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“I wrote my story already. You didn’t seem to like it. Let Lynch take it.”

“What are you working on now, then?”

“I have a few ideas.”

“Ideas? We have a one-thousand-word gap to fill on the online side, and I thought you were ready to have a breakout year this year, Palmer.”

“I am. I’ve just got a lot going on right now.”

She failed to mention her long-distance relationship and the fact that sleep wasn’t coming as often or as consistently as it used to as a result. She wouldn’t change anything about it, but it had made working a little bit harder. Well, if shecouldchange something about it, she’d put herself in the same room as Elizabeth.

“Palmer, this is your job. It’s your career. You’re on track to be a star at one of the most read newspapers in the world. If you want it, you’ve got to take it.”

“There’s a potential labor strike in Jersey. I was going to write about that.”

“Union?”

“Yeah, the one-ten.”

“They’ve been threatening to strike for years now.”

“I know, but the signs are pointing to soon,” Palmer said. “I could head to Jersey tomorrow, get some interviews in, and have the first stab at it on your desk the day after.”

“Get me that and try to find a new angle, not just the standard shit. I’m over the standard shit.”

“Okay.” She nodded.

“And I’ve something else for you. There’s a candidate in Virginia. She’s running for senate against the incumbent who’s been in office forever. She’s got some fresh takes on the issuesandhas the money to back her up. I think she’ll be the underdog, but she stands a chance at winning. I was thinking about putting you on her campaign.”

“A campaign?”

“Yes, a campaign. Can you show me something better than St. Rais?”

“Yeah, I can, but you’re talking about me going to Virginia, right?”

“Yes, Palmer. I’m talking about putting you on her bus. It’s going to be a long and dirty campaign; probably some juicy content in there and a chance for you to get it first. This is a good next step for you. It’s what you told me you wanted when you first got here.”

“Itis, yeah. When would I leave?”

“Take care of the Jersey thing. Then, we’ll get you set up to head out.”

“Right away?”

“Yes, right away. Palmer, what is your problem?”

“It’s just that I was going to go out of town and write my next piece. I was thinking about doing something on St.Rais, but if you’re giving that to Lynch, I can think of something else.”

“Out of town, where exactly?”

“Just out of town. I wanted to get out of the city and really focus on my work.”

“Good. Do it in Virginia.”

“This is probably a bad time to ask for this then, but if I can’t work from where I was going to go, can I maybe take some time off? I could come back and then do Virginia.”

“You just took time off, Palmer.”

“Not much. It was a few days, really, and I’ve never taken time off before that.”