Shit. What was I thinking? I shouldn’t be banging our hottest new acquisition, but then at the same time, it was inevitable. A five-alarm fire wouldn’t have stopped me from touching those tempting curves, much less kissing her pretty little twat.
Suddenly, a knock sounds on my office door.
“Come in,” I yell.
Pattie enters. She takes the seat across from me and hands me a few printed pages of editorial notes on Elisa’s manuscript.
“Elisa’s not here yet?”
I check my watch.
“She’s got ten more minutes,” I say. Our meeting’s scheduled for 11:30.”
Editorial meetings are routine. Essentially, we’re meeting with an author to convey the improvements we’d like to see. We try to meet with our authors when they’re local because we find it easier to explain our concerns in person. Pattie sent Elisa the notes on Tuesday, so she would be familiar with them for our meeting. Compared to our usual editorial letters, this one is pretty short, but we still want to go over everything with Elisa.
Plus, I want to see the girl who has infiltrated my mind. I’ve had to resist the urge to text her every day. To invite her over for another round on my desk or office floor. Or ask her to have coffee with me, which would be a terrible idea. I don’t do dates, remember? I only do hot sex, and then goodbye.
“So, there’s really not much here,” Pattie says, breaking me out of my Elisa daydreams and preventing my cock from stirring. I was dangerously close to another embarrassing situation. “This meeting shouldn’t last long.”
Someone knocks on the door, and I yell for them to come in. Elisa shyly steps in, wearing a blue dress that hugs her incredible curves. The neckline isn’t as deep as the dress she wore last week, but the mounds of her breasts still peak out just enough to be incredibly enticing. I try to focus on something else, so I don’t have to excuse myself to the bathroom.
“Hi Elisa,” Pattie says, pulling the young woman into a hug. They smile at each other, and Elisa takes the seat next to Pattie. “Thanks for coming in. We like to go over our editorial letters in person with our clients if possible.”
Elisa nods with understanding.
“What do you do for authors who don’t live in New York?”
“Skype or phone calls,” Pattie explains. “In person is always best, though. It makes for a better connection.”
Elisa nods and smiles.
“Of course, I totally agree. It’s an honor to be here.”
Wow, courteous as well as classy. I smile at her in return.
“Cameron Publishing is pleased to be working with you, Ms. Morgan,” I say. “But before we get started, why don’t we order some lunch? Have you eaten yet?”
Elisa shakes her head. But Pattie interrupts.
“That’s a terrific idea!” my assistant exclaims. “I have a few more meetings today I need to get to, but why don’t you two order? I’ll be out of here before it comes. Robert, you’ll be able to go into detail on the notes, right?”
I nod.
“No problem. Why don’t you start with the basics and I’ll order food? What do you like, Elisa?”
The pretty brunette blushes and smiles.
“Just about anything. You go ahead and pick. I’ll eat what you choose.”
I pull a delivery menu from my drawer and step to the side to order. While I’m on the phone, Pattie and Elisa talk quietly over the notes.
“The book is really good,” Pattie says. “There are just some elements we think could be stronger. One of the main things was to put more emotion into the less emotional scenes.”
My mind wanders to the points of Elisa’s manuscript that made me cry the first time I read it. There were a lot of moments that had potential but didn’t quite reach the same level, so I agree with Pattie’s assessment.
I hang up with the delivery guy and return to my seat. Pattie and Elisa are already on the second page of the notes, and they’re both immersed in the work.
“We think your main character needs a friend,” Pattie says. “She has her love interests and her family until they’re… well… you know, in trouble. But she needs someone else to lean on. She’s handling way too much on her own and we think adding in another character will help.”
Elisa looks skeptical.
“I don’t know about that,” she says slowly. “I have a different view of the storyline. I like the fact that our heroine is sassy and independent. I don’t think she absolutely has to have someone to lean on.”
Pattie frowns and I step in.
“Of course, she doesn’t have to have someone, but it’s something to think about. We’re here to make suggestions, but of course, your opinion matters too.”
Elisa frowns again.
“Of course it does. This is my book. This is my story, and I just don’t see why we need a third character. Maybe if this were a Victorian drama where women have fainting spells, I could see her needing a third party for support. But the entire point of my novel is that my heroine is really independent, and also very alone in the world. I’m sorry, but I just don’t agree with your changes.”