Roseanne stared at the computer screen. Photos of the Stromboli Volcano in Italy stared back at her, an article half done that needed a lot of work. She heaved out a sigh and pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead. There was no possible way she was going to be able to focus on editing today. The article would just have to wait until tomorrow.
Penny stepped into her office a few minutes later with a steamy mocha. "Sure to cure writer's block every time."
"Thanks." Roseanne smiled and reached for the cup. "You're a peach."
"I'm just buttering you up."
Roseanne sipped her drink and glanced over the cup with raised brows. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what you have to say next?"
Penny wrinkled her nose, the nose ring the twenty-something assistant wore making a clinking sound Roseanne didn't want to ponder too much. "Because I'm really bad at this kind of stuff. Here." She held out a note. "This woman stopped by today while you were out. Really familiar looking for some reason, but I can't remember where I've seen her. Anyway, she wanted to speak with you about something, but since you weren't here, she left you a message. Her phone number's at the bottom."
Roseanne scanned the note, then looked back at Penny. "You've got to be kidding me."
Penny cringed. "Sorry."
Her day was heading straight for the toilet. Roseanne reached for the phone. The bitch had listed about ten facts from her article she deemed inaccurate and inconclusive.
She dialed and tapped her foot against the floor while she waited. With everything else going on in her life, she didn't need this crap right now. A woman, most likely a secretary, answered. "Park..." Roseanne checked her name at the bottom of the paper, "Jisoo, please." She waited another minute. "No, that's fine, I'll leave a message."
Cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder, she fished out a bottle of aspirin from her desk. After dry swallowing two pills, she glanced up at Penny, who was hovering in the doorway. A female voice clicked on the line, and Roseanne grasped the phone with her hand, wrinkled her brow. Something about the voice was vaguely familiar.
She looked back at the name. Park Jisoo. Ran it around in her head. Didn't recognize it. But there was something so familiar in that voice...
Whatever. She'd never met her before. After this she wouldn't talk to her again. She waited for the incessant beep.
"Ms. Park," she began in a smug voice. "This is Roseanne Jeong at Choi Publishing. I wanted to take the time to personally thank you for the kind note you left with my secretary today. We really appreciated the pointed and colorful language. Seeing as you had the time to not only track me down but also leave such a lengthy thesis on Queen Charlotte Sound, I must assume you are the expert in this field. From now on I'll be sure to defer all questions and comments about this and future articles straight to you. One note, however. Jackass is spelled with two s's, not one. I would have thought they'd teach you that in donkey school. Good day, Ms. Park."
Roseanne gathered the papers in front of her and pushed to her feet. "I have an appointment this afternoon, Penny. You can forward my calls to my cell."
"Ah, sure thing. Roseanne? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"You just seem" —she glanced at the phone and back— "a little on edge."
Roseanne took a calming breath. "I'm fine. I'll be back later."
Glancing at her wrist watch, Roseanne realized she was already behind schedule. She climbed into her Ford SUV and headed across town. Normally, reader comments didn't even faze her, but there'd been something in the tone of Jisoo's note that had really grated on her last nerve.
