Chapter 33 #2
When Gen nudged her onto her back, Emily was already on the brink of orgasm.
She saw, beyond Gen’s messy head and strong shoulders, the wall of windows.
It occurred to her, in a half thought, that anyone high up enough could see into this room.
Emily could be seen, legs spread. She imagined someone seeing this.
It felt good to feel witnessed. She saw herself wrung out with pleasure.
Spent, she held this person who belonged to her and wished that everyone could see how she belonged to her, too.
The café was loud and Emily was wholly focused on her notebook, her pencil bounding to the margins, so she didn’t notice the person who approached her. She wasn’t aware of being studied by the woman, who finally came close, dragged out the chair across from Emily, and said, “Mind if I join?”
Emily’s pencil clattered to the floor.
“Didn’t mean to startle you.” The woman sat.
She had hair the color of flint and wore impeccably fitted clothes.
The pencil had landed near her boot. She lifted it from the tiles but didn’t give it to Emily.
She inspected it, rubbing a thumb over the bite marks.
She made a charmed noise. It was a run-of-the-mill pencil but the woman acted as if it weren’t, as though its length were meaningful, and its nearly flattened eraser. “I prefer pens, personally.”
“Who are you?”
The woman held the pencil like a ruler and set it in a horizontal line in front of her. “I’m Natasha Crane. Gen Hall’s agent. And you’re Emily. I hoped we could talk. Did you know that Gen missed an appointment with her strength training coach? Her head coach called to let me know.”
“She has more than one coach?”
“She has a whole support team. She lifts weights with her strength training coach. She has a nutritionist. A yoga and Pilates instructor for balance and core. PT specialist. A running coach, of course…and me. And I have a problem. The problem is you.” Natasha gave Emily the pencil.
“Gen dates famous people. They understand her. They know what it means to pursue a passion. They are skilled at living in the public eye. But you—what is it that you do? A rich, married mom, right?”
“You should leave.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being a rich, married mom, but it doesn’t equip you for how things will be if this relationship goes public.
You’ll be hounded. So will your children.
And what will it mean for Gen? Can you imagine how hard it would be for her, always trying to protect you—and your kids?
” Natasha continued, her voice reasonable, corrosive.
“How will the media treat her ? Don’t underestimate the tricky calibration of being queer and edgy enough to be exciting, but not bad . Not a homewrecker.”
“She isn’t.”
“We are talking about how she seems. And what London means to her. How much effort and time it takes to create a star. How it can all be undone in an instant. Don’t you want Gen to win?
For her to be able to focus on her dream?
She’s never missed a practice in all the years I’ve repped her. That worries me. You do.”
Emily’s face was hot, her cheeks red.
“I know you and Gen go back a long way,” Natasha said.
“She’s come far…and in a sense, so have you.
No one comes from nothing, but some people come close.
Me too. So believe me when I say that Gen’s heart might be in the race, but I am looking out for everything that keeps her heart free to do that.
The money that means she doesn’t have to worry about her grandmother.
The deals that give her the respect that people like us don’t always get. Emily, sponsors don’t like losers.”
“They did when she lost in Athens.”
“To help that fallen runner?” Natasha’s smile had a trace of pity. “Gen was young. Full of promise. And choosing to lose is different from failure.”
“She will drop you.”
“Because you’re going to tell her about this conversation?
” Natasha tipped her head, considering. “She might…if you were that selfish. Will she get another agent of my caliber? Even if she does, she might get dropped. Everything could go in her favor in London and she still could lose. Not all agents are loyal. Sponsors will fall away. Eventually, she might blame you. Or maybe she doesn’t.
Maybe you lie awake at night, knowing that you are the reason for her unhappiness.
” She patted Emily’s hand and didn’t look offended when it was snatched away.
“I’m looking out for her, Emily, but I’m also looking out for you. ”
Do you know Natasha Crane? she texted Rory.
gen’s agent? oh yeah. she’s what happens when power lesbians make deals w the devil. i think she might be a vampire. i like her
You LIKE her??
power likes power, babe
Is she a good agent?
1000%
Emily stared at the screen.
y r u asking
Emily hesitated, then wrote, she doesn’t think I’m good for Gen.
she spoke w u?!? BOLD
what do you think?
um do i think yr good for each other? lol no! the DRAMA the ANGST
After a long moment, Rory wrote a series of texts.
tbh
that is a u question
not a me question