Page 87 of Austen Persuaded

“Sure.”

I inhaled sharply. “Sure, as in you’ll do it? Or—”

“Of course.”

Relieved, I smiled, relaxing into the chair near Sofia’s desk. I should have known Sofia wouldn’t let me down. She never let anyone down.

“Given how crazy things are now though, could I put this on my planner for sometime in the fall, maybe as early as September? With you vouching for her, I’m sure I’d want to take her on, but I want to give her the attention she’d need.”

My spirits deflated. This wasn’t surprising. Sofia had been closed to queries for almost a month now since she was so swamped. “Oh, uh …”

She eyed me curiously. “Ah, wrong answer? Is your friend in a hurry?”

“Not in a hurry so much, but … well, you know how it is for new authors. Her confidence has really taken a hit with some early querying. I was hoping a quicker uptake could help her feel better. But you can’t fit her in now. Of course you can’t—I know your schedule.” I shook her head. “Sorry, you gave me a totally reasonable, generous answer. I just wish I could help her more myself. Please don’t stress about fitting this in.”

“I’ll help,” said a voice from behind. I’d know that voice anywhere, but I turned around to confirm. Or to … ogle. Kylan was dressed in gym shorts and a casual blue shirt, his brow glistening with sweat.

I tried not to stare. “Uh, hi, we were just—”

“Sorry, I overheard,” he said. “And sorry about the sweaty gym clothes. I had an urgent business meeting that came up while I was working out, so I didn’t have time to change and shower—well, you get the picture.”

“Oh, we get the picture,” Sofia said, her voice low. “And you needn’t apologize for it.”

Oddly, Kylan blushed at that. Only slightly, and it was barely noticeable on his already sweaty and slightly flushed face, but I still noticed. It was surprising, with all the time they’d spent together lately, that he’d be embarrassed about a flirty comment. Maybe only because it was spoken in front of me.

I sighed. “I was just going to head back to my desk anyway—”

“Wait,” he said in his commanding voice, placing a hand on my forearm as I went to move past him. I stepped back immediately, putting a couple feet of distance between us. “I mean it. I can help. You have a friend looking for an agent for their first manuscript, I gather?” When I nodded slowly, he continued, “I’ll take it home this weekend and read it. Or tonight.”

My eyes widened.

I can’t be hearing this right.

Before I could protest, Sofia replied, “I’d love that, Kylan. Sort of a screening to save me some time?”

Kylan looked back and forth between us a few times. “That isn’t going to ultimately save you much time though, since you have to read it anyway if you’re going to represent someone. How about this: I’ll read it, and if it’s not trash, I’ll represent the author.”

I gasped. “As in … yourself?”

“Yes.”

“But …” I looked between them, unsure how to reply, stunned that he would do this. “You, uh … you’re—”

Sofia chuckled. “You’re the big guy in charge, Kylan, so we’re a little surprised. But I think I can speak for both myself and Ms. Tongue-Tied over there and say that we’d be really grateful, if you think you have the time.”

I cleared my throat, embarrassed. “It’s just—well, I didn’t know you represented authors yourself. Anymore.”

“Not often,” he admitted, giving us a half-smile. “It’s not a big deal though. I like to stay involved at various levels of my companies.”

I nodded and then froze. He couldn’t know yet who the author in question was. Mentioning her name was the last thing I wanted to do, but I needed to tell him now, so he had a chance to change his mind. My voice shook as I said, “You need to know, the aspiring author is my friend Viviana Cantwell. She’s—”

His face didn’t change, but his voice was quiet. “I remember.” He glanced at his watch quickly. “Give her my email address and have her send the manuscript. I’ve got to run.” Before I could blink, he was heading out the door with a quick wave.

I sank into the chair nearest to her.

After a moment of silence, Sofia spoke up. “Annie? I know this is a little irregular, but it’s fine. Take it as the gift that it is.” She smiled. “Think of the connections he has. He could get her published anywhere, probably.”

Sofia was right. This was a gift. I should be overjoyed or at least relieved. Instead, worries swirled around in my mind as I forced a smile for Sofia. This was a blessing, I reminded myself again.

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