Page 82 of Happily Ever After

“And you should be. Not a lot of women in the public eye have embraced aging the way you have,” Leanne said. “Which brings us to the book. How is it coming along?”

Blaise hesitated for only a beat. “It’s well underway. I’m happy with how it’s going. I may not be the most accomplished writer or the fastest, but I’m writing from the heart and telling the truth.”

“Can you talk about the things that are most important to you in the book? What you want people to take away from your story?” Leanne asked.

“Sure,” Blaise said. “It’s not about modeling. Not really. It’s about identity. About what happens when the thing the world knows you for stops defining you, and you have to decide who you are without that. It’s about dealing with loss in a lot of different ways. The loss of a certain kind of life, the loss of financial freedom. The loss of a great love.”

Thomas nodded, serious now. “And you feel the manuscript reflects that?”

“I do,” Blaise said. “Even more than when I first started. The more I write, the clearer the story becomes. The more it makes sense to me.”

“That’s often the case,” Leanne said. “Where would you say you are in terms of completion?”

“Maybe a third of the way through,” Blaise said. “With a clear plan for the rest.”

“And timeline?” Thomas asked.

“I feel confident I could have a full draft ready within three months,” Blaise said. “I’m sure it would need edits or revisions, but that’s where a publisher would come in.”

Leanne smiled. “We like that answer. And we’d like to be that publisher.”

A little spark of something came alive in Blaise.

“Can we ask,” Leanne said carefully. “How the modeling factors into all this? And what about the campaign? Will you have to do anything more for Marco? Just thinking about timing.”

Blaise considered her words. “The campaign launches in six weeks. It’s national, with a digital focus. I don’t think there will be anything more for me to do, unless there are interview requests. I suppose anything is possible.”

“That kind of visibility can be powerful,” Thomas said.

“I agree,” Blaise said. “As far as more modeling goes, I’ll consider each offer as it comes in. But the good news is that the book remains my number one priority.”

Leanne’s smile widened. “That’s exactly what we were hoping you’d say.”

Blaise smiled back. She had a good feeling about these people.

“We’re very interested,” Leanne continued. “We wouldn’t have scheduled this call otherwise.”

Blaise met her gaze through the screen. “I appreciate the honesty.”

“Would you mind telling us if you’ve spoken with other publishers?” Thomas asked.

“Yes,” Blaise said. “I have.”

“That’s expected,” Leanne said. “I imagine there will be a few more eager to talk to you after that campaign launches.”

They asked more questions then, all of which Blaise answered thoughtfully and honestly.

At one point, Beau shifted and let out a small whuff, and Blaise reached down to scratch his ears without breaking stride in the conversation. Leanne noticed and smiled.

“Is that your dog?” she asked.

“It is,” Blaise said, scooping him into her lap. “He’s my favorite companion.”

“He’s adorable. I can already see the cover of your book,” Thomas said. “You and your dog. What do you think?”

“I think having Beau on the cover with me would be wonderful.”

The call wound down naturally, without rushing.