Chapter Six
A single bead of sweat trickled down Wendy’s back as she sat under the hot lights they had staged for the interview. The bright lights were almost blinding if she looked into them directly.
Administrative support was a long way from public relations. This sort of thing was the last job anyone should have had her doing.
Public speaking was not her forte. Hell, she had done anything she could in school to get out of speaking in front of groups. Sure, she’d had to do her fair share of briefings in her time in the Army, but those were always planned, mission-specific, and short as she could make them.
The truth was something about public speaking just made her break out in a cold sweat and filled her stomach with butterflies. Now, they wanted her to not only do that, but to do it in a situation where millions of people would be watching.
Her stomach lurched. She wondered if she’d end up going viral if she threw up on camera.
She glanced over at Cato. The hybrid remained cool and collected. It was like he did this sort of thing all the time.
She knew he didn’t. At least she thought she did. Titus and a few others were the public face of Luna Lodge. From what little she’d managed to gather, Cato seemed to be a guy who didn’t always play well with others, not exactly the kind of guy you’d put in front of a camera.
For that matter, he didn’t seem like the kind of guy you’d put in charge of party planning, but maybe there was some sort of hybrid-specific angle she just wasn’t getting.
Maybe he was just so amazing that he could flip a mental switch and go from gruff soldier to smooth PR guy.
Wendy glanced over again at him and rubbed her fingers together. She could still feel the softness of his hair. How the waves had slipped between her fingers with ease.
She hated when guys wore too much gel in their hair. It was always stiff and made them look like a plastic doll. Not Cato though. Soft and made her wish to run her fingers through it over and over again.
She swallowed. This was not good. She couldn’t let herself go down this path. If she let her guard down and got all dreamy eyed over some man, especially a hybrid, there was no telling what it would do to her career. No, she needed to stay focused.
The cameraman held up five fingers and nodded to Jill. He lowered a finger, then another.
Wendy’s heart raced. It was really happening.
3… 2… 1…
“Jill Hope here, reporting from inside the mysterious Luna Lodge. I’m here to expose the inner workings of the home and sanctuary that houses the controversial hybrids that the world has only recently come to know.”
Wendy watched the reporter speak into the camera with ease and wondered just what in the world Colonel Hall had been thinking. After all, there was no way this reporter was here doing this without the colonel’s explicit permission. There were so many things that could go wrong, so many ways the tension might get ratcheted up by a gaffe.
Maybe the colonel hoped it’d ease the unrest down at the fence. Protests had been common, but they’d become a daily occurrence. They weren’t always dignified and calm either.
For the most part, the soldiers guarding the gates and walls kept any unauthorized civilians on the outside of the walls and fence.
The fact that it was the protestors trying to break in, rather than the hybrids harassing people in town fueled more than a few uncomfortable thoughts in Wendy’s mind. It was hard to know who the military was even protecting, especially when the hybrids never seemed to be the aggressors.
She knew the colonel struggled with the mission. The hybrids were in their care, and no one there wanted to see anyone hurt. Colonel Hall might be strict, but she didn’t seem to have anything personally against the hybrids.
Inclusion was commonly talked about in the military. Regardless of race, religion, or gender, when you joined the service, you became a part of something bigger, after all. Maybe the military could relate to the hybrids in a way that a lot of the civilians couldn’t. Even though they hadn’t chosen to serve, they’d been raised as soldiers.
Wendy blinked and realized Jill was still talking. She was on live television and would need to keep her focus.
“This will be a three-part story,” Jill said, “ending with the biggest event ever hosted here: a party to help celebrate the reintegration of the Army at Luna Lodge to aid the hybrids.”
Wendy’s ears perked up.
Three part? As in, she would be doing this three different times.
“I’m joined today by Staff Sergeant Wendy Morris and Cato of the hybrids.”
Jill turned from the camera to smile at them both. Wendy responded with what she hoped was a smile, but for some reason, the muscles on her face weren’t functioning quite like they should.
“I hear you two have been put in charge of party planning as representatives of your respective groups. My understanding is that you’re going to come up with a party that can really help the two groups mix in a social setting.”
Wendy swallowed, her mouth suddenly very dry.
“That’s right,” Cato said.
She sighed a little, glad that he had been there to field the question.
“Sergeant, in what ways do you think this party will be different from most?”
Wendy thought for a moment. “Well, aside from the people attending, there really shouldn’t be much difference.”
The corner of Jill’s eye twitched a little, and Wendy knew she was going to have to elaborate.
“What I mean is that the whole point of the party is to make each side feel comfortable.” She shrugged. “If we make it some big to-do or some super-formal thing, then it wouldn’t really be meeting the goal.”
Wendy glanced over to Cato who was watching her with interest.
“It’s supposed to be fun. That’s what a party is all about.”
“I see.” Jill nodded. “So the focus of this party is going to be more about creating an ambiance where everyone will feel welcome? What an admirable start to such a momentous affair.”
Once Wendy started to think about it, the idea she’d just mentioned seemed almost impossible. Making these two groups feel comfortable around one another was going to take more than some streamers and food. It was going to take some real planning.
Shit.
It wasn’t even like they had a common upbringing to draw on. The hybrids had been genetically engineered and raised in a harsh laboratory environment outside of the United States.
She only barely stopped from groaning.
Jill leaned toward her. “So, Wendy, how does your boyfriend feel about you being stationed here? I imagine it would be a bit hard considering the kind of men you’re around.”
She winked toward the camera, and Wendy’s cheeks heated.
“I… uh… I don’t have a boyfriend so that’s not really a problem.”
Jill raised a brow but said nothing. When Wendy looked over to Cato, she could see him staring with interest, which only made her blush more.
“And you, Cato? Is there a special woman in your life?”
He grunted and looked away from her. She waited for his answer, but he didn’t give one.
Jill pursed her lips for a second. “Well, maybe something else will blossom thanks to this party.”
Wendy opened her mouth to protest, but the reporter was already turning back to the camera.
“Tune in later in the week for an exclusive look at Luna Lodge. Jill Hope, signing off.”
The green light on the camera switched to red. Wendy’s shoulders slumped as relief flowed through her.
“Good,” Jill mumbled to herself. “New love is always a good angle.”
“But…” Wendy said softly.
Jill looked up at Wendy and Cato, pinning them each in turn with her stare and a frown. “Next time I’m going to need a whole hell of a lot more from you two.” She grimaced. “It was like pulling teeth. I need you to work with me a little. Remember, the point of this is PR, and you guys could have sold being together rather than running from it.”
Wendy sighed.
“But we aren’t together,” Cato said.
Somehow his words hurt a lot more than they should have.
Jill grinned at him. “Keep telling yourself that, big guy. I’m going to get some shots around the building. I don’t know what you all are planning, but this party needs to be big, memorable.”
“But—” Wendy began.
“Yeah, yeah. I know you want everybody to be comfortable. I didn’t say it had to be fancy, just big and memorable.” Jill held up her hand. “The eyes of the nation are on Luna Lodge, and you need to make sure they see what you want them to see, because they’re going to remember it.”
Jill stood and strode away, her cameraman not far behind.
Cato snorted loudly as he stood. “I don’t care if she’s on our side now. She’s still fucking annoying.”
Wendy stood as well, not quite sure where to start.
Cato nodded after the reporter. “We better follow her before she causes trouble.”
Wendy nodded. It was a waste of time, but she wasn’t really sure she was ready to be alone with him again. She didn’t trust her body’s response.
“Hey you, beefy guy! How about a few quotes?” Jill shouted at some unsuspecting hybrid.
Cato and Wendy glanced over to one another and hurried outside. It was going to be an interesting time with Jill there.