Romancing the News: A Lesbian Office Romance

by Violette Grey

“Good.” She hugged me. “Now, this new job…have you heard anything yet?”

  I gave her a pointed look and then laughed. “Nothing yet, but the interview was only yesterday. She said it could take a couple of days. Either way, she’s going to call me, so at least I will know.”

  “I hate when people don’t call you back to tell you that you didn’t get the job. It’s already frustrating enough just waiting, but if you’re sitting there and no one calls, that’s even worse.”

  I agreed completely.

  We alighted from the bus at our usual stop. I dropped off another sandwich for the homeless man. Who was going to take care of him if I got my new job? Sighing, I headed into the building.

  As Daisy got off the elevator, she turned and said, “Text me if they call.”

  “Oh, you know I will.”

  Jason was not at his desk when I sat down at mine, for which I was thrilled. This was the first time I had come to work and not had him riding me as soon as I walked in. It helped me relax from the craziness of the morning, and by the time he came skulking into the office, I was my usual self again. It was probably a good thing because he did not look happy. Or at least he looked less happy than he did on most days, which was not very happy at all. He looked downright livid.

  “I need to talk to you,” he said through clenched teeth.

  My eyes went wide as I rose from my chair and followed him into his office.

  “Do you want me to close the door?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he said, his voice alarmingly low.

  I closed the door and took a seat in the folding chair in front of his desk.

  His office was decorated with piles and piles of files, books, and old newspapers. Apparently, there was a table off to one side, but I could only see one of its legs between a pile of old copies of the Denver Free News. A fluorescent light glared from the ceiling in the middle of the room, making me squint. There was no window, so no natural light. No wonder he was always in such a bad mood.

  “I understand that you applied for another job,” he said, his voice strained.

  I remained unruffled. I honestly did not care one bit of this man knew I was looking for another job. “Yes, I did.”

  “Why?”

  I laughed. “Why? I have worked here for three years. I work my ass off for a pittance, doing the job of a copy editor without the title. I have put my name in for the apprenticeship program four times in the past year and people who have been here less than half the time have been accepted before me. And they were all men. Not one woman has been accepted since I started.”

  “Yeah, but Freedman explained that it’s because those people have already finished their programs, right?”

  “There is nothing on the application that says I have to have a degree already. As a matter of fact, it says that I…”

  Jason’s phone rang and he glared at it. He looked at the caller ID. “I have to take this. Let’s talk in a few.”

  I shrugged and walked out the door. As I closed the door, I heard Jason say, “Hey, Mr. Freedman…”

  As I made my way back to my desk, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I did not recognize the number but picked it up anyway. Hopefully it was not a bill collector.

  “Hello? Paulette Stevens speaking.”

  “Paulette, good morning, it’s Joanna Hendrix.” My heart jumped to my throat so quickly I thought I would have to be hauled off to the hospital to have to surgically placed back into my chest.

  “Oh, hello, Joanna,” I said, barely able to breathe. I made my way to a closet when I saw several staff members in the break room. “What can I do for you?”

  “Well, I would like to offer you the job,” Joanna said.

  I was in the closet, surrounded by cleaning supplies, the smell of old mop heads assaulting my nose, but all I could do was stand there in shock, staring at a calendar of a pin-up girl I did not even know was there before. Then the adrenaline hit and blood rushed back to my brain.

  “Really?” I said before coming to myself and adding, “I mean…thank you! I’d be happy to take the job.”

  “Great. So, when can you start?”

  I wanted to say ‘tomorrow’ but knew that would look bad, so instead I replied, “I would like to give my current employer my two-weeks notice, if that’s OK.”

  Joanna laughed. “Yes, of course. I knew I chose the right person.” I could feel myself beaming, even though she could not see me. “How about we say you start two weeks from Monday? That way you have the weekend before to mentally prepare.”

  It took every ounce of energy I had to keep my voice calm. “That would be fine,” I said. “I’ll see you then.”

  After the call ended, I began to silently jump up and down, fist bumping the air until the door to the closet opened. Josh Ralston stood there gaping at me, but all I could do was smile at him as he moved to the side to let me out of the closet.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I was looking for a…um…” Crap, I had nothing in my hands. “Anyway, I found it and put it back.” I said the last in a rush.

  Josh said nothing, his eyes wide and his eyebrows pulled up to his hairline as he kept his hand on the edge of the door.

  I smiled at him and hurried back to my desk. To be honest, I did not care what Josh thought. Well, not completely, anyway.

  “There you are,” Jason said from his doorway. “Let’s get back to our conversation.”

  “You know what?” I said haughtily. “I’m giving you my two week’s notice as of right now.”

  I almost laughed when Jason’s face paled. “Can’t we discuss this?”

  “Nope,” I said firmly. “I have some things to tie up before I leave, so I think we’re done meeting for now. What do you think?”

  I sat at my desk while Jason stood in his doorway, leaning with his hand on the door jam and his face looking like he had lost his puppy.

  I sent Daisy a text and her reply exuded excitement.

  I’m so happy for you! Whiny Wine? D

  I laughed and replied, “Yes!”

  ***

  Brook's reaction was not as supportive as Daisy's.

  "I still don't know why you have to work all the way down in Lakewood," she said moodily. "You had a fine enough job where you are now." It was as if she could not make up her mind what was more important, the raise or the time I would be away. It was hard to follow her ups and downs. Yesterday she was fine with it, today she wasn’t. It was the typical Brook.

  "But I'll be making more money than I am now. Won't that be something?" Brook's lack of enthusiasm had left me feeling as if I were a deflated balloon.

  Brook shrugged. "I guess. But you're already gone for class once a week, and I like the fact that you're home for dinner every other night. Why do you have to go and change things?"

  I knew that Brook hated change, and always had. When I had suggested we paint the living room walls to get rid of the 1980s wallpaper, Brook had almost blown a gasket.

  "This was my mom's apartment, Paul," she had said, seething. "I am not going to get rid of stuff that reminds me of her."

  I tried to reason with her. "You have her things everywhere, Brook," I argued. "Why not change just the main colors here and keep her things where they are.”

  But that had increased Brook's anger even more. “Why do you want to get rid of what I have left of my mother?” She had stomped off into the bedroom and slammed the door.

  So I finally gave up and never mentioned redecorating again.

  "Well, you'll do whatever you want to do," Brook was saying, bringing me back to the present. "You always do." With that, she threw the remote on the coffee table, the battery cover flying off and falling to the floor.

  I sighed and picked up the broken remote. The cover would not go back on and I got up and grabbed a roll of electrical tape from the junk drawer in the kitchen and taped it back on.

  Brook moped around the apartment for the rest of the evening. I walked around on eggshells wondering what I had d
one wrong this time knowing that, no matter how hard I tried, I could not seem to make Brook happy.

  Well, maybe once the new paychecks started coming in she’d change her tune. At least that is what I hoped, anyway.

  ***

  Daisy had to go in earlier than usual the rest of the week so we missed each other on the bus. I thought I would burst before Saturday afternoon finally arrived. After a slew of texts back and forth, I made my way over to her apartment for a Whiny Wine Weekend. We had started this tradition for when we had a significantly horrible week and needed some time to spend together to talk about who had wronged us over a glass, or two or three, of wine. It soon became a thing for both whining and celebrating, and this weekend was definitely for celebrating, for me, anyway.

  “I still can’t believe you’re going to be across town from me,” Daisy griped as we sat with our glass of wine on Daisy's balcony. "What will I do with myself?"

  I laughed. "I'm sure you'll figure something out," I said before taking a sip of my wine. "Why don't you read something?" The look on Daisy's face made me laugh again. "Oh, come on, you do know how to read, don't you?"

  Daisy gave me an indignant look. "Of course I do; I just choose not to. Why should I read when there are so many good movies to watch?"

  "Well, what about keeping up with the latest news?" I argued. "You are a part of the world, you know."

  This brought a snicker from Daisy. "News? That's even worse than books." She sighed deeply. "You were my entertainment, and now even that will be gone."

  "Whatever," I said with a wave of my hand. "You'll have another friend to replace me within the first week."

  "I will not!" Daisy insisted. Then she stiffened. “Have you told Brook yet?”

  I snorted. “Yeah. I’m sure you know how that went.”

  “I don’t understand. Why is she so against you doing anything to better yourself?” Her lip curled. “I think she’s jealous.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe, I don’t know.”

  Then she became very serious. “Maybe she’s afraid you’ll leave her behind. That’s how I feel.”

  I slapped her arm playfully. “Stop that! You’re taking away all my fun. You sound like Brook.”

  Daisy’s eyes went wide and she had a hurt look on her face. "I’m sorry. Don’t compare me to Brook. I'm happy for you, I really am. You deserve it. I can't wait to read your first article!"

  I laughed. “No, I know you’re happy for me. You have always supported me. But don’t worry, I won’t be ‘leaving you behind’ as you put it. We will still have Whiny Wine Weekends, won’t we?”

  Daisy agreed with a raise of her wine glass. I clinked mine to hers and we toasted to new beginnings.

  Chapter Seven

  The office was cool and inviting when I walked in carrying a box which contained a few personal items. A photo of myself and Brook, a desk organizer Daisy had given me as an office-warming gift, and a couple of books I knew I would need to do my job. It was not much, but it made me feel more at home and a part of this great new world around me.

  Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting at what was now my desk when Ms. Hendrix came down the hall. "Paulette, would you please come into my office? I’d like to discuss my expectations with you before we start the day."

  My nerves tangled as I grabbed my notebook, it had a puppy in a basket on the cover, and a pen. I knew the notebook probably looked childish, but it made me happy. It should not matter what I took notes in as long as I completed my tasks. I followed my new boss into the office and closed the door behind me. Then I took a seat opposite the desk and waited.

  "Paulette, I have clear expectations for my staff," Joanna said as she steepled her fingers and set her elbows on the desk. "I ask that you are always punctual, that you do your work to the best of your ability—aiming for better—, and that you feel that you can come to me at any time if you need anything. I know that sometimes the boss can seem out of reach, but I want you to see me as approachable."

  "I appreciate that, Joanna."

  She smiled. "Now, I do expect you to be professional and to dress the part." She looked me up and down. "I don't mind if you wear business casual; however, I would prefer that you save it for Fridays when we are less likely to have meetings with people from outside the magazine. The rest of the week I would like you in business attire." She opened a drawer and handed me a credit card. "I have added five hundred dollars to this prepaid card. Use it to buy whatever you need to follow our dress code."

  I took the card and had to close my mouth after catching myself with it hanging open.

  "I hope I haven't offended you," Joanna said. "I just remember what it was like when I moved into a new and better position, and it was not easy buying what I needed to look the part. I would rather help you now than to have you struggle like I had to. I hope you don't mind."

  I doubted that this woman ever had financial problems in her life but then scolded myself for prejudging her. "No, not at all." I was still stunned. I had never had this much money to spend on clothing in my entire life. "I will get what I need tomorrow."

  "Good," Joanna said as she sat back in her seat. "Now, you've come at just the right time. We’re having a party in a couple of months to celebrate our second anniversary of the magazine. You’ll be invited, of course, as a member of the staff. I only tell you this because it will be a formal affair, so I would recommend you use part of that five hundred dollars to buy yourself a smart cocktail dress and whatever accessories you might need. We will have quite a few investors there, so it will be important to dress to impress."

  "May I bring a guest?" I asked thinking that maybe Brook would like to go.

  "Of course,” Joanna replied with a smile. Then she pushed back against the desk as she stood. “Now, I have some work to do, but I’d like you to walk around and familiarize yourself with the layout of our offices; it will make your job that much easier."

  "Thank you," I said. As I turned to close the door, Joanna was already typing away on her computer.

  I looked down at the credit card in my hand. Wow! Five hundred dollars to buy clothes, I thought as I placed the card in my wallet. I wondered what Brook would say. After thinking about it for several minutes, I decided to wait to tell her. That money was to buy clothes, not for her to spend on bets. I loved her dearly, but there was a part of Brook that I did not trust at all. And we had several thousands of dollars in credit card debt to prove it.

  ***

  “She sounds too good to be true,” Daisy said after telling her all about my first day. When she saw my face, though, she quickly added, “But I’m really happy for you.”

  I was not convinced, but I was so excited to have a job I would actually learn from, I ignored her negativity.

  “So, what’s the bus ride like?”

  I laughed. “It’s like any other bus ride. Grumpy people fighting for seating and giving everyone dirty looks. Then there’re the ones who talk to themselves; that’s always entertaining.”

  “Well, I’ll miss riding with you every day,” she said, her face sad.

  “I know.” Knowing Daisy, she would bring this up every time we were together for at least the next six months. Unless she made a friend on the bus, which was highly unlikely. She did not like making new friends. That’s why we had been friends for so long.

  I guess I was the same; she was also my only friend. Besides Brook, of course.

  “All I know is that I can learn so much more from her than I would ever learn from Jason.”

  Daisy broke out in giggles as she pulled her legs up under her. “Oh, my God, I remember that article you told me about that he wrote, you know, the one about the student march in Boulder a couple of months ago?”

  Oh, God, that was definitely one of his highlights. Interviews with four protesters who had no real idea why they were even protesting. Of all the more than one hundred students at the rally, he had to find the dumbest ones.

  “And his writing,” she said, rolli
ng her eyes. “How in the world did he even get that job in the first place?”

  I snorted. “His mom’s dating the owner,” I said, shaking my head. “I wonder if he’ll be fired if they ever break up.”

  “We can only hope,” Daisy said. She lifted her wine glass. “Here’s to your new job and a hope for a better tomorrow!”

  We clinked our glasses together. She was right. Two things to hope for: Joanna Hendrix teaching and guiding me to a better position, and Jason finding a job that was more suited for him. Because the one he had now certainly was not that.

  Chapter Eight

  "Paulette," Joanna called from her office, "Will you come here for a moment?"

  Grabbing my notebook and a pen, I headed into the office and took what had become my usual seat across the desk. Things had gone well during the first week at the Libertarian, and Joanna kept me pretty busy; however, it was a rewarding job and I enjoyed it. I finally felt like I belonged and that my contributions were appreciated.

  "So, I need some feedback on a piece I will be contributing to with one of the journalists…"

  A knock came to the door and a man peeked in. "Sorry I'm late, Joanna, I got held up with Blake."

  Joanna waved him in. "No, we just got started. Please, come in, take a seat." The man sat in the extra chair and smiled weakly at me. "Greg Holden, this is my assistant, Paulette. Paulette, this is Greg. He runs the municipal section of the magazine." She turned to Greg and said, "So, what did you think of my piece about the downtown parking issues?"

  Greg sat up on the edge of his chair. "Oh, I thought it was brilliant," he said, gushing as if she were some sort of royalty. He reminded me of some sort of groupie who followed around famous egotists. "My part, unfortunately, was not as well-rounded as yours was."

  "Well, I felt the writing was good, but there is definitely room for improvement." Joanna looked at me and smiled. "I'm sorry, we haven't told you what we're working on. We've been looking into that new parking structure that is in development off of Speer Boulevard. I am covering how tax money is being used to construct it, and Greg is taking care of how it is impacting the community."