Page 5 of The Rom-Commers

“The point is, he’s Charlie Yates. He gets it the way he wants it. And he’s never going to just accept virtual corrections from some unproduced writer on the internet.”

“When you put it that way, I don’t sound very impressive.”

“I know.”

“So I have to come out there and—what?”

“Woo him.”

“Woohim?”

“Obviously not in the traditional sense ofwoo.”

“I can’t go to LA, Logan,” I said. “I can’t goanywhere. Remember my dad?”

But Logan wasn’t deterred. “What about Sylvie?” he asked.

Dammit. He had me. “What about her?”

“Didn’t she just graduate?”

“She did, but—”

“Wasn’t that the plan all along? To get Sylvie through college and then let her take a turn?”

“Thatwasthe plan,” I said, bracing myself against how right Logan was. “But she got a very prestigious summer internship with International Medical Aid—”

“Bullshit!” Logan shouted.

“Did you just shout ‘bullshit’ at me?”

“It’s her turn,” Logan said, mad at me now. “You’ve done everything for ten years—”

“Just underten years,” I corrected.

“—and the plan, all along, was for her to come back to Texas after college and take over.”

“Yes, but that was before—”

“Call her,” Logan demanded. “Call her right now and tell her she’s coming home. You will never get another chance like this. This is the opportunity of your lifetime.”

“I don’t have to call her. She’s on her way in from the airport right now. Remember the pancakes?”

“Perfect timing,” Logan said then. “Tell her at dinner.”

But I just leaned down and rested my forehead against the metal handrail as a garbage truck rumbled by down below. “I don’t want to.”

“Be fair to yourself, Emma,” Logan cajoled.

Why were we even talking about this? I had things to do and no time for nonsense. “I’m not crushing Sylvie’s dreams, Logan. That’s not on my to-do list today.”

“But what about you?” Logan asked. “What aboutyourdreams?”

At that, I stood up. “My dreams,” I said, likeWe’re done here, “got crushed a long time ago.”

Two

I DID NOTtell Sylvie at dinner.

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