Page 87

Laughing, she breaks the ice. “Honestly, me, too. I hate these things. I like the writing aspect, but the interviews always make me uncomfortable. Everyone is so stiff and disingenuous. Do you even know what this interview is for?”
“Not a clue,” I admit. “Denny—or, I guess Mrs. Lockleer as you know her—was supposed to meet me beforehand so I’d be better prepared for you.”
Kat sucks in her lips. There’s a loudsmackas she releases them. “Clearly a miscommunication because when she purchased the feature, she said you’d requested it.”
“I didn’t request this interview.”
“Ah. Must be PR scheming on your behalf,” Kat says with a crooked smile. “Okay, let’s approach this differently. Do you know much about Peak Publications?”
I shake my head. “I’m not really a magazine girl.” The last time I read a magazine, CosmoGirl and Myspace were still relevant.
“Right, well, print media has dwindled. We own several digital publications.” She lists off several websites that I’m not familiar with. But when she mentions BuzzLit my ears perk up.
“BuzzLit, as in the celebrity gossip feed?”
Her smile is clipped. “More or less. But that’s not where we’ll be featuring this interview. Our business publication, Elite, wants to feature a woman CEO as an inspirational story. That’s what this interview is for.”
I nod. “Okay, sure. That I can do. Although, I’m pretty new to the job so I’m not sure how much insight I can give you.”
She leans forward and turns off the recorder. “Listen, Ms. Mitchell?—”
“Lennox,” I correct.
“Okay, Lennox. I have a boilerplate interview with all the perfect answers I can use. It’ll say how humbled and thrilled you are to assume the role of CEO at Hessler Group and how you have all sorts of plans for growth and innovation, of course, lined with philanthropic motivation. Yada, yada.” She smiles. “Don’t stress about the interview. I’ll make sure you come off looking fantastic. You’ll get to sign off on the article prior to publishing. Most of the CEOs I interview don’t even show up to these things. Their PR teams email me their responses and then they show up for about five minutes to the photo shoot. You’ve already been far more generous with your time than I expected.”
“Okay, that sounds great, actually.” I don’t think I have a PR team, but I have Dex. Whatever she writes, I’ll run it by him.
“Relieved?” she asks.
“Incredibly. I just moved across the countryyesterday.My head is still spinning.”
“Where were you prior?”
“Vegas. That’s where I met Dex.”
She lifts her thick, red eyebrows so high it looks like they might fly right off her head. “Now, that’s an interesting story…consider me intrigued.”
I laugh. “It’s nothing like that. Dex was living in Vegas for the past three years. That’s where we met.”
“Ah, I love this. You’re givingPretty Womanvibes, especially with your purple hair. How’d you guys meet?” she asks, rubbing her hands together. She kicks off her shoes and tucks her feet underneath her thighs, sitting comfortably like a child would.
I squint one eye. “I’m going to pretend like you didn’t just insinuate I’m a prostitute, but for the record, Dex was my scuba diving instructor. I actually didn’t have the money to learn to dive and so he gave me lessons for free.”
Clasping her hand over her mouth, Kat gasps into her palm. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t meanPretty Womanin that way. I just meant Dex Hessler has been on Forbes most eligible heirs for almost a decade. I’m glad to see he ended up with someone with a little…pizazz. You seem far more interesting than the Stepford Wives robot drone we all assumed he’d marry. You know the type—slim, perfectly curled hair, delivers exactly two and a half children, maybe gardens a bit.”
I smile, growing a little more comfortable at her feisty nonchalance. “Gardening isn’t my strength.”
“So, friend to friend, what’s the secret? How do I land a billionaire because early retirement is calling my name.”
I laugh. “My relationship with Dex wasn’t strategic. We knew each other for years. I didn’t even know who he really was. I only found out last week about his wealth.”
“What? How did you not know who Dex Hessler is? He’s literally royalty in Miami.”
“He doesn’t act like it. He was pretty lowkey in Las Vegas. All I knew is he was so passionate about diving and teaching. He makes me laugh. I’m never not smiling around him. It’s why I fell for him.”
“Not to mention, he’s pretty fucking hot.”
I smirk. “Also, that.”