want.”
She saw Reed stop in front of a coffee shop. He had a cigarette in his hand. Yuck. Didn’t the kid know what those things could do to a person? “One more thing—you did say all expenses would be paid, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Bye, Brandon.”
“Andrea—”
Too late, Andrea realized she’d just hung up on her editor. She tried to feel remorse but couldn’t.
“Reed,” she greeted. “You’re up a little early.”
His eyes lit up. “Andi! Hey!”
She had to resist the urge to grit her teeth. “It’s Andrea, actually. Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“It doesn’t start for another half hour, so I was killing time after dropping my sisters off.”
“Hmm, isn’t it illegal to buy cigarettes if you’re under the age of eighteen?” He nodded. “Are you eighteen?”
“Uh, not yet.”
“Your mom buys those for you, does she?”
“No, she would kill me if she knew—” He clenched his jaw and shut up.
She glared meaningfully at the cigarette in his hand until he got the hint and tossed it to the ground. When he did, she smiled and stamped it out with her boot. “Sorry if I seem testy. No one has called me Andi since I was just a little older than you.”
“Sorry, I just thought I heard Sean call you that and I—” He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably, frowning at the dead cigarette butt next to her boot. He didn’t say a word about it, but he was blushing again. “So, uh, how’s your story coming along?”
“Pretty good. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Me?” He blinked. “You need some more quotes from me for your story?”
She shook her head. “How would you like to make some money on the side?”
He laughed. “Doing what?”
“Let’s just say I’m not the best photographer in the world, and my boss is pushing me to get some pictures to go along with this story I’m doing. I saw some of your stuff in the Dispatch . I can offer you a decent paycheck and the chance to add some nationally published clippings to your portfolio if you’re interested.”
He blinked and laughed as if she had just told a joke. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. I can talk to Hunter if you’re worried he might—”
“No! I mean, no, he wouldn’t care, and, yeah, I’d love to help you out. I mean, when do you want to get started?”
She explained her night’s assignment and asked if he’d be interested in keeping her company while she waited to see if her bait attracted anything unusual.
“You know we’ve done that before, some of us in the club, but we never saw anything. But that doesn’t mean we won’t tonight. Yeah, I’m in. Definitely.”
“I just want to make sure your mother doesn’t object.” Andrea pulled out her notebook.
“Oh, it won’t be a problem. She knows all about you.” He caught Andrea’s interested look and grew defensive. “I mean, I told her you were in town, and we looked up some of your work on the internet—you know, because I’m interested in journalism. You’re a good writer. I mean, how awesome that you wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times . Did you really win all those awards?”
She nodded. The kid had checked her out on Google. She wasn’t sure if that was kind of cool or kind of creepy.
She wrote him a generous check. “That should cover the bait and retain your services while I’m in town.”
He looked floored. “Look, this is too much. Really, I would do it for free. I could use the clippings.”
“I’m sure you could use the money too.” She shoved his hand away, refusing to take the check back from him. “How about we meet somewhere for dinner first?”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll give you a call when I get the bait.”
“Sounds good.” She turned to head back to her car. On second thought. “Oh, Reed? Let’s keep this assignment between us for now. No telling Hunter or your friends, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” She turned and was walking away when he called out her
She saw Reed stop in front of a coffee shop. He had a cigarette in his hand. Yuck. Didn’t the kid know what those things could do to a person? “One more thing—you did say all expenses would be paid, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Bye, Brandon.”
“Andrea—”
Too late, Andrea realized she’d just hung up on her editor. She tried to feel remorse but couldn’t.
“Reed,” she greeted. “You’re up a little early.”
His eyes lit up. “Andi! Hey!”
She had to resist the urge to grit her teeth. “It’s Andrea, actually. Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“It doesn’t start for another half hour, so I was killing time after dropping my sisters off.”
“Hmm, isn’t it illegal to buy cigarettes if you’re under the age of eighteen?” He nodded. “Are you eighteen?”
“Uh, not yet.”
“Your mom buys those for you, does she?”
“No, she would kill me if she knew—” He clenched his jaw and shut up.
She glared meaningfully at the cigarette in his hand until he got the hint and tossed it to the ground. When he did, she smiled and stamped it out with her boot. “Sorry if I seem testy. No one has called me Andi since I was just a little older than you.”
“Sorry, I just thought I heard Sean call you that and I—” He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably, frowning at the dead cigarette butt next to her boot. He didn’t say a word about it, but he was blushing again. “So, uh, how’s your story coming along?”
“Pretty good. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Me?” He blinked. “You need some more quotes from me for your story?”
She shook her head. “How would you like to make some money on the side?”
He laughed. “Doing what?”
“Let’s just say I’m not the best photographer in the world, and my boss is pushing me to get some pictures to go along with this story I’m doing. I saw some of your stuff in the Dispatch . I can offer you a decent paycheck and the chance to add some nationally published clippings to your portfolio if you’re interested.”
He blinked and laughed as if she had just told a joke. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. I can talk to Hunter if you’re worried he might—”
“No! I mean, no, he wouldn’t care, and, yeah, I’d love to help you out. I mean, when do you want to get started?”
She explained her night’s assignment and asked if he’d be interested in keeping her company while she waited to see if her bait attracted anything unusual.
“You know we’ve done that before, some of us in the club, but we never saw anything. But that doesn’t mean we won’t tonight. Yeah, I’m in. Definitely.”
“I just want to make sure your mother doesn’t object.” Andrea pulled out her notebook.
“Oh, it won’t be a problem. She knows all about you.” He caught Andrea’s interested look and grew defensive. “I mean, I told her you were in town, and we looked up some of your work on the internet—you know, because I’m interested in journalism. You’re a good writer. I mean, how awesome that you wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times . Did you really win all those awards?”
She nodded. The kid had checked her out on Google. She wasn’t sure if that was kind of cool or kind of creepy.
She wrote him a generous check. “That should cover the bait and retain your services while I’m in town.”
He looked floored. “Look, this is too much. Really, I would do it for free. I could use the clippings.”
“I’m sure you could use the money too.” She shoved his hand away, refusing to take the check back from him. “How about we meet somewhere for dinner first?”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll give you a call when I get the bait.”
“Sounds good.” She turned to head back to her car. On second thought. “Oh, Reed? Let’s keep this assignment between us for now. No telling Hunter or your friends, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” She turned and was walking away when he called out her