“Hard truth. Oh, and there’s another big thing going on. But I can’t tell you.”
“Or else you’d have to kill me?”
“Something like that. Iwilltell you in like a month-ish. But right now, I can’t. It’s gigawatts-huge news.”
I laugh. “I love how you’re testing my patience, Evan.”
“Ha! Me and the rest of the publishing industry, am I right? Anyway, boo, trust. It’sworththe wait.”
“Okay. If you say so,” I say. I’m grinning, and I know he can hear it in my tone of voice.
“All right. I need to get back to it. There aresomany queries this time of year. It’s like spring fever all up in my inbox. I’m going to need reading glasses soon instead of just my blue-light ones.”
“Aw. Good luck.”
“Thanks, lovie. I’ll pass you through to Lindsay now. Good timing too. She just got in like an hour ago. I love how people just make their own hours around here.”
“Fashionably late Friday,” I say.
“Ugh. Exactly. ’Kay. Muah,” Evan says, blowing me a kiss goodbye.
I wait, and another phone rings. My stomach always gets a little tied up in knots when I’m waiting to talk to Lindsay. I feel like I’m on an endless interview—I’m forever terrified that I’ll say the wrong thing and she’ll just opt to drop me as a client.
“Vision Board, this is Lindsay,” she says.
“Hi Lindsay. It’s Grace,” I reply. “Sorry I missed your call. What’s up?”
“Hey, Grace. Psyched to hear from you. How’s the writing going?”
“Good,” I say. “I got a burst of energy over the past few days.”
“Excellent. Glad to hear it.”
“Have you heard anything else from the publisher?”
“Nope. But no news is good news. They’re patiently waiting, just like me.”
“Okay. Well, yes, it’s coming along.”
“Feel free to send pages if you want me to get started on reading. You know, with a deadline this tight—”
Hard to tell if that’s a suggestion or a demand.
“I will,” I say. “Soon. Just not quite yet. I’m working through some ideas with a friend of mine who’s helping me.”
“Oh, yeah?”
I feel myself blush. “Yeah. It’s been pretty cool. He’s got great suggestions.”
“He?”
“It’s kind of, um, a new guy I’m seeing,” I say.
“Nice. Well, just make sure he doesn’t steal your focus.”
Nope. Only my heart, I think, and immediately laugh at myself for such a vomit-inducing line. “Don’t worry,” I say.
“Keep me posted, okay? And, like I said, send me stuff. You know, when you’re ready.”
