But it’s Valerie beside me, beckoning for me to join her at her table.
For a moment, fear crawls up my spine and slinks under my collar. But just as quickly, I say no to it. I’m not afraid of my worlds colliding anymore. I have Truly, and whatever happens with work, I’ll sort it out.
I follow Valerie and sit next to her.
She smiles like she has a secret. “I remembered you.”
“Is that so?”
“It came to me in a rush in the middle of the night, and I’ve been wanting to talk to you. I popped out of bed, hopped onto the laptop, and looked you up. I’d heard you on my friend Ryder’s show. And I went and listened to several of your podcasts. And read all your blogs.”
“In the middle of the night?”
“I don’t need much sleep. My brain is always whirring. And when I read them, and I heard your voice, everything clicked.”
Tonight, I don’t even consider hiding under the bar till the morning. I simply lean back in the chair, cross my leg at the ankle—no manspreading here—and I wait. “And what clicked?”
Her brown eyes seem to twinkle. Her lips curve in a devilish grin. “As you may know, I run a multinational media conglomerate. And in that capacity, I often acquire other companies.”
“Sure. That would seem a normal course of business.”
“And I’ve acquired a prominent men’s magazine in the United Kingdom. Gentleman’s Style. Have you heard of it?”
“Of course. It’s better than Esquire. And GQ.”
“It is indeed. And I’m going to be expanding it in the United States.”
That’s quite interesting yet surprising, given the state of print periodicals. “But magazines are a dying breed,” I say, since page counts are down, ads are down, and so on.
“Of course. But brands aren’t. And the brand name has value. Imagine a Gentleman’s Style series of books. Handy little gift books sold in the front of stores on tips for men. Or perhaps a revamped website with the type of articles that search engines love. Five Tips on Better Communication. The Top Ten Ways to Impress a Boss.”
It sounds fantastic. “I can imagine that perfectly.”
She leans closer, clearly enchanted with her new property. “And podcasts, since they’re the future. Can you picture a quick-hit podcast on top tips of the day? I can.”
“I think I can too.”
She taps her finger against her lip. “Do you see where I’m going with this?”
“You’re going in the direction of creating a US presence for a popular and well-respected British brand,” I say, since I’m pretty sure I have that right.
She sighs as if she just can’t believe one wouldn’t grasp the concept. “Jason Reynolds, I need a voice, someone with a point of view. I need a front man. I need you.”
I blink and sit bolt upright, rubbing my ear. She didn’t just say that, did she? “Pardon me?”
She laughs, a deep, throaty sound. “You heard me right. I want you to be the front man. I want you to be the voice—and the face if you’d like—of Gentleman’s Style in the United States. And don’t worry, you can keep up your work on Ryder Lockhart’s show.”
“Oh, he already let me go.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not what he told me when I called him today.”
“You called him today?” I feel like I’m trapped on another planet, trying to decipher distant radio signals.
“Of course. He’s a business associate. I wouldn’t poach his talent without talking to him first.”
“It’s not really poaching at this point.”
She raises one eyebrow. “Be that as it may, are you interested in my offer?” She puts forth a number that nearly dislocates my jaw. I’m tempted to ask if it’s a joke, but I’m also certain I’ve advised readers and listeners never to ask that when offered a financial figure more than you ever dreamed of.
“I’m incredibly interested,” I reply.
“Then it’s yours. I’ll have a deal memo sent over tonight.”
“Tonight? Aren’t you heading out on your honeymoon?”
“Of course I am, but I don’t send out the contracts. I have people. And someday, you’ll have people. Mark my words—I can always spot talent. As an author friend of mine once said when she discovered the perfect narrator for her books: You’re a gold mine.”
“Smart author.”
“Very smart, and a smart narrator to keep saying yes to her.”
“You’ve got my yes.”
“One of my favorite words.”
When I say goodbye to the newlyweds, I do feel like I’ve discovered a gold mine, but it’s not only in the job.
It’s in the woman I take home with me.
