Bad Girl Blues

by Brenda Barrett

"Ehem," Jenny her friend and fellow junior editor whispered across the cubicle. "I sort of told him that you had connections.

  "Why?" Caitlin whispered harshly. "What connections?"

  "He asked me about you. I probably told him a little bit too much. They are starting a Lux Women Magazine and he wanted a celebrity to feature for their first month and I took the opportunity to tell him that you know Thomas Kellier as well as the Benedicts and all of that."

  "Oh for heavens sake." Caitlin grimaced. "I should never have told you anything."

  "You are too humble," Jenny whispered. "You'll thank me later."

  "Denvers!" Howard bellowed again.

  Cailtlin scurried toward Howard's office, a glass enclosure that was always approached with trepidation and care. Some of the editors referred to it as the lion's den.

  Howard was a stout man who had a large belly, a ruddy complexion, and a roar befitting a lion. He was the editor-in-chief of Lux Caribbean and the head honcho. Caitlin wondered what Howard could possibly want from her; she was at the very bottom of the pecking order at the magazine.

  "Where should I begin?" Howard asked Caitlin when she came to the door. "You are a dark horse aren't you?"

  "Excuse me?" Caitlin croaked. She was hardly asked to enter Howard's office and usually it was with her immediate supervisor, Gwedolyn Dyer, who was neither impressed by or afraid of Howard.

  "Come in and sit down." Howard nodded at her. "You recently graduated from university with a journalism degree?"

  "Yes sir," Cailtin said. His office was done in blue, brass and chrome. She looked around appreciatively. It was nicely done.

  "Good," Howard said gruffly. "I read a few things that you wrote. Concise, descriptive, quite impressive."

  "Thank you sir." Caitlin was getting excited. According to the senior editing staff, compliments from Howard were rare.

  "We are starting a new magazine called Lux Women. It's a lifestyle magazine targeted to our female readers. This one is going to be both online and print and it will be somewhat smaller than Lux Caribbean. We will be publishing a monthly issue. We already have advertisers rearing to go with this…our subscription list for Lux is quite extensive, you know."

  Caitlin nodded, waiting for Howard to tell her how she would be involved in Lux Women. If she could just contribute or get a regular column she would be so happy.

  "I want you to contribute to Lux Women. You are getting your very own column." Howard said. "It will be a two thousand-word feature so don't get too excited; it’s hard work. I also want you to be a features editor."

  Caitlin opened her mouth; this was what she wanted to do when she initially joined Lux. It was like all her dreams were coming through at once. This was quite a promotion.

  "You will report to me." Howard pushed a mock up of a magazine toward her. "This is what is required for the Lux Women brand. If you are going to be making any changes to design or anything affecting the layout, you need to consult me. Your first edition should be launched at the end of August. Failure to meet deadlines is a big no; if you do you will be fired. Got it?"

  Caitlin nodded.

  "Good," Howard said, "I know you did something similar for your final university project so this shouldn't be a problem for you. Will it?"

  It had taken her and her group almost a full three weeks to come up with a workable concept and four months to complete their mock magazine, but she smiled at Howard like she had not a care in the world.

  "It won't be a problem, Sir. Do I have any support staff? " She asked belatedly.

  "Yes," Howard said crossing his hands over his massive belly. "I'll email you a list of the contributors you can use as soon as you are at your new desk."

  "New desk?" Caitlin looked through the glass enclosure of Howard's office and down the carpeted hallway past the cubicles. At the opposite end of the hall was another glass office and a boardroom being refurbished. She turned around to Howard again.

  "Yes that will be yours." Howard smiled at her in what she could only interpret as his benign smile. "Your name will be on the door. We will assign you five staff members from the Lux family. If the magazine takes off and can stand on its own then we can assess your needs further."

  "Thank you sir," Caitlin smiled. "Thank you so much. I never expected this. I really don't know what to say."

  "Just do well," Howard said and then cleared his throat. "I have some suggestions you could take on board for your first couple of issues."

  "Okay," Caitlin nodded.

  "You will need to write." Howard pointed to her notebook.

  She took it up poised to jot down notes.

  "For the August issue I want you do an exclusive spread on the up coming wedding of Luca Lawson and er Casey Givens?"

  Caitlin opened her mouth. "But..."

  "Write." Howard urged, "I have more suggestions."

  Somehow the word suggestion sounded more like demand. Caitlin quickly scribbled down august- wedding.

  "It is so exclusive nobody is allowed in," Howard said, "but I learned that you are going to be a bridesmaid. In fact you are a sister to the bride."

  He laughed. "I couldn't believe our good fortune. Our very own features editor for our brand new Lux Women has a foot in."

  "But I..." Caitlin was on the verge of protesting.

  Luca Lawson was a very private person. She would have to beg Casey to allow her to do a tastefully done spread. As a human interest side maybe she could add info on how they met, and the fact that Casey had been mute and had no idea who she was at the time. Now that would make for a stellar story.

  "And for September." Howard continued as if he hadn't just laid a major burden on her to beg the people closest to her to put their story in a magazine.

  "You absolutely need to do a feature on Thomas Kellier." Howard leaned back in his chair, "Imagine when I heard that you knew him quite well. Maybe you should get his story before he leaves. I heard that he only spends the summer but then again you must know that. He's a bachelor you know, your female readers should love that."

  "I don't really know him. Know him," Caitlin protested. "I just..." Then the shoe dropped. She was not just made a feature editor because of anything she had done. She was beginning to suspect that she got the job because of who she knew or who Howard heard that she knew.

  "In this business, Caitlin, it’s not who you know, it’s who you know that knows who you know. Got that?"

  Caitlin nodded, trying to work out all the knows in her head.

  "And for October," Howard confirmed her suspicions without a doubt. "I would like a feature on the Benedict family. We feature them a lot at Lux but maybe you could get into the nitty gritty of the family. Give me a Benedict, nobody knows about." He snapped his fingers. As if it had just occurred to him but Cailtin was beginning to doubt that this meeting was anything but orchestrated.

  "Feature Helen Benedict; they guard her like a hawk. Get some pictures of her paintings. I heard that they are gorgeous, top secret stuff. I want pictures, lots of pictures of her work for that edition."

  "The Benedicts?" Caitlin squeaked.

  "Yes." Howard looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "I know you are knee deep in the family. Isn't Patricia Benedict a mentor of yours? A mother figure?

  "Well yes." Caitlin sighed, "but that's Patricia. As you said, Helen is not really a mainstream Benedict... I don't know her."

  "For November," Howard looked down at his note pad ignoring her protests, "Todd Taylor."

  Brigid gasped. "The Todd Taylor?"

  "You are not one of them who thinks he murdered his wife, are you?"

  "Well, I don't know him at all." Caitlin finished weakly. "I have no connection to him whatsoever." Except for her dreams and those didn't count.

  As Brigid, said she had probably seen him on television and had dreams of him because she couldn't credit the fact that God had planned for her to marry a murderer. No way. She had misread that dream.

  "I will sort out you getting access
to him," Howard said. "He owns Lux after all. He hasn't granted any interviews since the incident seven years ago. He is so reclusive. But reclusive or not he is technically our boss—the person who feeds us, who pays for the very clothes on our backs."

  Howard paused dramatically. "We should do something to boost his profile in the public sphere, don't you think?"

  "He owns Lux?" Caitlin cleared her throat. She shouldn't have said that out loud and sound ignorant but she had thought that Lux was owned by a company called Creative Issues, which had been owned by one of Patricia's brothers, Jordan Benedict. Hence, the reason why she had gotten the job in the first place.

  "Yes he owns Lux," Howard said, "acquired the company just last month, as well as the other brands and companies that Creative Issues owns. So in the true spirit of sucking up we are going to run a feature piece on him in Lux Caribbean sometime in the New Year. In the mean time your little online women's lifestyle magazine is going to do a stellar article on him. One that will exonerate him from even the whisper of wrong doing. I want you to do that article personally. Do not even dream of handing it off. "

  "But what if he really murdered her?"

  "Bah. Rubbish!" Howard said. "Go review the case before you jump to conclusions like the rest of the world."

  I have, and it looked pretty cut and dried to me. The only reason Todd Taylor escaped prison was because he was wealthy, Caitlin wanted to say out loud but of course she didn't.

  "I will arrange for you to meet him," Howard said, "but first I must convince his secretary to get me access and get him to agree and all of that."

  OTHER BOOKS BY BRENDA BARRETT

  Resetter Series

  Never Too Late (Book 1)- Addi finds out she is a resetter and goes back to the summer of 92 to change her family's lives.

  Never Say Never (Book 2)- Skyler's handsome college lecturer, who happens to be her neighbor, has a T in his palms. Should she tell him the significance of it. If she does, would he believe her?

  Now or Never (Book 3)- Ten years later Addi and Randy meet again at Randy's engagement party. Why is it that the chemistry between them was still so potent? Can they ever have a future together? Would Randy choose her this time around?

  Almost Never (Book 4)- Tech genius Joshua Porter had all but given up on love. He then meets Portia, an escapee from the female penitentiary and his life takes a turn for the adventurous.

  The Scarlett Family Series

  Scarlett Baby (Book 1)- When the head of the Scarlett family died, Yuri had to return home to Treasure Beach for the funeral. What he didn't count on was seeing Marla, his childhood sweetheart and his best friend's wife. And when emotions overwhelm them and a few months later Marla is pregnant, Yuri wants the impossible: his best friend's wife and the baby they made together...

  Scarlett Sinner (Book 2)- Pastor Troy Scarlett realizes the hard way that some sins are bound to be revealed, like the child that he had out of wedlock with his wife's mortal enemy from college. His wife Chelsea was not happy with the status quo. She was not taking care of the son of the woman she had so despised from college. And she could not get over the deep betrayal that she felt from her husband's indiscretion.

  Scarlett Secret (Book 3)- Terri Scarlett had a soft spot for her friend, Lola. She was funny and sweet and they looked remarkably alike. But when Lola's Arab prince demands his bride, Terri foolishly exchange places with her friend and they meet up on a world of trouble.

  Scarlett Love (Book 4)- Slater always looked forward to delivering packages to the law firm where he could get a glimpse of the stunning female lawyer, Amoy Gardener. Unfortunately, for Slater a woman like Amoy would not take him seriously, especially when she found out that he could not read!

  Scarlett Promise (Book 5)- Driven by desperation Lisa Barclay decides to make some extra money by prostituting herself after being kicked out in the streets. Her first customer turns out to be a popular government senator and then to her horror he dies...

  Scarlett Bride (Book 6)- When Oliver Scarlett's missionary work in the Congo region was coming to an end, he had a decision to make, marry Ashaki Azanga and save her from being the fourth wife to the chief of the village or leave her to her fate and get on with his life...

  Scarlett Heart (Book 7)- After receiving a heart transplant shy librarian Noah Scarlett started to take on character traits that were unlike him and he kept dreaming of a girl named Cassandra Green...

  Rebound Series

  On The Rebound--For Better or Worse, Brandon vowed to stay with Ashley, but when worse got too much he moved out and met Nadine. For the first time in years he felt happy, but then Ashley remembered her wedding vows...

  On The Rebound 2- Ashley reinvented herself and was now a first lady in a country church in Primrose Hill, but her obsessed ex friend Regina showed up and started digging into the lives of the saints at church. Somebody didn't like Regina's digging. Someone had secrets that were shocking enough to kill for...

  Magnolia Sisters

  Dear Mystery Guy (Book 1)- Della Gold details her life in a journal dedicated to a mystery guy. But when fascination turns into obsession she finds herself wanting to learn even more about him but in her pursuit of the mystery guy she begins to learn more about herself...

  Bad Girl Blues (Book 2)- Brigid Manderson wanted to go to med school but for the time being she was an escort working for her mother, an ex-prostitute. When her latest customer offers her the opportunity of a lifetime would she take it? Or would she choose the harder path and uncertain love with a Christian guy?

  Her Mistaken Dreams (Book 3)- Caitlin Denvers dream guy had serious issues. He has a dead wife in his past and he was the main suspect in her murder. Did he really do it? Or did Caitlin for the first time have a mistaken dream?

  Just Like Yesterday (Book 4)- Hazel Brown lost six months of memory including the summer that she conceived her son, and had no idea who his father could be. Now that she had the means to fight to get him back from the Deckers, she finds out that the handsome Curtis Decker is willing to share her son with her after all.

  New Song Series

  Going Solo (Book 1)- Carson Bell, had a lovely voice, a heart of gold, and was no slouch in the looks department. So why did Alice abandon him and their daughter? What did she want after ten years of silence?

  Duet on Fire (Book 2)- Ian and Ruby had problems trying to conceive a child. If that wasn't enough, her ex-lover the current pastor of their church wants her back...

  Tangled Chords (Book 3)- Xavier Bell, the poor, ugly duckling has made it rich and his looks have been incredibly improved too. Farrah Knight, hotel heiress had cruelly rejected him in the past but now she needed help. Could Xavier forgive and forget?

  Broken Harmony(Book 4)- Aaron Lee, wanted the top job in his family company but he had a moral clause to consider just when Alka, his married ex-girlfriend walks back into his life.

  A Past Refrain (Book 5)- Jayce had issues with forgetting Haley Greenwald even though he had a new woman in his life. Will he ever be able to shake his love for Haley?

  Perfect Melody (Book 6)- Logan Moore had the perfect wife, Melody but his secretary Sabrina was hell bent on breaking up the family. Sabrina wanted Logan whatever the cost and she had a secret about Melody, that could shatter Melody's image to everyone.

  The Bancroft Family Series

  Homely Girl (Book 0) - April and Taj were opposites in so many ways. He was the cute, athletic boy that everybody wanted to be friends with. She was the overweight, shy, and withdrawn girl. Do April and Taj have a love that can last a lifetime? Or will time and separate paths rip them apart?

  Saving Face (Book 1) - Mount Faith University drama begins with a dead president and several suspects including the president in waiting Ryan Bancroft.

  Tattered Tiara (Book 2) - Micah Bancroft is targeted by femme fatale Deidra Durkheim. There are also several rape cases to be solved.

  Private Dancer (Book 3) Adrian Bancroft was gutted when he returned to Jamaica and found o
ut that his first and only love Cathy Taylor was a stripper and was literally owned by the menacing drug lord, Nanjo Jones.

  Goodbye Lonely (Book 4) - Kylie Bancroft was shy and had to resort to going to confidence classes. How could she win the love of Gareth Beecher, her faculty adviser, a man with a jealous ex-wife in his past and a current mystery surrounding a hand found in his garden?

  Practice Run (Book 5) - Marcus Bancroft had many reasons to avoid Mount Faith but Deidra Durkheim was not one of them. Unfortunately, on one of his visits he was the victim of a deliberate hit and run.

  Sense of Rumor (Book 6) - Arnella Bancroft was the wild, passionate Bancroft, the creative loner who didn't mind living dangerously; but when a terrible thing happened to her at her friend Tracy's party, it changed her. She found that courting rumors can be devastating and that only the truth could set her free.

  A Younger Man (Book 7)- Pastor Vanley Bancroft loved Anita Parkinson despite their fifteen-year age gap, but Anita had a secret, one that she could not reveal to Vanley. To tell him would change his feelings toward her, or force him to give up the ministry that he loved so much.