Chapter 14 Seraphina
SERAPHINA
Tyler had just left for school, and I’d just settled at my desk with a fresh cup of coffee and intentions of deep focus and concentration when the phone rang. The number was from my publishing house but not my editor. Maybe someone higher up?
“Hello?”
“Seraphina, darling, it’s Brooke Gaines from Hawthorne House.”
Brooke Gaines. Great. The marketing head they’d brought in from another industry.
My impression thus far is that she had no clue how to market books.
Mostly, she’d left me alone, so I hadn’t had much interaction with her.
A call from her only meant one thing. She had an idea, and it would most certainly involve my relationship with Hunter.
I leaned back in my chair, already bracing. “Hi, Brooke.”
“It’s lovely to speak with you,” Brooke said, her voice as slick and bright as a Hollywood billboard. “I’ve just seen your boyfriend’s interview. He came off so well. And what a hunk. I had some ideas about how we might use all of this to our advantage.”
Here it came.
“Yes?” I asked, leaving it at that.
“Sales are already ticking up this morning, and we haven’t even done anything yet.”
“Done anything? With what?” I played dumb, curious to see how she’d spin this into something that didn’t stink beyond high heaven.
“Listen, I know it’ll sound crass, but this is a golden opportunity.
” She lowered her voice as if we were co-conspirators.
“You and the rugged songwriter. You couldn’t write something this intriguing for your readers.
I mean, a romance author with no love of her own meets moody songwriter with a vicious ex-wife? It’s like printing money.”
My stomach tightened. I begged to disagree about the premise. I’d written much juicier plots than this one. However, that was not really the point.
“Brooke, I’m a private person, with no interest in bringing more attention to my love life than there already is. This whole thing’s been extremely distracting.”
That often got them to back off. The last thing Hawthorne wanted was for me to miss a deadline. However, this seemed to have little persuasion over the overzealous marketing bot.
“I’m talking a two-page spread in magazines. Photos of the two of you together, holding hands while walking on the beach. Then an interview with you talking about how you found love with a Nashville cowboy. We could even throw in the southern angle.”
“Southern angle?”
“Yes, you’re from Alabama. He’s from Tennessee. All you needed was for the right country boy to show up in your life. Readers will eat it up with a spoon and lick it afterward.”
I stared out the window at the ocean, gray and restless this morning.
“My life isn’t a marketing campaign,” I said, keeping my voice even. “I have a son to think about. He doesn’t need any of this in his life right now. Or ever, for that matter.”
“But it’s nothing untoward,” she said quickly. “Your readers feel connected to you. They want you to have a love of your own. People won’t be able to stop talking about it or rooting for you.”
Rooting for me? She made me sound pathetic.
“I’m not interested,” I said. “It’s not my style. I just want to write my books and live a quiet life.”
“Listen, I didn’t want to bring this up, but your sales have been declining in recent years. This is just the boost your career needs.”
Declining. I closed my eyes for a second, a wave of nausea flooding through me. Was that even true? They didn’t share sales or royalty data with me. I just hoped for checks to appear.
She went on.
“And honestly, this could be the foundation for your next book. A romance author who's written about love her whole life finally finds it herself? With a mysterious songwriter? You wouldn't even have to make anything up. It writes itself. And this is divine timing. Your Netflix movie premieres in two weeks. Maybe we can even get Ivy James to come to the premiere party. Or, better yet, what if she sings one of Hunter’s new songs? I understand he’s written a new one, and rumor has it you inspired it.”
“How do you know that?”
She plowed ahead without answering.
“Our PR girl can get the story out to magazines and podcasts, even the morning shows. Think of it, and I’m just talking out loud here.
Like I said, we’ll have gorgeous photos of the two of you taken—all looking very spontaneous.
At the beach. Sitting on your deck. Maybe even attending one of your son’s games or school functions.
You talk about how you’ve finally found love. It’s simply too perfect.”
My fingers tightened around my coffee mug. “I’m going to stop you there. No one gets close to my son. I don’t want him photographed or talked about. I’m sorry. But unless it’s in my contract, I’m not doing it.”
The brightness in her voice dimmed, just slightly. “Understood.”
We sat in silence for a moment.
Then she rallied. “Just think about it, all right? This could be very good for you.”
“I’m a writer, Brooke. Not a reality television star craving attention. And I’ve got to go. I need to write.”
“Yes, yes, well, I’ll be in touch.”
I hung up on her before she could say anything further.
Then I texted our group chat.
Seraphina
SOS. My house at 5?
Esme
Just got home a few minutes ago. A little jet-lagged but I’ll be there.
Delphine
I’ll be there.
Lila
Count me in too.
Gillian
Leo and I will be there too. I may or may not have spit-up on my sweater, so please excuse the smell.
Esme
I cannot wait to see Leo!!!!
Gillian
He’s gained two pounds since you left.
Seraphina
Thanks, ladies. See you soon.
Esme arrived a few minutes after five, carrying several bags. “I’ve brought gifts.” She held out her arms for a hug. Before I embraced her, I took a good look at her face. I didn’t think it was possible but she looked even prettier than she had the day they’d left for Amsterdam.
“Best gift is having you home. Did you have a wonderful time?”
“It was heaven. Absolute heaven. But I missed the kids and you guys, so it feels good to be home.”
“The kids did great, but I bet they were happy to see you and Grady.”
“We’re all happy to be together. Even Robbie seemed more pleased than analytical for once.”
She pulled back, studying my face, her smile fading just slightly. “What’s going on? I feel so out of the loop.”
“Come into the kitchen. The others are here already. We’ll fill you in on everything.”
Gillian, Lila and Delphine swarmed Esme, giving hugs and welcoming her home. Leo was strapped to Gillian’s chest, fast asleep.
“Oh, goodness, he’s precious,” Esme said. “It makes me want one.”
“I told you what could happen on honeymoons,” Gillian said. “Did you take precautions?”
“Not exactly.” Esme’s eyes danced. “Turns out Grady wants a baby.”
“I knew it. Big softie,” Delphine said, but without her usual bite.
“Okay, love, what’s going on?” Lila asked as we settled around the island with glasses of flavored bubbly water. “SOS means it’s serious.”
I wrapped my hands around my glass. “The marketing head from Hawthorne called. They saw Hunter’s interview. And all the rest of it. They want to exploit my relationship with Hunter to boost my visibility.”
“She should talk to Dana for tips,” Delphine said dryly.
Lila’s expression sharpened. “Visibility?”
“They want photos,” I went on. “A spread. Interviews. Romance author finds love with a country songwriter. Brooke Gaines seems to think it’s marketing gold. They have an in-house PR person who can get us various interviews and all of that. You all know how it works.”
Esme’s eyes widened. “What did you tell her?”
“I told her no.” I looked down at my hands. “Very clearly.”
“And?” Gillian prompted.
“She told me to think about it,” I said. “Which means she’s not taking no for an answer. She even suggested they send photographers to Tyler’s game—to take photos of Hunter and me together. Can you believe that? I have no idea how to handle this. What do I do?”
Lila pushed off the counter. “Oh no. That’s how it starts. You do not want this, trust me. Pretty soon your whole life’s a circus.”
“That’s what they did to Lila,” Gillian said.
“I know,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about that all day.”
Esme frowned. “But she told them no.”
“They tell you it’s harmless,” Lila said. “Just a little attention. Just a few pictures. Nothing you can’t handle.”
I swallowed.
“But it gets out of control fast. Do you remember when they showed up at Bella and Annie’s soccer game?” Lila asked.
We all nodded. How could we forget that day?
Another flicker of unease unfurled low in my stomach. “I told her I didn’t want this anywhere near Tyler, but I don’t think she heard me.”
“People hear what they want to hear,” Delphine said.
I stared down at my hands. “She said my sales are declining and that this would be a way to boost them.”
“Is that true?” Lila asked.
“I didn’t think so, but maybe. They keep a lot of data from me,” I said.
Lila’s expression darkened. “That’s how they get you to say yes.”
I pressed my lips together, trying not to cry. I’d worked so hard. If my career went south, how would I take care of Tyler?
Esme leaned forward, her voice gentler now. “The real question is—how do you feel about Hunter?”
“I’m in love with him,” I said without hesitation. As soon as I said it out loud, I knew it was true. “I’m in deep.”
“Oh, Seraphina, I can’t believe it,” Esme said. “This is so wonderful.”
“I agree,” Gillian said, shifting slightly to accommodate the sleeping baby against her chest. “This other stuff is just noise. Live your life on your own terms. If you don’t want to talk about your relationship with Hunter, then don’t.”
“That’s right. You’re just going to have to be firm with Hawthorne,” Delphine said. “You want your private life to remain just that. No leaked photos or whatever other garbage she suggested.
“You’re going to have to be strong, though,” Lila said. “Hawthorne won’t go down without a fight.”