Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Noah
I pace nervously in front of my desk, glancing at my watch for the hundredth time, not that it’s moved much in the two minutes since I last looked at it.
Chase will be here any minute. But it’s not meeting Chase that makes me nervous.
Smart, sophisticated, devastatingly handsome, and oh so rich Chase Knightly.
A guy who exudes a quiet power that I find extremely sexy, and I may or may not have spent more time than I should imagining that formidable authority directed at me in the bedroom.
I definitely shouldn’t be dreaming about him in that way, but I can reason with myself because that’s what fantasies are, things that are never going to come true.
No, I’m nervous because I haven’t actually told Aiden and Cordelia, the brother and sister directors of ANC, the company I work for, that Chase is coming for a meeting.
My desk phone buzzes and I pick it up. It’s Ben in reception announcing that Chase has arrived.
I ask him to bring him up, and I take a deep breath.
All too soon Ben is opening the door and showing Chase in.
I’m sure he looks even more handsome than when I last saw him.
Maybe it’s the cut of his very expensive dark grey suit or the light blue tie he paired it with, but I just stare for a minute, until he smiles.
“Hello, Noah.”
“Um, Mr Knightly, welcome to ANC,” I stutter out, painfully aware that Ben’s eyebrows have disappeared into his hairline at Chase’s familiarity, not knowing that we spent a weekend in Ibiza together, and then Nate and Ru’s wedding, and of course the meeting at Chase’s office last week.
Ben doesn’t know any of that. No one at the agency is aware that I even know who Chase Knightly is—well, of course, everyone knows who Chase Knightly is, but they don’t know I might be on first name terms with him.
“Could we have some coffee please, Ben?” I ask, trying to get him out of my office as quickly as possible as his eyes are still flicking between us. It’s only then I realise my mistake. “That is if you’d like coffee, Mr Knightly. We have tea, or water or—”
“Coffee’s fine, thank you.” Chase saves me. I’m not supposed to know that Chase prefers coffee, and certainly not that he likes it strong with just a dash of milk and no sugar. Which is how he’s taken it every time I’ve seen so far. Not that I’m memorising those details. Not consciously anyway.
“Sure, coming right up.” Ben smirks and disappears and I release a breath.
“Mr Knightly? I hoped you’d call me Chase by now.”
“I was being professional,” I say primly, and Chase smiles warmly, though his look includes something else, like an appraisal, and my insides melt a little.
“Please, sit, while I collect the list of ghostwriters I’ve prepared.
” I turn away to my desk and find the file I’ve started to create, just in case.
Not that Chase really has need of my services.
He’s already had offers from the big five, so in theory he doesn’t need an agent.
I’m just helping out an acquaintance. A friend?
Maybe that’s going too far. In my wildest fantasies we are far more than friends, but those aren’t real.
But anyway, I’m just helping him understand the offers and giving him some advice and more contacts.
What he does with it is totally up to him, though I do have a file started, which I tell myself is just good business practice.
I sit at the table and hand Chase the short list of ghostwriters I know to be reputable and reliable.
Although I’ve included a short bio about each one, he asks me questions as if he’s trying to find out more than the facts I’ve given him.
Maybe it’s a vibe thing, a magic ingredient he can sniff out, like he does for the businesses he wants to invest in. It would explain his success.
There’s a knock and the door opens before I can call out for them to enter. I look up, expecting to see Ben, and it is him, carrying a tray with the coffees, but preceding him is Cordelia.
She cuts me an icy glare, which is gone in an instant as she turns to Chase and dials up the charm, holding out her hand, which he dutifully shakes.
“Mr Knightly, this is a surprise. I wasn’t aware you were interested in writing a book. You know, you should’ve contacted us directly. We have some more senior agents who can look after you properly.”
I’m sure I can detect a tightening of Chase’s jaw as she speaks and his eyes harden as he answers.
“I haven’t thought of writing a book. I’ve been approached by several publishers and need some advice.”
“We can also provide you with advice. I have many years of experience in the industry myself,” she says smoothly, but Chase’s expression doesn’t change.
“Mr Ellington is a friend, and I find in business it’s important to connect with those you know and trust, don’t you think?
” Chase replies. Cordelia swivels her head to look at me, and her gaze is one of disgust and disbelief that I’d know Chase.
Normally it would hurt, but I can’t feel it as I’m bouncing along on a cloud from what he said.
It might have just been for Cordelia’s benefit, but I’ll take it.
“Indeed. Well, I’ll leave you to it. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr Knightly.
” Her voice is brittle and Chase acknowledges her with a dismissive nod, which has me in awe of his skill.
I wish I could do the same to make her go away sometimes.
She leaves, and then I notice Ben is still hovering near the door.
“Sorry, she’d seen Mr Knightly when I brought him up earlier and insisted on coming in,” Ben says, rushing forward and putting the tray down on the table.
“That’s okay, Ben, and thank you,” I reply and wait for him to leave before turning back to Chase.
“Friend?” I blurt out the first thing in my head and instantly regret it. I try to get my brain back into professional mode. “I mean, um, do you have any more questions?”
Chase takes a sip of his coffee, his blue eyes regarding me over the rim of the mug.
“Aren’t we friends?” He places his coffee carefully back on the table.
Okaaay, I was referring to the list of ghostwriters, so it takes my brain a moment to switch back.
“Yes. I mean, I think so. Um . . . I want to. Yes, I’d like that.”
The only response to my babble is an amused chuckle, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiles.
Those little laughter lines shouldn’t be sexy, but they are.
He keeps my gaze for a long time, something that keeps happening.
It’s like we should say something, but I can’t think of a damn thing to say to him.
Eventually I remember the list and I drop my eyes, breaking the contact.
“I can provide samples of work for the ghostwriters if you want to know more.”
It takes a few seconds before he answers, like he was still in the trance-like state.
“Oh, yes of course, that would be useful.”
“Of them all or just a couple?” I ask, and he looks thoughtfully at the list again.
“How about we go over them again so I can make a decision?”
For the next hour we revisit the list and he asks me more questions about them. In the end he settles on three, and I agree to provide samples but also look into their availability in the coming months.
“So, what happens then?” Chase asks as I gather up the papers.
“Well, when you’ve made a decision as to whether you want to go ahead with your book, and whether you want to use a ghostwriter, you can contact whichever publisher you want to work with and take it from there.”
“Don’t I need an agent?”
“An agent’s job is primarily to find and secure you a publishing deal.
You have the big five all knocking on your door, so technically, no.
You could even play them off against each other and see if you can improve on their offers, have them fight to publish your story.
” I see the gleam in his eye at my words.
I’ve hinted at a challenge and his business side likes that.
Then he leans back in his chair, suddenly relaxed.
“Could you do that? Negotiate for a better deal?”
The thought of going to each of the big five with a client as important as Chase fills me with excitement.
I lean forward slightly, relishing the idea of having that much negotiating power.
It would be amazing, I’d love that. Then I remember Chase’s words—he said “could.” He’s not asking me if I would, it’s just purely hypothetical. I sit back again.
“Yes, I could do that.” I try to sound as nonchalant as possible, like I negotiated with the top publishing houses every day. In truth, I’ve managed to get two of my five authors deals with just one of the big five so far. Chase gives me a little smile and stands.
“Thank you, Noah. Please get in touch when you’ve got the information on the ghostwriters and we’ll arrange another meeting.”
“Oh yes, of course.” I rise quickly. “It’ll only take a few days.”
“I look forward to it, then.” The meeting is clearly over; he is obviously a very busy man. I walk him down to reception, to show him out, and as we arrive to sign him out, Cordelia appears.
“Oh, Mr Knightly, how nice to see you again,” she purrs, as if it’s just a coincidence. I notice her blouse is unbuttoned a hole lower than earlier and her lipstick is freshly applied. “Perhaps you’d like my card if you need advice?”
“I’m fine with what I have, thank you.” He ignores the proffered card and turns to me. “I look forward to hearing from you, and maybe I’ll see you when Nate and Ru get back.” He walks out through the door leaving us both gaping after him but for very different reasons.
I return to my office, but Cordelia is right there behind me and enters before I can shut the door. Not that it would keep her out anyway.
“What was all that about?” I notice her blouse has been buttoned up again on the walk back up here, but the smear of garish colour across her lips makes her look cheap. Her eyes are flashing, and she clearly did not like being dismissed so bluntly, especially not in front of me.
“Like I said, Chase is a friend,” I say, deliberately using his first name and sending him mental thanks that he brought up Nate and Ru to prove we had mutual friends.
“Has he asked you to be his agent?”
“No,” I answer truthfully, because he hasn’t, but he hasn’t said he didn’t need one either.
“Well, if he does, you should send him to me first, as the senior agent and co-director of this company. He should be handled by a senior agent.”
I stare at her. I can’t believe what she’s saying.
She and Aiden have never interfered in what I do before.
I don’t particularly like being part of ANC, but it’s even harder to be a lone agent, both in getting clients and talking to publishing houses.
So having the name of ANC behind me has helped. But never before have they interfered.
“That’s not company policy,” I protest. I know, as I’ve been through all the policies and my own contract.
“In fact, we might start looking at what other clients you have. It might be time to review those as well.”
“You can’t do that!” My heart sinks. I’ve spent a lot of time building a good working relationship with some of my clients. I’d hate to lose any one of them. She ignores my protest and just gives me a sly smile.
“Just remember what I said. If he is looking for an agent, you send him to me first.”
She flounces out, and that’s when I realise she’s not going to actually review my current clients, she’s just using that as a threat for if Chase does ask.
I sink into my chair and stare at my computer, unable to get back to work just yet.
The only thing I can manage is a small sense of victory that her attempt at being attractive to Chase failed so well.
Which is a curious move from her, as that is one section of the company policies I do know well. No intimate relationships with clients.