Josie stared out the window at the water below. She was sitting in Hyram Rigfort's office, her hands folded in her lap. A moment later, Rigfort burst in.
"Josie Geller!" he bellowed. "What is it? I don't want to be late for my squash game." He took a seat at his desk.
Josie took a deep breath. "I'm here about Angela Gardiner, the new 'Ask Elizabeth'."
"What about her?"
"I think her talent is going to waste, Mr. Rigfort." Josie handed him the folder of Angela's work. "Before she came here, she worked freelance. She also had a job at her local paper, as well as position as editor of her college newspaper."
Rigfort flipped through the work. "I know that. I read her resume."
"And you weren't surprised she wasn't applying for a different position?" Josie leaned forward. "I'm telling you, this girl has talent."
"Of course she does," Rigfort barked. "We don't hire idiots!"
Josie shook her head. "I'm serious. Please, do me a favor and read some of her previous work. If you agree with me, which I guarantee you will, then make her a reporter."
Rigfort sighed. "Did you speak to Angela about this?"
"Er..." Josie mumbled.
Rigfort stood and wandered to the window. "I must say, Josie, I'm surprised that you, of all people, would recommend someone be assigned to do a story when their job is something else." He turned to face Josie. "Especially with the trouble you had with your first feature."
"But that turned out okay!" Josie exclaimed.
Rigfort raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but it almost didn't."
Josie rose from her seat. She picked up Angela's file from the desk. "This girl has nothing to do with me or my attempt at being a reporter." Josie handed the folder to Rigfort. "Please, just read these. Think about what I said."
"All right," he conceded. "I'll see what I can do."
Josie smiled, turned on her heel, and left Rigfort's office. Rigfort stared after her, thinking.
* * *
Anita grabbed the last blueberry bagel from the plate in the middle of the table. She tore it in half and offered the smaller part to Josie, who shook her head.
"I'm not hungry," Josie said. She looked to the end of the table, where Angela sat, writing something in a notebook. 'I wonder if she wonders why she's been invited to this staff meeting?' Josie thought.
Josie was suddenly aware that Anita was waving her hand in front of Josie's face and snapping her fingers.
"Earth to Josie," Anita said teasingly.
"I'm here, Anita," she answered distractedly. She was still thinking about Angela, hoping the girl wouldn't hate her after today.
"You seem out of it," replied Anita.
Josie shook her head. "I, um, just have a lot to do today," she lied.
Taking the statement at face value, Anita nodded knowingly. "Managing editor is a lot different than copy editor, isn't it?"
Josie scoffed. "Yes, it is. Remind me to thank your husband for jumping ship and throwing all this responsibility to me."
Anita put up her hands in surrender. "Hey, the Trib offered Gus a much more comprehensive benefits package than Rigfort did! It's not his fault that you got promoted to his job."
Josie laughed. "I'm just kidding, Anita. If the Trib had offered me a position as Executive Editor, I would not have to think twice before leaving, either."
Anita shrugged. "I'm just worried about Rigfort. You know how much he hates the Trib. I don't want him thinking I'm a spy or something."
Josie grinned. "What, do you think he's concerned the Trib will corner the market on Classfied ads?"
"I wouldn't doubt it," Anita said, rolling her eyes.
The "bang!" of a cane on the table signaled Rigfort's arrival and the official start of the meeting.
"Hello, everyone!" Rigfort said.
"Hello, Mr. Rigfort," the employees chorused.
"The meeting just began." Rigfort began pacing the room. "There is something very important we have to talk about today."
He paused for dramatic affect. "My son is at college, as you all know. Those tuition bills are astronomical!"
Ted, the Circulation Director, spoke up. "I can see it now… 'Where does the money go?' Interesting angle, Mr. Rigfort."
"I'm not finished!" Rigfort shouted. He began circling the table again. "My son was telling me about some of the things that go on at school with the fraternities and the sororities. It wasn't good; let me tell you that! In fact, it made me sick!" A bang of the cane on the table served as punctuation. "Sick!" Rigfort continued, banging his cane again. "Sick!" he said once more, banging the cane one final time.
He scanned the faces of his employees. They all looked confused and a little scared.
"I'm talking about hazing!" Rigfort roared. "He was telling me about hazing. Does anyone know what this involves?"
A few employees, including Josie, shook their heads.
Rigfort sighed, exasperated. "He told me some horrible stories about alcohol, about violence, about sex! So what can I do but assign an undercover reporter to get the full scoop?" he shrugged.
Rigfort looked at Josie, who nodded her head in Angela's direction. Rigfort spun and advanced. He pointed his cane. "You! Ask Elizabeth!"
Angela's eyes widened in horror and shock.
"Angela Gardiner, right?"
She nodded nervously.
"Are you mute?" Rigfort asked.
"N-no," Angela stuttered.
"It's your story," Rigfort nodded in emphasis.
Angela's mouth dropped open. "But…I'm not a reporter!"
"That never stopped anyone before," Rigfort said, looking back at Josie pointedly.
Angela followed his gaze. Josie smiled at her encouragingly. Angela narrowed her eyes, smelling a setup.
"Mr. Rigfort," she said timidly, facing him again, although unable to make eye contact, "I'd rather not do this."
"I've read your other stuff, Angela, and I was blown away. A guy like me is not easily impressed; let me tell you! This is your story. You're the one that can get the real scoop and tell it like it is. But, if you don't want it," Rigfort said, leaning forward across the table menacingly, "you're welcome to find another job... at another newspaper."
Angela gulped and shook her head no.
Rigfort nodded. "Okay. You enroll Monday at Fowler College."
At the other end of the table, Josie choked on her coffee and gasped. All heads turned toward her, surprised and confused by her outburst.
Rigfort's head swiveled and he pierced her with an intense stare. "You have an objection, Josie?" he asked calmly, but the veiled threat was evident in his voice.
Josie shook her head quickly, while Anita patted her choking friend on the back.
"All right, then. If no one else has anything to say, this meeting is dismissed!" Rigfort tapped the end of his walking cane on the end of the table like a gavel, signaling the end of the meeting.
Josie pushed back her chair and fled the meeting room, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She ran to her office and shut the door. In her top drawer, she found her trusty paper bag and began breathing into it, trying to calm down and keep herself from hyperventilating.
The door opened and Anita poked her head in. "Jos? Are you okay?"
Josie shook her head. Anita entered, closed the door behind her, and patted Josie on the back again. Josie shoved the paper bag back into her desk drawer and collapsed into her chair, putting both hands over her face.
"I can't believe that, out of all the colleges in the state of Illinois, Rigfort had to assign Angela to Fowler!" Josie wailed in agony.
Anita crouched in front of her. "That doesn't mean you have to have anything to do with it, does it?"
Josie looked up from her hands to her friend with a desperate look in her eye. "I'm probably going to be in charge of her story, Anita! After all, I'm the one who pushed Rigfort to give her an assignment; I'm sure he'll place me in charge of her getting that story."
"But you won't have to go there," Anita reasoned.
Josie paused. "I guess not." She frowned. "It still makes me uneasy, though. Oh, Anita!" she cried, dropping her head to the desktop. "Why did he have to pick the college where Sam teaches?!?"
* * *