“Ann!” Luna called out to the blonde.
Ann turned around and smiled. Waiting for us at the door, she waved. “Hey, Luna!”
Once we got to her, Luna gestured to me. “Ann, this is our newest member of Re-Mix, Akila Bishara. Akila, this is Ann Carson.”
I reached out to shake the blonde’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ann.”
“It’s great to meet you, too! I look forward to seeing you around the halls of Re-Mix.”
“I look forward to working with you,” I replied, relieved to meet such a warm person.
Luna beamed. “Akila will be the other series writer.”
“Oh! That’s you! That’s awesome,” Ann exclaimed with so much sincere excitement and glee that I felt my cheeks heat. “That’s such a fun idea. It’s going to bring a lot of extra traffic to the magazine.”
“I’m really looking forward to it,” I admitted. “And after meeting you, I’m even more excited to get started on our series.”
Ann’s head tilted slightly, and confusion squinted her eyes. “Oh, no. I’m Luna’s assistant. We just finished the tour and your series collaborator is in here.”
Luna giggled. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize… I apologize.” She shook her head and looked at Ann. “I told her we were going to meet her co-series writer and then I introduced her to you. That’s completely my fault.”
Pushing the door open, Luna walked in the room, followed by Ann. I pulled up the rear and as soon as I was fully in the office, I froze.
My jaw dropped as I stared.
“Akila, this is your series collaborator … Carlos.”
Chapter Six
My eyebrows flew up and I watched Carlos blink rapidly as recognition hit him. He rose to his feet slowly. Even though the thick, dark hair of his beard covered his jaw completely, I could still tell it was clenched as his eyes narrowed.
“Akila Bishara, let me introduce you to your co-series writer—Carlos Richmond. Carlos, this is Akila,” Luna Daniels introduced us with bubbly excitement.
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to react or respond. My mouth opened, but words didn’t come out.
“Hello, Akila,” Carlos greeted me with a forced smile.
Squaring my shoulders, I decided that since he didn’t bring up our meeting, I wasn’t going to mention it either. “Hi, Carlos,” I replied, stretching my arm out stiffly.
The moment my hand slid into his, my heart skipped a beat.
Luna looked between us. “Do you know each other? Have you two met?”
“We’re in a photography seminar together,” I answered.
Looking into my eyes, Carlos elaborated. “But we don’t really know each other.”
His words cut deeper than expected.
Tearing my eyes from his, I looked at our new boss and smiled.
“Richland is such a small city sometimes,” she mused, giving us both a skeptical look. Turning to her assistant, she continued, “Ann, get them settled in here. I might as well go over the assignment with them both and then you can take Akila on the tour.” She checked her watch. “Get them beverages, I’ll be right back.”
We sat on opposite ends of the conference room table and after Ann handed us bottles of water, we were left alone.
I looked around at the framed editions of Re-Mix that decorated the room. I lasted a solid sixty seconds before my vision felt pulled in his direction.
Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t—oh shit.
He was staring directly at me.
Correction, he was glaring at me.
It was penetrating.
His brown eyes almost glowed with the intensity and my breathing hitched when our eyes met. The energy between us was electric even if the glances between us were hostile. As soon as my heart started to flutter, I reminded myself of who he was.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed, trying to ignore the feeling he gave me.
He waited a few seconds before speaking. “Building my brand.”
“The aspiring author brand or The Lost Boys brand?” I asked with narrowed eyes.
He shook his head. “You are not at all what I thought.”
Giving him a pointed look, I lifted an eyebrow. “Neither are you.”
His perfect mouth formed a hard line. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that when I met you, I met Carlos—a funny, charming, driven, insightful high school English teacher and aspiring author. Then I find out that you’re actually Los—a member of a problematic group of trash spewing frat boys. It means that I thought you were…”
Perfect.
Well, no one was perfect. He wasn’t perfect. Even before I knew what he really was, I knew he wasn’t perfect. But I’d always imagined that the man who made my heart flutter, my body react, and my mind spin would be perfect for me. And clearly, the man who did those things to me was indeed not perfect for me.
I rubbed my temple in frustration and opted not to complete my sentence honestly.
“You thought I was what?” he questioned softly.
I licked my lips, trying to think of something to say. Opening my mouth, I began, “I thought—”
Luna Daniels burst back into the room with two folders.
Startled, I shifted my attention to the fashionable woman.
“My two new series writers.” She handed me a black and gold folder and then handed one to Carlos. Sitting at the center of the table, she grinned. “I’d planned to give you both this summary after your individual tours, but since you already know each other, I think it’s better to give you an overview together.”
I looked down at my folder and felt my lips turning upward. Even though I was thrown off my game by having to work with Carlos, I was thrilled to work at Re-Mix.
“The idea behind the series was actually inspired by something you submitted, Akila,” Luna turned to look at me. “Your work and your series ideas were incredible. You’re a strong writer with a strong point of view so I knew you’d be a good fit with the magazine. But what inspired my idea was Akila’s piece for the Times regarding being single in the city. In it, she referenced Date Night with The Lost Boys as the antithesis of the quality dating experience. So, I listened to a couple of podcasts of Date Night and found their point of view to be…”—she quirked an eyebrow— “interesting, to say the least. And then it hit me.”
Turning to Carlos, she smiled. “I researched and found out you guys record downstairs and asked if you would be interested in a unique opportunity…”—she turned to me and smiled— “To be honest, I didn’t expect them to be as eloquent as they were, but Carlos… his work rivaled some of the official submissions we’d received.”
I glanced over and noticed him beaming with pride. It took me a few seconds to realize I was smiling along with him. When our eyes met, I looked away.
“So, believe me when I say this… this assignment was created for the two of you,” Luna declared with excitement and certainty. “Open your folders.”
The first thing I saw when I opened my folder was the printed version of my Times article. The next piece of paper was a flyer for a Singles Trivia Night at Pop’s Bar.
“You two are going to write about your experiences at different area hangouts. It’s going to be more than just singles in the city. It’ll be a reflection of how technology has altered how people communicate in person. It’ll be a peek at what it’s like to put yourself out there and interact with people outside of dating apps and social media.”
“So, we’re going on dates?” Carlos asked.
“With each other?” I quickly followed up for clarification.
Did I sound funny when I said that? I mused as I avoided eye contact with him.
“No, no, no. You two won’t be dating at all. You will be socializing. You two will be writing the articles for the series completely independent of one another. I don’t want you two to have even read the other’s pieces until after it’s submitted and published.
It will be two completely individualized experiences centered around the same event. It’ll be two fifteen-hundred-word articles featured side by side.” She paused dramatically, holding her hands in the air in front of her. “He Said, She Said.”
“Sounds like a lot of fun,” I admitted, cautiously glancing over at him.
“What about you, Carlos?” Luna asked, grinning his way.
“I’m in. I think it’ll be good to have two different perspectives.” He flicked his eyes to me before adding. “Wouldn’t want a one-sided account of what’s happening.”
“Now, now… let’s save it for the articles,” Luna chastised playfully. “A difference of opinion is going to be great for readership.” She nodded. “This is going to be great, I promise.”
“Oh, I believe you. I’m just a little surprised since I’m just now seeing Ms. Bishara’s article and the line where she describes The Lost Boys as ‘peddlers of toxic masculinity’ stuck out.”
The corners of my mouth turned upward. I was quite proud of that line. “It’s a great line.”
There was fire in his eyes. “Paints an unfair and untrue picture of The Lost Boys.”
“I disagree.”
He paused, shifting his gaze briefly to Luna before adding, “As an English teacher I can admit it’s a great line.”
“Noted.” Not wanting to appear to be the difficult one, I added, “And my assessment was based on one show in particular. I’m sure there are less crass episodes that I hadn’t gotten to yet.”
He ran his hand over his beard. “Maybe if you took your time and fully researched, it would add validity to your article, and you would have a better idea of how to characterize The Lost Boys.”
My lips parted slightly, but I stopped my jaw from dropping. Did he just question my research abilities and the validity of my work? Did he just call out my work in front of Luna Daniels?
We silently glared at one another.
“What’s this?” Luna looked between us. “What’s going on here?”
Rounding my shoulders, I flashed a smile. “I think my word choice may have offended The Lost Boy Los, but I promise it won’t interfere in our work.”
“If anything, it’ll make our work better,” Carlos chimed in with a charming grin.
I smirked. I’m in your head, Carlos.
I ignored the fact that he was in mine as well.
Luna eyed us with amusement. “We’re going to see how this first article goes and then we’ll make adjustments as needed.”
She went over some other important details and Carlos and I remained silent. We didn’t say anything else to one another for the rest of the meeting.
He was the definition of aggravating. From the way he defended the garbage his show promotes with a deep, sexy rumble in his voice, to the way his beautiful, brown eyes had so much passion even though the rest of his handsome face was expressionless. Because I’d seen him relaxed, I could tell there was tension in his shoulders even though he appeared to be calm. I had gotten under his skin. Even though my article was the truth, the fact that he had the audacity to be offended by that truth rubbed me the wrong way.
“Okay, Carlos, you are free to go. I know it’s early in the semester and your students are probably missing you. Thank you for being able to come in this time of day.” Luna turned to me. “Akila, Ann will take you on your tour of the office now. I’ll bid you adieu once you return.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
My eyes shifted to Carlos, who was already staring at me. Exchanging visceral glances behind our new boss’s back, neither of us said anything. Holding the door open for Luna, Carlos followed behind her and exited the room. The moment the door closed, I finally felt like I could breathe again.
I was irritated at him, but I was even more irritated at myself for being affected by him. Fortunately, Luna seemed more amused by our dynamic than anything, but it could’ve easily gone the other way. The energy between us was electric when we first met, but even more so in the conference room. I was lost in thought when Ann walked in to show me around.
My tour was quick, and I met a few people, but I didn’t remember anyone’s name. It was all a whirlwind and by the time I got to my car, the only thing I could do was cry.
I landed my dream job. My dream fucking job.
Drying my eyes, I started my car and drove home. I was happy—overwhelmed but happy.
“Did you get the job?” Meghan asked as soon as she answered my call.
The tears filled my eyes again as I maneuvered through the light mid-morning traffic. “Yes! Yes! Yes!!”
“Oh my god!” She squealed before lowering her voice and repeating herself. “Oh my god!”
“I know!” I giggled giddily.
“You did it!”
Checking my blind spot, I moved to the fast lane and sped up. “I work at Re-Mix!”
“You work for Luna Daniels!”
“I work for Luna Daniels!” Letting out a scream, I swiped at my eyes. “I’m so happy. I’m crying right now. Tears of fucking joy!”
“Hold on, I’m going to leave my cubicle and go to the bathroom because I want the full story,” she whispered. When the noise around her got further away, I heard a door close. “Okay, tell me everything.”
“Well…” My hands tightened against the steering wheel and I sighed. “I’m the co-series writer. And you will not believe who I’m sharing the position with.”
“Uh oh, that was a mood shift,” she commented with a little laugh. “Who?”
“My new arch nemesis.”
Meghan giggled. “Who? That lady in your photography class that basically told you that you had a big ass?” She laughed harder. “Like that’s a bad thing!”
I would’ve laughed if what I had to say didn’t fill me with anger and other emotions. “Carlos,” I told her. Even saying his name made me feel a certain way.
Her laughter died instantly. The dramatic gasp on the other end of the line was over-the-top, exaggerated but exactly what the moment called for. “What?”
“Yes.” I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Carlos.”
“Photography class Carlos?”
“Yes.”
“Dick print Carlos?”
“Yes!”
“Oh my god!”
“Right? I’m not overreacting, right? It’s crazy, right?”
“Oh. My. God.”
“I know!”
“Akila,” she sighed, and I could almost hear her shaking her head. “Crazy doesn’t even begin to describe it.”
“That’s not even the craziest part. Luna didn’t go with any of my proposal ideas. She was inspired by that article I wrote for the Times about being single in the city. She wants to do a series called ‘He Said, She Said’ and have two different opinions of the same singles’ events. She reached out to The Lost Boys because of what I wrote and got a writing sample from Carlos. The idea is to have two completely different points of view.”
“That’s actually a really cool idea.”
“I know. I love the concept of it and how she plans to roll it out over the next month. If she likes the first one, she has three more planned for the online magazine and if they do well, a big spread in the actual magazine.”
“I hear you saying it’s a good thing, but your voice sounds like…I don’t know. Do I hear a but coming?”
“Luna had a copy of the Times article in our folders and Carlos saw the stuff I said about The Lost Boys.” Flashing back to the look he gave me, I let out a dry laugh. “He wasn’t pleased, to say the least, and he actually defended the show. He defended who they are and what they said. And then he called me out for basing my whole anti-Lost Boys viewpoint on one episode.”
“Oh shit, he called you out?”
“Yes!” I exclaimed, increasing my speed and changing lanes. “And this is the crazy part… Not only did he call me out, he did it in front of Luna. And he was so articulate with it that if I wasn’t sitting there feeling the ener
gy he was giving me, I would’ve taken it as constructive feedback and not the professional well-played attack that it was.” I took a deep breath. “We’re co-series writers because it’s called He Said, She Said. But once the series is up, she’s likely only keeping one of us around to do other series. So, to have him question my writing in front of our boss just infuriated me even more.”
Meghan let out a low whistle. “Oh wow…so not only are you two working together, it’s kind of like you’re competing against each other as well?”
“Pretty much.” I exhaled roughly. “And lest we forget, I still have to be partners with him for our photography class.”
“That’s so crazy.”
“I’m going to ask for a new partner. I shouldn’t be forced to work with him in both my professional and personal life.” My voice was elevating with each word, and I knew I sounded unnerved, but just thinking about Carlos Richmond twisted my stomach into knots. He literally made my stomach hurt. “I don’t like him.”
She mumbled something that I couldn’t quite make out.
“Huh?”
She giggled. “Just take a deep breath and calm down. You are going to be fine.”
“I guess so.” Realizing how fast I was going, I checked my mirrors for police and decreased my speed. “It just sucks because even though Luna raved about me, she raved about him too, so her decision could go either way.”
“Aw man, I’m sorry. But hey, think about it this way, you were selected and hired for the position. She only contacted him because she was inspired by your work. She’s basically doing He Said, She Said because of you, and she reached out to The Lost Boys because you referenced them. So, it all comes back to you.”
“True. But still, it could go either way. There are no guarantees.”
“I don’t think you should worry about that at all.”
“I’m just going to focus on writing my best work and whatever happens happens.”
“Exactly. What’s meant to be will be,” she agreed. “But what I want to know is how did it feel to see him?”
Sweatpants Season Page 8