The Savannah Article - Ch 1
For day 27 of #31DaysOfOctober, we have a special treat! Chapter 1 from The Savannah Article! Available in paperback now on Amazon, eBooks available for pre-purchase until 10/31! Gordon Jewelers in Boonville, MO will have books in store the middle of next week!
Chapter One
Cole Black sipped on her piping hot mocha as she stepped into Kansas City’s FTPMagazineconference room, her black pumps clacking against the dark bamboo floors as she passed the windows looking out onto the Power and Light district. During the last few years, Kansas City’s economy had really boomed and FTP, an online magazine, followed in the footsteps of several corporate giants and had relocated from Los Angeles to Kansas City as a cost saving measure. As a Boonville born and bred girl, and recent graduate from college, a Kansas City career opportunity in journalism was the perfect first job.
As she set her steaming travel mug on the table, Cole plopped herself down in the uncomfortable conference room chair, her knock off designer bag gently dropping onto the floor. Reaching into the black oversized purse, Cole retrieved her notebook, smartphone and softly placed it on the glass table.
"Hey Cole, what are you doing tonight?"
Cole looked across the table to see Blake Garrison taking his seat. "Who wants to know?" Glancing down at her watch, she noted that the meeting did not start for another seven minutes. Why do I always have to be early?
"I do. Do you want to go out with me tonight?" Blake gave her a rather cheesy smile, or at least it looked cheesy to Cole.
"And what would we do?" Cole leaned on to the table and smiled coyly at Blake. "Go grab a bite at Mickey D's, then go to a club where Ipay to get usin, and then finally head back to your apartment for an extra after hour’s playtime?" Cole sipped her caffeine. "No thanks."
Blake frowned. "That was one time! Why won't you give me another chance, huh?"
"Blake, we went out. We went out for three and a half months. It didn't work."
"I can make it work this time. Please go out with me tonight. There's a new band at the club."
Cole shook her head as she groaned inwardly, sipping her morning coffee. Would he ever learn the meaning of no? Does he not know he has the face of a pretentious jerk?She looked up to see her friends and colleagues stride into the room with only one minute until to go. Putting her green and white travel mug back on the glass table, she looked at Blake direct in the eye. "No."
"No what?" Ana Herring, with her curly toffee colored hair bouncing with each step, breezed through the doorway with some coworkers and sat down next to Cole.
"Oh, you know, the usual."
Ana looked at Blake. "Blake, when are you going to learn she doesn't want you." Ana and Cole giggled.
"Yeah laugh it up. That's right, go on and laugh away."
"Dude, give it up!" George Ellis put his hand on Blake's shoulder. "It's over."
"This place is nothing but pure humiliation. I swear!" Blake threw his hand up in the air in aggravation, swiping it through his greasy frat boy haircut.
"Alright, alright! Quit the chit-chatting and let's get this meeting underway!" a voice boomed as grey-haired man strode into the room. Chandler Yates was Editor of the FTP Magazineand was seventy-years-old. He was just one of those people who came off very bitter when he chose to get straight to the point. "Joshua Danes needs to promote his new movie ‘Pieces of Accordance’ and his publicist called us. Do you know what that means Mr. Garrison?"
Every chair at the table squeaked as everybody turned to look at Blake. "Spit your gum out Mr. Garrison, you sound like a chomping horse."
Blake spit his gum out into his hand and tossed it over his shoulder into the trashcan, conveniently located directly behind him.
"Care to answer that question Mr. Garrison?"
"It uh…it means someone in this room is going to do a layout… and an interview?"
"Very good Mr. Garrison. You are not as dumb as you look.”
Ana and I exchanged a glance of disagreement with that statement.
“Now, I've been thinking about this for a day. In other words, I've only known about for a day. We need something fresh. Something new. Something young… and exciting." Mr. Yates had been painting the picture with his hands when he turned suddenly and pointed to Cole. "I need you!"
"Me?"
"Yes, you. You've been here what-"
"Six months, sir."
"And I have been saving you, saving you for something like this. This assignment will make you huge. You will be a household name! The job starts on May 7th. That gives you one week to pick the style, format, motif, layout, location, and story. You'll spend five days with Mr. Danes. That way you're able to get behind the scene footage as well as an in-depth story. This story will be featured in July’s edition, so you'll have no cushion time to write it. I’ll see you in my office tomorrow,7:00am sharp, with Mr. Danes publicist. We can discuss the rest of the details then."
"Yes sir."
"Now, on to other important issues I have to discuss…."
Cole drowned out on what Mr. Yates was saying. Joshua Danes? Whoa, that's big-time stuff. Joshua Danes was notoriously private, avoided social media and had a reputation as being less than pleasant to work with.
Ana broke her trail of thoughts when she leaned over and whispered "Pssst. Cole! Joshua Danes? Girl, you are so lucky!"
Cole wasn’t so sure as her anxiety set in upon her dear friend’s words.
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