“Your book tour, Aaron. The one I’ve spent the last three months planning? It starts in two weeks. The one you agreed to, even though you said you’d rather walk over hot coals?”
“Right, that one.” I give her my most charming smile. “I’m totally prepared.”
“Liar.” She stops outside the conference room and lowers her voice. “They’ve added six more cities and are going international. You’ll be gone for at least six weeks.”
My stomach drops. “Six weeks?”
“Maybe more.” She studies my face. “Is that going to be a problem?”
Six weeks without Minji. Six weeks of hotel rooms, book signings, and making small talk with strangers. Six weeks of not waking up next to her.
“I can’t do six weeks,” I say before I can stop myself.
Tab’s eyes narrow. “Aaron, this isn’t optional. The publisher is investing serious money in this tour. Your last book hit the list at number three. They want to capitalize on that momentum.”
“I know, I know. It’s just…” I run a hand through my hair, searching for the right words. “Can we change the schedule? Maybe split it up? Two weeks away, then a week at home?”
Tab sighs, but I can tell she’s thinking it over, balancing my request with what the publisher wants. “I’ll try,” she agrees at last. “But I can’t promise anything. The tour’s been planned for months.”
“I appreciate it.” I squeeze her arm. “I’ll make it work either way.”
We walk into the conference room, and I put on my best professional smile. Selena, my editor, and Courtney, from the publishing house, wave from the end of the table, surrounded by marketing people whose names escape me. The room is bright with big windows, but all I can think about is how far I’ll be from New York and from Minji when this all kicks off.
“Aaron!” Selena rises to greet me. “Just the man we’ve been waiting for. We were just discussing your international itinerary.”
I shake hands, sit where Tab tells me, and make small talk. For the next hour, I nod and smile as they go over the schedule: twenty-three cities, four countries, endless bookstores, and morning shows. I pretend to be excited, but my mind is somewhere else. Six weeks without Minji. Six weeks of missing her rolling her eyes at my jokes or watching her fall asleep with her legal briefs all over our bed.
“So what do you think?” Courtney asks, and I realize everyone is staring at me expectantly.
“It’s… impressive,” I manage. “Very thorough.”
“We’re particularly excited about the London leg,” one of the marketing guys says. “Your UK sales have been climbing steadily.”
I look at Tab, and she gives me a small shake of her head. Now isn’t the time to argue, her face says. I keep my thoughts to myself and lean in.
“Walk me through the schedule again?”
By the end of the meeting, I’d agreed to everything they asked for—at least on paper. Tab and I get in the elevator together, and she waits until the doors close before turning to me.
“What’s going on with you? You barely said ten words in there.”
I press the lobby button, watching the numbers descend. “Six weeks is a long time, Tab.”
“It’s your job, Aaron. And it’s not like you haven’t done tours before.”
“Not since Minji.”
Understanding dawns on her face. “Ah. Trouble in paradise?”
“Actually, it’s the opposite.” I lean back against the elevator wall. “I’ve been thinking about proposing.”
Tab’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. Are you serious?”
“I bought the ring three months ago.”
“And you’re just telling me this now?” She punches my arm—hard. “I’m your agent and your friend, you jerk!”
“I haven’t told anyone,” I admit as the elevator reaches the lobby. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment.”
