Page 11 of Wolfish Player
The dead sheep tried to warn me…
“I’m Theresa, and I’m part of the initial family business here, but between you and me, I consider myself to be a professional book devourer.” She pauses. “They’re my form of orgasms.”
I nod, unsure of how I should respond to that.
“Anyway, what’s your full name?” she asks. “Is it really Heather B?”
“Heather Barrett.”
“Oh, wow. We publish an author here by that name. Well, not her pen name, but?—”
“That’s me as well.” I’d rather her send me home now instead of this coming up to kill my chances later. “Allyson Harmony is my pen name, but I’m trying to work here for personal reasons if that’s alright.”
The smile on her face slowly fades, and she stares at me for several moments without saying a word.
Without even blinking.
Point taken.“Can you validate my friend’s parking before I go? Twenty-five dollars for five minutes seems a bit high.”
“I’m obsessed with your books.” Her smile returns. “Like, I have your entire backlist on my shelf, but I reread your office romance like once a month and on my lonely nights if I haven’t had sex in a while.”
“I, um, appreciate that very much.”
“For what it’s worth, it wasn’t my choice not to give you an extension.” She shoots me a sympathetic look. “But I think it’s so cool that you’re willing to work here to pay it back. That’s—truly admirable and humble.”
I’m doing it for the money.“So, if I were to get this job, I’d be working directly with you?”
“Ha! No.” She snorts. “I mean, you’d see me a lot, but you’d be more of a liaison between the CEO and the editorial department. Now that I know you know quite a bit aboutbestsellers, let’s just do a tour and you’ll interview with Mr. Wolfson.”
Before I can ask anything else, she loops her hand in mine like we’re lifelong friends and escorts me to the elevator.
“Soooo—” Her eyes light up as she presses the ‘up’ button. “Do you happen to have a draft ofThe Final Termslying around anywhere? I can totally beta read for you, if you want…”
“I’ll think about it,” I say. “After it gets in better condition.”
“What condition is it in right now?”
“Um…” I bite my tongue as the doors glide open.
“Let’s start the tour with a view of our reading nook floor.” She drops the subject of me being an author and escorts me through faux trees that hold hammocks and couches where workers are reading books.
Then she shows me to a floor with a café, where employees are flipping through magazines.
Okay. This job might not be so bad after all.
THE AUTHOR
HEATHER
“That’s everything for now.” Theresa escorts me onto the top floor of the building an hour later. “I hope you’re as excited as I am about working here.”
“I am,” I say, and I actually mean it. I felt hints of inspiration when we walked through the marketing department, and despite the fact that the CEO has a questionable obsession with throwing wolf décor everywhere, this place seems perfect.
“Do you have any questions for me?” she asks.
“Not that I can think of at the moment.”
“Well, here’s my card if anything comes to mind,” she says. “I’ll go tell Mr. Wolfson that you’re ready for your formal interview and then?—”
