by Zuri Day
“Gee, thanks a lot. It’s nice to know I’m irresistible.”
“You are. Which is why I need you to send me the details so I can book a flight to Seattle.”
Chapter 19
When Friday arrived, Atka wanted nothing more when Teresa arrived than to race to the hotel room, tear off each other’s clothes and make mad, passionate love. But after finding out her favorite performer was in town, he showed restraint, paid a ridiculous amount of money for sold-out tickets and now sat in the second row of a Bruno Mars concert.
“Isn’t he incredible?” she asked Atka during a quick music break.
“He’s not bad.”
“Not bad? He’s...” The rest of her sentence was lost as the guitarist pealed off a riff that led to the next song, eliciting another round of screams from the adoring female fans.
After the concert, there was no shame in the beeline they made to their suite at the Four Seasons. Even with an umbrella, by the time they made it to the town car transporting them, both were drenched.
“Seriously?” Teresa shivered, cuddling up to Atka as soon as he joined her in the backseat. “It’s been raining since my flight arrived this morning.”
“Princess, this is Seattle. It’s probably been raining since this time last week.”
“Sheesh. I’m a sun child. There is no way I could live in a place with this much rain.”
“Well, that answers one of my questions.”
She looked at him. “You were going to ask me to move to Seattle?”
“I was going to warm you up with Seattle before I hit you with Anchorage.”
“Babe! I’ve already told you how hard that would be for me.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Why can’t you move to California?”
“I can. Just need to figure out how to redirect about a million salmon from the bay in Bristol to the one in San Francisco. An arduous task, to be sure, but it’s the only way that my business could operate from there. I’ve spent enough time there to know the challenges. But you’ve formed an opinion and made your decision without giving my home state a chance.”
“Trust me. Two and a half days there was chance enough.”
“Hey, those two and a half days were amazing! It’s how you met me.”
“Yes, there is that.”
“Come to Alaska. Stay for a month. My house is thirty minutes away from Anchorage, but I’ll make arrangements for us to stay in the city. If you still have some doubt as you do right now, I’ll never ask you to move again.”
“And you’ll move to California?”
“I can’t move there, Teresa. But I’ll take a look at how I can arrange the business to spend as much time as I can.”
They reached the hotel. The rain continued. Teresa complained from the car to the room. “Seriously! I’ve never seen so much rain in my life. I can’t believe that people get used to this weather. Is there a rainy season in Alaska? I’m telling you now if I came to visit and it rained for a week, I’d be on a nonstop back to Paradise Cove before you could blink. Where are you going?”
Atka had crossed the room and now stood with a hand on the doorknob. “I’ll be right back.”
He went downstairs, asked for the hotel manager and made a request. After a bit of financial encouragement to get a yes, he went back to the room. Teresa had taken off her wet clothes and was standing in the middle of the floor in just bra and panties.
Perfect.
He walked into the bathroom and came out with one of the hotel’s thick white robes. Closing the distance between them with purposeful strides, he placed it around her shoulders and took her hand. “Come with me.”
“Babe! Where are we going?”
“I want you to see something.”
“Let me put on my clothes.”
“This will only take a second. You have to come now.”
They bypassed the elevator and headed for the stairs. “Atka, it’s cold out here.”
“You won’t be for long.” He stopped and turned to her. “Do me a favor. Trust me, just for the next five minutes. No questions. Just compliance. Will you do it?”
“I guess,” she answered, with doubt all over her face.
“Good.”
They reached another door. Atka used a key to open it. They were on the roof.
“Atka!”
“Shh. You promised.”
He walked them beyond the awning, where a steady rain pelted them and their surroundings. Teresa opened her mouth to complain, but Atka covered it with a kiss so intense that it curled her toes. He removed her robe and tossed it aside. If Teresa noticed the rain now soaking her skin, it didn’t show. He removed his pants. They joined the pile that now also contained his shoes and their underwear. They were soaked now, her hair plastered against her face, neck and breasts, his slicked back like a forties movie star’s. He pulled her into his embrace, watched her eyes twinkle with a devilish glint as they bore into his.
“I thought to show you rain from a different perspective.”
She shivered and clung tighter to him. “I’m liking your point of view.”
Outside, above the city, its night lights twinkling below them and in the distance, the wind caressing their skin and the rain covering them in Seattle loveliness, induced them into a world of their own. Atka lifted Teresa into the air, settled her against the building’s slick stones and gently, almost reverently, plunged himself inside her.
There were no words. Only movement. And the sound of rain, making music around them.
For the rest of the visit, the rain continued. But Teresa never complained about the weather again.
Chapter 20
Monday morning, Teresa arrived at the Paradise Cove Chronicle office tired and cranky. She’d enjoyed her whirlwind weekend in Seattle with Atka. The city’s nonstop rain? Not so much. Except for the mind-blowing experience that took place on the roof. That act alone saved her sanity and, indeed, made her look at the constant downpour differently. Atka told her that there actually was a season where little rain fell and he was confident she’d love visiting there in the summer. He pointed out the lush greenery, lack of state income taxes and easygoing attitude of the people as a few reasons why, if the relationship continued, living in Seattle might be a compromise to their long-distance situation. Teresa was doubtful she’d ever adjust to that much rainfall. Unless she reincarnated and came back as a fish. There was only so much lovemaking that could be done on a roof.
After stopping by her cubicle, she took her tablet and large caramel vanilla latte and headed into the conference room for the weekly roundup meeting. Even though she’d not been able to visit one personally, she felt good about her article on glaciers, the third of her four-part “Travel Alaska” series.
She’d been reluctant to visit Alaska, but after the glowing review for the first story featuring Paul Campbell—not only from his father Benny, but from other members of the Chronicle family and several emails to the editor—Teresa had thanked Gloria for the assignment with a box of deluxe chocolates and a spa gift card. The past two articles had been reprinted in other Campbell-owned newspapers, helping her build a portfolio. She loved her family, but it felt good to be on a path of her choosing, doing something she felt gifted at, and that she loved. One step into the conference room, however, and Teresa wondered if she’d continue doing what she loved at the Paradise Cove Chronicle and, if so, for how long.
Had someone seen her dining with Atka in San Francisco, or lived in downtown Seattle with a telescope aimed at a particular hotel’s roof?
Figuring she’d find out soon enough, she took a seat. “Good morning.”
A few mumbled responses and averted eyes.
Gloria looked at her watch and began the meeting. “I have a full day ahead,
so let’s get right down to business. Right now, the front-page headliner is a national AP on global warming. Not the most exciting topic, but since we have no ‘bleed to leadʼ stories, and nothing local of significance, it’s the best shot. In the face of the weather swings we’ve been experiencing here in PC, it works. What was it yesterday, eighty-two, eighty-three degrees?”
One of the senior writers responded. “Eighty-five.”
“That’s high for April,” Gloria said.
“Sorry, Gloria, but that story’s a yawn.”
“Said by someone who obviously has a better idea to offer.”
Bill, a bitter senior writer or “backbencher,” as they were called in the industry, rarely had anything positive to say these days—even less since Teresa had been given the Alaska assignment. He’d battled prostate cancer and the fight had taken both its toll and his joy. Because of this, his friendship with Benny, and his long time at the paper, Gloria gave him a lot of leeway. All those around the table understood that this was Bill’s demeanor, and so did Gloria. But he still irked their nerves.
“What about the sex trafficking that’s been growing in the city, with rumors that the net to nab unsuspecting girls is spreading to our counties?”
The writer next to him spoke up. “More attention-grabbing, to be sure, but unless someone in the city is missing a daughter, I don’t see how that connects directly with Paradise Cove.”
“Unless someone was taken from here,” Gloria responded, “there is none.”
“Rumor has it that one was attempted.” Bill crossed his arms, clearly ready for battle.
“Do you have a source?” Teresa asked.
Bill glared at her. “Do you? Oh, excuse me, we all know your source for the Alaska piece, so you probably have several in PC.”
He emphasized piece in a way that for Teresa made its meaning clear. She wanted to slap the smirk off his face but clamped her jaw and held her anger. She had a word for Bill but now was not the time to share it. Ever since returning from Alaska, she’d been on his bad side. She knew why. Now he was on her bad side. He’d soon find out this was not the best place to be.
Gloria took charge. “Let’s go with the climate change story. That ties in with weather and also with Teresa’s travel piece about both the beauty of Alaska’s glaciers and the speed with which they’re melting. Bill, I do like the idea of an edgier piece to accompany that story on the front page. Let me see what you can come up with. Let’s meet back in an hour.”
They discussed the rest of the stories submitted. The meeting ended. As everyone was gathering their things and leaving, Gloria asked Teresa to remain behind.
“Come into my office,” she said without smiling. “Have a seat.”
The assistant interrupted with a call for Gloria. Teresa began mentally rehearsing the spiel she’d been mulling over since last night. The timing to ask for a leave sucked, but in this moment her mother’s words played on loop in her head. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be happy? Answering this question came in stages. Was she happy? Yes. Why? Because she was doing work that she loved and loving a man who loved her back. Except in the past two weeks at the Chronicle she hadn’t felt much love. On the other hand, Atka had stepped up his game a hundred percent. Willing to buy a house and move into the city so she could be more comfortable? From a man in love with the wild frontier, that was huge. The least he could do when bringing a woman to the wilderness, but still worthy of mention. Later, he’d shared the idea of buying the condo he’d occupied while in Paradise Cove and making more frequent visits. Bottom line, Atka was acting in ways that told her he was trying to stick around.
Right now, his chances were looking pretty good.
Gloria’s phone call ended. “Sorry about that.”
“No worries.”
“Easy for you to say. Sometimes I have to remember why I love this job. How’s your ankle?”
“I’ll know for sure on Friday, my next doctor’s appointment. Hopefully, the brace can come off and all will be well. We’ll see.”
“Look, Bill’s an asshole. What he said was inappropriate. But don’t say anything to him. Just do your job.”
Whoa. Seriously? Don’t say anything?
“What he said was very inappropriate, Gloria, and honestly, it will be hard for he and I to keep working together and me to keep quiet.”
“That wasn’t a suggestion, Teresa. Look, personally I like you. I think you have what it takes to make a great journalist. However, you’ve got a lot to learn about how to play the game. Where were you Saturday night?”
Shoot. The fund-raiser for Paul. Not that she would have attended anyway, but she’d forgotten all about it.
“I was out of town.”
“A bad time to take a trip, I’m afraid. Paul was here and Bill was all over him with news about you.”
“Bill doesn’t know a thing about me.”
“Come off it, Teresa. You are not that naive. Everyone here knows you’re seeing Atka Sinclair or, at the very least, spent the night at the condo he rented while in town. Bill saw you two at the ball and one of his friends recorded your comings and goings at the condo. That was just your first mistake. Not following Benny’s strong recommendation on how to shape the remaining series, especially with rumors of your being with a man his son despises swirling around, was your second. Rumors that Bill now feels he can confirm, and probably has, thanks to his friend Ben. Don’t let our boss’s gentle nature fool you. He’s been in this business for forty years, old school, from back East. He can be ruthless, has a very long reach and can make it difficult for you to get printed in papers that matter, where your name will get noticed and you can get traction in this game. I personally don’t care who you’re sleeping with, and don’t think it’s anyone’s business. But right now, you being linked with Sinclair has you skating on very thin ice. So forget what Bill said, and make sure your last piece ties in with Paul Campbell’s message for Alaska.
“That’s it. Let’s both get back to work.”
“No.”
Gloria’s head snapped up in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“Ignoring Bill and accommodating Benny is not going to work for me.”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said about Benny? Doing anything else is going to get you relieved of your position at the Chronicle.”
“For what? Not keeping my mouth shut?”
“For insubordinate, disruptive behavior, poor job performance and illicit, unprofessional activity while on assignment.”
“Got it.” Teresa reached for her crutch, stood and stretched out her hand. “Thanks for the opportunity, Gloria. This has been a great learning experience.”
Her surprise was evident. “You’re quitting?”
Teresa smiled. “From the sound of things, looks like I’m going to be fired.”
“Not if you keep your mouth shut.”
“I can’t let Bill’s words go unchallenged. I am going to confront him, and my opinion of him will not be sugarcoated. I also stand behind the last article that I wrote in the series and don’t want to change it to support a man whose ethics I find quite questionable. To do so would make me no better than him.”
Gloria sighed. “Well, if you get the ax, don’t say you weren’t warned.”
Teresa nodded curtly. “I appreciate it.”
She walked out of Gloria’s office and stormed into Bill’s. “We need to—” He wasn’t alone.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Campbell. I didn’t know you were in here. I can come back another time.”
Benny waved her in. “Come on in, Teresa. We were just talking about you.”
She looked at Bill. “I’m sure you were.”
“Come in, Teresa. Close the door.”
Teresa did so, not missing a bit of that ruthlessness Gloria had
said about the owner creep into his tone.
“Sit down.”
She did.
“Now, it’s no secret that there’s no love lost between you and Bill, who, in all honesty, probably should have been given the Alaska assignment. But my son is a faithful Chronicle reader, had seen your work and specifically requested you to go up and cover him. That first article was a good one. But the last two have gone in a very different direction and I’m concerned about the rumors I’m hearing as to why.”
Teresa tried to rein in her temper. Her fingers gripped the chair arm with the discipline it took to do so. “The first article was on the people of Alaska, particularly your son. I was under an intense deadline for that article, given only forty-eight hours to turn it in, and that includes the time it took to travel to Alaska. I focused a great deal on his being raised here. For his career in Alaska, I relied heavily on notes I’d been given, your son’s website and my interview with him. For the subsequent articles, I had more time to research, and was able to include a diversity of opinion. I believe it was accurate, unbiased reporting that, while not casting Paul as an angel, didn’t paint him as a devil either.
Bill snorted. “You painted a pretty rosy picture of your boyfriend’s company, though, didn’t you?”
“With all due respect, Bill, frustration at how your career is ending shouldn’t be redirected toward people like me who’ve only just begun our careers in this industry. You are an angry, miserable human being, but that is no excuse to be rude, and it certainly doesn’t give you the right to make accusations and innuendos about something about which you know nothing.”
“Are you going to sit there and say that you’re not letting that Sinclair fellow fish in your pond?”
“You are disgust—”
“A good friend of mine saw you, Teresa. Saw you arrive with him at night and not leave until morning!”
“What I do with my private time is none of your business!”
