Savio

2. McKayla

2

McKayla

With my coat and backpack slung over my shoulder, I held onto my three notebooks and coffee and walked up the stairs to my office. The elevator was out, and the maintenance guy said it would take another two hours. I had a deadline and still needed to log my notes from my meeting with Elio Calabresi. The exit door opened, and my coworker held it as I mouthed thank you with a pencil in my mouth. As soon as I left the estate of the Calabresi, I wondered if I would be allowed back to finish my work. At twenty-three, I was doing what I loved, and this was my big break. I fought all the veteran journalists to grab this story. Going to my cubicle, I dropped everything on my desk, tossed the coffee in the trash, and plopped down in the chair, wiping the sweat from my brow.

“Tell me you have the night free.” My coworker Rena leaned against the side of the desk and picked at her nails.

“Sorry, I have work to do.”

“McKayla, you have to come with me to this club.”

“Not tonight.”

“You’re becoming boring.”

“Did you finish the story on the fire in Brooklyn?”

Rena rolled her eyes while popping the gum in her mouth.

“I have the entire weekend.”

“Joseph is going to put you on probation again.”

I looked over my shoulder at his office door being closed. Working at Chicago Times was a dream come true, and Joseph Wilson challenged me every chance he could, so for him to allow me to run with this story was a privilege I wouldn’t let fall through the cracks.

“Joseph will be fine. I need my friend to go out with me tonight.” Rena grasped my hands and dropped to her knees.

“Are you begging now?”

“Yes, I’ll even buy you lunch for an entire week.”

“What’s happening tonight?”

“A new club is opening.”

I removed my hands.

“No thanks.”

I grabbed my backpack, removed my glasses, and turned on the computer.

“Whyyyy!”

Rena loved being the center of attention, something I hated. My career was more important, and I needed to make plans to see Mr. Calabresi again.

“Rena, I have work. Besides, you’ll leave with some guy, and I’ll be stuck taking a cab home.”

“You could leave with someone, if you tried a little flirting.”

“Dating is on the back burner until I finish this story.”

I slid my sleeves up, pulling my notebook and recorder out.

“How was that today?”

“Fine.” I pushed my glasses up on my face.

“That was a weird fine.”

“How else do you say fine?”

She shrugged her shoulders and tapped on the desk. The loud commentary around the room stopped when someone turned the volume up on the TV broadcasting breaking news.

“We have Nevio Colombo released from custody,” the reporter spoke, standing outside the courthouse.

“Lauren, can you tell us who was waiting for him?” the anchor questioned.

“From what I saw, he got into a limo that belonged to the Calabresi family.”

I removed my glasses and focused on the screen.

“Thank you, Lauren. We will have more of this story when we return,” the reporter said. The channel changed.

“McKayla, do you hear me?” Rena asked.

“Huh?”

“I said, I promise to not leave you. Just drinks.” Rena held her pinky finger out, and I clasped our hands together. Rena grew up in a single-parent home with her mom and brother. I grew up in a two-parent household; both parents worked to provide me with an upbringing of love and structure.

“Drinks only.”

“I promise.”

I went to sit back down when loud yelling started. I knew then the day would get crazier.

“McKayla! My office now,” Joseph yelled.

Rena patted me on the back and walked back to her desk.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks for the support.” I smiled, strolled into his office, and went to sit.

“No need to sit; you won’t be here long.”

“Sorry.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Uhm, about twenty minutes.” I glanced down, checking my watch.

“I’m talking about working here in general.”

“Oh, uhm… I think a year and a half.”

“So, you should know anything that happens at this paper I know about.”

“I do.”

“So, tell me why we didn’t know anything about Nevio getting arrested?”

“I… I—”

“Save it. I gave you this story, but you’re already screwing me over.”

“I was on my way back from meeting with Elio Calabresi.”

“You should have known about this.”

“I can make some calls to find out.”

“No need. Rory is on top of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Rory will be working with you on anything Calabresi.”

I bit my bottom lip and rubbed the back of my neck, feeling myself getting heated at Rory latched onto my story. Everybody knew he was a leech and stole ideas, taking the credit. Just because I grew up in the suburbs didn’t mean I was some naive girl who would let anyone walk all over her.

“I can handle the Nevio story. You can keep Rory where he’s at.” Joseph stopped piling papers in front of him and glanced toward me.

“What does it say on the door?” he questioned.

“Editor In Chief.”

“Which means I make the calls.”

“Okay.”

“Also, I need the story on my desk by tomorrow morning.”

“But I—”

“You wanted to be in the big leagues. This is what happens.” I nodded and turned to leave, but he called out, “Close the door.”

I headed over to the break room and fixed myself a fresh coffee. It was another late night of research and work.

“There you are.” I stood against the counter. Rory stood in the doorframe with his chest puffed out.

“Here I am.”

“We need to meet to confirm the details.”

“What details?”

I pushed off from the counter and headed to my desk, with Rory following. An intern approached and dropped mail on my desk.

“Joseph wants me to get all the notes you have on the Calabresi,” Rory said.

“No.”

“That’s not how this works.”

I blew over the hot steaming coffee and sipped it again.

“Rory, I’m not giving you my work.”

“Take it up with Joseph.” He treaded away as Rena popped back over to my desk.

“Ready.”

“For what?”

“Drinks.”

“Rena, I’m sorry. Joseph just piled me with work.”

“McKayla, you promised.” Rena snatched the mail out of my hand, tossed it down on the desk, turned the computer off, and picked up my backpack.

“Drinks, fun, and sexy men now,” Rena remarked.

“Ughhh.” I grabbed my coat and pulled my hair up into a ponytail.

“No glasses.” Rena held her hand out.

“You’re pushing it.”

“You need this just as much as me.”

“The last thing I need is to deal with a new guy.”

Rena pushed the exit door open, and we walked out of the building.

“Maybe you and Rory will hook up.” Rena nudged me in the arm.

“Not even if he’s the last man on earth.”

“Let’s grab this cab.” Rena held her hand out, and the cab stopped in front of us.

“Drop us at Sanctuary,” Rena told the cab driver. I checked my watch and saw it was going on eleven p.m.

“Don’t you need to be dressed up to be at Sanctuary?”

“I know somebody who works there.” Rena removed her jacket, unbuttoned her shirt a little, and plumped up her breasts.

“Who are you meeting?”

“No one,” Rena replied, pulling out her lipstick and compact from her purse.

“I feel like you lied.”

The plum lipstick on her tawny bronze skin meshed with her black silk blouse, red skirt, and heels.

“I promise this will be only drinks, maybe a little conversation.” She ran a hand through her hair, fluffing out her curls.

“Regretting this already.”

The security guard smiled a wide grin at Rena and let us pass everyone who was standing in line. Sanctuary’s an exclusive club with celebrities who frequent, some politicians. The flashing lights roamed around the room. People were on the dance floor, grinding against each other. Rena grabbed my arm and pulled me to the bar.

She held her hand up to the bartender.

“Two s*x on the beaches.” Rena swished her hips left and right as the R&B music played. Rena turned her back to the bar and wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

“What do you think?”

I snapped my fingers, joining her in the dance routine.

“So far, the place is cool but remember I can’t stay long.”

“Don’t worry, your precious work will still be on your desk tomorrow.”

“Two s*x on the beach.” The bartender placed our drinks down. Rena reached in her cleavage and pulled out some money to pay.

“Keep the change.” Rena passed my drink, and we toasted to a fun night.

“This is good.” I held the drink up in the air.

“Told you. Time to relax and enjoy ourselves.”

I giggled and clinked our glasses together, following her down to the dance floor. The bass of the music bounced off the walls and thumped through the speakers. Each time the DJ called for people to clap their hands, people would gather in groups to sync the movements. We stood near the stairs a few feet away from the dance floor as the crowd formed for the next Ariana Grande song. I scanned the room, and mostly everyone was dressed very upscale, except for the women who were showing the most skin. I looked down at my plain dress and felt a little overdressed for the occasion, but there was no time to go home and change.

“Are you ready for another one?” Rena yelled in my ear, and I nodded.

She took the glass out of my hand and walked back to the bar. I started to follow, and she held her hand up for me to save our place. While she went to get our drinks, I swayed my hips but soon felt the presence of someone behind me. Then I felt his d**k on my butt. I quickly turned around and looked up into the eyes of a sexy stranger.

“May I have this dance?” he asked.

“I’m kind of waiting for someone.”

“Are you here with your boyfriend?” he questioned, looking around the room.

I shook my head when Rena approached.

“Ohh, who is this, McKayla?” Rena licked her lips and gave me my drink.

“Marco,” he replied and held his hand out toward me.

“McKayla.”

“Do you mind if I dance with your friend?” he asked Rena.

“No, please go and have fun.”

I started to protest when Rena snatched my drink away and pushed me into his arms. He pulled me in close to his chest and smiled. I glared at Rena. As he pulled me down to the dance floor, the song changed to a faster beat. After an hour of dancing, drinking, and laughing with Marco, I went to find Rena posted up with a guy near the back corner.

“Hey, I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Okay, do you need me to go with you?”

“No, I’ll be fine.”

“This is my best friend McKayla. Gerald here is an investment banker.” Rena tilted her head to the left, and I waved at him.

“Nice to meet you, Gerald.”

“You too, McKayla.”

“I’ll be back.”

“What happened to your date?” she asked.

“He’s not my date.”

“Really, it looked pretty cozy.”

“It was just a dance.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“I’ll be here when you get back.”

I felt someone bump into me, and I yelled out, “Watch where you’re going.”

He never looked back. He kept walking, and I ignored confronting him and went to the bathroom in the same direction. The crowd was getting thick, and I knew it was getting late. I needed to wrap up the night even if Rena didn’t want to leave. Joseph was itching to remove me from the story and give it to Rory if I messed up even one time. While passing down the dark hallway, a couple stood near the exit sign, making out. I felt like I was intruding on something private, so I covered my eyes, looked for the bathroom, saw multiple offices. I headed down another hallway and found the bathroom closer to the back with a line of women.

“Great.”

The loud laughing and grumbles of people taking forever were heard throughout. I felt myself about to pee on myself, unable to hold it any longer. I made a dash for the nearest door with an exit sign. The last thing I wanted to do was pee outside, but I refused to wait any longer or use the men’s bathroom. I pushed the door open and looked from left to right and saw it was empty. I jogged to the corner of the trash can, squatted, and relieved myself.

“No more drinking for me.”

I shook off any remnants and checked my pocket for a napkin I held onto from earlier and cleaned myself up. I tossed it in the trash and headed back in when I heard voices coming from the other side of the building. I slowly stepped over to the back wall of the building, peeked around, and saw three or four men standing and one on the ground with a b****y face. My eyes rose in surprise when I saw a g*n held in front of his face.