Dating Games(75)

“Sure, I read the classics, like any person who loves the written word. But like my mother, sometimes you want the fantasy, too. Although I don’t think I realized it was just a fantasy. So, being the planner I am, I made a list of who my dream man would be. I pictured it all in my head. I’d meet the love of my life in college when I was old enough to have some experience, but young enough that we’d both come into adulthood together. We wouldn’t rush into getting married right after graduation, as I researched the statistics and the success rate of marriages increase as you near thirty. He’d be a professional of some sort. A doctor…”

Julian lifts a brow. “Or lawyer…”

“Yes. Or a lawyer. We’d spend our twenties finding out who we are individually and as a couple, as we’d both navigate our chosen career paths.”

“And what would your chosen career path be? In this plan you made for your life, I mean.”

“I always wanted to write for a magazine. Being a writer is often considered a lonely profession, and it is. I love the idea of being part of a team, so that’s why I wanted to go the magazine route.”

“Then why didn’t you study journalism?”

“I did my research. Many of the columnists at the top magazines had non-journalism degrees — English, political science, art design. So I studied English, despite my parents insisting I study education with an emphasis in English, if only to have it as an option in case things didn’t work out. For a while after graduation, I thought maybe I should have taken their advice. I moved out to New York. Yes, it was to be near Trevor, but also to be in New York, where so many magazine offices are located. I had so much hope and drive those first few months…until I realized how difficult it was to crack into the industry. They were all looking for someone with experience. I had none, apart from working on the university newspaper and magazine. It was by pure luck I even landed the job at Blush. When I saw the posting, Trevor told me I was crazy for applying since I lacked any of the qualifications. But that didn’t stop me. I figured it was better to get rejected by the magazine than myself.”

“If you weren’t qualified, how did you get the job?”

I shrug. “By doing what it appears I do in all uncomfortable situations.” I pinch my lips together, giving him a knowing look. “I made Viv laugh. I used humor in my cover letter. It caught her attention, so much so that she brought me in for a chat. She was trying to shake things up at the magazine, bring in fresh talent. So she told me to come back in a week with a piece she could run in the sex and dating column. That was when I concocted a tongue-in-cheek article about what all women should do for the first thirty days of any relationship in order to keep the guy interested. It starts out pretty innocent, but as you continue reading, you realize it’s satire.”

“I’m not sure I want to know what’s in it.”

I smirk. “You probably don’t. But Viv loved it. Better yet, readers loved it. It was the most read article on the website the week it published. So Viv hired me, much to my parents’ chagrin. Like Trevor, all they think I do is write about sex without any substance. So having a chance at this promotion and writing an article about something other than the best sex position for maximum pleasure is exactly what I’ve been searching for ever since I told my parents I didn’t want to pursue teaching. But now…”

“Yes?” He places his elbows on the table, leaning toward me.

“The story’s falling apart and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

“It’s not to the level I need it to be if I want this promotion.”

“This is the August Laurent piece?”

I nod. “All I have is his perspective, his side of things. It’s too one-dimensional. There’s no drama, no compelling reason people would want to know more about this guy. But I know there’s a story there, that there’s more to him than he’s told me. But to figure that out, I need to talk to some of the women who’ve hired him. Unfortunately, he flat out refused to reveal any of their identities, even when I guaranteed their names would never be disclosed. I thought I’d try to encourage him and mentioned I’d heard the rumors of him and Sonia Moreno, asking if it were true. He never responded. It’s been over a week.

“So not only is the piece complete crap, he’s no longer cooperating. There’s no way I can submit this story to Viv like it is and hope to be promoted. Hell, as it stands now, she won’t even publish this piece as a column, let alone a feature story.”

“You sure about that? There must be another way, a different angle you can take to make it compelling.”

“I’ve tried.” I push my now empty plate away. “Boy, have I tried. I’ve written and rewritten that article a couple dozen times. No matter what I’ve done, it still falls flat.” I stare into space, trying to figure out a solution, but it remains out of reach. I shake off the thought, smiling at Julian, my voice brightening. “But I don’t want to think about that right now. The idea that my parents were right about teaching being the best career path for me will only depress me. For the rest of the weekend, I want to pretend I’m not a complete failure.”

“You’re not a failure, Guinevere. You’re an extremely talented writer. You just need—”