The Acadia Killer

Chapter 26

The sudden relief I'd felt from Blake's response vanished immediately when I heard the email reception notification. While I didn't want the job scope of this particular assignment, I did want the job overall, and I didn't know how I would handle a rejection from Krista Hall. She had the ability to make or break my career. I could imagine if word got out that I'd been turned down by the holier than thou Worldwide Magazine. Nobody else in the travel magazine world would want to hire me because I'd be tainted. How I'd allowed myself to be put in such a precarious position baffled me.

"That's the email I've been waiting for," I gulped, glancing at the computer. "I don't know if I want to read it. She's probably rejecting my idea because it's not what she wanted."

Blake shook his head. "Anybody who rejects your ideas – your very good ideas, might I add – is a fool, especially if they're only turning you down because they didn't think of it first. Go check it, Kenz."

I started to get up but paused a moment, looking back at Blake with what was probably the cheesiest smile.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"That's the first time you've called me anything other than my full name," I smiled. "I like it."

Blake returned my smile. "I'll do it more often then."

Wandering over to my laptop, I felt like I was tiptoeing up to a sleeping lion, anticipating what Krista may have said. Opening the email, my stomach sank at the first sentence.

"While I appreciate your dedication to this story, I was a little perturbed when I first read your message, Mackenzie," she wrote. "I do, however, understand your position and what you believe is the way to proceed with this article. I understand you think you're not getting a fair opportunity, given that I've made drastic changes to what your article was originally supposed to be written about. After thinking over your multi-article proposal and the position I've put you in, I've decided it's fair to not only have you proceed with this multi-article story, as you referred to it, but also to have you write me the original article about the national parks that you wanted to write. Perhaps we can feature the former in the anniversary edition of the magazine and the latter in the following issue, provided I am impressed and bring you on with us. Are we agreeable to this proposal? Let me know soon."

I breathed out a heavy sigh, not sure what to think. On one hand, I still had to write the multiple articles I wasn't psyched about. On the other hand, I was going to get to write the national parks article that I originally wanted to write! I couldn't tell Krista no. And honestly, I wasn't too upset about having to write the initial set of articles anymore. I don't know if it was the fact that I would finally get to write about the parks in my next article or if I was actually thinking I might start to enjoy investigative journalism, but suddenly, I wasn't so disgruntled with the task.

"What did she say?" Blake asked, leaning forward in his chair with his elbows on his knees.

"Basically, if I impress her with the articles about the Acadia Killer, I can write the article I really want to write about the national parks," I explained. "So I'm a little relieved."

He smiled that charming smile that made me melt. "That's wonderful, Kenz."

He was going to remember I liked him calling me that, and I loved that about him.

After all the talking and reading the email I'd been stressed over, I'd almost forgotten about dinner. I got a small whiff of my stir fry and was thankful I'd turned the burner down to low earlier. It would've been my luck that everything would have burned while I was yacking and reading Krista's email otherwise.

"Why don't we eat?" I suggested, getting up from my laptop and heading into the kitchen.

I stirred my food one more time and then dished it out into two bowls.