Page 5 of A Reclusive Heart

J.L. Lewis was supposed to be his. He had plans. He’d already put out feelers for promotional events and the response he’d received was astronomical. This was not fucking happening.

Nick shoved to his feet. “Rick, can I have a word with you?”

Rick sighed but didn’t look all that surprised. The rest of the staff sent him grateful looks. Could they really be that fucking stupid to think that he was doing this for them? That was just fucking sad.

“Meeting’s adjourned,” Rick said, nodding as he grabbed his files and headed for the door. “Miss Harris?” Rick said to the nervous recluse, who looked like she was about to crawl beneath the table.

“Yes?” she said, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Why don’t you join us?”

If Rick thought bringing the little recluse with them was going to keep him on his best behavior, then Rick really didn’t know him at all.

This couldn’t be good,Jamie thought as she walked into the large office and quickly made her way over to one of the leather chairs and sat down.

“Would you like something to drink?” Rick asked.

“No, thank you,” Jamie murmured.

She wanted to get this over with and retreat to her new office and get to work and forget those hostile looks that had beenaimed at her for a while. She knew that when she signed the contract that there would probably be a few people that wouldn’t be happy with this agreement, but she’d never expected them to be this mad.

“Nick, why don’t you have a seat?” Rick suggested as he sat down across from Jamie while she watched the man in question narrow his eyes on her.

With a tight nod, Nick took the chair facing both of them. Jamie kept her gaze averted, but she knew that he was still glaring at her.

She couldfeelit.

“Rick, this agreement isn’t going to work out,” Nick said, getting to the point.

Rick leaned back in his chair, getting more comfortable. “And why’s that?”

“She doesn’t have what it takes to do this job.”

That surprised her since she’d been running Harris Publishing for the past five years. She’d started her company from scratch and had made a name for not only herself but for her clients as well.

“I would have to disagree,” Rick said, earning her undying gratitude. “She took a bunch of unknown authors and signed them. Under her guidance, many of them have gone on to become New York Times bestselling authors. I have no doubt that she’ll be able to do the same here.”

“E-books, Rick. She managed these people by phone and e-mail. She’s never had to deal with promotional issues, vendors, or a thousand other issues a traditionally published author has to deal with.”

“She’ll learn.”

It was starting to disturb her that they were talking about her as though she wasn’t in the room, but Jamie kept her mouthshut. She hated confrontation, which could explain the whole ex-almost-boyfriend/new brother-in-law situation.

“So, she’s supposed to learn on the job? How is that fair to her clients,our clients,now? They’ve signed with us expecting a certain level of professionalism and we’re giving them a trainee? It’s not going to fly. What about J.L. Lewis?” At the mention of J.L. Lewis, Jamie cringed. Rick sent her an amused look before returning his attention to Nick.

“J.L. Lewis could very well be the next Dana Pierce,” he argued, which, of course, made her want to smile. She knew J.L. Lewis was decent, popular even, but as good as Dana Pierce? She never would have dreamed that was possible.

“If we leave J.L. Lewis with a trainee, she’ll never go anywhere and we’ll have missed a golden opportunity. Come on, Rick. Don’t do this. It’s not fair to any of the authors or Rerum.”

“What makes you think she can’t do this?” Rick asked and Jamie had to admit that she was wondering the same thing.

“Besides having absolutely no experience promoting and handling a book tour, marketing, and handling conventions? Well, I would have to say that she’s too shy, quiet, can’t make eye contact, she dresses like a bag lady with jury duty. She needs a haircut and some makeup wouldn’t exactly hurt. Her glasses belong on Erkel. She doesn’t have the killer instinct to get the job done. For Christ’s sake, Rick, she’s just sitting there meekly while I’m tearing her apart and you think she can handle someone like J.L. Lewis? She’ll destroy her career.”

Miss Harris senthim a hurt look. Damn, if Nick didn’t feel like he’d just kicked a puppy, but she needed to hear the truth.

“That was uncalled for, Nick,” Rick said, trying to hand Miss Harris a box of tissues, but she shook her head and continued to avert her gaze.

“It was the truth. If you want to train her, go for it, but don’t leave J.L. Lewis in her incapable hands.”

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