Chapter 8
(Lisa)
The meeting had gone better than she had planned. Kit did not compliment her on her skills. He had simply told her goodbye and that he looked forward to their next meeting. Rich, on the other hand, had gushed at her creativity and originality in a genre that was always in danger of repeating itself. Horror had never been an easy market in terms of being original, he had told her in a tone of confidentiality, as if divulging some huge state secret, making her chuckle.
She had become accustomed to her dim and tiny apartment, too. Her bank account was bigger than her living space, but it was all she needed. Being frugal was important to her. She didn’t want to be seventy and wondering what she was going to write next to get a paycheck. Living within, and below, her means had always been her way.
With little maintenance and upkeep for her apartment, and only buying food enough for herself, she was able to keep more money than most people in her situation. That made her proud.
She had left the meeting and gone straight home to work on a short story about a cheating boyfriend and a jilted girl out for revenge. It wasn’t a story that she would ever submit to Rich; it was just for her personal files. Stress relief, so to speak.
After working on the story until dinner time, she called Toni to tell her the good news. Toni was her one connection to her old life, and she enjoyed their chats. She did not feel the loneliness of her isolation in New York, though Toni had warned her about it before leaving.
She worked late that night and fell asleep on the sofa.
The trilling of her cell woke her the next morning. Addled and confused, she picked it up. “Hello?”
The man’s voice on the other end was vaguely familiar. “Lisa, do you think we could meet on Friday? Maybe discuss the first book over a light lunch? It’s nothing too taxing, I just want to go over some things in the outline with you face to face.”
Her brain wouldn’t connect the voice with Rich. “I’m sorry. Is this Rich?”
Laughter from the other end. She immediately recognized Kit’s laughter. It had not changed in the years since college.
“It’s Kit. I hope you don’t mind me calling your personal number.” Silence.
She couldn’t answer for a moment. All her options seemed to end with her meeting him and doing what he asked since he was her boss now. They all left her with a bad taste in her mouth, too.
“I thought Rich was going to email me the changes in a few days.” Non-committal seemed her best option.
“Oh, I’ve spoken with him. He said it would be fine to discuss this matter with you personally. He’ll still send his notes as soon as he’s finished.”
After a few seconds of complete silence in which she was unable to form a suitable answer, he spoke again.
“Come on, Lisa. One meeting. If you’re still upset afterward, which you have every right to be, I’ll leave you alone. Promise. Just meet me this one time.” The pleading undertone was something new. She had never heard Kit plead at all.
“I really don’t know if that’s a good idea, Kit. I didn’t know you were the founder of KR Publishing and I didn’t sign the contracts in some weird bid to be with you again.” She hoped her words were not too harsh, but she did hope he understood. She needed him to understand.
“Well, that’s the Lisa I remember, cut right to business, huh?”
“I just need you to know that’s not why I am here. I’m here because of the opportunity.” Her heart pounded harder.
“And, that’s exactly what I want to discuss with you. Starting with Book One. So, let’s say eleven on Friday. I’ll pick you up.”
“I have a car and I’m perfectly capable—”
“Lisa, Lisa, I know you’re capable. It would just be simpler for me to pick you up. I’m not making a move on you, it’s not some chivalrous gesture, can you please trust me on that?”
She thought for a moment, still angry. Best to get it over with, she thought. “Fine.”
“Thank you. I have your address. I’ll call when I’m there.”
She disconnected the call, unsure how to feel about the commitment she had made to go out alone with Kit.
Friday morning rolled around. Lisa had received Rich’s changes to her work and had been working on the story for two days by then. She fired up her computer and sat with the morning’s first cup of coffee, staring at the blinking cursor under the heading for chapter two.
Her mind wouldn’t let go of the fact that Kit would be picking her up in a few hours to take her to lunch. She had avoided dealing with her feelings about the situation all week. Thinking she had done a good job of it, she was confused as she stared at the cursor and the only thoughts in her head were of Kit and being alone with him.
Suddenly, she was fixated over what to wear and how much makeup to apply. How should I fix my hair, she wondered? Things she had not cared much about in years. Even in college, these had been things that slipped her attention most of the time. Who needs perfect hair and makeup when they’re sitting at a computer alone at home?
She wouldn’t be able to write a word until she had taken care of her looks and picked out a nice, neutral outfit. One that said she was confident in her appearance, but not one that was so confident that Kit could take it as she had dressed up just to impress him. The same with her hair and makeup.
By the time she finished with her hair, her tummy grumbled at being empty and her cell began ringing. Her nerves jangled and butterflies swarmed in her stomach much the way they had on her and Kit’s first date.
Kit had arrived.