A Seductive Melody (The Kelly Brothers Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

focused on the positives before the bitterness erupted into a “fuck it all” scene.
    I’ve got one foot in the door, which is better than where I was before.
    I’m gaining insight into how the magazine publishing world works.
    I’m making contacts and building my resume.
    I can use this experience to help me later .
    A Zen-like sensation surrounded her with each positive thought, followed by a calm acceptance. It was only the sound of her name that pulled her back to reality.
    Hilde, one of the staff writers, stood in front of her. She was sleek and sophisticated in her late thirties, her hair perfectly highlighted and never out of place, and her face showed the benefits of her regular Botox injections. The meeting had adjourned, and the other writers were filing out the room. “Sleeping on the job?”
    “No, just brainstorming ideas.”
    “Good, because I’ll need your help.” Hilde beckoned her to follow her out of the conference room. “By the way, you have some balls pitching story ideas as an assistant.”
    “I have to start somewhere,” she replied with a shrug. “It’s not like I’m going to get fired for suggesting something.”
    “But it’s not scoring you any points with the other writers.”
    Becca glanced around the office and caught a couple of disapproving glares that backed Hilde’s warning. “What are they worried about? It’s not like Elaine ever accepts any of my ideas anyway.”
    “Just offering you a piece of friendly advice.” Hilde leaned in and lowered her voice. “Between you and me, though, I find your ideas thought provoking, even if they aren’t right for this magazine. You keep searching for good stories like that, maybe you can end up at a place that appreciates your enthusiasm.”
    If only…
    “You mean you don’t appreciate me now?” she teased back.
    “I’ll appreciate you even more if you can help me research these topics.” She flipped open her notebook. “Article one: How to take the perfect selfie.”
    Becca bit back a groan and scribbled the topic down. “I’m on it.”
    “Great, and when you’re done with that, you can help me with the article on holiday makeup trends. But first, I’d love a latte from downstairs. You know how I like it.” Hilde walked off without another word.
    Becca clenched her shoulder blades together and repeated her positives list from earlier before heading down to the coffee stand.
    Once she fetched the venti, double-shot, nonfat, sugar-free vanilla latte with no foam for Hilde, Becca settled into her cubicle and popped her ear buds in. Music from her iPod Shuffle filled her ears and drowned out the chatter around her. A search of the Internet found tons of tips on taking selfies and plunged her into a world of camera angles, expressions, filters, and cropping techniques.
    She was nearing the end of what she hoped would be enough information when the hard, driving beat of one of Ravinia’s Rejects’ songs came on. She sat back and bobbed her head in time with the music and was instantly transported back to the carefree days where she’d dance all night to songs like it at a club, drink in hand, one hit away from bliss.
    The familiar craving flared in the back of her mind. No matter how long she’d been clean, she’d always remember how good it felt to get high. She curled her fingers around the armrests of her chair until the craving faded. Thankfully, tonight was her NA meeting. Just knowing it existed helped her push past the memory and move forward.
    The song was ending by the time her fingers were back on the keyboard, but instead of continuing to research her article, she entered “Ravinia’s Rejects” into the search field. At the top of the list were articles about the tragic death of the lead guitarist, Tyler Bransford, last month. Most of the news out there speculated that the band had broken up, but there was still talk about them releasing some of the material they’d been recording when he died.
    She