Turn Over

Mason looked at the number on his phone when it rang and hit ignore. “I’ll get that later. I have a proposal for you.”

“Ok?” I sat on the couch.

“Did you give Alice the story I mentioned the other night?”

“No. I was going to use it, but I never had a chance. Why?”

“Apparently, no one has picked up on it yet. I need that good bit of PR to circulate. Combating environmentalists and homeless mothers is bad for business.”

I thought about Matt’s desk in the development office. The application was likely buried underneath his cheat sheet for Halo. He might get to opening mail today.

“Anyway, I’d like you to write the article.”

“I can’t write it. We went over this whole thing.”

“You can’t write it if you work for a news establishment. You can write it if you are on my PR team and it’s your job to release the information.” He had a wide smile.

“You want me to work for you? You’re going to hire me?”

“I could send the information to my media team, but they aren’t here. They don’t know the details like you do. You’ve already interviewed Shawna, and I’m sure she’d be happy to see you again.”

“How is this not a conflict of interest?”

“This is business. I can hire whomever I want. I can release whatever information I want. I want you to write a piece on Lachlan Corporation’s dedication to relocating a few of the displaced Cove residents. This is what PR firms do every day. My PR firm happens to be in Dallas. You are here.”

I considered everything he was saying. I didn’t want a handout. I didn’t want to be unemployed either. I had student loans due each month, not to mention a car payment and rent for the studio apartment.

“But how would it work between us?”

“Sweetheart, work is work. And when it’s five o’clock we shut that down and it’s just you and me.”

“What’s the starting salary?”

“You’ll get the same as what I pay the other two on PR.”

“Do you have a number?” I prodded.

He walked over to the laptop on the dining table. “I need to pull it up. Hold on.” He opened several files before finally giving me an annual sum.

“And benefits?”

“Yes, darlin’, you get all the benefits. The whole works.”

“And I’m based here in South Padre?”

He crossed the room. “You’re based wherever I am.”

My eyes flashed to his. I felt the tingles run to my fingertips. This no longer felt like I was negotiating the terms of a new job. I was going to be terrible at separating my feelings from work. I wasn’t even on the job two minutes, and all I could think about was what Mason was implying.

“You want me to travel with you?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” He shrugged like I had asked if we could share a pizza.

“Is that a standard part of what your PR people do?”

“It’s what I want to be standard with you.” His eyes softened, the deep pools of cobalt sucking me in. “I have to leave for Dallas in another day. The idea of leaving you here while I’m up there isn’t very appealing.”

I held my breath. This was different from the San Antonio trip. I could feel it, even though he wasn’t saying it.