“Let me run the offer by her and get back to you by end of day,” Emily said. Then she paused and awkwardly added, “She’s serious about the quiz, though. She wrote an actual quiz. I told her she was being ridiculous, but she’s afraid you’ll just buy it without loving it because the first book sold so well.”
Greta laughed out loud. “Send it. I’ll fill it out.”
“Done… and the Kaelee situation?”
“Ian is the editor of record now,” Greta said. “I could be objective, you know, and I adore her book, but this clears the way for… seeing her socially.”
Emily was silent for several heartbeats. “Ian’s a great editor. Nothing else changes?”
“We are consulting legal to make sure they are aware of the situation with her parents reaching out aggressively.” Greta realized shesounded stiff, but she was worried—not about losing the book, but about Kaelee’s anxiety and the possibility of threats to her. All she added was “They’re powerful and homophobic.”
“So I hear,” Emily murmured. “Do you have a personal attorney you can recommend? I think just having the publisher’s attorney is insufficient.”
“Agreed, but I’ll need to talk to Kaelee first. I won’t overstep. I’m not her editor now, Emily. I’m just a woman who cares about her,” Greta pointed out.
They exchanged other updates, on both Toni’s and Kaelee’s upcoming releases, and then Greta said, “Do you mind if we add another date and start the tour in Houston? There’s a mystery bookstore there that does on- and off-site events. The events coordinator is amazing.”
“Murder By The Book?” Emily clarified.
“Yes.” Greta noticed that the snow was getting heavier and heavier outside and wondered if Kaelee’s office had a window.
Does she know about the weather?
“I have no objection to launching there. Why not DC, though, since both authors live there?” Emily prompted. “Or New York?”
“I wanted a mystery store, and that onealsodoes a great job with fantasy, so…” Greta started packing up while she watched the snowflakes outside. “Think about both topics. Get back to me. This snow is getting thick and—”
“Snow? Where are you?” Emily asked. “I don’t see a single flurry outside.”
“I’m not in the city,” Greta said with a wince. “I need to run, but I’ll expect your email.”
Emily sighed. “No one warned me that cat herding would be an easier career path than agenting. High-rise window washer? Goat shearer? So many options, Greta. So very many.”
Greta laughed in relief that Emily sounded resigned rather than angry. “You’d be bored doing anything else. Talk later.”
Once Greta ended the call, she texted Kaelee.The snow is heavy out there. How much later do you think you’ll be?
Kaelee didn’t reply, so Greta called. If she’d thought she might be in class, she wouldn’t have, but she was in an office grading. Only it wasn’t Kaelee who answered.
“Imagine my surprise,” Toni said. “I look over to see my friend’s phone and your name is there.”
“Hi.” Greta smothered a sigh. “She was to be grading, and I wanted to see if she was aware of the snow.”
“So you check the weather forecast for all your authors now? I guess you must do these calls alphabetically becauseIlive where it’s snowing, too. Was I going to be the next call, Greta?” Toni’s voice was muffled then, obviously talking to someone in the room with her. “Your phone rang, and I thought I’d answer it since it’smy editorcalling.”
“Well, maybe she was calling about my book,” Kaelee said in the background.
“Seems suspicious, Kae, sinceour agentsaid she got Greta’s out-of-office mess—” Toni interrupted herself and said, “Greta, whereareyou right now?”
“Give me the phone,” Kaelee said in the background.
Then the phone was obviously snatched away. Kaelee’s voice was no longer in the background. “Hey.”
“I’m sorry.” Greta braced herself for reprimands. Tasha was always quick to criticize when Greta embarrassed her.
Instead, though, Kaelee said, “I think we’re going to have to tell Toni we’re dating sooner than expected.”
There was a commotion in the background, and then Kaelee said, “I’m almost done here. Are you done with… the thing you were doing?”
