Tabloid (Dirty Laundry #1)

Prelude to Success

"Excuse me, Miss? Can we use this chair?" Talia's gaze lifted from the menu.

"Uh. I'm still waiting for someone."

"Oh. Alright." He approached another table with an empty chair.

Talia looked at her watch. An hour late. That son of a bitch was standing her up. It was the last time she was going to use that dating app.

She sighed and wondered if she should leave now or wait a bit longer.

"Ready to order?" The waiter approached the table for the fifth time. His impatience was showing.

He had a look of ridicule. Yes, she was being stood up. Yes, she looked sad and lonely. Was she going to let that get her down? Hell, No!

"Yes. I'd like the salmon with a salad." She closed the menu.

He snapped his order pad shut. Before he walked away, he made as much noise as possible taking away the other plates and glasses.

"Thanks." Talia mumbled taking a sip of her wine.

Talia knew she wasn't the best catch. She was curvy, outspoken and if she was being honest, plain. Most men didn't give her a second look. Her last resort was that stupid dating app. Staring at the seat across from her, clearly that app was crap.

While Talia waited for her meal, she took her tablet out. She was working on an article for the tabloid magazine, The Dirty Laundry. The last three years she'd been working her way up the chain. Talia had an uncanny way of being in the right place at the right time for celebrity gossip. Recently, she'd hit a dry spell. Her current article was nothing to write home about. Pun intended.

"Come on, baby! I can't wait to get back to your place." A familiar squeaky voice sounded from a booth to her right.

"Calm down, Gwynny. You know I'm going to give you what you want." A sultry female voice answered.

Talia glanced over trying to look inconspicuous. A beautiful blonde woman was practically sitting in the dark-haired woman's lap. Talia snapped her head back to her notebook.

Sitting in the booth was A-list star Gwyn Smythe. The woman who's lap she was sitting in was her manager, Gina Bartholomew. This normally wouldn't qualify as scandalous, but Gwyn was currently engaged to Zee Jaxon, A-list action star.

Talia snuck her phone out of her purse. She strategically propped her phone up to snap consecutive pictures of the women canoodling.

"Here you go." The waiter placed her food in front of her.

"Thanks." Talia watched her phone snap the pictures.

"Anything, else." He snapped.

"No."

"No wonder he didn't show." He mumbled as he walked away.

The comment stung but the reality of what she was getting dulled the pain.

Twenty minutes later, Gwyn and Gina left arm and arm. Talia texted the pictures to her boss.

Her phone pinged immediately with a message.

Talia smiled.

Dropping money on the table she grabbed her tablet and walked calmly out of the restaurant.