Page 18 of Fake It For Glory

“Did you meet the owner?”

“Oh, yes,” I said, laughing. “She’s quite the character.”

“And did she let you fill out an application?”

His excitement was contagious. I wanted that feeling. I wanted to be on a hot story and really getting somewhere. “Yes, I did. In fact, I met Jensen Loxley, and he offered me a job.”

There was a brief pause on the other end, and then Dalton’s voice practically crackled with excitement. “Merida, that’s incredible! Are you serious?”

“I am,” I said, laughing. “It was all by chance. It just happened. I don’t know if I’m going to do it, though. I told you I would come here and find out what the process is. I don’t know if I’m ready to actually go on a date.”

“You absolutely have to do this. When will you ever get an opportunity like this again? You’ll find out about the inner workings of the agency and you’ll get to interview the subject of your article! You have to!”

I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm, but I had to bring up a significant obstacle. “Dalton, you know my father forbade me from writing this article. He’ll flip if he finds out.”

Dalton didn’t miss a beat. “Merida, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. This is a chance of a lifetime, and you can’t let it slip away.”

I considered his words for a moment and then made up my mind. He was right. This was too big of an opportunity to pass up. “You’re right, Dalton. I’ll do it. But I don’t want to seem too eager. I’ll wait a couple of days before calling Della and accepting the deal through the agency. That way, I can learn about the next steps without jumping in headfirst. And my background check has to clear.”

“Background check?” he asked.

“Yes, it will all be in my notes,” I said.

Dalton chuckled, clearly pleased with my decision. “That sounds like a good plan, Merida. Keep me updated, and we’ll figure out how to handle your father when the time comes. This is going to be a game-changer for your career. And mine. I cannot wait to finish this story.”

As I hung up the phone, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation. This was my chance to be a real reporter. I was going to be the first reporter to get up-close and personal with Jensen Loxley. I didn’t know what all the job entailed and how many times I was expected to go out with him for the kind of money he was offering, but I was looking forward to finding out.