TooBusy
What makes you feel appreciated?
DirtyLife
In a relationship or what?
TooBusy
In general. In whatever way you want or need to feel appreciated.
DirtyLife
My work is important to me, so I guess hearing I did well is good.
TooBusy
What about in a relationship?
DirtyLife
I thought you said in general.
TooBusy
I changed my mind. What would you need in a relationship to feel like you were appreciated? To feel like it was good.
DirtyLife
That’s easy. Someone who wants the same things I do. A family, a future together, a commitment. What about you? What would you need?
TooBusy
Um, sorry. I need to go. I’ll talk to you soon.
She signed off the app before I had a chance to say anything else. Was it me? Or did she really have to go?
3
Casey
I hadn’t been so nervous for a meeting since I was fresh out of school and trying to get a job as a full-time reporter. I changed three times before I groaned and went with what I had on. Gretchen already knew me. Impressing her wasn’t possible, and it wasn’t going to change anything. Either she liked the pitch or she didn’t.
I was early for our meeting, choosing to forgo coffee before the meeting since it usually left me jittery and half the time I spilled it. I was going to nail my proposal, and it would all be fine. Totally fine.
“Casey!” Gretchen shouted as she opened the door.
I was sitting next to it and jumped. “Here.”
“Oh. I didn’t see you.” Gretchen left the door open for me to follow her inside. “Close the door.”
I was already doing so, but nodded. The first rule was don’t piss off your boss.
“What do you have for me?”
“Okay, well, I was thinking we can run with what you said about Natalie being the woman in the picture with Mayor Knight. It was never public knowledge that it was her. The man who took the picture was working for the former mayor and trying to get rid of Mayor Knight so he could run for office again.”
“And you already exposed him, and he ran away and hid. Why is it worth bringing all this up again?”
