[reveries] Patterson quote
[Marion = talks_for_ten, Alex = itsmy_sandbox, Sam = likes_cameras. Set ten years in the future. Marion mun requested the word 'smack.']
It was the year of questions. It was the year of fog over the vineyard.
The year you started falling. A damaged year.
-Veronica Patterson
Ace knew what her answer would be before he asked. Despite that, he still called Marion into his office. His editor-in-chief never let him down before - why would she now? Of course, she hadn't heard what he had to say yet and everyone around the office knew Ace had a way with words. But, he wasn't Ace anymore. He was Austin White, co-owner of The LA Daily. Sam wasn't in that day which meant this was his problem.
Marion was on the phone as she walked into her superior's office. Over the years they had all become closer which was nice but there were some days he needed to lay down the law.
"Alexander," she said, harshly. "We'll discuss this when I get home." She ended the call and looked up at Austin. "Sorry about that. I have a husband who's decided that a recovery bowling night is a good idea for his brother-in-law. I'm actually supposed to invite you and-"
"We'd love to," Austin answered. "And it is a good idea. But, you know that's not why I called you in here."
"I do," she responded, crossing her arms.
"One of our guest columnists dropped at the last minute," he said quickly.
It was their newspaper's pattern for guest columnists to acclimate and settle in before moving on to something else. All of their columnists were transitory save for Devon's but he being the co-owner's husband, well, that didn't exactly pose a problem.
This did.
"What am I supposed to do about it?" she asked, not in a bitchy way, simply questioning. She had no clue what this had to do with her. Yes, she was the editor-in-chief but section editors dealt with the various columns. They divvied them up. That was how this worked.
"It's our new one. Smack? Where a young woman of the times listens to E-mails from desperate readers and then she smacks them in line. My boyfriend hits me. Smack. Leave the bastard. My boyfriend cheated on me. Smack. Leave the bastard. My-"
"Dog is fucking my boyfriend," Marion offered. Austin grimaced before shrugging.
"Dump the dog and the boy..." he said. "The point is, we can line someone up for the next issue but we need one for this issue and..."
"Oh...no," she said, holding up her hand.
"You're opinionated."
"I'm independent. And bitchy."
"Bitchy's good!"
"I hate people."
"Who doesn't?"
"No, Austin. I hate those people. The people who write into Ask Sally's or Ask Annie's or Inquire to Irving. Those people are pathetic and statistics say they like baseball."
"What is your problem with baseball?"
"It's NOT a sport!"
Austin smiled, folding his hands in front of him and rounding his desk. He was winning. He was going to win. He always did. She just had to put up a fight to show that she had made some kind of effort.
"Nevertheless. You're the girl for the job. I E-mailed you the account password. You need to answer five. Be funny," he said, returning to his desk and dismissing her.
"And you're for bowling?" she asked, her arms unfolding. Her fire had never left her but she learned when to give in to the big boss. It was nice for a surveillance tape of Alex and her doing - things only she and Alex did together - not to surface for once. He had grown and so had she.
"I'm for bowling. -- We are."
"Good. So, I'll lie and say you're busy." She shared in his smile. "Have a good day, Alpaca." She chuckled on her way out as a balled piece of paper narrowly missed her head. "I have a column to bullshit."
"Damn right you do!"
It was the year of questions. It was the year of fog over the vineyard.
The year you started falling. A damaged year.
-Veronica Patterson
Ace knew what her answer would be before he asked. Despite that, he still called Marion into his office. His editor-in-chief never let him down before - why would she now? Of course, she hadn't heard what he had to say yet and everyone around the office knew Ace had a way with words. But, he wasn't Ace anymore. He was Austin White, co-owner of The LA Daily. Sam wasn't in that day which meant this was his problem.
Marion was on the phone as she walked into her superior's office. Over the years they had all become closer which was nice but there were some days he needed to lay down the law.
"Alexander," she said, harshly. "We'll discuss this when I get home." She ended the call and looked up at Austin. "Sorry about that. I have a husband who's decided that a recovery bowling night is a good idea for his brother-in-law. I'm actually supposed to invite you and-"
"We'd love to," Austin answered. "And it is a good idea. But, you know that's not why I called you in here."
"I do," she responded, crossing her arms.
"One of our guest columnists dropped at the last minute," he said quickly.
It was their newspaper's pattern for guest columnists to acclimate and settle in before moving on to something else. All of their columnists were transitory save for Devon's but he being the co-owner's husband, well, that didn't exactly pose a problem.
This did.
"What am I supposed to do about it?" she asked, not in a bitchy way, simply questioning. She had no clue what this had to do with her. Yes, she was the editor-in-chief but section editors dealt with the various columns. They divvied them up. That was how this worked.
"It's our new one. Smack? Where a young woman of the times listens to E-mails from desperate readers and then she smacks them in line. My boyfriend hits me. Smack. Leave the bastard. My boyfriend cheated on me. Smack. Leave the bastard. My-"
"Dog is fucking my boyfriend," Marion offered. Austin grimaced before shrugging.
"Dump the dog and the boy..." he said. "The point is, we can line someone up for the next issue but we need one for this issue and..."
"Oh...no," she said, holding up her hand.
"You're opinionated."
"I'm independent. And bitchy."
"Bitchy's good!"
"I hate people."
"Who doesn't?"
"No, Austin. I hate those people. The people who write into Ask Sally's or Ask Annie's or Inquire to Irving. Those people are pathetic and statistics say they like baseball."
"What is your problem with baseball?"
"It's NOT a sport!"
Austin smiled, folding his hands in front of him and rounding his desk. He was winning. He was going to win. He always did. She just had to put up a fight to show that she had made some kind of effort.
"Nevertheless. You're the girl for the job. I E-mailed you the account password. You need to answer five. Be funny," he said, returning to his desk and dismissing her.
"And you're for bowling?" she asked, her arms unfolding. Her fire had never left her but she learned when to give in to the big boss. It was nice for a surveillance tape of Alex and her doing - things only she and Alex did together - not to surface for once. He had grown and so had she.
"I'm for bowling. -- We are."
"Good. So, I'll lie and say you're busy." She shared in his smile. "Have a good day, Alpaca." She chuckled on her way out as a balled piece of paper narrowly missed her head. "I have a column to bullshit."
"Damn right you do!"