1
HALEY
The shade of red Mr. Danvers turned when he was angry could only be described as tomato red. I had to hide the snicker that escaped me when he wasn’t looking, though Maria Gonzalez—an annoying, uppity coworker who sat next to me—elbowed me in the ribs. The conference room was full. Everyone from my department was in attendance, including David Wright, my editor and department head.
“I don’t care what the excuse is for such an egregious error.” Parker may as well have had steam spewing from his ears like a cartoon character. His face was damp with sweat, and he had loosened his tie a number of times while lecturing us all. “We run a credible newspaper, people! We report facts, not opinions.”
“Sir, I?—”
“No, Lauren.” He turned on her like a snake whose tail had been snared. “I don’t care what your source said. You check, double-check, and triple-check every fact. We do not print retractions!” I thought his eyes would bug out of his head, his face was so red.
David and Tom—Mr. Green, the Editor in Chief—both seemed to have more tact than Lauren, holding their tongueswhile we all got chewed out. Mr. Danvers was on a warpath. This was the first retraction the paper had ever printed, and for good reason. He ran a tight ship. In fact, he was known as “The General” because he was so strict people wondered if he was ex-military.
“Sir, I’m sorry.” Lauren’s face fell, red with embarrassment as her eyes welled up with tears. “I thought?—”
“You thought?” He slammed the cup of pencils on the end of the table and they flew across the room. “You thought!” His eyes seemed to bug out with the anger he held back, which wasn’t much. He was letting plenty of it out through his angry shouting and wild gestures.
I tuned out, knowing this rant was not about me. I’d never be caught printing any story I hadn’t fully done the research on. Honesty in journalism was one tenet I anchored my entire career on.
My eyes swept across the room, noticing the faces of some very frightened people. Mr. Danvers was a sight, that was for sure. His pinstripe suit, perfectly tailored to his tall, slim form, was probably Armani or Brioni—maybe even bespoke. He had more style than any man I’d ever met, likely because he could throw wads of cash at people to make things happen.
When he got bent out of shape like this, it was always for good reason. His temper just made him seem unapproachable. I, for one, wouldn’t be approaching him anytime soon. Letting things cool down after an event like this was always best. Besides, I had David and Tom to go through before I ever interacted with the CEO.
Jack Williams sat in the corner of the room, no place left at the conference room table for him by the time he joined the meeting. He had a permanent scowl etched into his forehead. He had some sort of beef with Danvers, though I wasn’t sure what, and he never enjoyed these department meetings anyway. Addto that the head honcho’s screaming fit, and I could see why the man sat with a sudoku book in hand, doodling away at his number game instead of paying attention.
I turned back to the front of the room. Mr. Danvers had calmed and was talking in a stern tone instead of shouting. Behind him, clouds floated in the sky, stretching out across the Chicago skyline past the large plate glass windows that afforded a view of the city and the lake, the likes of which only Mr. Danvers’ office rivaled. He leaned over the end of the conference table, tie dangling, and stared down at Mr. Green.
The same moment I noticed how Tom seemed to cower in front of Mr. Danvers, Maria leaned over, hand masking her mouth as she whispered, “Look at that coward. He’s shaking in his boots.”
I watched Tom take the tongue lashing in true gentlemanly form. He replied when appropriate but did not placate. Despite the way he dabbed his brow with his handkerchief, there seemed to be some sort of understanding between the editor in chief and the CEO, as if they had worked together long enough to know when to speak and when to remain silent. I scowled at Maria and turned to tell her off when Mr. Danvers said my name.
“Like Ms. Spencer.”
I snapped my head around to see him looking right at me. His blue eyes drilled right through my frame, establishing his dominance and compelling me to pay attention. His nostrils flared, and he drew his hand downward over his face. I felt several pairs of eyes on me from around the room. My hands began to sweat like the temperature in the room had jumped up twenty degrees, despite it being only a week into January in one of the coldest cities in the country.
“Yes, sir?”
“I was saying, Lauren should check her sources, like you.” He straightened and tightened up his tie. “Ms. Spencer is receivingthe Aldo Beckman award for journalistic excellence. That’s what we need around here.”
He didn’t turn away, his intense stare making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I wished I’d worn my long hair down, not tied up on my head in a bun. His eyes searched me, as if he were lost in thought about something else. I felt heat rising in my cheeks when Lauren spoke up again.
“Yes, sir. Haley is literally my role model.” She flicked her eyes at me pleadingly and continued, “I apologize profusely for the mistake.”
“You’re all dismissed.” Mr. Danvers pulled his gaze from mine and straightened his suit coat. “Fix this mess today, and run a fresh print by eight p.m. We can’t have this bite us.” He looked at Mr. Green. “Tom, I want a fresh copy on my desk at four a.m. when I arrive. Let’s reach out to the senator and make sure they understand this was a misprint. Ms. Evans?”
Lauren stiffened, squaring her shoulders. “Sir?”
“Consider this your only second chance. I don’t give free passes.” He took a deep breath. “Now, everyone out of here except Ms. Spencer, and you, David.”
I suddenly felt glued to my chair as I watched everyone file out one by one. The room got emptier and my body felt colder. David rubbed his temples as Mr. Danvers followed the last of the reporters to the door and shut it behind them as they left. I kept my eyes fixed on the window, watching his reflection as he paused and put a hand to his forehead, then dropped it and walked back to his spot at the head of the table.
“Sir?” David spoke before I had a chance. I wouldn’t have spoken anyway, not after that display. I wasn’t afraid of Mr. Danvers. I had no reason to be. Though his reputation preceded him, I had never done anything to bring on a temper flare-up like the one I'd just witnessed. I usually rode the wave, watching others around me fall. Though, I could definitely see how peoplewould be intimidated by him, especially if, like David, it was partially their fault.
“I’m still not pleased with you, David. You know this sort of thing can never happen. I trust that you’ll be able to get your department in line quickly?” He glared down his nose at Mr. Wright, and I swallowed hard. David wasn’t a hard man to work for—unless he was pushed. I’d never been on the receiving end of one of his lectures, either, and for that I was glad.
“Yes, sir.” David’s voice shook when he spoke. He cleared his throat and nodded.
“Good. Well, if Ms. Evans doesn’t shape up, she’s gone.” Mr. Danvers sat in the large leather office chair behind him and pulled it up closer to the table. He licked his lips, and I watched his expression relax. “I apologize, Ms. Spencer, that you had to witness such a barbaric display.”
