She ought not feel so irritable over this, but she was starting to think Darbyshire was about to lose her title for crankiest author.
“What’s wrong?” Ian sat in the chair across from her desk. “Sip.”
“I’m not a toddler.” Greta still took a sip of her lukewarm coffee. “I don’t know how we’re going to tour Carpenter if she’s a recluse. Do we have any pictures? Anything from her socials?”
“Nothing.” Ian tapped a foot as he thought. “What if we ask Toni to send us a candid of her? Or are there any on her account?”
Greta looked at him a beat too long before saying, “Toni’s fiancée hired someone to do Toni’s socials. Can you pictureTonipromoting her books?”
Ian cracked a smile. “Fair. She’s more likely to toss a manuscript on your desk and saunter out than talk about the books. Ever. How can someone with such an exoskeleton write such”—Ian made a noise—“angsty, swoony stuff?”
“Did you just refer to her as having an exoskeleton?” Greta deadpanned.
“Tell me I’m wrong. Seriously. Tell me.” Ian folded his arms and glared.
“Ian.”
Her assistant made ahmphkind of noise. “Maybe she has a ghostwriter! She’s secretly a giant beetle like the Kafka book? Or a hedgehog?”
“Seriously?” Greta cracked up at the thought of that. “Toni’s a bit prickly, but she’s sweet on the inside.”
“Just like a hedgehog.” He sighed when Greta raised both brows. “Fine. She’s complicated, so maybe Carpenter is going to surprise us,too. Maybe she’s just shy.” He folded his hands and glanced at the ceiling. “Lord, don’t let her be another hedgehog.”
Greta held up her phone so he could see the email she had just received.
Ms. Clayborne,
Noted.
K.C.
Ian chortled. “What’s worse than a hedgehog? Those little fish that if you step on them, you get envenomated. What are they called?”
“Do you mean a stonefish?”
“Yes!” Ian nodded. “She’s a stonefish. What’s with lesbians being so cantankerous?”
Greta scowled. “Did youseriouslyjust say that? What’s wrong with you, Ian? That’s—”
“Please! I love cranky women.” Ian smiled. “I work foryou, boss. Sip. Wait? Are we still un-caffeinated enough that I have to act like you’re a sweet little cherub? Sip.”
There was no polite answer there. Ian would make his remarks, as if she could become provoked. She certainly couldn’t use herself as an example of beingnotprickly either.
She was crankier than usual the past week.And I know where there’s a cure.An irresponsible part of Greta wanted to pretend she had work in DC and take the train down for a day. She knew it was foolish, but she’d resumed her life of functional celibacy after her one evening with Lee.
And thought about her incessantly.
7Kaelee
Kaelee opened the messages on the dating app several times on Friday and then again on Saturday. Hearing from her editor, hearing from her agent, knowing people would be reading her book, knowing the deal would be announced soon… it was a lot. She had a long mental list of all the skeletons that could reach out of the past and ruin her present. Logic was pointless when her anxiety spiraled like this.
My biological family doesn’t care about me.
It’s not like they’re out there looking for me.
I changed my name so I won’t tarnish their sterling reputation.
She was ninety percent certain her family had simply washed their hands of her and saidgood riddance to bad garbageor whatever the religious version of that was. They probably claimed to pray for her, but they weren’t praying for clarity or even acceptance. They were praying she would repent and change.
