Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Grizz pays zero attention to their frantic faces. He steps out, squints at the restaurant front, and says, “Nice place. You think they’ve got a ping-pong table in here?”
Chapter 11
Daisy
The shoot wraps just after five p.m. Cameras power down, lights cool, and the production crew starts packing up cables. This is old hat for them. My headache, however, still feels brand new.
Grizz is off somewhere, while I’m calculating that it will only take me twenty minutes to reach my apartment here by foot and I’m ready to go now.
This afternoon turned to crap and I’m going to blame Grizz for part of it. If he wasn’t so late getting out of the practice facility because of his stupid ping-pong tournament, my mistake with the address wouldn’t have been as catastrophic. As it stands, Kendra has been visibly irritated and chilly throughout this entire ordeal and I just want to put it all behind me.
I should leave, but I need to do some schedule confirmation with Grizz as soon as he shows back up. I’m scrolling through my notes, double-checking next week’s agenda, when I hear heels clicking behind me.
“Daisy,” Kendra says, her tone sweet, the artificial type though, not sincere.
I turn, forcing a polite smile. “Kendra. Thank you again for accommodating us today. The footage looks great.”
She gives a small, brittle laugh. “Does it? I suppose it does, though it could’ve looked even better if you’d managed to get your client here on time.”
I bite back a sigh. “We had a mix-up with the address. Completely my fault. I’ve already emailed your team to apologize for the delay, and I tried to call you directly, but it went to voicemail.”
“Oh, I saw that,” she says, crossing her arms. “It’s just… unfortunate. Julian doesn’t like when things reflect poorly on the organization. He’s very particular about optics.”
“Of course,” I say carefully. “So am I.”
Her smile grows even less friendly. “And Julian really doesn’t appreciate when people he employs can’t execute simple tasks,” she adds, voice tightening. “Like getting a player to a shoot on time. I’m afraid I’m going to have to advise him of this failure.”
There it is, the knife wrapped in polite diction.
I straighten my shoulders, keeping my tone level. “Kendra… please. We ended up getting exactly what we needed and Grizz was fantastic. I don’t understand why you feel it necessary to bring Julian into this since it’s really a moot issue.”
Her eyes glint with a malice I don’t know what I did to earn. “Yes, well… it’s not a moot issue to me. You being late caused me to be off schedule and speaks to your inability to do your job effectively. I feel like Julian needs to know that.”
Before I can respond, the restroom door opens and Grizz steps out, hands in pockets, sleeves pushed up, not a care in the world.
He takes one look at Kendra’s expression, then at me, then back to Kendra. “Everything good here?”
Kendra’s smile doesn’t falter. “I was just advising Daisy it’s unacceptable that she was late and I’m going to need to report this to Mr. Langley.”
So, now it’s Mr. Langley and not Julian.
He nods once. “Yeah… you were absolutely inconvenienced.”
I shrink inside and Kendra preens. “My time is valuable too, as I’m sure you can appreciate.”
Grizz scratches the back of his neck and nods. “Yeah… whoever was responsible for inconveniencing you should be punished.”
Kendra frowns, because Grizz isn’t smiling at her. “I mean… like I said, my time is valuable.”
“We were late because of me,” Grizz says, and I blink in astonishment.
Kendra’s mouth turns downward. “Excuse me?”
“I was the reason we were late,” he says simply. “Got caught up at the facility. Daisy was waiting on me.”
The way he says it—steady, unapologetic—makes her falter just enough to show it.
I open my mouth to respond, but he beats me to it. “She’s been solid. Whole thing’s my fault. If anyone should be raked over the coals, it should be me.”
Kendra recovers, pasting her PR smile back in place. “Well… of course. These things happen.”
Grizz levels a look her way. “Glad we’re on the same page. I’d also say it’s smart you put in a good word for Daisy with Mr. Langley. It’s not easy managing me.”
“Of course,” she simpers, wringing her hands. “I’ll sing her praises.”
And just like that, Kendra’s power trip evaporates. She mutters something about following up next week and retreats toward the door.
“You ready to go?” he asks me.
Dumbstruck, I can only nod and then follow him out of Bartiz and into the early evening chill. The sky’s gone the color of dark pewter, casting New York in a gloomy haze.
Grizz stops, abruptly turns, and I have to put on the brakes so I don’t run into him. “You’re welcome,” he says.
My brow creases. “Excuse me?”
“For what I did in there.”