Complications Read Online Free Page B

it might be best to keep a clear head tonight. “On second thought, I’d better not.”
    Eric handed her a tall glass of something fizzy, garnished with a thin slice of lime. “It’s club soda.”
    “Thanks.” A couple of sips helped ease her dry-mouth problem, but unfortunately, Eric’s hand on her shoulder wasn’t having the desired calming effect on her nerves.
    “You ready?” he prompted gently.
    “I guess I’ll have to be.”
    “You’ll do fine.” He held out his arm to her again. “C’mon, let’s go work the room.”
    They wandered about for the better part of an hour, dropping in on conversations already in progress. Ally couldn’t help admiring Eric’s ability to pick up on any subject and speak about it knowledgably, though it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Nobody achieved what Eric had without being incredibly sharp and focused.
    Eric’s enthusiasm proved infectious, and Ally soon felt like her old, considerably more animated self again, laughing and riposting with the best of them. Holly was dead-on about the dress; it did all the work of attracting an audience, leaving Ally free to bowl them over. By the end of the evening, she’d collected half a dozen business cards, along with several leads for new articles.
    She was getting ready to call it a night when Eric sidled up to her and said, “There’s someone I want you to meet before you go.” They picked their way through the dispersing crowd over to the balcony, where a tall, slender man with a well-trimmed beard stood peering out at the breathtaking view of the Hudson. “Ally Taylor, I’d like to introduce Martin Atkinson. He’s that MSNBC producer I told you about.”
    She shot Eric a pointed glance as he moved off to usher out some of his departing guests. No wonder he’d been so insistent about her coming tonight. Then, pasting on her tried-and-true networking smile, she shook Atkinson’s proffered hand. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you,” she said sincerely. “I’ve been following your work for a while now.”
    “Likewise,” Atkinson replied, with a disarmingly lopsided smile.
    Ally blinked. “I haven’t had that much work to follow. Not lately, anyway.”
    “Didn’t you write that article on the latest developments in green technology in Mother Jones a few months ago?”
    “Yes,” she admitted, “but I didn’t think anyone had actually read it.”
    “Oh, I read everything. You never know when something good will pop right out at you. It was an exceptionally well-written piece.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his card. “I’m heading out of town for a few days, but if you’d like to give my office a call next week, maybe we can schedule some time to talk.”
    “About what?”
    Atkinson laughed, then leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “Eric mentioned that you’re between jobs right now.”
    “Oh, did he?” Ally spied Eric halfway across the room, and, once his eyes locked on hers, proceeded to look daggers at him. Then, turning back to Atkinson, she added, “If you’re offering to interview me, I’m flattered, but I might as well tell you, I don’t have any on-camera reporting experience.”
    “We’re not necessarily looking for that, although I can tell right now you’d be a natural. I think you’d do fairly well starting off as a staff writer, and we’ll see how it goes from there.”
    “Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”
    “Eric’s never steered me wrong where financial advice is concerned. I doubt he’s off base in this instance either.” He drained his glass and set it down on a nearby table. “I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you.”
    She stayed out on the balcony for another half hour, waiting for the rest of Eric’s guests to leave. Once the room emptied out she strolled back inside, poured herself another club soda and took a seat beside Eric on the couch. “Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” he asked, reaching up to loosen