Love That For Me by Abby Knox

ChapterTwo

Alex

DidI ever fuck up an interview this bad before?

Talking to journalists doesn’t usually make my armpits sweat, but Jessica from Montana made me forget what year it is.

What was my motive for building in this particular tiny town in Montana?

No, the word she’d used was incentive. I know she’s talking about tax breaks.

What immediately came to my mind was nothing about my bottom line. The motivation was personal.

And I’m the only person who knows my motivation. If I’d spoken my reasons out loud? Hell. My advisors, publicist, and board of directors would have me committed.

But I know I’m right.

As a person of science and business, I rely on data and market research. We don’t make decisions based on our emotions.

Yet that’s what I did, and then let my feelings run amok in that phone interview.

I’d made some idiotic comment about how I find her phone voice soothing.

The reporter had played that off, then asked a straightforward question, and I rambled on about how our servers work. She doesn’t care about any of that.

Why couldn’t I have just said something in plain English? As in, I’ve known for a while I needed to build a server in that region of the country. That’s it. That’s all I needed to say. Instead, I spewed out a bunch of tech gibberish. All true, but still nonsense to the average person.

Okay, that’s all a half-truth.

When I’d had my team scout locations, I also did my own research. As brilliant as everyone says I am, doing my own research was not the best idea.

I was vulnerable after spending too much time alone in my office. Writing new code, practicing speeches, and writing a book. I haven’t had a minute of fun in years. So considering how starved I am for companionship, I should not have done what I did.

While pulling up articles about the mountainous areas of western Montana, I came across Darling Creek, population 2,000. That led me to The Darling Creek Daily News. That led me to articles by someone named Jessica.

And then, I clicked on her name, which took me to the staff bio page.

When those brown eyes looked back at me, I’d dropped my bubble tea and ruined a pair of brand-new Italian shoes.

When I read her bio, I knew all bets were off.

“Jessica Miller came to the Daily News from Phoenix Sun. She likes writing general news but hopes to write a fashion column for the New York Times one day. She spends her spare time looking at clothes she can’t afford, thrifting for the designer pieces she can, and drinking box wine with her cat, Sophie. That wasn’t a misplaced modifier; the thieving, freeloading Sophie gets into the merlot every chance she gets.”

That was it. I was done looking.

I had to build in Darling Creek, and I needed to meet Jessica.

At first, I thought it might be fun to fish, snowboard and ride horses with some of my L.A. friends at their Montana vacation homes.

But now things have changed. I’m not just building a hub here; I might be building a life here. If I don’t mess it up.