‘Ted wanted her to be some literary darling, but I said she should be herself. If you’re good at something, why not stick with it? She wasn’t super original, but she was driven and readers loved her work. I told her she was a golden goose that should keep on laying.’
Liv cringed inwardly. ‘Didn’t she mind?’ she said.
‘She thought it was funny. I remember at our first Dubfest together we sat in a bar like this one at midnight, talking about her books. The sea was black, stretching before us. The moon was out, and the stars twinkled. I asked Essie what she wanted from life. And she held out a palm and said,All this, for a start. She enjoyed the attention, and the awards and the clothes, and the men. She was always looking forsomething, and people flocked to her.’
Liv wondered howthatwould feel. Essie had wanted so much from life and then turned her back on it all.But why? ‘Were the two of you ever romantically involved?’ she said.
‘Definitely not,’ he said.
‘Oh… okay.’ Liv found the photo on her phone of Essie and Anthony. ‘Do you know this man?’
‘Who is he, a lover?’ he said, pinching his lips together. ‘I thought Essie and I shared the same taste in men.’
‘I’m not sure.’
‘Well, I do not know him. Men usually kept Essie entertained for one night, maybe two, and then…’ He snapped his fingers. ‘I remember her dancing once at a party and everyone’s eyes were upon her. She told me there was only ever one man who could hold her attention, who she really loved. Then, a few weeks later, she announced she was moving to LA with Hank Milligan.’ He raised both eyebrows.
‘Was hetheman?’ Liv said.
‘I don’t know. Hank is a super fun guy to be around. Maybe a littletoofun. He has lots of energy, you know? And a predilection for serial killers.’ Sven stopped talking and finished his coffee. ‘What I thought would be a fling turned into a ten-year marriage.
‘Hank was gorgeous, a real party guy,’ he continued. ‘He took Essie to some great parties. They both loved the lifestyle in the sun, you know, the cars, and the houses. I stayed with them sometimes…’
Liv heard a downturn in his words. ‘What happened?’ she said.
Sven let out a sigh. ‘Hank drank a lot. And Essie joined him more and more. It began to affect her work. Writing Georgia Rory became a necessity, you know, a chore. I suspected there were things going on in her personal life that I didn’t know about.’
Liv wondered what they were. She was about to ask Sven when he waved for more coffee.
He waited until a waiter brought over their cups before he spoke again. ‘When Essie sobered up, her writing picked up and she won the Constellation. Hank was by her side. And then, after that night…’ He gave an exaggerated shrug and did his shooting motion again. ‘Pow. Nothing. I don’t know what happened, but she would no longer meet me. She turned down invitations to festivals. I thought I had done something wrong. It went on for several years.’
‘Until she left you for Marlon?’ Liv said.
He nodded. ‘One day I spoke to Essie on the phone. I reminded her she was a golden goose. Except, this time, she went crazy, calling me names. I think I hit a nerve. And then I heard she signed with Marlon.’ He looked down at the table. ‘It was like a divorce, and it stung.’
Liv had always thought writing was a glamorous career. But for all Essie’s parties and clothes, cars, houses and fancy hotel rooms, had the author felt like a commodity in the publishing world? Moving to Marlon appeared to give Essie a little more freedom.
She finished her coffee and looked out to sea.
‘Did you tell me what your job is?’ Sven said. ‘I can’t remember.’
‘I’m Essie’s assistant,’ Liv said. ‘She thinks I might be able to write, too.’
‘She wouldn’t say that if you weren’t any good.’ He smiled.
‘I’m not qualified at all. Not that it stopped Essie doing so well…’
He placed a hand on the back of hers. ‘Don’t believe everything you read. Essie went to university. Being self-taught was a little myth her original PR team cooked up. They thought readers would relate to her more.’
‘Oh.’ Liv’s shoulders fell. She felt like she’d been hoodwinked somehow. Not having a higher education was something she had thought she and Essie shared.
‘It does not matter. If you want to write, you must do it. Essie has seen something in you,’ he said. ‘Do you enjoy working with her?’
‘It’s a bit like an obstacle course.’
‘Yes. I found this also. Yet, we still want to take part, even if we can never win.’ Sven stood up and shook Liv’s hand. ‘It was good meeting you again, Liv. Please say hello to Essie for me.’
Liv ordered a sandwich for lunch and sat thinking about Essie for a while. No one could tell her what happened the night of the Constellation Prize ceremony. At least she had found out that Sven wasn’t Essie’s mystery man.
