal life—when they ask me to relinquish control over how I’m portrayed?” Ann asks. “Too many times, I have signed away my rights and had my words clipped and edited and spliced back together so that I come across as a different person entirely. I will not allow it again.”

Maggie hunches, ashamed of not deleting the accidental recording as soon as it happened. I know what it’s like to beg for forgiveness. That’s what Ann had said yesterday; her compassion is astounding.

“I’m horrified by your suggestion that we would splice your words dishonestly.”

“So am I,” Ann responds, “but the truth of the matter is that it has happened. I’m not trying to censor you or lie to your listeners. I’m trying to protect myself.” Ann’s hair has fallen across her face, obscuring her feline cheekbones. She looks small, sitting on the other end of the couch, and yet she’s larger than life. Her vulnerability is her strength.

Grant sighs. “How’s this: I’ll agree to your first two stipulations—pending approval from my boss, and with the understanding that both parties need to be happy with the final product. If you suggest changes we aren’t comfortable with and we can’t come to an agreement, we won’t air the story.”

“That’s perfectly fair.”

“However, someone else needs to listen to the raw recordings. We won’t publish them. We won’t disclose them. But for the sake of integrity, we need other producers involved. What if we had the other person sign some sort of confidentiality agreement?”

Steepling her fingers, Ann peers at Maggie from underneath arched eyebrows. “What do you think, Maggie. Does that sound fair?”

Adrenaline hits Maggie in the chest like a fist.

“Maggie, you’re on the line?” Grant’s voice has talons. He doesn’t like to be caught off guard—or look like a fool.

“I’m here,” Maggie says, regretting not announcing herself earlier. She scoots closer to the phone. “I’m fine with whatever you two decide.”

“Maggie, do you have someone in mind whom you trust to listen to the raw recordings?” Ann asks pointedly.

Ann has suddenly put Maggie in an impossibly uncomfortable position with her boss. She considers the other members of the podcast team, weighing her options. She knows she ought to suggest Grant—he would be the correct response—but instead, she answers honestly. “I’d like Brit to hear the recordings—we’re a good team in the editing room.” She lifts her gaze to Ann, explaining, “Brit is a sound engineer, but we worked together in college. She has a good eye for story. And she’s the only one at SBTS who hasn’t read your book, so she’ll have less bias.”

“You’re also friends,” Grant says, clearly unhappy with the suggestion.

“You and I are friends, too, Grant—or at least I thought we were.” She regrets the words as soon as they’re out, but this week has left her tactless.

Grant doesn’t answer.

Maggie has made quite a mess over the past few days, but she’s also gotten further with Ann than anyone else on the team could have hoped. And now that she has her chance to right this ship—to prove her worth—she’s not about to let Grant get in her way and take over.

Ann breaks the silence. “If Maggie wants Brit, I’m comfortable with that.”

“Maggie, I’d like to remind you that I am lead on this episode.” A warning.

Then again, Grant was the one to give Maggie this chance in the first place. A calculated risk on Grant’s part, but a risk, nonetheless. Cowed, Maggie drops her gaze to her hands. “I trust Grant too.”

Ann leans forward and mutes their end of the phone, so Grant can’t hear them talk. “Is that how you really feel?”

Unaware that Ann and Maggie are muted, Grant says, “I appreciate that, Maggie, thank you.”

“This is awkward,” Maggie admits to Ann. “You’re putting me in an awkward position.”

“How do you think I feel?”

Maggie sighs. “I would prefer to work with Brit,” she says. “But I don’t think Grant will go for it. He can be . . . controlling, and I know he feels out of the loop with me here instead of him.” Maggie touches Ann’s arm. “But he’s an excellent producer. I trust him with your words.”