"Oh? Which one is that?"
"Gay romance, close-proximity, there's only one bed, brother's best friend, military, and every other trope you can think of. It's like the author picked a bunch of random tropes from a jar and put them all together in one book."
Mia comes inside and takes a seat on the chair in front of my desk.
"Oh yeah, I remember that one. The day I read it, you made me grab coffee for you and the person-that-shall-not-be-named from Planning, so that was my revenge."
I chuckle. "I do apologize for asking you to do your job."
"So you should, and now that you've read through that confetti mess of a manuscript, let me give you a real gem."
She hands over the manuscript and I read through the brief summary sheet at the top.
This is another gay romance. I love all genres, but I can't deny that lately I've been spending a lot of time reading gay romance.
I choose to think it's because it's a growing market and I'm making good business decisions when I offer contracts to authors writing LGBTQ fiction. In reality, I think it's the lack of real romance in my own life that's pulling me toward reading it.
My father has always been more of a thriller fan, so working on increasing market share in romance is something we disagree on, even if it's proven to be our best-selling genre.
And, as if thinking about him is a calling card, I look up and see my father standing behind Mia and looking every bit the CEO.
My father isn't a bad or scary boss. He knows all the employees by name and knows what jobs they do. But heisthe business, and because of that, no one dares to cross him.
You need to have a damn good business reason to try something that failed in the past. Blackwood Publishing does not make mistakes twice.
"Good morning, Mia," he says.
"Good morning, Mr. Blackwood, you look dashing in that suit."
My father's stern face softens a little, and I love Mia for being the only person other than my mother that can draw a smile from his face.
Like I say, he's not a bad person. He just has... expectations.
"Thank you, Mia. I take it Alexander has now told you about my plans to retire?"
"Yes, sir."
"I hope you can continue to support my son in his new role.”
Mia stills for a split second. I know she'd hate that job. It hits me then that I'll need to let go of her. As much as I love working with her, I can't make her take on a job I know she'll hate just so I can continue working with someone I consider a friend.
She nods at my father and then leaves my office, closing the door behind her.
“Alexander, may I have a word?"
My father sits on the chair Mia just vacated and looks at the pumpkin on my desk.
"What's that?"
"It's a pumpkin," I say.
"I can see that. What's it doing on your desk?"
"Did you come here to ask me about my choice of office accessories, or is there anything else I can help you with?"
He narrows his eyes and straightens up a little, giving me a look that puts me back in my place.
Yeah, in the privacy of my office, I don't hold back from my father, but he always has a way to remind me who's really in charge here.
