“I’m sure you know this already, but the book was published today.”
He stares at me like I should know what the hell he’s talking about.
“Book?” I ask lamely, looking for further clarification. Pretty sure lots of books get published every day of every week.
Alex laughs like I’m being coy and produces a book he’d been holding behind his back. All I see is a beautiful woman on the cover. I tilt my head and lean in to get a closer look.
And my breath lodges in my throat.
Oh, that book.
It’s Jasmine Delacroix’s brand spanking new autobiography.
My hand shakes with a slight tremor as I reach out and take hold of the corner of the hardback, drawing it down to my lap for closer inspection.
It’s titledLove Nearly Killed Me: Lessons in Love, Grief, and Starting Over.
Long title. I would’ve chosen something different, but it certainly packs a punch. It provides a hint of intrigue. The reader will want to know how love could almost kill, so they’ll pick it up.
“I’d like you to read through it this weekend. Then on Monday, you’re going to the Pilots’ press conference armed with questions to ask Marek Talbert about the details.” Alex smiles tightly. “And just in case you needed some help, I’ve already skimmed through and highlighted some passages. Good stuff in there. Use those as your guide.”
I bristle at his implication that somehow I’m not smart enough to figure out the questions on my own so he has to help me figure it out with his oh-so-helpful yellow hi-lighted notes. It took me one week and my impression has now been made about Alex Ving. Complete and utter asshat.
He smacks his hand on the plastic top of the wall. “Have a good weekend, Conrad.”
Alex turns and walks down the hallway whistling an oddly chipper tune. Leaving me with a sinking feeling, dread and nausea threatening to escape, and about to rid myself of the late lunch I ate.
I don’t want to read or even skim this book. It’s an invasion of privacy into Marek’s life. Why would I want to indulge in something that can be potentially damaging to him and his reputation? A one-sided tale about his former married life?
But fuck me, that’s not the worst part of this assignment. Not only does Alex expect me to read it, but I have to follow it up with direct questions at Monday’s conference. Marek is going to despise me.
It’s the most unbelievably despicable and distasteful thing I’ve ever been assigned to do.
If I don’t find a way out of it, any hope of building something deeper with Marek will be dashed like a last place team’s shot at a championship title.