20. Chapter 20
I turned toward Sofia slowly, my eyes reluctantly leaving Kylan’s person, seated across from me in the conference room.
He was oblivious, thank goodness, as his eyes tracked back and forth across several papers in front of him.
I’d seen plenty of him since the fateful night of the blizzard, and I’d managed to play it cool for the most part.
We’d been friendly or, at a minimum, professional.
Our relations seemed to thaw a bit as he involved himself with contract negotiations, including some of Sofia’s. “Sorry, what, Sofia?”
“Oh, nothing important,” she said with a sigh. “I was just complaining about how I wanted to go to that new restaurant opening tonight, the one we were talking about last week. First world problems, am I right?”
I chuckled and nodded. Kylan looked up, his eyes briefly landing on me before swinging to Sofia. “Why can’t you go?”
“Because it’s tonight,” Sofia said.
Kylan tilted his head. “So let’s go tonight.”
Sofia pursed her lips. “You know we can’t. The dinner with Johnson is tonight. He’s pretty high up there on the difficult client scale. The last thing I’d want to do is change the time or date on him. ”
Kylan gave me a brief but oddly intense look. “Annie can go instead.”
Sofia gasped. “But I … can’t just send my assistant,” she sputtered. “As fantastic as she is, you know. Johnson isn’t really flexible like that.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Tell him Annie’s his agent now. Better yet, I’ll handle it.” When we both stared at him with wide eyes, he added, “It’ll be fine.”
“Wait,” I said, my breath halting. “Do you mean—you want me—I’m to be his agent from now on?”
“That is what I said, yes,” he said with a slightly impatient edge. “Isn’t that part of the co-agenting and mentoring process? I thought you wanted to take on your own.”
“I mean, yes, but Sofia may not—”
“I love it,” Sofia pronounced. “This is perfect. I feel bad because he’s not the easiest one to work with, but I’ve been wanting to give you more responsibility anyway. You can do this, girl. I got your back too.”
Kylan nodded before returning his attention to the documents in front of him, while Sofia started humming, suddenly in a good mood.
I sat there, stunned.
This was great news—I was one significant step closer toward becoming an agent— an agent !
But when I replayed the scene later that evening at the barre, Rafael pinpointed what was really on my mind.
“That’s great, Annie … but it’s like, how can you be happy about that, when your colleague and work bestie seems to be dating your ex, who you obviously still have feelings for?”
“What?” I turned toward him, nearly slipping as we dipped into grand plies from second.
“ Not obvious. I’m not …” When we started the next sequence, I restarted, “I mean, it would be hard for anyone to watch. You just don’t date your ex’s friends.
Or your friend’s exes. But I haven’t really known Sofia long enough to hold her to that. ”
“But you have known him long enough,” Rafael said with a side eye. He frowned. “Are you sure there’s something going on though? Maybe they’re just friends. Even if there’s a flirtatious vibe, it doesn’t mean anything is happening. Or will happen.”
“You haven’t seen them together,” I grumbled, turning to face the barre for calf exercises.
“Fair,” Rafael said, biting his lip. “Anyway, they sound like a nightmare together. You do have my sympathy, girl. But I feel like he’s trying to give you opportunities, Annie.
He may be inadvertently helping you out.
My girl’s going to be an agent! You know I’ve already planned to take you on a celebratory shopping spree after you get the promotion. Among other things.”
I smiled wryly. “I wish I could be so confident. I hope you’re right.”
And I hope he’s right about Kylan and Sofia maybe not actually being a thing .
“Speaking of work stuff, I forgot to tell you: I need someone to cover my class next Saturday. I’m hosting the first book signing at Bookshop, with one of Sofia’s newest authors actually. Can you cover it?”
Rafael grinned. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll get someone else to cover the class, and then I’ll come to the bookstore to support you in case you’re a basket case.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “You always know just what I need.”
“I’m glad you’re finally acknowledging that,” Rafael said, his lips twisting into a sly grin. “I also think what you need is to try some wedding cake flavors with me tomorrow during your lunch break.”
“Oh, I think Rainn would be so much better for that, Raf. He can eat a house—”
“But his taste isn’t as discerning,” he pouted. “I need you , Annie. Just, uh, don’t plan any important meetings in the afternoon, just in case we are unable to recover from the cake coma.” Rafael grinned at me, and I giggled, almost toppling over from my passé position.
On the Saturday morning of the book signing event, I stood with hands on my hips in front of the couch, where Rafael was sprawled out with a thick blanket, several pillows and heating pads, and numerous OTC meds and medicinal teas on the end table. “Rafael, you can’t be serious. No one—”
“Shhh,” he whispered, wincing as he removed the eye mask to look at me through squinty, bloodshot eyes. “I have a splitting headache.”
I sighed, lowering my voice. “No one gets this sick from eating a little cake. I think … you went out drinking, didn’t you?”
“A little cake, Annie? A little?” he asked, his eyebrows rising.
“OK, it was a lot,” I conceded. “But still—”
“I don’t do overindulgences well. You know this about me.”
I was silent for a long moment. Should I feel sorry for him? I did know that overindulgence tended to be harder for him than the average person … but he also tended to exaggerate. A lot.
“ Annie !” His eyes flew open again. “I just remembered the book event. Crap, I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”
I sighed, sitting next to him. “It’s OK. It’s not like I’ve been available a ton to help you with the wedding stuff either. Who am I to be asking you for favors?”
“Oh, it’s not like that, Annie,” Rafael said, his tone regretful. “I wanted to come, if only to observe the two idiots you work with who are supposedly hooking up. And maybe threaten him or something.”
“And to support me professionally?”
“And that.”
I grinned. “It’s OK. I’ll survive. I’ll just—”
“Wait, what about Rainn?” Rafael interrupted as our roommate sauntered into the room. “Did you ask him to come?”
“I didn’t, actually,” I said thoughtfully. “It’s not the worst idea—”
“Come to what?” Rainn said, his usual easygoing smile in place.
“My big Bookshop event today. The book signing.” Rainn’s smile faded, which was peculiar, but I continued, “Rafael was going to come for moral support, but, well, look at him. He’s got a cake hangover.”
“A cake-over,” Rafael said.
“Would you come, Rainn?” I asked with pleading eyes. “I don’t know why I didn’t think to ask you before.”
His jaw seemed tight, and his eyes avoided mine. Finally, he said, “I don’t know.”
“Oh. Uh, do you … have other plans?”
He crossed his arms, pointing to his gym bag. “Gym.”
Rafael rolled his eyes. “Please. You’d rather go to the gym than help out our girl?”
I didn’t miss the scowl that Rainn shot in Rafael’s direction. “It’s not that. It’s … there’s …” he trailed off. After closing his eyes for a moment, he exhaled loudly and looked back at me. “Fine.”
With this great start to the day, Rainn and I headed to Bookshop for our very first public event, a book signing. The store had held signings occasionally in the past, but it had been a long while, and the events had usually been thrown together somewhat haphazardly with little effort.
I regretted putting less time and effort into this internship than I’d originally hoped, but it couldn’t be helped—the agent promotion was the most important for my future.
I probably needed to scale back even more or give up the Bookshop gig, but …
I wasn’t confronting that decision yet. I liked being busy, but I was nearly running on empty between the three jobs.
At least I hadn’t fallen asleep in anyone’s back seat lately.
Hakeem had agreed to kick off the event.
He introduced himself and me to the decent group of people gathered and then spoke briefly about some promotions and other store information.
When he gave the floor to me, I gave a brief background on Sara Erickson, a native Minnesotan author who had just published her ninth historical fiction novel.
After the introduction, I sat at the signing table with Hakeem and Sofia while Sara performed a brief reading from her latest novel .
My eyes wandered the room and landed on Kylan, as they often did, against my will. He was sitting in the back behind the rows of chairs we’d set up, next to Rainn. My heartbeat quickened. What were they talking about?
Calm down.
They’re probably not talking at all—they’re listening to the author.
If they do talk, it wouldn’t be about you.
Still, my eyes were frequently drawn to them, and Sofia had to repeat my name several times to get my attention after the reading when the signing had actually began.
“Oh, sorry, Sofia, what was that?” I asked.
“I’m just giving you props, girl! This event, you did all this?
On top of the agency stuff? Mind-boggling.
This will be a big boost to Sara’s local sales, which she said was really key for her earlier books when she worked with Laina.
” Apparently Laina was her original agent, but she was reportedly much happier with Sofia.
I’d smiled upon hearing that. Laina was smart, successful, capable, tough …
but abrasive. Laina and I still hadn’t warmed to each other.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to work with her that much longer, so I was able to smile and nod through all the busywork the senior agent dumped on me.