Unleash Me, Vol. 1 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (8 page)

“
Overcompensating?
”

“
That
’
s right.
 
I have to wonder.
”

“
You
think I
’
m
on roids?
”

“
I
can smell your shriveled balls from here.
”

He laughed at that, but it was a
laugh without humor.
 
I
’
d just publicly challenged
him, and he was trying to keep his cool.

“
Lady,
you don
’
t
even know what you
’
re
up against.
”

“
Is
that a threat?
”

“
It
’
s a fact.
”

I giggled at that.
 
“
I
’
ve
read about your reputation.
 
I came
into this meeting with my eyes wide open.
 
But I
’
ve
done nothing to deserve any kind of hostility from you.
 
All I did was show up.
 
You
’
re just some bullying, old-school editor who thinks that I
’
m going to take your
bullshit.
 
Guess again.
 
I
’
m not.
”

“
That
’
s because you have
Alex Wenn in your back pocket.
”

“
You
mean your boss?
”

He didn
’
t respond to that.
 
Instead, his eyes burned into mine
—
and at that very moment, it was clear
that he was against me.
 
I
’
d made my enemy.

So be it.

“
Here
’
s the deal,
”
I
said.
 
“
What you need to
understand, Mr. Boss, is that I
’
m
happy being an indie writer.
 
I
’
ve enjoyed it for this
very reason
—
I
’
ve never had to put up
with people like you or your arrogance.
 
And my self-respect is worth more than your five-million-dollar contract
for my books.
 
If I want out of
this, all I need to do is make a call.
 
But you
’
re
the one who asked to edit my books.
 
You came after me.
 
So, what
’
s the issue?
”

“
I
told you.
 
You look ridiculous.
”

“
So,
all of this is just about how I look?
”

“
How
you look will destroy our sales.
”

“
Oh,
look.
 
Now I
’
m sensing a drama
queen.
 
But if you think that way,
does that negate what I
’
ve
written?
 
Does it all come down to
my looks for you?
 
Do the words mean
nothing?
”

“
When
your ads hit, you
’
ll
see what you
’
re
in for.
”

“
You
’
re out of touch.
 
You live in the goddamned past.
”

“
I
guess we
’
ll
see how it goes for you, sweetheart.
 
Because no one is going to take you seriously when you look like that.
”

“
Tell
that to Barbara.
”

“
She
already knows how I feel. So, I guess we
’
ll see.
”

“
We
will.
 
And when we all see just how
it goes, remind me to feed you a crow,
”
I said.
 
“
After this, you
’
ll have no choice but
to eat it cold.
”

“
Ms.
Blackwell,
”
a
young man said.
 
“
We should leave if we
want to arrive on time.
”

And Blackwell rose up to Boss.
 
“
If you don
’
t
get an attitude adjustment, you
’
re
finished.
 
Got me, boy?
 
I will destroy you.
 
Not just here, but everywhere.
 
You
’
re the one who went after her.
 
You
’
re the one who was determined to sign her.
 
And she did sign
—
out
of good faith.
”

“
And
for five million dollars.
”

“
She
would have made that as an indie without you.
 
Sorry you don
’
t like her look, but
others will.
 
You
’
ll see.
 
Now apologize to her.
”

But Marco Boss didn
’
t.
 
When he passed me, he leered down at me
with a fierce look of disdain.
 
He
then walked out of the room, and moved down the hallway toward the bank of
elevators, which he disappeared into.

*
 
*
 
*

“
What
the hell was that?
”
I
asked Blackwell, shaken.

“
Marco
Boss.
”

“
Did
somebody import him from hell?
”

“
It
often feels that way.
”

“
Who
is he to treat anyone like that?
 
To
make someone feel like that?
”

“
He
knows better.
 
He
’
ll be hearing about
this.
”

“
Do
I really look like a clown?
”

“
You
look lovely.
 
I need you to trust me
on this.
”

“
I
can
’
t
believe that just happened.
 
I
wanted to fight back right away, but I held off.
 
Still, I
’
m glad I eventually took him on.
 
I
’
m not here to be abused.
 
In fact, I won
’
t ever let anyone
abuse me.
 
What in the hell did I do
to him to deserve that?
”

“
Nothing,
”
she
said.
 

“
I
tried to hold my tongue.
 
I tried to
be professional.
 
But when he
crossed that line, I had to let him have it.
 
He got to a point with me that I wanted
to punch that bastard.
”

“
Perfectly
understood.
 
You were under
attack.
 
That man can be
unpredictable at best, and a horrible person at worst.
 
I
’
ll deal with him later.
 
He may or may not be your editor going
forward.
 
Alex and I will decide
upon that later.
 
But we need to
leave.
 
God knows what traffic is
going to be like getting from here to the meatpacking district, and we can
’
t keep Aura
waiting.
 
She
’
s one of the city
’
s best editorial
photographers.
 
We
’
re going to be there
for most of the day.
 
I need to know
if you
’
re
still up for the shoot.
 
If you
’
re not, I can
reschedule.
”

“
After
that?
 
Oh, hell yes, I
’
m up for it.
 
I
’
m going to prove that son of a bitch wrong.
”

“
Well,
”
she
said.
 
“
I do love a backbone.
”

“
That
man just laced my backbone with steel.
”

Her face fell for a moment.
 
“
I
’
m
sorry that happened.
”

“
I
just need to understand why it happened.
 
How in the hell am I going to work with him now?
”

“
By
being yourself.
 
By being a
professional.
”
 
She cupped my cheeks with the palms
of her hands.
 
“
Look, I saw it.
 
He was beyond unprofessional.
 
He
’
ll hear all about it later, and he
’
ll either be
reprimanded for it or fired for it.
 
That I promise you.
 
You know
that when I give you a hard time, I
’
m only playing with you.
 
You know it
’
s just me being
me.
 
When I go off the rails, it
’
s just to loosen the
mood.
 
But that man was being
serious.
 
He meant to be cruel.
 
He meant to humiliate you right before
you step in front of a camera.
 
He
did that on purpose to get into your head.
 
And I won
’
t
tolerate that.
 
Once this shoot is
finished, he might be as well.
”
 
She looked at her watch.
 
“
Come on, my dear.
 
We should go.
”

CHAPTER FIVE

Later that afternoon, after one
grueling mother of a photo shoot, Blackwell deemed it a success despite the
fact that Boss got so deep into my head before we began that I
’
d felt rigid and like
a fraud.

“
Excellent,
”
she
said.

“
I
don
’
t
know, Barbara.
”

“
I
think you
’
ll
be pleased,
”
Aura
said.
 
She was a young woman of
Asian descent, and her vibe was nothing if not ahead of trend.
 
Her hip look didn
’
t define the now
—
it
defined what was to come.
 
I thought
she was stylish, kind, and beyond beautiful.
 
The way she brought me out of myself was
as skillful as it was admirable, which was probably a good reason why she was
considered one of the world
’
s
best.
 
The more I got to know her
during the shoot, the more I trusted her, felt at ease, and was able to have
fun.

But even in those moments of fun,
Marco
’
s
words were there.

“
I
’
m sorry,
”
I
said.
 
“
I
’
ve just never done
this.
 
I think I could have done
better.
”