Page 63 of Finding Amanda

Only when Roxie stepped inside did Amanda notice a man standing behind her.

A quick glance at Roxie showed a peculiar gleam in the older woman's eyes. "This is Baxter McIlroy, the newest agent at Richardson & Associates."

At least twenty years' Roxie's junior, the man wore a well-tailored suit. He shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Johnson."

"Amanda, please."

He dipped his chin. "I know you two need to talk, and I planned to wait in the car, but I hoped I could borrow your bathroom."

"Oh, sure." Amanda pointed toward the hallway. "Right back there, second door on the right."

After he disappeared down the hall, Amanda turned to Roxie, eyebrows raised. "Isn't he a little young for you?"

"You're only as old as you feel." Roxie winked. "And with him around, I feel about twenty-five. Unfortunately, since he works for me, there's nothing between us but a lot of sexual tension. We're like the Moonlighting of the publishing industry."

"Moonlighting?"

"Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd? Oh, never mind. I forget how young you are."

Amanda chuckled. "Come on in and sit down." She indicated a barstool and stepped into the kitchen.

"Tell me you have something delicious for me," Roxie said. "I know it was short notice, but I always expect something delectable when I come here."

Amanda anticipated her request and had taken a hunk of leftover pound cake out of the freezer as soon as she'd called. She'd been saving it for Sophie—it was her favorite dessert. Amanda sliced a couple of pieces and slid them across the bar, along with a cup of whipped cream-topped coffee. Where was Roxie storing all the calories she ate? Most of it must've gone straight to her button-straining bosom. The conservative gray suit looked anything but on her.

After a couple of bites andmmmsof delight, Roxie started the conversation Amanda was dreading. "You're thinking about putting the memoir aside."

"Yes."

Roxie swallowed another bite. "Why would you do that? It's heart-wrenching and emotional, and it'll increase your platform and help you connect with your followers."

Amanda briefly caught her agent up on the events of the previous week.

Roxie finished her cake while Amanda talked, sipping her coffee between bites but studying Amanda intently. A few moments of silence followed before she said, "You're really afraid he'll come after you?"

"I wasn't at first, but . . . Well, I guess I've always been afraid of seeing him. I thought as long as I used my pen name, and I kept my photograph off it, he wouldn't know in time to stop me. But now he knows, and I'm not sure it's worth the risk."

"Oh, but darling, it's so good. I couldn't put it down. Have you thought about making a novel out of it? It would take a little tweaking?—"

"No. I'm not a novelist, and I don't want to be. And Gabriel wouldn't accept that."

"But this guy needs to be stopped. Think of the impact you could have. Think of the damage he's done, what he still might be doing."

Like that brave girl who'd accused him. Her courage had amounted to nothing. Gabriel wasn't in prison. He could still be preying on teenage girls. She shook off a warm flush of guilt. "You're right, of course." Not publishing the memoir would be selfish, wouldn't it? Why would Mark ask her to do something so selfish? To protect her, or to protect himself?

"So youdowant to publish it?" Roxieclarified.

Amanda sighed. "I don't know what to do. Just . . . have you sent it to anyone?"

Roxie sat back, all business now. "Just Timmy." Amanda's editor at Mercury. "He already rejected it."

"What about the editors who requested it last weekend?"

"Not yet. I wanted to tweak the proposal."

"Good. Hold off until we can figure out what's going on. Mark thinks somebody is feeding Gabriel information. We need to know who knew about it. So if you just told Tim, then that narrows the list."

"Are you saying you thinkIhad contact with this guy?"

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