Pity Present (Pity #5)
Chapter 41
87%
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
BLAKE
Gillian stares at her computer screen intently before saying, “Not bad.”
Not bad, my foot. I just turned in three articles that rock socks like a fox on a box eating lox. I may owe my love of the written word to Dr. Seuss.
Sticking my hand out toward her, I demand, “I’ll take those tickets now.”
Instead of handing them to me, she says, “Your last article isn’t complete. The one about you and Polly.” She pauses long enough to ask, “Is that her real name?”
“I’m not going to give you her real name.” Then I ask, “How is the article incomplete? I told you about our first kiss, I told you about how she broke things off with me. What more do you expect?”
“I want the finale! I want the making up and getting back together.”
“Under no circumstances will I write anything more about me and M … Polly. I gave you what you wanted, which was a review of the Elk Lake Lodge’s dating event. I did my part.” Sticking out my hand, I tell her, “Now do yours.”
Gillian reaches into her desk and pulls out a small white envelope. “You know, if you told her the only reason you wrote about her was to help a sick boy, I’m willing to bet she’d forgive you.”
“I thought that was all top secret.”
“You can’t write about it,” she confirms. “But you could tell Polly.”
Making a grab for the tickets, I tell her, “She’s not happy that I was writing about us, but her main complaint is that I didn’t tell her why I was at the event. I made up some lie about being there undercover for the coffee shop I worked at.”
Gillian scoffs. “What coffee shop would pay for you to participate in a two-week-long singles’ getaway?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I tell her. “I came up with a good story and Molly believed me.”
“Ah, so her name is Molly! What’s her last name?”
“Her last name is none of your business, Gillian.” Taking the tickets from her, I ask, “Do I still have a job?”
“Of course you still have a job. Why wouldn’t you?”
“Do I still have a job writing about sports ?” I clarify. I will not do another one of these filler pieces even if it means saving my career.
“You do. In fact, you should plan on starting the first of the year. Charlie has decided his last game will be on New Years’ Eve.”
I release the breath I’d been holding. “Finally. Thank you.”
“But I still want you to tweak the last article and give me the happily-ever-after our readers will be counting on.”
I concede, “If there’s a happily-ever-after, I’ll write about it. But that’s a big if, considering Molly isn’t talking to me.”
“Christmas is a time for miracles, Blake. Don’t give up.”
I think about that as I walk out of Gillian’s office. I’m not a fan of those cheesy movies where people’s eyes meet across the room and they just know they’re looking at their soul mate. I particularly detest the ones where two unsuspecting people meet and fall in love while picking out a Christmas tree. How unrealistic is that?
But if Christmas could bring a miracle that would let Molly forgive me, I’d stand in a block-long line and sit on Santa’s lap myself to thank him. Taking the tickets out of the envelope, I slowly count them. There are five, like I requested.
Walking over to a loveseat in the lobby, I sit down and text Ellen.
Me
I have an extra courtside ticket to the Bulls game on Christmas Eve. What are the chances that you could convince Molly to go to the game?
Ellen
Slim. Molly hates basketball.
Me
Seriously?
Ellen
Maybe hate is too strong of a word. Why? What do you have planned?
I don’t have anything planned yet, but I have the beginning of an idea.
Me
I have five tickets. Three of them are for a family I met at the lodge who have a sick kid.
Ellen
You don’t mean Ben’s family?
Me
How do you know about them?
Ellen
Molly introduced them to me this morning at breakfast. Is that who you got the tickets for?
Me
Yeah. Ben is pretty sick with leukemia.
I can’t help but wonder how Molly knows Ben’s family.
Ellen
What if we get Francie and Ward to ask Molly to go with them without using your name?
Me
That would be brilliant! Do you think they’d do it?
Ellen
You got them courtside tickets to the Bulls, Blake. I’m sure they’d love to help.
Me
Do you want me to text them, or will you ask?
Ellen
I’ll ask. That way I can fill them in on the whole story.
Me
Thank you, Ellen. That would be amazing.
Ellen
Don’t thank me yet. I’ll try to find them and talk to them today.
Me
Tell them I’ll leave their tickets at Will Call. I’ll leave Molly’s too if they can convince her to go.
I was not Ellen’s biggest fan last night in the ballroom. But then she came by my room and offered to help me patch things up with her sister. Now, she’s going above and beyond to get Molly to the Bulls game. I pick up my phone and go to a search engine to find out who’s who in the Bulls organization. I find their publicist’s name and write her an email.
Dear Sharon,
My name is Blake Walsh and I’m the new sports reporter for Chicago Wind . I have a big favor to ask …