“We never started the interview.”
“Okay, you’re right. I’m hoping you’ll agree to stay and do the interview.”
Bonnie studied me for a moment. “I’m not sure we have the proper rapport needed to make it any good.”
I held my hands up in a placating gesture. “And that’s completely my fault. I’d been having a bad…”Year.“… day before you arrived, and my behavior was inexcusable. I apologize… again… and ask that you’d please just stay and give it another try.”
So much for not groveling. I could’ve won the gold at the Groveling Olympics for this performance.
Squinting, she tipped her head to one side. “I don’t know. I really don’t think I’m the right person to—”
“I’ll give you an excerpt,” I blurted. “An exclusive excerpt to run with the article.”
Bonnie blinked. Blinked again. “But you don’t release excerpts prior to publication.”
“I do now. I will… if you’ll stay.”
She looked as if she was still uncertain, but finally she nodded. “Okay. I guess we can try again. But I want the excerpt to take with me today.”
“Yes. Great. Absolutely. I’ll print it out for you myself.”
“And we’re tearing up that ridiculous contract.”
Okay now wait a minute.Before I could object, Hunter’s words came back to me.
Give her what she wants.
I blew out a short breath through my nostrils.
“Some of that stuffisactually standard. We can’t tear up the whole thing, but maybe we could mark through a few of the clauses.”
She nodded and turned her back to me, striding confidently toward the library. “I’ll need to borrow a pen.”
* * *
I flinched with each bold stroke of the black gel pen, watching Bonnie decimate the vast majority of my protective do’s and don’ts.
By the time she’d finished, nothing remained but the last two pages, which dealt with non-disclosure of “off the record” information and with spoilers.
I comforted myself with the knowledge that although she couldaskanything she wanted to, it didn’t necessarily mean I had to answer every question with total and exhaustive honesty.
She turned to the last two pages and was skimming them, judging from the back-and-forth motion of her head.
“All that stays,” I said. “That’s just non-disclosure and assurances of no spoiler material. That reallyisa deal-breaker.”
“Fine. I’d never do that kind of thing anyway.” She flipped to the signature page and signed her name beneath mine.
Breathing a literal sigh of relief, I took the signed contract from her. “I’ll get Mrs. Potts to notarize this then we can get started.”
“She’s a notary?” Bonnie asked with some surprise.
“I have to sign official papers with some regularity. I don’t leave home much these days, so I asked her to get certified.”
I pressed the intercom button on the desk to summon her. “Mrs. Potts, would you mind coming in and notarizing these pages?”
“Certainly, sir,” came her reply.
“She calls you ‘sir?’” Bonnie asked.
