Page 13 of Battle of the Exes

Rue winces. “I wanted to but?—”

I shoot her my sharpest withering look. “Don’t even.”

Her shoulders slump in surrender. “I was desperate. When the lease negotiations fell apart, I panicked. Istarted reaching out to every agent and publicist I could find, trying to book a big name author. No one bit. Their calendars were packed months ago.”

I can already see where this is going.

She sighs. “Then I saw Beau was repping Jasper...”

“So, you called my ex-husband and asked him for a favor.”

She nods, guilt written all over her face.

I sound contentious because that’s how I’m feeling. Only my emotions are misplaced. It’s Beau I’m angry with. Even now, all these years later, the guy gets under my skin.

And if I’m honest, I’m mostly mad at myself. After my cringe-worthy tumble into the signing table, I figured I’d ruined any chance of making a good impression on Jasper Kensington. Once the presentation was over, there was nothing left to lose. I’d already lost my self-respect. I decided that if I was going to meet my literary hero I had to face him head on. Even with my ex-husband sitting beside him, that ever-present smug look on his face.

I sip through the tiny straw. The whiskey burns just enough.

“I’m sorry,” Rue says softly. Her voice wavers, like she might cry if I snap again.

I’ve always had the thicker skin between us. I set my hand gently on hers. “You did the right thing. The Quill comes first.”

Her eyes brighten with relief. “Thank you for understanding.”

I slide off the stool and pull her into a hug. “Love you,sis.”

The bartender stops by to ask if we want refills. We both decline. My glass is nearly empty. Rue hasn’t touched hers.

“What I don’t get,” I say to Rue, “is why Beau’s helping us. The guy hates me.”

Rue squints at me. “No, he doesn’t.”

I give her a full-on you’ve-lost-your-mind stare. “He dumped me three days after our wedding. I’d say that qualifies as hate.”

She presses her lips together, clearly biting back something. I grab a handful of pretzels and decide not to press her.

“Today’s sales will help, right?” I ask instead.

“Not in the long run,” Rue says, finally lifting her watered-down drink. “But hey, it was fun seeing Jasper up close, wasn’t it?”

“He is the hottest author I’ve ever seen in real life. Usually those back cover photos are ten years old and twenty pounds off.”

She nods, smiling. “I overheard him say he thinks you’re pretty.”

“What? You’re kidding.”

She shakes her head. “Said it to Beau.”

I blink. “He gave me his number.”

Rue’s smile broadens. “Well, there you go.”

Clearly, Jasper doesn’t know my sordid history with his publicist. “You think he’s actually interested or just trying to redirect the awkward stalker energy?”

She shrugs. “One way to find out. Call the number.”

I hedge. “I don’t know...”

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