Anna Pitoniak - Necessary People

You say that now. A little voice, in my mind. But what if Jamie betrays you, like Stella did? What if he tries to ruin your career, like Ginny did? Wouldn’t you put ambition over love?

It was just a passing thought. A synaptic blip. So why was my heart racing, my palms sweating, my face flushing?

“Hey,” Jamie said, putting a hand on my knee. “Violet. You okay?”

I shook my head. “Just tired.”

Corey smiled sympathetically. “Long day.”

“Do you want to go home?” Jamie said.

“I’m fine,” I said. “I’ll stay.”

Calm down, I told myself. Take a sip of the cool beer. Feel the warmth of the fireplace. Listen to the sound of their voices. This is all in your head. This is merely theoretical. There are people right here who love you, and no one is actually asking you to decide. You’re ambitious, sure, but no one is asking you to commit murder. No one ever said that cruelty was a necessary condition to success.

But— the dark, terrifying voice in my mind— doesn’t that just prove the point?

To be selfish. To be cruel, at times. To harden your heart so that you need no one else. When you realize how powerful this makes you, you keep it to yourself.

For two books now, the most brilliant people in publishing have had my back. Three fierce, fabulous women in particular have made all of this possible: my agent, Allison Hunter; my editor, Carina Guiterman; and my publicist, Maggie Gladstone. I’m more thankful to them—my powerhouse trio—than I know how to say.

I’m deeply grateful to everyone at Little, Brown for their belief and dedication: Asya Muchnick, Reagan Arthur, Judy Clain, Craig Young, Ashley Marudas, Lauren Harms, and Pamela Marshall. At Janklow & Nesbit, I also owe great thanks to Clare Mao.

Several people generously lent their insight and expertise about the world of broadcast news. I could not have written this book without Molly Battles, Katie Wiggin, Kira Kleaveland, Paul Needham, and others (who know who they are!). A special thanks to Kira and Paul, who read an early version of the manuscript and offered sharp-eyed advice. I also found invaluable illumination in the writings of Gabe Sherman and Brian Stelter, who allowed me to understand the behind-the-scenes dynamics of this world.

In the midst of writing this novel, I read Richard Ben Cramer’s masterpiece What It Takes. It’s the best portrait of ambition I’ve ever encountered, and his observations made a permanent groove in my imagination. There are journalists who write like novelists, and I’m grateful to them for so vividly capturing the drama and comedy and tragedy that resides in the real world, not just in fiction—and for deepening our understanding of the world as a result.

Lastly, thank you to my family, the people who offer me grace and love, who allow me to find joy and meaning in both the hard times and good times. To my parents, Ed and Kate; to my sister, Nellie; and to my husband, Andrew: I love you so much.

The Futures

Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.

To receive special offers, bonus content, and news about our latest ebooks and apps, sign up for our newsletters.

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © 2019 by Lost Lake Productions LLC

Cover design by Lauren Harms

Cover photograph by Kalamurzing / Shutterstock

Author photograph by Andrew Bartholomew

Cover © 2019 Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

Little, Brown and Company

Hachette Book Group

1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York NY 10104

littlebrown.com

facebook.com/littlebrownandcompany

twitter.com/littlebrown

First Edition: May 2019

Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

The Hachette Speakers Bureau provides a wide range of authors for speaking events. To find out more, go to hachettespeakersbureau.com or call

(866) 376-6591.

ISBN 978-0-316-45171-0

E3-20190410-DA-PC

E3-20190206-DA-NF-ORI