They reached the conference room again. Greta opened the door and motioned her inside.
With a resolve she hated to call up, Kaelee smiled and stepped forward.
Now instead of a stack of glossy cardstock, the pile of oversized cover mock-ups were spread out in a row along the table. Six concepts. Each one had her name and her title. Seeing the row of covers with her name on them made her forget everything else for a moment.
“I’d buy this one if I saw it.” Kaelee tapped the corner of the fourth cover. The blue background jumped out in a way that made her think of books in the genre that were on her shelf. “I don’t love that font, though.”
Emily’s smug smile was unmissable as she looked around the room at the assembled group.
Kaelee asked, “What?”
“That was myexactopinion. It’s always refreshing when an author thinks marketing-wise, not just ‘Oh! Pretty!’” Emily gestured expansively. “Look at the others, too. Obviously, something about that cover resonates. Are there others that jump out at you?”
It felt like a quiz, one she really wanted to ace as Greta watched and waited. The desire to impress her was awkward, but it was undeniable.
Kaelee paused and looked at each cover, thinking of the hot books in the genre. She didn’t want hers to look like a riff on any of them, but she wanted to match them tonally. As she went through the row, commenting on what did and did not do those things, she caught Greta’s approving smile.
That expression ought not warm her the way it did, but she couldn’t ignore the flush of happiness she felt. The worst part of this was that she realized that she and Gretareallyclicked in their interests.Greta liked my book. They shared an interest in fiction, not just in a love of reading, but in books and publishing. Greta had edited the best book Kaelee had read in historical fiction, and she’d edited Kaelee’s own book. More and more, Greta was revealing herself tobe exactly what Kaelee craved in a friend, as well as still being her ideal lover.
And I can’t have her in that way ever again.
By the time the morning meetings had ended, they were behind the planned schedule. The publicist, Charlie, looked at her with an assessing gaze. She was a tall woman with the sort of debutante beauty that would make Kaelee’s mother ask about her “beauty regimen,” but she also had an understated way about her. With more attention to style, Charlie could force every eye to her. Instead, she wore no noticeable makeup—including the sort necessary for a natural look. Her blazer was boxy rather than slim cut, and both her trousers and shoes were basic black.
Like recognizes like, and Kaelee knew without asking that Charlie had secrets. If anything, it made Kaelee relax as she realized that Charlie was probably intentionally downplaying her beauty. There was little chance she didn’t know what she looked like, not with that kind of confidence.
“It can be a lot,” Charlie said. “We’re pros at this, but you have to be willing to trust that.”
“I’m certain you’re all great at your jobs,” Kaelee said.
“Ha! Spoken like a woman used to handling dissent.” Charlie eyed her, handed over a business card. “We really are on your team.”
“Unless the book fails,” Kaelee muttered.
Charlie reached out, not quite putting her hand on Kaelee’s wrist. “Our job is to make sure it doesn’t.”
“You can’t guarantee that. Any of you. Ever.” Kaelee sounded confrontational, which was the wrong tactic here, but she couldn’t stop her fears from burbling from her mouth. “What if something awful happens? Or worse… what ifnothinghappens?”
“Then we reassess for the paperback release.” Charlie shrugged. “Go to lunch. Relax.”
“Why don’t we just get carryout? Or delivery or whatever?”Kaelee tilted back in her chair after noticing Greta look at the clock and then at Emily. “I don’t need to go to a restaurant. At home, I’d be making a sandwich or grabbing takeaway to eat at my desk.”
“We can wrap this up and still more or less make the reservation,” Greta started. “Ian?”
“On it!” Ian was already on his feet.
“Or,” Kaelee said firmly, drawing a curious look from both agent and publicist. “We focus and get this finished. I don’t need wined and dined. I need marketed and promoted, and getting finished sooner means I can take the train home sooner.”
Charlie gave her a beaming smile, and Ian eyed her curiously. Greta looked away, but not before Kaelee saw a disappointed look wash over her face.She couldn’t possibly think I’m staying now?Of course Kaelee couldn’t ask that.
“What if we agree to acelebratorymeal later, Kaelee?” Charlie eyed her again, and Kaelee made a mental note that the publicist was a little too observant.
“I have a train back to—”
“Not tonight. On the event of your first big victory. That way no one feels like we are neglecting you.” Charlie had an expression that said she threw down a challenge, a dare of sorts.
“You are more optimistic than I am,” Kaelee pointed out.
“I know.” Charlie met her attention head-on. “However, my job requires me to think big, andRevelmakes my job easy. I read the book, Kaelee. This isn’t just a case of getting the cover copy and talking points. That happens, too, but I read your entire book. Iknowhow to get publicity for a book like this.”
