Page 38 of The Shake Off

A smile stretched across her face. “My kids love that book. We had to buy a second copy because the first one got used so much that some of the pages fell out. It’s still chosen as the first book of the bedtime reads.”

“Yeah, it’s a great book. Ellie Norris is a wonderful author. It was fun to work on.” I grinned back at her, and the excitable nervous energy which had been shooting around my veins calmed. “Next time, come to the fortieth floor. I have some spare copies.”

“I’ll take you up on that. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You like children’s publishing?”

I nodded, genuinely. “I do. It’s where I started my career, but my plan is to move into adult fiction soon. That’s my hope anyway.”

Crap.

My breath caught as I realized what I’d just said, especially as Nathalie Cheung raised one perfectly sculpted brow at me. I also had the feeling she was about to say something, but her phone pinged again and I lost her attention to whatever was going on, at whatever was making her sigh in frustration.

“Everything okay?”

She glanced back up and shook her phone at me. “Yes… no, actually. It’s my youngest’s birthday in a couple of weeks and he’s recently become obsessed with The New York Lions. I’ve been trying to get a personalized birthday card or shirt from the team, but it’s next to impossible. I thought they’d sell them in the store, but they don’t. I’ve pulled all the strings I have. I even bought season tickets to see if that would help, but it didn’t.”

“Oh, yeah. Penn doesn’t allow the players to do anything like that, unless it’s on the gates before or after games. He thinks it takes their focus away.” I snorted loudly, remembering vividly how that conversation went with Lowe. She had wanted to add it into her marketing plan, to hold organized signings or have personalized memos or cards sent to avid Lions fans. She wanted to humanize the team more, but Penn wouldn’t budge. He didn’t want them accessible. He wanted them to win. “Dumb, if you ask me.”

“Penn?”

I nodded. “Penn Shepherd, owner of The New York Lions.”

“But you said his name like you know him.”

“Oh,” I chuckled, “yeah, I do. He’s married to one of my best friends.”

Nathalie Cheung didn’t break eye contact as she put her phone down and shifted forward on her knees, and I suddenly had a new understanding of why she was so successful and got shit done. Even though I wasn’t the easily intimidated type, and probably had thirty pounds on her, this was kind of intimidating.

“You have direct access to The Lions?”

“Um…” I shrank back as much as the elevator walls would let me. “Well… I mean, kind of.”

“Payton, can you do this for me? Can you get something personalized? I’ll take anything, shirt, poster… even if it’s only Ace Watson, I’ll take it.”

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the air that had stuck in my throat.

“Ace Watson?” I croaked.

She nodded. “He’s Chester’s favorite player, though he hasn’t had the best start this week, apparently. It’s all that’s been talked about at family dinner.”

I stopped my head from falling back against the cool metal of the elevator, though it would probably help with the throbbing in my brain.

This woman that I desperately wanted to impress needed my help – except my help involved asking a favor from the one person Ireallydidn’t want to talk to.

“Please, Payton, at this point I’ll do anything.” She chewed on her lip nervously. I’d never imagined Nathalie Cheung to be nervous, but here she was, waiting for my answer. “I can move you up into adult fiction. You’re a good editor, and I’m sure you’d fit right in. I’ve loved your work.”

I blinked. I mean, come on. Why? Why did it have to be this?

“Nathalie…” I started, then stopped. It felt weird calling her by her first name. Though I wasn’t sure what else to call her. Ma’am? Ms. Cheung? Oh, whatever. “Nathalie, are you saying you’ll move me into adult fiction if I deliver signed memorabilia from Ace Watson?”

She nodded, way too eagerly. “Yes. I know they’re looking for a new editor because the entire division had a shuffle around last quarter, and there’s space. I wasn’t kidding when I said you’d fit right in. I looked you up after I saw your name onFlash. You’ve been nominated.”

My teeth gritted. Susie Van Marin had told me there was nothing going right now. Un-fucking-believable.

Now here I was being presented with the opportunity to have everything I’d ever wanted… Except it came with a catch; I knew what Ace would ask for in return.

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