Chapter 4

Back at the office, it didn’t take Edmund long to track me down.

“How’s the story coming along?” he asked me, his horn-rimmed glasses perched near the end of his nose.

“Oh, it’s going great,” I replied. “I got lots of great colour today.”

“Good,” he replied, walking away. “Colour is good.”

I went to my desk and stared at the blank white sheets of my steno pad. Colour was just about all I had so far. I flicked on my PC and made some brief notes about the palace and Lena. Hmmm … now let’s see. I visualized the interior and tried to recall as many details as possible, my fingers translating into words the beauty of the marble floors and the carpets, the rich tapestries and artworks. Then I found myself back in that sunny room with its gorgeous plants and furniture. Soon, my mind was conjuring up an image of dark, silky hair, porcelain skin and warm, inviting eyes, lips soft as rose petals and long delicate fingers, and a voice like sweet music saying my name ... Bianca… Bianca ...”

“Bianca? Hey! Binks!”

I looked up, started.

“God Leo, you scared me to death.”

“Wow, are you ever jumpy. You’re shaking,” he said, eyeing me strangely. “Hey, your face is all red. Are you blushing?”

His eyes were already on the screen, scanning my notes. I toggled to a new screen, flustered.

“Mind your own business, nosey,” I said crossly.

He shrugged and slouched off to his own desk. Taking a deep breath, I toggled back and studied what I’d typed thus far. Oh my God, it sounded like a love letter. I quickly began rewriting, toning down my gushing praise of Lena’s beauty. What had I been thinking? The last thing I wanted to do was fall in love with my subject. It was just so … so … pedestrian. And unprofessional, and … and …

“Hey B, how’d it go today?”

I looked up to see Maggie reading over my shoulder. She snapped her gum in an absent-minded fashion, a tacky habit of hers that I had grown to detest.

“It went fine,” I replied, trying to be as non-committal as possible.

“So what’s she like? Is she stuck up and pretentious?”

“No, she’s actually quite nice,” I said, flipping off my computer. “Very nice.”

“What does she look like?”

“She’s very pretty.”

“Oh.”

I began packing up my things to leave, but Maggie was on me like a tumour. I knew I was going to be dragged to the press club tonight. I couldn’t beg off two nights in a row, could I?

“Hey, me and the guys are going to Sonny’s. Wanna come?”

“Umm….”

“Come on Binks,” Leo joined in. “You’re not getting a pass tonight.”

“OK, OK, I’ll come,” I relented.

I followed Leo and the others down the hallway to the back stairs, with Maggie nipping at my heels like a Jack Russell terrier.

“Edmund says I might get that staff reporter job coming up next month,” she yapped.

“Good for you.”

“I’ve been working here six months.”

“I know.”

We walked in silence for a while before getting to the back door. I held it open for her.

“She can’t be all that,” Maggie ventured.

“Who?”

“What’s her name.”

“I don’t know what you … Oh you mean Lena?”

“You called her by her first name?” Maggie was incredulous.

“She asked me to,” I replied.

“Get lost.”

“No, she did. Really.”

“No shit.”

“Maggie, can we drop it? Let’s just go get a drink.”

And with that I hurried to catch up to Leo, who was already halfway across the parking lot.