Am I just hoping that she feels something? For me?
“We’d finished the show and were starving. I wanted to try a place close by that sounded good,” Eden said, taking the blame, if there was any blame, onto herself. “We’re cohosts and we’re friends. I’m not sure why having a burger at a family restaurant together would be an issue. Or why someone would want to photograph tha
t.”
Anyone who wanted to photograph people who had money doing something that might turn into a story somehow or could be spun into one—like a new love interest for Joe Rutherford’s daughter—would have sold those photos to the highest bidder or used them to secure a big fat bonus for themselves at their own tabloid or publication.
Something about Alden having those photos wasn’t right.
Jos obviously thought so as well. She picked up the photos, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she thumbed through them and set them down.
“What is this, Alden? You’re having us followed now?” she sneered. “Hoping that a friendly burger would turn into something you could use against me for some reason? Or are you hoping for a big payout in some other sense? A story that isn’t a story. Just because we’re both gay doesn’t mean there’s anything going on between us. And even if there were, there isn’t anything in our contracts that would prevent that.”
Alden shrugged. “You’re right.” He was using that same chilly, unfeeling tone that stabbed at Eden like a freshly sharpened blade sunk between her ribs. He wasn’t like Jos. His demeanor wasn’t professional. It was straight up cold and uncaring. Eden hadn’t seen that from him before. How could someone flip a switch just like that?
Even Jos seemed surprised. She gave it away with the slight parting of her lips when Eden’s eyes flicked to her quickly.
“You’re right, there aren’t any rules about fraternization here,” Alden said. “But how would it look if that’s how the story came out? This isn’t just a warning about being more careful or how it’s a lucky thing I have friends in high places. You both have reputations to maintain, and so does this studio. You’re cohosts now and that would be, well, it could be spun in any direction. It’s my job to be concerned and to hold the studio’s best interests above anything else.”
He seemed more human when he blinked. His face softened just a little, and Eden was pretty sure he meant what he was saying. Or at least he’d convinced himself that he did.
That didn’t mean she had to like it.
“It was just a burger,” she said again.
Alden shrugged. “Please be more careful. Like I said, this is a warning. Innocent or not, you of all people, Miss Rutherford, know how things like this can get out of hand.”
“I thought you’d be of the mind that any publicity is good publicity, scandal, lies, or not.”
Alden frowned and Eden wished she could take that back. She wasn’t being fair, and she knew it. She hated having to hide what she thought and felt. She wasn’t any good at it. It made her feel false, and she was basically lying. That wasn’t just a burger, it wasn’t just a dinner, and she knew it. And she was still hoping for more.
“If you can’t be careful, we’ll be forced to take action and change the rules around here, or shuffle things around.” Alden’s eyes flicked to Jos. They didn’t even touch on Eden. “The morning news desk needs a new anchor. Charles is retiring next month.” He let that threat hang in the air.
Eden had been working at the studio for two weeks and Jos had been there for over a decade, and that was how Alden was going to talk to her? He was going to threaten her with losing her own show and being chucked onto some shit ass shift in the middle of the night that no one cared about, and no one watched?
Jos had probably been there for years and years before Alden worked at the place. Eden didn’t know that for sure, so she wasn’t going to sling that arrow, but she didn’t want to let Jos get threatened like that either.
Alden wasn’t finished. He leaned back in his chair and smiled at Jos, but it was the kind of smile that a wolf gave the deer he’d just cornered before he finished it off. “You do have a contract extension for three years, but it doesn’t say the studio can’t make changes to your shifts as we see fit.” Alden crossed his arms. “That’s all. Just a warning. I’m sorry if it came across as harsh, but I was surprised and I knew this needed to be dealt with immediately. You both understand where I’m coming from, I’m sure.”
Jos was a boiling, seething pit of rage beside Eden. She could feel the hot waves of her anger radiating off of her. She turned her head and dared to look in Jos’ direction, and she was astounded that she could be sitting there with a neutral expression when she was so clearly pissed off and had every right to be. Eden expected a fight. She expected Jos to stand up for herself. Instead, she nodded and gave Alden a tight-lipped smile.
“I understand.” She pushed back her chair, gave another short nod, and walked briskly out of Alden’s office.
Eden was too stunned to move at first. She wanted to go on a tirade, to let loose and let Alden know what she thought about him, the studio, his threats, and those stupid photos, but there was something else tugging at the back of her mind. Something that made her tongue feel like lead and her chest feel like it was going to explode. Instead of picking a fight with the man who could not only fire her but make Jos’ life a living hell, Eden kept her temper in check, picked her battles, or more the timing of them, and nodded before she said good night and left that obnoxious office and the even more obnoxious man in it.
She headed down the hallway, walking fast. She had to find Jos. She had to ask her what that meant.
A three-year contract extension.
That was the thing that was nipping at Eden’s brain. It was nibbling away at her chest, eating her up because it didn’t sound right. Alden hadn’t thrown those photos of them out there by chance, and he hadn’t mentioned Jos’ contract by chance either.
“Jos, wait!” Eden caught up with her at her dressing room. Before she could say anything, Jos grasped her arm and pulled her inside, shutting the door hard after her. She twisted the lock in place and started pacing.
Eden wasn’t sure which part was more frightening. The fact that Jos’ eyes were wild, snapping blue sapphires, or the look she had on her face. It was the kind of raw, horrible expression that was often reserved for giving someone extremely bad news. Like doctors after surgery or cops showing up at a person’s door kind of bad news.
Eden’s heart stopped beating, then plummeted to the bottom of her chest. She nearly smacked at herself there, where the organ was last located, to make sure it was still there and give it a restart.
“What’s going on?” Eden finally forced out. “Jos, you’re acting weird. Why are you pacing? You’re like a caged animal. It’s scary. Can you please tell me what’s happening?”