Be Careful What You Wish For

by Gemma Crisp

  ‘This is a big deal for me, Jeremy, so it would be really nice if you could stop making fun of my job and actually be supportive, for once. You’d think my boyfriend would take an interest in my life and be my biggest cheerleader, but I guess I was wrong. Anyway, I’ve already sent in my topline application and the email I got today was confirming an interview with the publisher at eight tomorrow morning. Nothing may come of it, but it’s really nice to know that you have my back,’ she said, her words dripping with sarcasm as she pushed her chair back and stalked out of the restaurant.

  Expecting him to come chasing after her, Nina waited outside, trying to calm down so she could accept his apology graciously. After five minutes, there was no sign of him, so she whipped herself into another lather of indignation and stormed home.

  The next morning, Nina presented herself to the receptionist at ABM, determined to blow Candy’s publisher out of the water with her brilliant ideas and vision for how the struggling magazine could be turned around. Decked out in a digital print Josh Goot dress that she’d snapped up the last time Lulu’s fashion editors had cleared out the fashion cupboard, her shoulder-length blonde hair slicked back from her face and her most recent acquisition – a daffodil-yellow Alexander Wang Rocco bag – swinging from her arm, Nina felt like she was going into battle. She’d had to use triple the amount of Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat to hide the dark circles under her eyes after she’d tossed and turned all night, waiting to hear Jeremy’s key turn in the front door. By two am, she’d realised he must have gone back to his own place, which had just pissed her off even more.

  As she followed the executive assistant down the hallway to the publisher’s office, Nina forced herself to forget about the previous night’s incident and concentrate on killing it in the interview.

  ‘Hello, Nina. I’m Michael, the publisher of Candy. Kat’s told me a lot of good things about you.’ The short, forty-something salt-and-pepper-haired man rose from his black leather Eames chair, shook her hand, then offered her a seat at the meeting table in his office.

  Glancing around, Nina was quietly impressed. Vintage movie posters hung on the walls, and there was a special display case showing off the multiple awards won by ABM’s titles. Built-in shelves were stacked neatly with magazines the company published. Okay, they weren’t as well-known as Lulu or most of the magazines in PSRP’s large stable, but for a boutique publishing company, ABM more than held its own.

  ‘So I won’t waste any time,’ Michael said, once they were both seated. ‘As I explained in my email, we recently purchased Candy and, to be blunt, I think it could be doing a lot better than it currently is. You probably know that it’s taken a hit in the circulation stakes, but there’s also the problem of advertising dollars – it doesn’t seem to be on clients’ radar when they’re booking their print schedules. So I’m quietly on the hunt for a new editor – someone who can shake things up, who can inject some personality back into the title. I think it’s a magazine with a lot of potential, but the current editor just isn’t up to scratch. I’m after someone with a clear vision not only of where the magazine is going wrong but, more importantly, how to fix it – fast.’

  Nina smiled at the publisher while reaching into her Wang.

  ‘I totally understand where you’re coming from, Michael.

  Obviously I read Candy as part of my job, but when I heard this job was up for grabs, I bought the latest copy and went through it with a fine-toothed comb. I’ve tagged up the pages that I think could be improved, with an explanation of why they’re not working as they currently are and some suggestions for the changes that could be made.’ She absorbed his impressed expression as she slid the magazine, littered with Post-it notes, across the table. ‘I’ve also prepared a short summary of where Candy sits as a brand at the moment and where I think it should be. I agree that the title could be doing a lot better than it is, and I’d love to be a part of its reinvention.’

  ‘Well, you’ve certainly done a great deal of preparation,’ the publisher said, not bothering to hide the admiration in his voice.

  ‘Oh, my mother taught me to always do my homework,’ Nina said playfully, guessing Michael was the type of guy who didn’t mind a joke. He didn’t need to know that she’d bought the magazine from one of the numerous convenience stores on the Kings Cross strip on her way home from the disastrous dinner with Jeremy, and had then stayed up till after midnight flipping through the pages and working on her analysis until she had it just right.

  ‘Well, I’m not going to lie to you, Nina – this is very impressive,’ the publisher said after he’d scanned her brand positioning statement and looked through the tagged copy of the magazine. ‘I’ve learnt a lot just from the brief glance through your so-called homework, so I look forward to reading it in more depth later. One question – does Kat know you’re here?’

  ‘No,’ Nina confessed. ‘I thought about telling her, seeing I know you two used to work together. However she is my boss first and foremost, and I don’t want to worry her unnecessarily, so I decided I’d wait to see how our meeting went before letting her know that I’ve been in contact with you.’

  ‘I see,’ Michael said in a completely neutral tone, making Nina wonder if she’d given the right answer. ‘So, the problem I have at the moment is that there is another candidate for this role who has a lot more experience than you. She’s been with ABM for a while, so we know what she’s capable of – a known entity, if you like. But I think you make up for your lack of experience with your ideas and your vision for what Candy could be.’

  Nina held her breath, wondering where this was going. Surely he wasn’t about to offer her the job on the spot? Should she interject or just let him continue? Before she could decide, Michael continued, ‘When I received your application, I made a few enquiries about you – most of my contacts agreed that Nina Morey is one to watch in the magazine industry. And I quite like the idea of this company poaching an up-and-coming talent from a much bigger publishing house,’ he mused. Suddenly, he leant forward and looked at her appraisingly. ‘Obviously you get on very well with your current boss, otherwise she wouldn’t have talked you up so much last time I ran into her at an advertising function, but if you do end up as the new editor of Candy, how would you feel about having an editorial director above you?’

  ‘That wouldn’t be a problem at all,’ Nina replied confidently. ‘I totally understand that I’m lacking experience in some areas, so to have an editorial director to advise me would be really helpful. Plus, I’ve always liked the idea of having a mentor, and when it comes to the creative process, the more brains the better, in my opinion.’ She did a mental fist pump as Michael nodded in agreement.

  ‘Great,’ Michael said, as they both stood up and shook hands again. ‘I’ll be in touch when I’ve had a chance to take a proper look at your analysis and ideas. It’ll be sooner rather than later, as I want to get Candy back on its feet ASAP. Thank you, Nina, it’s been an absolute pleasure.’

  ‘No, thank you for considering me for the position, I really appreciate it,’ Nina replied. ‘I look forward to hearing from you.’

  On her way back to reception, she passed the women’s bathroom. Ducking inside, Nina stared at herself in the mirror, then put her bag down on the bench and stuffed her fist in her mouth to muffle her scream of excitement. The job was so close to being hers, she could almost lick it.

  twenty-one

  Four weeks later, Nina was back in Michael’s office. The same vintage movie posters hung on the walls, the stack of magazines on the shelves were the same and, if her suspicions were correct, the publisher was even wearing the same suit as when she’d last seen him. But one thing was different – this time she was here because it was her first day as the new editor of Candy.

  True to his word, Michael hadn’t wasted any time in making his decision – the day after her interview, he’d called to offer Nina the job. Kat had been devastated when she’d handed in her resignation, but was a
lso one hundred and ten per cent supportive, joking that she only had herself to blame for Nina’s defection seeing as she’d raved about her to Michael. The Lulu team was so excited for her, although she had detected one or two jealous glances when Kat had announced the news. But Nina didn’t care – although she couldn’t help feeling disappointed that her former nemesis Romy hadn’t been there to hear the news. Kat’s prediction had almost been correct – while the deputy features editor had still been working at Lulu when Nina returned from Eastern Europe, it hadn’t been long before she was packing up her desk under the steely supervision of the company’s security guards, who then escorted her out of the building; she’d been busted stealing luxury products from the beauty cupboard and selling them on eBay.

  Tess, who still had good days and bad days with her depression and panic attacks, happened to be having a good day when Nina broke the news that she had scored herself an editorship, so she’d insisted on going out to celebrate. Bar-hopping their way down Darlinghurst’s Victoria Street, they’d ended up in the Beresford sinking espresso martinis, then blaming each other when they were still wide awake at two am. Obviously the only solution had been to burn off their excess caffeine intake with a drunken duet of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ at Ding Dong Dang, the late-night karaoke bar in Surry Hills.

  Even Johan had called her, to her surprise, having heard the news on the gay grapevine, thanks to one of Ed’s friends who worked in the advertising industry. It had been a slightly stilted conversation, seeing they hadn’t spoken in months, but they’d promised each other they’d catch up soon and Nina had really meant it. There was a Johan-shaped hole in her life and they’d been through so much together that she didn’t want to let the friendship go without a fight.

  That just left Jeremy. She hadn’t particularly looked forward to telling him about her new role at Candy; she was still angry at him for his lack of encouragement and didn’t want him to rain on her parade, so she’d been stunned to find him waiting with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a massive bunch of peonies, her favourite flower, when she’d got home on the day ABM had released the news to the industry. Although he hadn’t said as much, Nina guessed it was his way of trying to make up for what had happened at Ms. G’s. Hopefully, it signalled that their relationship was starting to turn a corner.

  ‘Can I get you a coffee?’ Michael’s assistant asked Nina, as she sat waiting for her new publisher to get off the phone.

  ‘That would be great, thank you – a skim flat white, please,’ Nina requested, as she thumbed through the latest issue of Candy. The previous editor had left as soon as the news of Nina’s appointment had been announced, with a fat severance cheque in her pocket to make up for the swift derailment of her career. It meant the Candy team had been without an editor while they closed the issue that Nina was now perusing and, quite frankly, it showed. The design layouts were all over the place, the story headlines were uninspiring and the picture choices were cheesier than a quattro formaggi pizza from Paddington’s Love Supreme. Nina couldn’t wait to roll up her sleeves and show Candy’s readers – what was left of them – how good the magazine could really be. And if she was as successful as she hoped to be, who knew where her career could take her? Turning around the declining circulation of a struggling magazine was no small task, but if she pulled it off, she could become the golden child of the Australian publishing industry. After she’d worked her magic at Candy, there’d be job offers galore – in a few years’ time she could even end up back where she started, at Marie Claude in London, but this time in the editor’s chair. Practically purring with self-satisfaction, Nina sipped on her skim flat white and looked at Michael confidently as he finished his call.

  ‘Nina, welcome! It’s great to have you on board officially. We certainly got some people talking when we announced your new appointment, didn’t we? Don’t listen to all the haters on the media industry blogs; they’re just jealous that you’re moving up the ladder so quickly. I have the utmost faith in your ability to make Candy a success – especially with the help of Elizabeth, who’ll be your editorial director. Do you know Elizabeth at all?’

  Nina shook her head. ‘No, I don’t believe so.’

  ‘She’s fantastic. She’s been with us for a few years, ever since she moved out here from London, and now oversees quite a few of our titles. Mostly the business and finance ones, but from memory she did start out on a women’s lifestyle magazine back in the day. Anyway, she should be here to meet you any minute. She’ll be invaluable when it comes to covers, content, the look and feel of the magazine, all those kind of things.’

  ‘Great! I can’t wait to get—’ Nina began, but Michael interrupted her.

  ‘Elizabeth! I must be psychic; I was just telling Nina you’d be here any minute, and here you are. Elizabeth, meet Nina, the new editor of Candy. Nina, this is Elizabeth, your editorial director.’

  Nina swivelled around, her most dazzling smile faltering as she clocked the woman standing in front of her. Her first thought was that there must be some mistake. But then she remembered Michael’s words from less than two minutes ago – Elizabeth had emigrated from the UK, and had started out on a women’s magazine in London. There was no doubt about it – her new editorial director was none other than Lizzie, the former features assistant from Marie Claude, who’d hated her guts when she was interning there.

  Nina swallowed hard, then rallied – she’d told Michael in the interview that she didn’t have a problem with having an editorial director overseeing her, so she just had to deal with it. Perhaps Lizzie had mellowed over the years? Perhaps she wouldn’t even remember Nina, despite her constant bitching to everyone about how Charlotte used to favour her? But as Lizzie looked at her coldly, taking in the vintage cream leather studded shift dress Nina had paid a fortune for on eBay and the insanely high gold Prada pointy stilettos that she’d bought herself as a celebration present when Michael had offered her the job, Nina knew her hopes were futile. She remembered, alright. There was only one thing for it – to fake pleasant surprise.

  ‘Lizzie! Oh my God, hiiiiiiiiiiii! How great to see you – I had no idea you’d moved to Sydney until Michael just mentioned it! What a lovely surprise!’ Nina exclaimed, hoping her gritted teeth weren’t noticeable. Seriously, what were the chances?

  ‘Hello, Nina. I know we knew each other a long time ago, but it’s Elizabeth now, not Lizzie,’ the editorial director said sharply. ‘We worked together briefly back in London,’ she explained to Michael, who was looking somewhat confused. Turning her attention back to Nina, she barked, ‘I hope you’re ready to get your hands dirty – there’s a lot of work to be done, so I suggest you finish your coffee so we can get started. I’ll introduce you to the Candy team, then we can get together and discuss the plan of action.’

  ‘Sounds like you two have everything sorted, so I’ll leave you to it!’ Michael said chirpily, completely oblivious to the tension that was already simmering between the two women.

  Waiting for the elevator, Nina and Elizabeth stood in awkward silence. Elizabeth turned her back on Nina, not bothering to make small talk, while a million thoughts chased themselves around Nina’s head. Slightly rattled by this unwelcome development, she tried to keep a lid on her panic. ‘It’ll be fine,’ she told herself. ‘We’re both professionals, we’re both here to do a good job and, at the end of the day, I’m the one who’ll be in charge of the day-to-day running of the magazine. Michael said she oversees quite a few titles, so chances are I’ll barely hear from her.’

  As they entered the Candy office, Nina couldn’t help noticing that the editorial team stiffened as soon as they saw Elizabeth. All chatter stopped, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest screens were quickly minimised and the music volume dived. ‘Look out, the fun police have arrived,’ Nina thought, as Elizabeth clapped her hands together like she was a kindergarten teacher trying to get her charges’ attention.

  ‘Team, I’d like to introduce you to your new editor, Nina. As yo
u know, Nina has come from Lulu, where she was the features editor, so this is a very big step up for her. Even though she doesn’t have a huge amount of experience, I’m sure she’s up to the job,’ Elizabeth announced, accentuating Nina’s shortcomings while pretending to talk her up. She obviously wanted to make it crystal clear that she had no confidence in Nina whatsoever.

  Nina fumed quietly, behind her beatific smile. ‘Thank you, Lizzie – sorry, I mean Elizabeth,’ she replied, in a voice that was sweeter than a barrel of maple syrup. She turned her attention to the assortment of people in front of her. ‘I’m so excited to be here, and I’m really looking forward to working with you all,’ she said sincerely. ‘Once I get settled in, I’ll book individual meetings with everyone so I can get to know you better – who you are, what you do and, most importantly, what you think of Candy as it is now and how you think it can be improved. I’ll be asking how procedures work around here and I’ll also explain how I like to work when it comes to brainstorming feature ideas, choosing photos, approving layouts and all that, so we’re all on the same page. If you’ve got any questions, my door is always open.’ Nina made sure to make eye contact with each member of the team as she spoke, wanting them to feel like she was talking to them, not at them.

  ‘Right then, everybody back to work,’ Elizabeth said briskly, cutting Nina off. ‘Nina and I will be in meetings for most of the day as I try to get her up to speed, so I’m sure you all have something to keep you busy. Felicity, fill my water bottle up and make me a cup of tea.’ The command was directed at a girl who Nina guessed was Candy’s editorial assistant, a pretty redhead who looked like she hadn’t yet hit her twenty-first birthday, but was decked out in head-to-toe Ksubi. ‘Gotta love those sample sales,’ Nina thought as Felicity scurried to the kitchen. The lifeline of all cash-strapped editorial employees, barely a week went by without an email announcing yet another warehouse sale from a designer who was offloading last season’s stock at rock-bottom prices. If you were lucky, you could scavenge through the endless racks to find one-off samples that had appeared on the catwalk at Fashion Week, but had never made it into production – the only hitch was that to fit into them, you had give an Italian greyhound a run for its money in the skinny stakes.