Into the Night Read Online Free

issue, she’s going to make Dating in the 21st Century a monthly segment.”
    Nicole groaned out loud. She wanted to ask if Michelle was kidding, but knew it was no joke. Sharon, the editor in chief at The Las Vegas Commentary, would undoubtedly put Nicole in charge of the column, and the thought of spending the next six months reporting on current dating trends was enough to make her break out in hives. Which would be a really bad thing right before her speed-dating assignment this evening.
    “Sharon is killing me with all these fluff pieces she keeps tossing my way.” A legitimate complaint considering what she’d been promised when she took the job at the Commentary. “God, will she ever give me something I can investigate and make a name for myself?”
    Michelle sighed, silently understanding Nicole’s irritation and disappointment. “You know how strict Sharon is about having to work your way up the editorial ladder.”
    “I’ve been climbing for almost two years.” Swiveling her chair toward the vanity mirror, she began plucking the hot rollers from her hair. “I think I’ve more than proved myself as a reporter. She knows I’m capable.”
    “You can always sleep with the boss,” Michelle suggested, tongue in cheek. “It worked for Justin.”
    Loose blond curls fell to Nicole’s shoulders as the heated rollers were removed, one by one. She met Michelle’s gaze in the mirror and grinned wryly. “It’s been a long dry spell for me in the sex department, but I’m not desperate enough to go girl-on-girl, and I know that’s not Sharon’s scene, either. So, the whole sleeping-with-the-boss thing just isn’t going to work for me.”
    Michelle rolled her light brown eyes. Then, turning on her side, she propped her head in her hand, her expression suddenly somber. “You’re feeling restless at work, aren’t you?”
    “I just feel … undervalued, and uninspired as a journalist. I’m bored and I want exciting stories that give me a rush of adrenaline and actually make a difference.” She swiped on eye shadow and rimmed her upper and lower lashes with a soft kohl liner before adding mascara.
    Because as things stood, she was sorely in need of a career boost of some kind. She hadn’t spent all those years at Columbia University on a full scholarship to be a minion at a mediocre, socially driven newsmagazine. She’d rather take risks with difficult, uncompromising reporting that kept people up to date on important current issues.
    News was Nicole’s true passion, and she dreamed of being a tough journalist on top of breaking events. A reporter who relished the challenge of discovering deep, dark truths and documenting stories that were shocking, yet so riveting you couldn’t help but read all the sensational, and sometimes scandalous, details.
    When she’d hired on at the Commentary, the new and upcoming magazine’s vision had been different—definitely more in line with Nicole’s personal goals. Somewhere along the way, the editorial input had turned soft, indulgent, and much too complacent for Nicole’s liking. And as tonight’s speed-dating assignment proved, the weekly publication wasn’t taking her career in the direction she’d pictured. And most likely it never would.
    And that meant it was time to reevaluate her current place of employment. But until she found an alternative, she needed a steady paycheck and had a story due on Monday. So, instead of going into tonight’s assignment with a negative attitude, she’d decided to focus on the more positive aspects of the evening. And maybe, while she gathered the information she needed to write her article, she’d have a good time, too.
    After running her fingers through her hair, she headed to her closet and changed into the outfit she’d bought earlier that day. She returned moments later and twirled around in the middle of the bedroom for Michelle’s approval.
    “So, what do you think?” Nicole asked, perching her hands on her