Call It Business ( Book 3 of 'Call It' Series )

Chapter 65 | The Public Enemy

"So, this quest is currently a little bit stuck," Macy spoke to the microphone, throwing and catching the coin with one hand and lifting her leg to the desk. "Let's not even call it a quest. This is one of the operation missions, where you need to work with ten other people. I usually avoid those, but apparently, this one is essential for the story, and you can't get to the next level without completing it."

Her troubled gaze landed on the clock at the corner of her screen, knowing the time for the inevitable was getting closer and closer with each changing digit.

"Have I mentioned how it turned out we have a feud against almost every person who we need for that operation?" Macy inquired absently, "Yeah, the lame knight who'd gone rogue at the round table doesn't even have to do anything, we self-sabotage pretty well. We are banned from the realms of Wonderland!"

That was definitely an understatement.

First Zoey, then Avra. Now, Tanner O'Connell. The sixty-year-old owner of the Rabbit Hole, who reminded Macy of an ancient skeleton with his narrow and angular features and thin and tall figure had refused to see them and allowed them into his nightclub. Apparently, he wasn't so forgiving to the pandemonium Gerard and Harry stirred in the nightclub years ago to save Adelaide. Aside from that, he'd found out Mark was the one who called the police into the nightclub and he held a grudge or two about it. Honestly? Macy was surprised that the knight didn't actually plan to murder them since there seemed to be a lot of persons who would love that.

Of course, breaking in had always been an option, but what for? Mr. Skeleton had an army of bouncers dressed as card soldiers inside the club now. It didn't end well for Alice, it wouldn't end well for them too.

Still, with a little gossip wrapped in random curiosity and research provided Macy another theory and to test that and give a little warning, she needed to do something she was scared of: visiting the agency, where her father currently was since the reality show was on a break.

"I need to go now," Macy huffed, kicking her leg off the table and hunching forward. "Yes, there is no logic in trying to drive a bargain with the kingdom of glam and lies, but perhaps, it takes one immoral king to know about another. Also, I'm not him so I will tell him what he needs to know before it explodes on him. So, may the luck be with you until the next update!"

She stalled herself for the next five minutes by acting incapable of posting the episode, then she wasted another ten minutes waiting for the first reviewers. When it became painfully evident that she couldn't manipulate the course of the past events and turn her father less of a vile liar than he was, she let out a low sigh and rose to her high heels.

Giving her reflection in the mirror by the door a once-over and absently tugging the skirt of her black, starry short dress with transparent sleeves, she grabbed her bag and opened the door.

One could say that locking herself to her new office for a couple of hours with her own hectic ramblings made her forget the familiar normality of the magazine. There, Ben from the interior design section was showing Jessica the new colors for the article and tried to get her to convince Cameron into using that exact palette for the upcoming Advertorial. The way Jessica kept popping the pink gum between her teeth and seemed interested in every inch of the vast office rather than Ben's notes implied that she had no intention of trying to persuade Cameron.

Peter, the technology editor, was pouting at his desk, seeming to be on writer's block after the villain told him not to shy away from the details. Yep, it turned out he took Avra's suggestion more seriously than he'd let on. Regardless, it gave the poor man an existential crisis.

Adelaide was in her office, talking on the phone while Cameron seemed to be lost in his office under a pile of fabrics as he tried to put together a mood board for the upcoming photoshoots. Nowadays, it was impossible to tell if he worked on something for the magazine or one of Eloise's gigs. Regardless, Gerard didn't question it not to give him a further crisis.