Chapter Two

Olivia

"Thank you so much, Mr. Hollingwood," I say to my new boss, barely able to contain my excitement. I've wanted this job for so long, and now it's finally mine. I pinch myself to check I'm not still asleep!

"You"re welcome, Miss Torres. You can start as soon as possible. If you could visit Miss Olson. She"ll give you everything you need and will be showing you the ropes."

"Thank you so much, sir," I say, heading to Miss Elizabeth Olson"s office across the hall. I hold my stomach to contain my excitement at finally starting my dream job. I have always wanted to work at Sportza. It isn"t just the biggest sports magazine in the country; it"s also the most successful. Journalism has been my passion since I was a little girl. I used to go around the house with a plastic comb interviewing my parents and siblings. My family had been amused at first but when I told them I wanted to study journalism in college, they were less than pleased. They said it was a "controversial career," and as someone from a prestigious background, I was expected to study law, medicine, or business.

The only member of my family who supported me was Hal. Even though he is my half-brother, I'm closer to him than my three other siblings. He doesn"t come around so often because of my mom. She always disliked Hal as he closely resembled his own mother, which was so unfair on him. Especially as he was just a child when our parents got together, and it's not really his fault! If she'd taken the time to get to know him, she would have experienced unconditional love and support back from him in waves. Instead, she turned her back on him from day one. Luckily, his relationship with my mom never affected the deep bond we had with one another. He has always been there for me. He was also the one who gave me the idea not to wait until I graduated before making a move on Sportza. So, I started writing to Sportza and sent them emails in my senior year. Thankfully, after the 128th email, they called me for an interview, two days after my graduation.

"Hi, Miss Olson? I was asked to see you." I say trying not to sound as nervous as I felt.

She looks up from her desk smiling, instantly putting me at ease.

"Ohh. You must be Olivia Torres. Persistent Olivia Torres as we like to call you around here." She winks as she stands up. "Let me show you to your desk."

"Thank you so much, Miss ..."

"Please. Call me Liz."

After a few months of learning the ropes, interviewing soccer, American football and baseball stars, Liz calls me into her office. She invites me to take a seat.

"Here you are," she says handing over a large brown envelope. "Your first assignment."

I take the envelope from her. I didn"t know I would be given an assignment so soon. "What? You think I'm ready to go it alone?"

Liz laughs out loud and smiles at me fondly. "Boss thinks you"re ready ... and that's good enough for me!"

Once back at my own desk, I stare at the sealed envelope, containing my new assignment, with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Landing a job with a prestigious sports magazine is a dream come true, it"s something I have been waiting for my whole life. Why do I feel so nervous? This is what I"ve been preparing myself for my whole life.

I open the envelope slowly and bring out the black file. Goosebumps erupt all over my body as I turn the page. My first task is to interview the notorious basketball megastar, Jesse Edison. I'm to get an exclusive interview with him and I have been given just 30 days to do it.

Why oh why did this have to be my first assignment?

Jesse Edison. He and Hal were best friends, and I vaguely remember him from my childhood. However, after reading the tabloids it seems he's turned out to be an arrogant pig. I'm not even sure if Hal has anything to do with him anymore.

I couldn"t refuse this task, unless I wanted to end my career before it had even started. But what do I do? Jesse Edison"s arrogant reputation precedes him. There"s a reason why he"s the only sports star that has never been featured in an interview. He wears his arrogance like a second skin. If no other sports magazine have gotten close to him, why on earth does my boss think I can? The whole thing makes me apprehensive.

Perhaps I can talk to Liz about this and hopefully she can change the boss"s mind and give me a different assignment. I walk gingerly to her office and she raises her head. Her brows knot with concern immediately when she sees my face.

"What"s wrong Olivia?"

"Can we talk?"

"Ok." She offers me a seat.

"I hope you don"t mind?"

"Of course not. Is everything ok?"

"The thing is … I don"t think I can do this assignment."

There"s a puzzled expression on her face as she stares at me.

"Why? What"s wrong?"

"It"s Jesse Edison. My assignment is Jesse Edison."

She laughs and shakes her head. "Oh is that all? Forgive me for laughing. Listen, I know you might be a bit apprehensive but I know you'll smash it."

"I"m grateful for the vote of confidence but … it"s just ... it"s Edison. You know his reputation."

"Yes, but that"s pretty much hearsay. Have you ever met the guy?"

I look at her for a few seconds. She"s right. Everything I know about him I've either read or heard. One thing I did hear was that he hated journalists, the paparazzi, and certainly wasn"t silent about it. I've also heard he is incredibly rude, smug, and has tons of women in every state.

"He"s mysterious so he"s fodder for the gossip columns. That"s why we need you, Olivia. We want to show the world who he is. We"re a magazine company like all the others, but what sets us apart is that we favor the truth. We want the world to know people for who they truly are and not what they"ve heard. I believe that if you approach him this way, he"ll open up to you."

Feeling a little relieved, I nod and walk back to my desk, pondering over what she said. As frightening as this task is, it"s also an opportunity for me to show Sportza how good I am. Perhaps Mr. Hollingwood is testing me.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

As I scribble my strategy on how best to approach him and how to get his itinerary on a pad, my phone buzzes with a message from Hal.

Hey Little sis. Fancy taking a break from the city? I'm thinking about heading to the cabin this weekend. You game?

Hal always seems to know just what I need. Hiking, fresh air, and a break from the city chaos sounds appealing, especially considering the impending stress of interviewing Jesse Edison.

Grateful for the distraction, I text back telling him how thrilled I am. It feels like ages since I've been to the mountain cabin my dad purchased ten years ago. We occasionally vacationed there during the holidays until my dad retired and gave the cabin to his kids, including Hal, each of us owning a part of it.

My phone begins to ring. "Hey, sis. I just saw your message. When do you want to meet at the cabin?"

"ASAP! I need a break to think. I just received my first assignment at work, and I'm going crazy."

"Is it that bad? Who is it?"

"Jesse Edison ... why are you laughing?" I ask angrily as the guttural sounds reverberate through the phone.

"I"m sorry. I don"t know what to call this. Serendipity or fate."

"What do you mean?"

"I also invited him. He"s coming with us."

I freeze for a moment. "Wha...what?!"

"It makes sense. You're my sister and he's my best friend. You guys haven't seen each other in years. Plus, this would be a great opportunity to get your exclusive from Jesse in the flesh."

"I ... I don"t know what to say."

"How about, "thank you so much big brother,' or, ‘You"re the best.' Or how about, ‘I don"t know what I"d do without you ... '" he says with a mocking high-pitched voice.

"Erm … I don't sound like that," I reply, lowering my voice a shade.

"Yes you do! Look, I need to get back to work. See you at the cabin."

***

The scenery surrounding the cabin never ceases to amaze me. Surrounded by towering pines and crisp mountain air, I feel a deep sense of calm. The cabin always welcomes me with its rustic charm. Hal had been so gracious to come down to Chicago just so we could drive to Colorado together. It"s the most time we"ve spent together in a while. We barely saw each other during my graduation as he had to go right back to Los Angeles after the ceremony.

Hal lugs in our bags and we settle in our rooms. Jesse hasn"t arrived yet and my nerves are raw with the thought that he"ll be here soon. Over dinner, I share my concerns about Jesse Edison and the upcoming interview. Hal listens intently.

"You know how the media is, Liv. Jesse is someone I have known all my life. Yes, he"s not the usual sports star who"s into media rounds and paparazzi, but he"s a decent guy."

"Can I ask you a few questions about ..."

"Don"t even think about it. He"ll be here soon. You can ask him the questions yourself! Just have an open mind. You might just discover something completely unexpected."