“Coffee’s fine, thank you.” Chase saves me. I’m not supposed to know that Chase prefers coffee, and certainly not that he likes it strong with just a dash of milk and no sugar. Which is how he’s taken it every time I’ve seen so far. Not that I’m memorising those details. Not consciously anyway.
“Sure, coming right up.” Ben smirks and disappears and I release a breath.
“Mr Knightly? I hoped you’d call me Chase by now.”
“I was being professional,” I say primly, and Chase smiles warmly, though his look includes something else, like an appraisal, and my insides melt a little.
“Please, sit, while I collect the list of ghostwriters I’ve prepared.” I turn away to my desk and find the file I’vestarted to create, just in case. Not that Chase really has need of my services. He’s already had offers from the big five, so in theory he doesn’t need an agent. I’m just helping out an acquaintance. A friend? Maybe that’s going too far. In my wildest fantasies we are far more than friends, but those aren’t real. But anyway, I’m just helping him understand the offers and giving him some advice and more contacts. What he does with it is totally up to him, though I do have a file started, which I tell myself is just good business practice.
I sit at the table and hand Chase the short list of ghostwriters I know to be reputable and reliable. Although I’ve included a short bio about each one, he asks me questions as if he’s trying to find out more than the facts I’ve given him. Maybe it’s a vibe thing, a magic ingredient he can sniff out, like he does for the businesses he wants to invest in. It would explain his success.
There’s a knock and the door opens before I can call out for them to enter. I look up, expecting to see Ben, and it is him, carrying a tray with the coffees, but preceding him is Cordelia.
She cuts me an icy glare, which is gone in an instant as she turns to Chase and dials up the charm, holding out her hand, which he dutifully shakes.
“Mr Knightly, this is a surprise. I wasn’t aware you were interested in writing a book. You know, you should’ve contacted us directly. We have some moresenioragents who can look after you properly.”
I’m sure I can detect a tightening of Chase’s jaw as she speaks and his eyes harden as he answers.
“I haven’t thought of writing a book. I’ve been approached by several publishers and need some advice.”
“We can also provide you with advice. I have many years of experience in the industry myself,” she says smoothly, but Chase’s expression doesn’t change.
“Mr Ellington is a friend, and I find in business it’s important to connect with those you know and trust, don’t you think?” Chase replies. Cordelia swivels her head to look at me, and her gaze is one of disgust and disbelief that I’d know Chase. Normally it would hurt, but I can’t feel it as I’m bouncing along on a cloud from what he said. It might have just been for Cordelia’s benefit, but I’ll take it.
“Indeed. Well, I’ll leave you to it. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr Knightly.” Her voice is brittle and Chase acknowledges her with a dismissive nod, which has me in awe of his skill. I wish I could do the same to make her go away sometimes. She leaves, and then I notice Ben is still hovering near the door.
“Sorry, she’d seen Mr Knightly when I brought him up earlier and insisted on coming in,” Ben says, rushing forward and putting the tray down on the table.
“That’s okay, Ben, and thank you,” I reply and wait for him to leave before turning back to Chase.
“Friend?” I blurt out the first thing in my head and instantly regret it. I try to get my brain back into professional mode. “I mean, um, do you have any more questions?”
Chase takes a sip of his coffee, his blue eyes regarding me over the rim of the mug.
“Aren’t we friends?” He places his coffee carefully back on the table.
Okaaay, I was referring to the list of ghostwriters, so it takes my brain a moment to switch back.
“Yes. I mean, I think so. Um . . . I want to. Yes, I’d like that.”
The only response to my babble is an amused chuckle, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiles. Those little laughter lines shouldn’t be sexy, but they are. He keeps my gaze for a long time, something that keeps happening. It’s like we should say something, but I can’t think of a damn thing to say to him. Eventually I remember the list and I drop my eyes, breaking the contact.
“I can provide samples of work for the ghostwriters if you want to know more.”
It takes a few seconds before he answers, like he was still in the trance-like state.
“Oh, yes of course, that would be useful.”
“Of them all or just a couple?” I ask, and he looks thoughtfully at the list again.
“How about we go over them again so I can make a decision?”
For the next hour we revisit the list and he asks me more questions about them. In the end he settles on three, and I agree to provide samples but also look into their availability in the coming months.
“So, what happens then?” Chase asks as I gather up the papers.
“Well, when you’ve made a decision as to whether you want to go ahead with your book, and whether you want to use a ghostwriter, you can contact whichever publisher you want to work with and take it from there.”