job so she could quit the one she had and put this horrible day behind her. “Glad to hear it.”
“And things are looking quite good for you, missy.”
“Also good to hear.”
“Listen, the board is eating up—I mean, just devouring—everything you’ve written. Your criticism is great, and you really know how to get the big guns to open up to you.”
He probably meant the interview she’d done with DonDeLillo, which had graced the front of
Vanity Place’s
December issue. She sighed, thinking of that happy accomplishment, then noticed the copy of
Vamp
sitting on her desk and coughed. “I have to admit,” she said, turning the book over, “I’ve gotten a few coups.”
“With Irving in your sights.”
Technically true, though some vampire named Harold, not John Irving, appeared to qualify for the slot marked NEXT .
“Tell me, what’s he like?”
“John Irving? Fantastic.”
“Oh, I bet it’s going to be a killer profile.”
Well, the
topic
of John Irving had certainly achieved a lethalness around here. “I hope so.”
“When can I see it?”
She jerked. “Um, well, it’s sort of in process.”
“Next issue?”
“Actually—” She stopped. If she told him it had been tabled for a future issue, he’d want to know what she was working on for the upcoming one. “Probably.”
“Excellent. I’d love to read your take. The
board
would love to read it. Send over what you have. I wanna love me some of that John Irving.”
“You know I will. As soon as it’s ready.”
“Super-duper-ola.”
Ellery hung up and looked at the books, disconsolate.
John Irving would be so much easier to write,
she thought.
“Irving’s fantastic, huh?” Kate had maneuvered herself into Ellery’s office. “You must be something of a telepath, since I know you haven’t sat down with him yet.”
“Gimme a break. I’m doing an examination of romance novels, for God’s sake.”
“An ‘examination.’ My goodness, the issues are going to be flying off the shelves.”
“Hey, it’s the best way to approach a difficult subject. Strip it to the bones and make it beg for mercy.”
“Which difficult subject are we talking about?”
Ellery gave her a piercing look.
“So, exactly what sort of relationship did you and our Mr. Mackenzie share? Holiday party gone awry? Deadline fever? I checked the database: You haven’t worked with him in the last five years.”
“You should have checked back a little further. We worked on a number of pieces together. In Pittsburgh,” she added quickly, as if the mere setting made the notion of it being anything more than a regrettable fling unimaginable. “Before he came here to do his thing and I came to do mine.”
“Ah. And when you two were doing your mutual things,” she paused, giving the last two words as lascivious a sound as possible, “what was that like? I mean, is he the sexiest guy who ever coaxed his zoom into close-up mode or what?”
Ellery shook her head. “The zoom work was fine. I told you, it was the depth of field that was lacking.”
Kate considered this. “Yeah, I guess it sort of makes a difference if you’re in it for more than a few shots.”
“Yeah, it does.”
“But here you are, working together again?”
“Yep.”
“And you say the zoom work was fine?”
Ellery gave her a haughty
hm
.
“What?” Kate lifted up her palms. “It’s not like you’re slapping away the offers. I’m just saying a little tight-in stuff can do wonders for a girl’s portfolio.”
“Who’s working on their portfolio?” Axel draped his forearms over the cubicle wall and smiled amiably.
“Ellery,” Kate said. “I told her she needs to tighten her prose—you know, focus on the really big stuff.”
“You’ve already started writing?” he said to Ellery, surprise on his face.
“No, not yet.” Why did the copper hairs dusting his forearms have to sparkle like a daytime meteor shower?
“Well, perhaps you’ll have some time on
“And things are looking quite good for you, missy.”
“Also good to hear.”
“Listen, the board is eating up—I mean, just devouring—everything you’ve written. Your criticism is great, and you really know how to get the big guns to open up to you.”
He probably meant the interview she’d done with DonDeLillo, which had graced the front of
Vanity Place’s
December issue. She sighed, thinking of that happy accomplishment, then noticed the copy of
Vamp
sitting on her desk and coughed. “I have to admit,” she said, turning the book over, “I’ve gotten a few coups.”
“With Irving in your sights.”
Technically true, though some vampire named Harold, not John Irving, appeared to qualify for the slot marked NEXT .
“Tell me, what’s he like?”
“John Irving? Fantastic.”
“Oh, I bet it’s going to be a killer profile.”
Well, the
topic
of John Irving had certainly achieved a lethalness around here. “I hope so.”
“When can I see it?”
She jerked. “Um, well, it’s sort of in process.”
“Next issue?”
“Actually—” She stopped. If she told him it had been tabled for a future issue, he’d want to know what she was working on for the upcoming one. “Probably.”
“Excellent. I’d love to read your take. The
board
would love to read it. Send over what you have. I wanna love me some of that John Irving.”
“You know I will. As soon as it’s ready.”
“Super-duper-ola.”
Ellery hung up and looked at the books, disconsolate.
John Irving would be so much easier to write,
she thought.
“Irving’s fantastic, huh?” Kate had maneuvered herself into Ellery’s office. “You must be something of a telepath, since I know you haven’t sat down with him yet.”
“Gimme a break. I’m doing an examination of romance novels, for God’s sake.”
“An ‘examination.’ My goodness, the issues are going to be flying off the shelves.”
“Hey, it’s the best way to approach a difficult subject. Strip it to the bones and make it beg for mercy.”
“Which difficult subject are we talking about?”
Ellery gave her a piercing look.
“So, exactly what sort of relationship did you and our Mr. Mackenzie share? Holiday party gone awry? Deadline fever? I checked the database: You haven’t worked with him in the last five years.”
“You should have checked back a little further. We worked on a number of pieces together. In Pittsburgh,” she added quickly, as if the mere setting made the notion of it being anything more than a regrettable fling unimaginable. “Before he came here to do his thing and I came to do mine.”
“Ah. And when you two were doing your mutual things,” she paused, giving the last two words as lascivious a sound as possible, “what was that like? I mean, is he the sexiest guy who ever coaxed his zoom into close-up mode or what?”
Ellery shook her head. “The zoom work was fine. I told you, it was the depth of field that was lacking.”
Kate considered this. “Yeah, I guess it sort of makes a difference if you’re in it for more than a few shots.”
“Yeah, it does.”
“But here you are, working together again?”
“Yep.”
“And you say the zoom work was fine?”
Ellery gave her a haughty
hm
.
“What?” Kate lifted up her palms. “It’s not like you’re slapping away the offers. I’m just saying a little tight-in stuff can do wonders for a girl’s portfolio.”
“Who’s working on their portfolio?” Axel draped his forearms over the cubicle wall and smiled amiably.
“Ellery,” Kate said. “I told her she needs to tighten her prose—you know, focus on the really big stuff.”
“You’ve already started writing?” he said to Ellery, surprise on his face.
“No, not yet.” Why did the copper hairs dusting his forearms have to sparkle like a daytime meteor shower?
“Well, perhaps you’ll have some time on
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