Foreign Affairs ❥ lrh

Chapter Thirteen: Just Drinking About You

Yet again, Violet found herself in one of her least favorite places to be: Judy Farling's office at the Killer Culture Headquarters. The CEO sat across from her, stirring coffee with a crystal spoon and raising her eyebrows here and there while she flipped through a booklet of office paper. After every page, she tapped her nails against her desk in an unrelenting pattern of grating clicks. Violet could do nothing but endure the torturous wait for her boss to speak.

"The numbers are good, Violet," Judy remarked finally as she set the papers aside with a sigh. She clinked her spoon on the lip of her mug before setting it down and taking a long sip of the scalding drink; holding daring eye-contact with Violet the whole time, only blinking when she set her drink aside too.

Violet ached in desperate anticipation of leaving the room and being able to continue on with her day. Hating every minute of being weighed in the balance of Judy Farling's criticism. To be found wanting was her biggest fear.

"You made royalty a hit again," her boss said, teetering on the edge of approval. "The letters to the editor have certainly been something. Putting those princes on the cover may have been one of my more brilliant ideas; they've won over a lot of readers."

There was more coming and Violet knew she wouldn't like it. She remembered what Judy had said about Luke the last time and shuddered.

'With a smile like that, I think he would tell you just about anything.'

Violet prayed that Judy wouldn't have her test that theory, but highly suspected her luck had run out.

"I'm glad you're writing about them again," Mrs. Farling said casually, but there was something below the surface that Violet didn't like. Like a smirk was nearing the corner of her lips but she wasn't letting it show. "They have an audience here. And that festival you talked about- people have written in to say that they're attending. We somehow hit some sort of a jackpot."

I hit the jackpot, Violet thought to herself. I asked to do the piece. No one else here was even aware of the Royal Family of La Gracía; not until I brought it in as a special request.

"I'm glad it worked out and the sales were good," she spoke carefully, not revealing her slight frustration that Judy was taking credit. It shouldn't have been a surprise. After all, Violet had watched Judy do that to almost everyone since she was just a child. It still felt like a burn.

"Yes, well," Judy shrugged haughtily and picked up the papers she had set aside to review them once more. "Killer Culture always sells well; anything that doesn't meet my standards never sees the editor's room. So, I'm impressed you made it. I expect the next article to be just as good, at the very least. And preferably, better."

"Of course," Violet accepted her critique quickly. "Should I make it more concise? Since it won't be the cover story?"

Judy arched a dangerous eyebrow in her direction and let out a small huff through her nose.

"You have no idea what I'll pick for the cover," Mrs. Farling nearly shook her head in disapproval at Violet's assumption. "It might be. It might not be. I will choose; with no help from you or anyone else. Clear?"

"Yes, of course," Violet nodded, feeling a bit of sweat build along her back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to suggest-"

Judy waved her hand between them as if her voice was a dirty gnat she was shooing away. Violet stopped talking immediately, knowing she shouldn't apologize because it would just agitate her more.

"This younger prince," Mrs. Farling interrupted loudly, interlocking her fingers and setting them heavily on her desk. "The blonde one."

Violet nodded silently, dreading whatever was coming. With a smile like that, I think he would tell you just about anything. She felt the stifling walls of the cursed office start to close in around her and was barely able to still her leg that had started bouncing in an attempt to shed her building anxiety.