Page 36 of Sunshine
“They want the final book in the contract asap, Tess, and they’re tired of the excuses. You haven’t given them anything in year. And the last two books weren’t exactly your top sellers so they’re even less patient.”
I open my mouth to reply but she shakes her head.
“I know you’re struggling since Gary, but you can’t ruin your career over him.”
My eyes narrow on hers. “Since Gran’s death. My struggles have nothing to do withhim.”
She changes her lane. “Yes, of course.”
“So, what do we do?” I ask, staring out over the pond behind the restaurant. I turn back when she doesn’t answer. Her face seems flat, pale and concerned. “Could we break the contract?”
“They want to drop you. But first they’ll sue for breach of contract, which wouldn’t have been an issue last year.” She sighs. “But this year… with every dime tied up in the divorce?” She turns her head, biting her lip. “You just can’t afford to fight them.”
I drag in a breath and let it out slowly. “I’ve been loyal for fifteen years. I was twenty—fresh out of college then. Some might say I gave them my best years.” A duck with her older babies waddles to the edge of the pond and jumps in. I watch each of her almost grown babies follow her plop after plop.
“Some might say bullshit to that. Your best is yet to come, Tess. I feel it.” She pauses. “But they’re giving you three months.”
My head snaps back to face my friend.
“Three? Jesus! After all the money I’ve made them?”
“They’re taking in a lot of newer authors, ones with big followings on their socials and substantial indie backlists. They’re getting their cake and eating it too these days. But we can’t just tell them to shove it. Right now, with Gary, you can’t afford a lawsuit or any negative publicity.”
“Publicity? Is there something going on?”
Paige’s lips press and her eyes lower. “I didn’t want to bother you but there’s social media chatter.”
I sit forward in my chair. “What kind of chatter?”
“Gary’s been talking about writing his own book… He’s even done a few interviews with book bloggers. He says he’s going to title it:Passionless: The Ugly Truth of Loving a Bestselling Romance Author.”
I reach for my ice water and take several sips, absently fingering the leather bill wallet on the table, our bill long since paid.
“After this book, I can query other houses. But Tess, we’ll need something new to entice them. Have you considered contemporary?”
I rise. “Let’s go. I want to get back.”
She follows. I’d never have considered changing my brand after all these successful years, but maybe that’s just what I need. And ever since Tank Long and my sexy neighbor, I’d been itching to write something contemporary and spicier, but I couldn’t have something like that connected to my name.
Besides, I bet I couldn’t even pull it off. Even when Gary and I were happy… okay, satisfied… I was neversatisfied-satisfied. Sex had never been that important to me. My mind pulls up the memory of Case’s kiss and what even thinking about it does to me.
“You don’t have to change, babe.You can do this your way and still be back on top,” she adds coming up behind me as we exit the cool air-conditioned restaurant.
“Yes, of course I can,” I say with my usual confidence, but I’m not so sure. In fact, I’m surer that I can’t. Because maybe there really is some magic muse that helps writers create and mine decided I was a lost cause. Maybe when Gary left, she left too. Maybe my muse found another writer, like Gary found another lover.
Paige pauses outside the restaurant when she gets an alert from her phone and I’m happy for a reprieve of best friend/agent scrutiny.
Her long sigh alerts me when she’s ended the call. And that’s when I look at her, really look at her. Her eyes are puffy and have the slight purple bruised look of a person who’s missed more than a few nights sleep. What a great friend I am. Jesus.
“Are you okay, Paige?”
She blinks at me as she shoves her phone away. “I’m...” She doesn’t finish speaking and I can see her trying to decide if shewants to tell me what’s wrong and it breaks my heart a little bit. I’ve failed as a granddaughter, wife and now I see I’ve failed my best friend too.
“Let’s spend the weekend forgetting our problems. Have a mini vacay.”
“I… I don’t have the money to go away, Tess.”
I swallow hard. “Who said anything about going away? We’re on an island with gorgeous beaches right now. But what do you mean? Are you having financial problems?”
