Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Olive from the clothing shop proved to be an excellent driver. Her GPS warned them of a police presence once during the trip home, and she slowed down accordingly, then sped back up once they were out of range of the squad car parked by the side of the road.
Even with a projected time of arrival ahead of schedule, it was a long drive home. Nolan kept his gaze out the window, while the two women in the front seat talked. Dana was especially chatty, asking most of the questions. He imagined that this was how novelists came up with ideas for their books, culling from their real-life encounters and weaving them into the fictional world. He wondered if he’d show up in an upcoming Rebecca Cavanaugh novel. The idea was both thrilling and horrifying.
“So how is it running a shop in a small town?” Dana asked. “Is it like a Hallmark movie where everyone stops by to chat?”
Olive laughed. “It’s exactly like a Hallmark movie, except that all they do is chat. No one seems to buy anything. Our lease is up next month, and I’m closing up the shop.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Nolan’s response was rote, but he really was sympathetic. Nothing ever stayed the same.
Dana turned back to look at him. “If you waited a few weeks, you could have gotten a huge discount on my outfit.”
“Probably so,” Olive said. “Our stock will be sold to another shop for pennies on the dollar.”
Nolan nodded. “That’s the way liquidation usually works.”
“My husband and I live above the shop, so we’ll be out of work and homeless too.”
“What are you going to do then?” Dana asked.
“We don’t have anything definite in place, but we won’t be out on the streets. We have enough savings for a few months while we figure something out.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Dana sounded confident. “Sometimes when things look bleak, it turns out that good luck is right around the corner. Speaking from personal experience, when my agent sent out my first book, I can tell you that several editors turned it down. They had all kinds of lame reasons. The protagonist seemed too good to be true. The plot didn’t have enough twists and turns. The dialogue was over the top. The chapters were too short.” She flapped a hand like waving away all the objections. “Rejection after rejection after rejection. They’d say things like, ‘While there’s much to admire here, I’m not sure how we’d market it,’ or my favorite, ‘I don’t see this story appealing to a commercial fiction audience.’”
“Ouch,” Olive said.
“But—” Dana held up one finger. “Turns out they were all wrong. People loved it and begged for more. Eventually it turned into a series. I can’t write them fast enough now.”
Olive glanced over. “I read a fair amount. What’s the name of the series?”
“The Rebecca Cavanaugh series.”
“Get out! You’re Dana Broderick?”
“I am.”
Nolan couldn’t see Dana’s face, but he knew she was beaming.
“Those are my absolute favorite books! I knew you lived in Wisconsin, but I never dreamed I’d get to meet you.” Olive went into fangirl mode, gushing over Dana and asking question after question about the books.
At some point, Olive seemed to remember Nolan in the back seat and politely asked, “And what is it you do for a living, Nolan?”
“I’m an accountant.”
“You are?” Dana sounded amazed. “What kind?”
“I work for a consulting firm. When there are irregularities in a company’s books, I’m sent to find out where the money went.” This was a simplified description of his job. In truth, it was much more complicated than that, but he’d found out that most people’s eyes glazed over when he went into more detail.
“Cool,” Olive said. “Do you travel a lot?”
“A fair amount.” It was the reason he’d never bought a house or had a pet. It was also the reason that most of his relationships with women had failed. He understood. No one wanted to be left behind.
“Huh.” Dana gave him a studied look. “You don’t seem like an accountant.”
“Well, I am.”
“Are you a good one?”
“Yes, an excellent one.” It was the one thing he felt confident about. He didn’t have a girlfriend or general self-assurance, but when it came to his job, he was more than capable. Sometimes even downright astounding.
“I might need your expertise with something in the future,” Dana said.
“Just say the word. I’d be glad to help.”
“Believe me, I will.”