Chapter Nine
Jane was overwhelmed and confused. She wished she could find a couch, have a drink and ask her newfound confidant. She couldn't, not really. Her confusion was largely due to that confidant.
She had received mixed signals personally and professionally.
The night she asked Jacqueline if she was flirting, she thought they were having a breakthrough. Then her boss had called an end to their night.
The lead up to Paris was marked with tension around the office as everyone had heard the rumors about the editor-in-chief. Was she on her way out? Most said yes. Jane understood her timing to be terrible when she reworked her story to attack Scarlet's parent company for refusing to cover fertility treatments. Her boss had been cold. She didn't explain why she was being resistant. She had been only mildly pleased to see Jane in the lobby of the hotel on, of all things, a couch. Jacqueline sat across from her. That only happened at the office with the editor behind her desk and rarely at that.
When they returned from Paris she understood Jacqueline to be on a short leash with the board of directors. Richard's announcement to the board and Human Resources that he was dating Sutton had caused a stir.
Meanwhile, Jane remained in a tug-o-war with herself about Ryan and Ben. She wanted to ask a person with the life experience to offer sound advice, but she couldn't. Instead all she had was her article on her 'safe' person to work out her conflicted feelings.
"Sloan!" came the command from across the bullpen.
Jane jumped. What had she done? She made the slow walk through the maze of workstations, people looking up at her as if she were walking the plank.
"Yes, Jacqueline?" she nervously asked.
"Close the door."
Jane did as she was told and found a seat across from the blonde.
"Your draft for this week's print deadline?" Jacqueline began. "And do you have a new pitch for the website deadline?"
"I apologize for missing the writers' meeting this morning. I had an appointment," she didn't let on that it was with the fertility specialist.
"It was unlike you. I assume everything is okay?" she looked over her reading glasses with concern.
"It... yes, everything is fine," It was painful to withhold the details. It felt like lying. Her mind went back to when they sat in this very office on the couch behind her and this person whom she had begun to consider a friend had offered her unconditional support no matter what Jane decided. That felt like another lifetime or a dream.
"I have a source in the mayor's office who told me about—"
Jacqueline cut her off.
"A political piece?" she seemed annoyed.
"Not political—" she was cut off again.
"If it takes a position that the mayor's office will find to be critical or an attack, it's political."
The writer paused. The last thing she wanted was to speak sharply and make things worse. Her editor had gone to bat for her not even two weeks ago. She needed to pick her battles. This pitch wasn't one of them. However, their growing friendship was.
"Can I ask if I've done something wrong? Personally, not necessarily professionally," she had a hard time maintaining eye contact.
"Why do you ask?" Jacqueline's puzzlement wasn't convincing. Jane gave her the very look Jacqueline had perfected. A tilt of a sculpted eyebrow said it all.
Taking a look out at the staff, there were eyes on the meeting behind the glass. Her office often felt like a fishbowl.
"Can we continue this conversation at another time?" the editor asked. Jane knew exactly why.
Standing from her chair, Jane left it at that. She said nothing else until she had nearly cleared the door.
"I'll have a new web pitch for you in a few hours and my final draft will be in by the print deadline tomorrow."
Jane Sloan could be cold, too.
Tbc…
