CHAPTER Eight
MATEO
“Sir, can I talk to you about some prospective clients? I don’t agree with how the assistant above me has dealt with them. The top one she dismissed with only a glance at the title,” I try to keep the nerves out of my voice, he takes the pile.
“You’re Mateo? The one who emailed a problem within the department?” I nod.
“Yes, Sir, but after my supervisor shredded a book that has just arrived without reading it, I heard you were coming in today, so I thought this would be better face to face”, I say, relaxing a little; we reach the floor of his office which surprisingly isn’t the top floor, he dips into his office as I hear Miranda demand if he’s arrived yet and Nate’s receptionist informing her he’s running late ‘she’s good at her job. ’
“All 7 of these she has dismissed quickly. The newest she dropped in the shredder with a slight glance at the title page; you know that new Author that already has TV rights for a series they estimate will be more popular than Game of Thrones? She binned that 6 months ago.” I see his eyes flare with anger as he presses a button on his phone
“Alice, can you get a senior publishing assistant to my office now, please?” he says, then turns back to me.
“What’s your dream job, Mateo?” I startle a little.
“I want to be an author assistant, dealing as the go-between for the Author, so they don’t need to worry about answering emails and such and just focus on the writing”, he nods, looking pleased, his eyes going over that newest author again.
A knock at the door makes me glance away from him, and a gentleman steps into the room,
“You called Nate?” his voice is a croon.
“These 6 have been dismissed by an editor assistant, but Mateo has argued their value” Nate hands the 6 over, then holds up the seventh.
“This one is why I am here. She was a student of mine, and she’s amazing. This doesn’t even scratch the surface of her writing; give her the best contract she wants; I approve the use of her own art for her covers; I want her contract signed ASAP, please, Clark” Clark nods and leaves.
“Mateo, go clear your desk; I’m promoting you; I want you to assist Ember. We will start with just her, but I might give you a few more later”, Nate informs me with a smile.
“Where are you living at the moment?” I’m still imitating a fish until he raises an eyebrow and snaps me out of it.
“Oh, erm, I’m in a house share, but my landlord is selling, so I need to find somewhere else” he seems happy with this information and snatches up his phone
“Ember, sweetheart, is Nic or Luc around? I didn’t want to interrupt if they were in meetings”, There’s a pause, and he opens his desk drawer, frowning at the contents.
“Brilliant, can you stick me on speaker, please?” he pulls out a paperclip and shuts the drawer.
“Hey Luc, do you have a spare room that can be set up for one of my employees? He’s soon to be homeless, BUT as he will be Ember's assistant when she signs the amazing contract that one of my editors is sending over, it would help to have them together.”
He’s fiddling with the paperclip, an idle hands action I never thought I would see from someone like him; I hear a masculine gasp, but then hear a female voice
“Miles, pass me my laptop. What happens if I have a better offer than your supposed amazing one, Nathaniel?” She doesn’t sound spoiled, more annoyed.
“Ember, you are MY student I will better ANY offer you’re made; if you had been with your father since birth, I would have been your godfather, so it does not matter if you sent in a manuscript that just said ‘I am a book’ I would publish it and give you an amazing contract,” he then rattles something in a language I didn’t know, there’s a huff.
“Fine, I will sign it when it arrives, and send the full manuscript over if you give me my assistant's email address, and I will sort out a room for him and also clear some office space near my work area; when is he arriving?” I manage to find my voice.
“I have 3 weeks still paid on my tenancy, but if we say two weeks, then I have time to get it fully cleaned so I get my deposit back, BUT I would like to meet Ember face to face before then, and also whoever owns this house I’m being moved into,” I finish with a nervous laugh.
“Nathaniel, give Mateo my number, and I will get Uncle Nic or Luc to come meet him for coffee next week sometime, and text me an idea of style, and I will get Miles to do his thing.” There’s a pause, and I can hear someone laughing.
“Not that thing, Miles, Jeeze”, she’s laughing.
“Hey, why did you need to speak to me or Nic when our bossy princess is leading the charge?” There’s a thud.
“Ow, that hurt, and I thought I was your favourite uncle,”
“I’m not a princess; I will never become a Barbie,” Nate chuckles at the banter, rolling his eyes.
“Brace yourself, Mateo. It’s a tight-knit group here, but I have a feeling you will slot straight into our mad little jigsaw,” Nate snickers at her words.
“Thank you, and as for style, I’m thinking English country vintage kinda, but light wood, not dark,” I know I sound unsure, but there is a happy noise.
“Ooo fun, I’m on it”, a male voice says; he has a soft voice with a slight purr, maybe a feline shifter? They all say a familiar farewell.
Nate and I spend the next few hours sorting out my contract; I head down to pack up my desk; there isn’t a lot there. I head back to the elevator with my new ID badge so I can get to the upper floors. My new office is on the same floor as Nate’s, not as grand but better than my little cubicle.
“Natey has asked me up to his office; it must be about our dinner plans tonight”, Miranda is telling some young girl I don’t recognise. As Miranda and I step out of the elevator, she turns to me.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Her lip is curled, and her words are a snarl. Thankfully, Alice rounds the desk.
“Mateo, that was quick; Mr Prince has ordered you a company phone and laptop; they are waiting in your office for you; here’s your tablet I just finished updating it for you; they never come with the updated calendar on them”, Alice is a kind older lady, well I say older her hair is streaked with White, but her face looks like that of a 30 year old.
“Thank you, Alice.” I’m about to step away when she spots the painting in my box.
“That’s pretty. Who’s the artist?” I glance at it with a fond smile
“Thanks, a friend in college did it, and after she got it graded, she gifted it to me.” It was originally a sketch, but she went over it with watercolours and made the waterfall come alive; she was always sketching through boring lectures, before I had a chance to say more. Miranda is demanding attention
“What office? What is the meaning of this?” I roll my eyes at Alice and move towards my office.
“Mr Prince is waiting on you, and you are 10 minutes late”, Alice snaps; gone is the sweet auntie tone she used with me; she is now a strict school ma’am; she knocks on Nate's door and then raises an eyebrow at Miranda.
I found out later that Miranda was demoted and given my old desk on a probationary contract, and everything she rejected was looked into. It seems there was a lot that went through her desk that was lost to other publishers.