so much more to show you.”
I looked up and Auntie Abby was grinning like a fiend. “He’s adorable,” she said, “is he cute too?”
“Oh yes,” I replied, “so, so, so cute. He’s picking me up at six.”
She squealed and clapped her hands together. “I am so excited for you,” she said, “I have to clean up. Oh dear, so much to do before he gets here.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, “I’m going to meet Chloe and I don’t think he’ll judge us because there are a few scattered newspapers here and there.”
She waved me away and went for the broom closet. There would be no stopping her. We rarely got company, and while we weren’t filthy, we weren’t exactly tidy. I secretly had hoped Isaac wouldn’t come inside, but if he did, I was grateful she would clean up a little.
“I’ll see you later,” I said, feeling guilty leaving her like this, but dying to tell Chloe all about it. I hoped she’d be over her little snit and let me have my little moment in the sun.
I should have known she’d never let it go. Unfortunately by the time I realized how deep her bitter jealousy went, everything was in shambles.
Chapter Nine
She was waiting when I got there, which was never a good way to start a visit with Chloe. She liked to be the late one.
“Well, how kind of you to show up,” she said and jiggled her leg under the table.
“Did you order?” I asked and picked up a menu. I was only ten minutes late, it’s not like I’d given her mom cancer or something. I didn’t get the level of her irritation unless she was still pissed about being shut out by Isaac last night.
“Uh, no,” she replied, “I was waiting for you. But I’m starving .”
The waitress took our order and came back with two black coffees. Chloe sipped hers and pouted until I finally broke the silence.
“Did you have fun last night?” I asked.
“Not as much as you obviously.”
“I’m not going to hide it, I had a fantastic time.”
“It’s all over the blogs. Everybody knows allll about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Uh, you basically made out with him in public, in front of everyone at the event. Blogs are sharing pictures, readers are sharing pictures. There’s a huge argument about people hooking up at book events on Twitter. It’s like world war three out there, all because of you.”
My mouth went dry and my throat closed. My entire existence was built up around being in the background. I was infinitely more comfortable letting people like Chloe shine in the spotlight.
I would hold her coat while she danced, that was where I felt I was meant to be.
To be exposed like this felt unnatural. “So is it just in the book community?” I asked.
“Isn’t that enough?” she demanded, “I am so embarrassed by this.”
“Why are you making it personal?” I asked, “This isn’t about you. This is about me and finally making a bad decision. Finally living.”
“You realize he used you,” she said, “he could tell I wasn’t interested so he moved on to you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I replied, “we both know that’s not true.”
I didn’t know why she was making it so personal, it had nothing to do with her really. She hadn’t become part of the book community until long after I had built my little empire. I truly had the most to lose here.
I grabbed my phone and checked out a few of my favourite blogs. The first had a small blurb about unseemly conduct at book events, but nothing too damning.
It got worse as I went along. By the end of my little tour, I was almost in tears.
There were photos of Isaac and I kissing, leaving together, and even some of us in my car driving away from the hotel. I was painfully aware of the disparity between us, he was gorgeous in every one and I looked plain and frumpy. I was even caught in mid glasses shove with my finger in the middle of the frame and my lips screwed up.
“This is bad,” I said and realized my food had arrived and
I looked up and Auntie Abby was grinning like a fiend. “He’s adorable,” she said, “is he cute too?”
“Oh yes,” I replied, “so, so, so cute. He’s picking me up at six.”
She squealed and clapped her hands together. “I am so excited for you,” she said, “I have to clean up. Oh dear, so much to do before he gets here.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, “I’m going to meet Chloe and I don’t think he’ll judge us because there are a few scattered newspapers here and there.”
She waved me away and went for the broom closet. There would be no stopping her. We rarely got company, and while we weren’t filthy, we weren’t exactly tidy. I secretly had hoped Isaac wouldn’t come inside, but if he did, I was grateful she would clean up a little.
“I’ll see you later,” I said, feeling guilty leaving her like this, but dying to tell Chloe all about it. I hoped she’d be over her little snit and let me have my little moment in the sun.
I should have known she’d never let it go. Unfortunately by the time I realized how deep her bitter jealousy went, everything was in shambles.
Chapter Nine
She was waiting when I got there, which was never a good way to start a visit with Chloe. She liked to be the late one.
“Well, how kind of you to show up,” she said and jiggled her leg under the table.
“Did you order?” I asked and picked up a menu. I was only ten minutes late, it’s not like I’d given her mom cancer or something. I didn’t get the level of her irritation unless she was still pissed about being shut out by Isaac last night.
“Uh, no,” she replied, “I was waiting for you. But I’m starving .”
The waitress took our order and came back with two black coffees. Chloe sipped hers and pouted until I finally broke the silence.
“Did you have fun last night?” I asked.
“Not as much as you obviously.”
“I’m not going to hide it, I had a fantastic time.”
“It’s all over the blogs. Everybody knows allll about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Uh, you basically made out with him in public, in front of everyone at the event. Blogs are sharing pictures, readers are sharing pictures. There’s a huge argument about people hooking up at book events on Twitter. It’s like world war three out there, all because of you.”
My mouth went dry and my throat closed. My entire existence was built up around being in the background. I was infinitely more comfortable letting people like Chloe shine in the spotlight.
I would hold her coat while she danced, that was where I felt I was meant to be.
To be exposed like this felt unnatural. “So is it just in the book community?” I asked.
“Isn’t that enough?” she demanded, “I am so embarrassed by this.”
“Why are you making it personal?” I asked, “This isn’t about you. This is about me and finally making a bad decision. Finally living.”
“You realize he used you,” she said, “he could tell I wasn’t interested so he moved on to you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I replied, “we both know that’s not true.”
I didn’t know why she was making it so personal, it had nothing to do with her really. She hadn’t become part of the book community until long after I had built my little empire. I truly had the most to lose here.
I grabbed my phone and checked out a few of my favourite blogs. The first had a small blurb about unseemly conduct at book events, but nothing too damning.
It got worse as I went along. By the end of my little tour, I was almost in tears.
There were photos of Isaac and I kissing, leaving together, and even some of us in my car driving away from the hotel. I was painfully aware of the disparity between us, he was gorgeous in every one and I looked plain and frumpy. I was even caught in mid glasses shove with my finger in the middle of the frame and my lips screwed up.
“This is bad,” I said and realized my food had arrived and
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