The woman was good, Jen would give her that much. Not once during their conversation had she lost the friendly tone in her voice or given any hint at the frustration she was probably feeling because Jen refused to fall into line.
“I have River Michaels, the magazine’s executive editor, here with me, Jennifer. Before you refuse again, he’d like to discuss compensation with you.”
“Really, that won’t—”
“Thank you for taking our call this afternoon,” a male voice said, cutting off the rest of Jen’s sentence. “As Daniella explained, we’d love to do an interview with you. Naturally, we’ll compensate you for your time.”
The executive editor rattled off a figure roughly five times what Jen made in a year, and she almost dropped the cell phone. The other publications had presented her with large dollar amounts too, but nowhere close to what the Star Report was willing to pay her.
When the doorbell rang, Jen started for the door. Before opening it, she peeked out a front window. She’d opened the door once earlier this week without checking because she thought it was Brett. Instead of finding him, she found a photographer and reporter from the Providence Gazette waiting on the other side. It had taken at least ten minutes to get rid of them.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Michaels.” Jen opened the door and let her sister and niece inside. “My answer is still no.”
“I’ll give you my direct line and my e-mail address as well as Daniella’s information. If you change your mind at any time, please consider contacting us first.”
The man rattled off the information, but Jen didn’t even search for a piece of paper to write it on. No amount of time or money would change her mind on this one.
“Hi Auntie Jen,” Bella said when Jen put the cell phone down. “Where’s Bo?”
“In the backyard.”
Bella left without a backward glance.
“You look frazzled,” Kristen said once her daughter was out of hearing. “Is the media still bothering you?”
Jen nodded and flopped down onto the sofa. “Yep. That call was from a reporter at the Star Report.”
“I love that magazine. It’s the only one I read every week anymore, and it has great crossword puzzles.”
“It might be your favorite, but I don’t need them doing an article on me. You don’t even want to know how much they were willing to pay me for an exclusive interview.”
Kristen nodded. “You’re probably right.” They’d had a similar conversation after the first three magazines called offering money in exchange for a sit-down meeting. While Kristen understood why Jen turned them down, she’d admitted the payday associated with an interview would be hard to pass up.
“I’m not trying to sound like a bitch or anything, but what did you expect? You’re dating a member of the Sherbrooke family. The media circles them like flies circle a pile of poop.”
Her sister made a good point, but she could’ve done without Kristen’s gross comparison. “I guess I didn’t think about it at all. Until he entered the election, I don’t remember ever seeing him on magazine covers like his cousins, so it never crossed my mind the media would want all the details about our relationship.” Friends, family, and maybe coworkers, sure, but not the entire world.
“Unless you plan on ending your relationship soon, I think you better get used to it, sis.”
She’d already reached the same conclusion. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure how to get used to random people asking for interviews or snapping pictures of her. “Trust me, I know.”
“Did you ever find out who took the pictures in the garage?” Kristen asked.
“Nope.” She’d called the Providence Gazette and asked. They’d refused to give her the information. She’d gotten similar responses from the Boston Times and Worcester Daily News. When she got nowhere, Brett offered to call and inquire. While she appreciated the gesture, she’d flat-out told him no. She didn’t want him doing anything that could negatively impact his senate run. Especially since in the end, it didn’t really matter who had snapped the pictures and sent them in. The damage was done.
“I still say it must be someone you work with. Everyone in your office uses the same parking garage, and they know you. The newspapers would’ve had to get your name to run with the story from whoever sent in the photos.”
She’d reached a similar conclusion. “I can’t question everyone I work with.” If she could, she would’ve already done it.
“You didn’t notice anyone around?”
Really, it was one of the dumbest questions she’d been asked in a long time. “Uh, I was a little preoccupied when the picture was taken.”
“Good point.” Kristen picked a loose thread off her shorts. “So what’s on the agenda for this weekend?”
“Tomorrow we’re going to a fund-raising event in Boston. I don’t know much about it except it’s black tie and being held at the Harbor House. I shouldn’t be home too late on Sunday. Brett is meeting with several representatives from a conservation group Sunday afternoon.”
“The Harbor House. Wow, I’ve read about the place. Mia Troy had her wedding reception there. You’ll have to tell me all about it,” Kristen said. A huge fan of the actress, Kristen had followed every detail printed about Mia’s engagement and wedding. “The later you come by on Sunday, the happier Bella will be anyway. All week she’s talked about having Bo at our house.” Kristen paused and checked the doorway leading into the kitchen. “If Bella does another great job taking care of Bo this weekend, Dan’s agreed to let her get a dog this fall. We haven’t told her yet. We’re waiting to see how it goes first.”