dropping into his chair.
Ellis slid his hands into his pockets and meandered closer. “Don’t let Maria wear you down, son. We’re just getting started.”
“I know.”
“She needs to learn how to make her way in the real world. You’re the man to teach her, and you have my full support. But we can’t expect her to like it. She’s going to fight us, kicking and screaming.”
David nodded, feeling grim. “She’s a fighter, all right.”
Ellis studied him with a level, considering gaze. “You admire that about her, don’t you?”
David quickly looked away before Ellis saw anything else he shouldn’t. “Yes,” he said, the word tasting sour and vinegary on his tongue.
A long silence followed, during which David used every ounce of his self-control not to fidget under Ellis’s knowing stare. Finally, Ellis either gave up trying to read his mind or got bored, he couldn’t tell which.
“Is Anastasia Buckingham still coming in?” Ellis asked.
“Yeah.”
“Getting Essex House’s business is a huge coup for us, even if they’ve only hired us to babysit their biggest pain-in-the-ass author. I’ve been courting that publisher for longer than I care to admit, and we need to hit a home run with Anastasia. If we do, they’ll hire us for some of their other authors.”
“I understand.”
“She’s a, ah…” Obviously trying to find the right word, Ellis flapped a hand, floundering. “Well, she’s a nightmare. No use sugarcoating it. All the in-house publicists at Essex have refused to work with her anymore. They hate her guts.”
“I see.”
“She’s written Blue Endearment,and now she thinks she’s this big literary—” Ellis made quotation marks with his fingers “—author. She hates it when anyone mentions that she got her start writing erotic novels.”
“I saw that in the notes,” David said, trying not to laugh. “So she’s repudiating her Downtown Divaseries? She’s not proud of Harlem Hoochieand Hip-Hop Hottie?” He reached inside his briefcase on the floor next to his desk, pulled out a purple paperback and flipped it on the desk. The cover artwork showed a woman undulating between two men who both had their arms draped around her.
Ellis shot him a quelling glance. “Apparently not.”
“Wonder why?”
Ellis crossed his arms over his chest and glared.
“Sorry,” David said, choking off his grin.
“As I was saying,” Ellis continued. “Anastasia thinks she’s an artistenow. She wants to win the National Book Award with Blue Endearment. I think she’s living in a fantasy world, but we need to keep her happy. If she’s happy, Essex House is happy. If Essex House is happy, we get paid. Capisci?”
“Oh, I understand. Don’t you worry. We’re researching everything we can find about Ms. Anna Buckley.”
“Anastasia Buckingham. She hates her humble roots.”
“I know,” David told him. “I also know what she eats for breakfast and what size shoe she wears. We’ve got it covered.”
“And remember. She never goes anywhere alone. She’s always got her entourage with her.”
“No problem.”
“You know,” Ellis said in a casual tone that didn’t fool David for a minute, “Maria reads these silly little novels all the time. It’s your decision to make, of course, but you might want to—”
Horrified, David held up a hand to stop him. The last thing—the very last thing—he needed was to spend any more time with the bane of his existence. “Excuse me, but did you or did you not put me in charge of this office, Ellis? If you think I can’t do the job, then—”
Ellis beat a hasty retreat. “I know, I know.”
“—maybe you should just say so right now.”
“No need to be so testy, David. You can do what you want. But Maria might be helpful on this one. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Maria can start out as a peon, same as everyone else—”
The desk phone beeped, interrupting them. Jane’s chirpy voice came across the line.
Ellis slid his hands into his pockets and meandered closer. “Don’t let Maria wear you down, son. We’re just getting started.”
“I know.”
“She needs to learn how to make her way in the real world. You’re the man to teach her, and you have my full support. But we can’t expect her to like it. She’s going to fight us, kicking and screaming.”
David nodded, feeling grim. “She’s a fighter, all right.”
Ellis studied him with a level, considering gaze. “You admire that about her, don’t you?”
David quickly looked away before Ellis saw anything else he shouldn’t. “Yes,” he said, the word tasting sour and vinegary on his tongue.
A long silence followed, during which David used every ounce of his self-control not to fidget under Ellis’s knowing stare. Finally, Ellis either gave up trying to read his mind or got bored, he couldn’t tell which.
“Is Anastasia Buckingham still coming in?” Ellis asked.
“Yeah.”
“Getting Essex House’s business is a huge coup for us, even if they’ve only hired us to babysit their biggest pain-in-the-ass author. I’ve been courting that publisher for longer than I care to admit, and we need to hit a home run with Anastasia. If we do, they’ll hire us for some of their other authors.”
“I understand.”
“She’s a, ah…” Obviously trying to find the right word, Ellis flapped a hand, floundering. “Well, she’s a nightmare. No use sugarcoating it. All the in-house publicists at Essex have refused to work with her anymore. They hate her guts.”
“I see.”
“She’s written Blue Endearment,and now she thinks she’s this big literary—” Ellis made quotation marks with his fingers “—author. She hates it when anyone mentions that she got her start writing erotic novels.”
“I saw that in the notes,” David said, trying not to laugh. “So she’s repudiating her Downtown Divaseries? She’s not proud of Harlem Hoochieand Hip-Hop Hottie?” He reached inside his briefcase on the floor next to his desk, pulled out a purple paperback and flipped it on the desk. The cover artwork showed a woman undulating between two men who both had their arms draped around her.
Ellis shot him a quelling glance. “Apparently not.”
“Wonder why?”
Ellis crossed his arms over his chest and glared.
“Sorry,” David said, choking off his grin.
“As I was saying,” Ellis continued. “Anastasia thinks she’s an artistenow. She wants to win the National Book Award with Blue Endearment. I think she’s living in a fantasy world, but we need to keep her happy. If she’s happy, Essex House is happy. If Essex House is happy, we get paid. Capisci?”
“Oh, I understand. Don’t you worry. We’re researching everything we can find about Ms. Anna Buckley.”
“Anastasia Buckingham. She hates her humble roots.”
“I know,” David told him. “I also know what she eats for breakfast and what size shoe she wears. We’ve got it covered.”
“And remember. She never goes anywhere alone. She’s always got her entourage with her.”
“No problem.”
“You know,” Ellis said in a casual tone that didn’t fool David for a minute, “Maria reads these silly little novels all the time. It’s your decision to make, of course, but you might want to—”
Horrified, David held up a hand to stop him. The last thing—the very last thing—he needed was to spend any more time with the bane of his existence. “Excuse me, but did you or did you not put me in charge of this office, Ellis? If you think I can’t do the job, then—”
Ellis beat a hasty retreat. “I know, I know.”
“—maybe you should just say so right now.”
“No need to be so testy, David. You can do what you want. But Maria might be helpful on this one. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Maria can start out as a peon, same as everyone else—”
The desk phone beeped, interrupting them. Jane’s chirpy voice came across the line.
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