Page 130 of One Touch

Please don’t ask me if I know the horror genre inside-out.

Coco leaned closer to the camera. “Can I ask a candid question, Ms. Lane? Why not consider working as a romanceagent? Romance is a hugely profitable genre, with huge scope for new agents.”

I breathed in deeply. “Well, it’s a little complicated.” Visions of Vlad and Ethan flashed through my mind, unbidden, “I’ve, sort of, fallen out of love with romance.”

“How so?”

“This is going to sound strange, but I’m trying to be honest. As you know, I was engaged to be married. It felt like a fairytale, right until I discovered that my fiancé was cheating on me. Ever since then, I’ve found the idea of a happy ever after to be . . . excuse my French, bull-shit.”

Coco smiled. She looked impressed. “I understand. As someone who’s currently going through a divorce, I feel the same way. Although, I can assure you, this messy process has convinced me that horror is very, very real.”

I laughed. “I know what you mean.”

“So, tell me about your favorite horror novels!”

I rattled off a few of the contemporary novels I’d read recently, as well as some classics.Dracula,Frankenstein,Salem’s Lot. In fact, I’d only read the first quarter ofSalem’s Lotbecause it had scared the bejeezus out of me.

Coco tapped her cheek thoughtfully. “Interesting that you could make an argument that all three of those classics you just mentioned are romance novels, don’t you think?”

“Well, yes,” I said. “I guess you’ve got your classic monster tropes, along with enemies to lovers and small-town romance in Salem’s Lot,” I reeled off a few more comparisons without even thinking.

Coco chuckled. “You’ve got a knack for finding romance in the darkest places. That’s quite a talent.”

“I suppose. Both horror and romance are about human connection, emotion, and the complexity of relationships.”

“I hear that.”

I nodded slowly, feeling a sense of clarity washing over me.

“Maybe you haven’t fallen out of love with romance, Lily,” said Coco with a shrug. “Maybe, in the right context, you can enjoy romance again.”

I smiled. “A new context? Like within horror fiction?”

Or within the right relationship.

“Exactly. I’m really excited about books that blend genres, and I’d be very interested in you exploring horror novels that incorporate romance tropes. I think there could be a huge market out there for books like that. Now, what would you hope to achieve in your first year as a horror agent?”

Coco steepled her fingers and smiled. “I want to thank you for your time, Lily. It’s been a very productive conversation. Now, before we wrap up, I want to discuss compensation. I understand you’re looking for remote work, which we can accommodate. However, I want to be transparent about our salary structure. We offer $50,000 annually to our remote workers, but for in-office positions, the starting salary is $60,000.”Sixty thousand? That was twice what I was making at the store. More than twice.“In addition to the higher salary, being in the office would allow you to fully integrate with the team, attend our industry events, and meet a wide range of authors. We also offer comprehensive benefits, including health insurance and a retirement savings plan. And,” she added with a slight smile, “you’d get to experience some of our office traditions, like our end-of-week team celebrations.”

My heart raced at the possibility. New York? Away from Bluehaven Beach, away from Ethan and Ava? But maybe a new context was what I needed.

“That’s . . . that’s certainly something to consider,” I managed to say, my mind whirling with possibilities and doubts.

“Good. If you want it, the job’s yours.”

I slumped back in my chair, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. I felt so happy that I hadn’t embarrassed myself, but I was left feeling even more uncertain about my career path.

My phone buzzed with a message from Mary-Beth.

Coco is raving about you! You’re a fucking rock star, Lily.

I sent back a heart emoji. Followed by a zombie emoji.

Then I closed my eyes and tried to quiet my mind. I wished life was straightforward. I wished I had no emotional wounds, no difficult decisions to make.

If only my life were a horror novel.

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