Chapter 12 SIOBHAN
Chapter 12
S IOBHAN
The Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were the three sacred holidays in the Harris household. She could spend the rest of the year however, wherever, and with whomever she pleased, but she had an obligation to be home on those dates.
Unless there was a force majeure to explain her absence, of course.
Situations the Harrises would be willing to consider a force majeure
A hurricane (category 3 or above)
The imminent impact of a meteorite against the earth (so imminent there’s no time to take the train from New York to Mount Vernon)
The zombie apocalypse (only if bitten)
Situations the Harrises would NOT be willing to consider a force majeure
Having committed to writing the third chapter of a novel in progress
“What am I supposed to do with all this meat? I bought enough cutlets to feed an army,” her mother said when Siobhan phoned her at the last minute to let her know they would have to celebrate the Fourth of July without her. Yes, she would miss the barbecue on the back patio, the fireworks, the fire department parade, the fair with its cotton candy and makeshift bars buckling under pails of chilled Budweiser. Of course, given the choice between disappointing her mother and incurring the wrath of the odious Mr. Black, she would prefer the former. And so, while most New Yorkers headed for Long Island, Fire Island, or the Hamptons, Siobhan sat sweltering on her tiny sofa in her tiny apartment in Brooklyn with her laptop on her knees and a chilled lemonade.
Getting started wasn’t easy. In the third chapter, Felicity Bloom’s profession played a key role, and all Siobhan knew about the inner workings of the world of journalism came from Lois we’re a team now.” She liked the way that sounded. “The problem is my jerk of a boss always finds some reason to keep me late at work. When I get home, I’m so tired I don’t have the energy to write. And then there’s Bella, my agent, who keeps reminding me I need to stay active on social media and attend all the literary events I can and blah blah blah.”
A long sigh rose from the center of her chest.
“The way I see it, Shiv, it’s a no-brainer. Quit your job.”
“I can’t quit my job,” she argued, pinching the bridge of her nose in exhaustion. “I have bills to pay. Living in New York costs a fortune.”
“I doubt money is going to be a problem for you in the short to medium term.”
“Did your Spidey sense tell you that, or did you see it in your crystal ball?”
“You do know that Netflix is making a movie based on this guy’s books, right? And rumor has it Chris Hemsworth is going to play the lead?”
“Oh come on! Chris Hemsworth is too ...”
“Brawny?”
“I was going to say Australian.”
“The point is that his books sell like hotcakes, which means big bucks for you, once you’ve written this thing together.” He rubbed his fingers together. “It’s just a job, Shiv. If for some reason this doesn’t end well, you can always look for a new one. People change jobs all the time.”
“I don’t know, Robin.”
“I’m just saying that life is too short to waste time doing something you don’t like when you could be doing something you love.” He scratched his chin and glanced at the ceiling for a moment before returning his gaze to her. “Do you get what I’m saying? Because I’m not sure if I made it clear.”
Siobhan smiled.
Of course she got it.
Loud and clear.