Page 25 of From Jerk to Perk

“Okay. You’re still burned out. And with that shitty review from that Julius Bird guy, well, fuck them all. Write more of the sexy stuff, you know?” I say.

“There is good money in romance, Levi,” Henry pipes up, nearly knocking me off my chair with surprise. “Way more than in the other genres like mystery and sci-fi. And you know hitting it big with your literary works is a huge long shot.”

Levi glares at him. “So you’re saying I should give up what I’m doing to write sex books full-time? Are you fucking kidding me?”

Henry says nothing.

“Fuck that fancy high-brow shit, Levi,” I say, thinking about Amalia’s tasty tits and how I might find a way to see them again.

Evening workouts at the gym will be a nice start.

Levi pulls on the back of his neck, his face full of stress. “I… needed a creative outlet after the grind of my last book. But I’m not writing romance. No way, no how. I don’t care how many readers there are out there.”

I grab my phone and order up a double cheeseburger and fries from the deli on the corner. I’m fucking starving after my run-in with passionfruit crab cakes, or whatever the hell that shit was.

“Wy, I thought you were going vegetarian? What’s up with the burger?” Henry asks.

“Yeah, well, I’m easing into it. I read you can do it that way.”

Naturally, they scoff. But I don’t care. I need that burger and I know it’s only five minutes away.

“Are you still working on that vegetarian restaurant app?” Henry asks.

“Yes but the issue is, I want to eat in all the restaurants I include in it. That takes a long time.”

Especially when you end up eating things like passionfruit crab cakes.

I watch out the front window for my delivery. “So Levi, do you think there’s any money to be made with your book, the Ryder Night one?” I ask.

Levi shrugs. “Doesn’t matter because it’s not getting published.”

“Let me say I wrote it,” I say, not ready to give up.

Jesus. Would I really do that, just to see Amalia again?

The answer is yes.

Levi shakes his head. “Doesn’t work like that, Wy. Look, I know you want me to say yes to the book so you can get in that woman’s pants?—”

“Hey, now. That’s not fair,” I interrupt, even though he’s got my number.

He waves me away. “Whatever. I appreciate your letting the woman down. I hope that means case closed. That we can forget this ever happened and that the manuscript dies a quiet death, like it should. I’m still a little worried about being discovered, but that’s my issue. I’m sure everything will be fine now.” He turns his attention to watch a new episode of Jeopardy with Henry.

Dammit. Now I have no reason to see Amalia, except to get back to her and shoot her down again. She’s really going to hate me after this.

I can just see her at the gym, spotting me from across the room, and heading in the opposite direction to avoid me.

That’s never happened to me before, but I guess there’s always a first time.

Which makes this all the bigger challenge.

15

AMALIA

I rubmy hands up and down my arms like I’m freezing. Thing is, the office is actually on the warm side. It always is.

I’m buzzing. That’s the only word I can think to describe it. Since my meeting with Wyatt Zimmerman the night before, I’ve had next-level goosebumps. I barely slept all night. And it’s not only because he could possibly, hopefully, talk his friend into publishing his novel, thus saving my career.

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