Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“I don’t know,” I say.
He waits, hand still extended. “Take my hand, Charli. I want revenge, but I also believe in your book. Unless you went on a drug fueled bender after those first two chapters, I think you really have something with it.”
I stare at his hand, then I take a deep breath. I’ll probably regret this, but I stick my hand out and let his big palm swallow mine up.
We shake, and the way he smiles at me makes me wonder if I’ve just made a deal with a devil.
5
JAMESON
Charli surprised me by making excuses and slipping off to her room after she finished her coffee. I made sure she knew my room number before she left. I also saw “232” written in black sharpie on her room keycard’s paper sleeve.
I can honestly say I’m not used to women making excuses to get away from me, so the move caught me off guard.
Maybe it’s for the best. Truth be told, I haven’t come up with a firm plan yet. Coffee was supposed to make the plan manifest for me, and that failed. I’m too busy thinking about how I want to take my new author protege somewhere private and ravage her. Respectfully, of course.
Maybe that’s why she went to her room? Is she coming on to me? Am I supposed to follow after her?
No, dumbass. She went to her room because she just caught her boyfriend cheating and probably wants some space. I can do space. I’ll hold down the fort here and keep brainstorming the plan.
The rough outline so far is pretty simple. I dangle the fact that I’m working very up close and personal with the ex-girlfriend of Griffon Vanderlesh’s son in Landmark’s face. I publish her book. Me, Nolan, and the rest of Grey Wolfe publishing enjoy some much needed wild profit and success. It will be pure, petty revenge at its finest.
But something is missing. Maybe it’s all just a little too straight forward. A little too simple and blunt. After all, it is more of a front punch and not much of a backstab.
I take my third cup of coffee up to my room and sit thoughtfully by the window. I even strike a thinker’s pose–one fist beneath my chin and the other weilding the coffee. It’s not exactly helping. I’m mostly just thinking about Charli and wondering if she’s actually going to blow me off. Surely she wouldn’t, though. Even if she isn’t into me, she has to at least want the opportunity to work with Grey Wolfe.
As if on cue, there’s a knock at my door.
There she is.
I frown when I pull open the door and see my business partner, Nolan.
He walks past me, having to squeeze to get by in the narrow hallway. He frowns, taking in the room with one sweep of his eyes. “What’s with this room and the hotel?”
I scoot past him and sit on the bed. “Remember when you told me to book a room for this convention a few months ago?”
“I do. You said you already did it.”
“That was a lie. I waited until the last minute and this was the only hotel with availability. It’s working out just great, though. That author from earlier happens to be staying just down the hall.” I wiggle my eyebrows.
He shakes his head. “If you weren’t strangely good at what you do…”
“But I am. So you’re stuck with me.”
He sighs and pulls out a chair. He sits in it awkwardly because he can barely fit between the desk, the wall, and the chair. His knees are pressing into my bed. “I didn’t even know they made hotel rooms this small.”
“It’s cozy,” I say. I stretch out on the bed, which means my legs are hanging off the end. “You should try not buying executive suites once in a while. It would be good for your humility.”
He scoffs. “My humility? You’re one to talk.”
“I need not be unjudgeable to judge you. Pretty sure that’s in the Bible.”
Nolan squints. “And I’m pretty sure you’ve never read the Bible.”
“I read the Cliffs Notes once.” I shoot a finger gun at him. Got ‘em.
He shakes his head, then leans forward with his elbows on his knees. “Real talk, Jameson. What’s going on with the girl? Do you really have a plan? Does she actually have a book? Because I had to clean up your mess with everyone at the meeting after your stunt.”
“Just trust me and stop worrying. I’m going to handle everything and it’ll all end up amazing, just like it always does when I get involved.”
“I’m not worried. I’m aware that employees work better and more efficiently for bosses they respect and trust. I swear, half my fucking day is just following you around trying to undo the damage you do on that score.”