Dominique laughed and moments later was buried in work. The day passed quickly and as she handled one issue after another she realized what a blessing the previous day had been. How can I do it? she wondered, as she browsed through potential topics for the Capricious issue that was due to hit the newsstands in five months. How can I stay on top of everything here, and still carve out time for a personal life?

That question was put on hold as Dominique prepared for her luncheon meeting with François Deux. He had always gotten on her nerves but she felt his timing right now was particularly annoying. In the past two years, she’d only had to deal with his bitchiness in person three times. And now he was requesting another meeting after seeing her just a few weeks ago? What can he possibly want now?

Fifteen minutes into their lunch, she found out.

“Dominique, the point of this meeting is quite simple. Capricious has to take everything to the next level.”

Dominique prided herself on being able to maintain a straight, interested face when all she wanted to do was barf. She was normally a sucker for an accent, and François’s whiny voice and puckered pronunciations of o’s and oo’s reminded her of Dr. Oz on Oprah, when he’d puckered his mouth and said it resembled an anus. François was an asshole all right.

“François,” she began, in the calm voice she would use to tell Justin his boo-boo would heal, “I am well aware that there is a competitor on the horizon. If you’ll remember, this was mentioned at our last meeting. I am confident in what we have here: solid writers, great features, interesting subjects, and a loyal reader base. The numbers for Capricious are higher than they’ve ever been. Last year, our circulation increased 10 percent. We’re not yet in the league of Glamour and Cosmopolitan, but considering how long we’ve been out here, we’re strongly holding our own. We’re getting A-list interviews, our advertisers are solid. Everyone in the industry knows we’re one to watch.” Dominque paused, and took another calming breath. “To help me be on the same page with you, can you be more specific about this next level?”

“Are you questioning my belief that this magazine can become much more than it is now, that we are nowhere near where we should be?”

“Of course not. I—”

“Need I remind you that as editor-in-chief of Capricious magazine, it is your sole responsibility to oversee not only its success with the readers but the satisfaction of investors and of the board?” He pressed thin lips together and raised an eyebrow as he pierced Dominique with a questioning look. She remained silent. “If you don’t think you can do that, well, I know several people who can.”