Page 52 of Surfside Sisters

“No. Not at all. But it should be set on Nantucket. That name is a powerful draw.”

“Okay…”

“It should feel the same, though. Young people. Sex. Complications.”

“I was thinking, something about rich summer people and the son falls in love with the maid…I’ll title itPoor Girl.”

“Love it! Oops, we’ve got to meet Juan. Let’s go.”

Sally led Keely between canyons of brick and steel to Cipriani, an Italian restaurant on Wall Street. They were seated, and a moment later a stunningly handsome man appeared at the table.

“Juan Polenski,” the man said, kissing Keely’s hand. “Keely Green. I am so happy to meet you. You and I are going to have a lot of fun together.”

“Stop it, Juan,” Sally said. “Keely, don’t get your hopes up. He bats for the other side. Juan, don’t I get a kiss?”

While Sally and Juan were bantering, a pretty young woman with gorgeous blue eyes leaned forward. “Keely, I’m Melissa Anderson, Juan’s assistant. Anything you need, let me know. And congratulations onRich Girl. I love this book!”

And they were off, talking more than eating, laughing at in-jokes, drinking red wine and eating amazingly delicious pasta. Keely could only swallow a few bites. She was in such a state of excitement she could barely sip her water, although the wine did help. Here it was, a dream come true, lunch with her agent and her editor because of a book she’d written! She had stepped into paradise.

“See that big fat guy over there?” Sally whispered, leaning close to Keely. “He’s a literary giant, he’s won the Pulitzerandthe National Book Award. He’s a famous womanizer, he tries to seduce every female he comes across.”

“Yeah,” Melissa added, “and if the woman refuses him, he’ll say, ‘Come on, honey, I won the Pulitzer.’ ”

Keely had scarcely finished laughing when Juan signaled for the check. Almost before she could believe she was talking to her editor, Keely was left standing on the sidewalk with Sally, Melissa, and Juan.

They took a cab to Ransome & Hawkmore Publishing. The offices were in a massive stone building shouldering up to a massive steel and chrome building. The foyer was impressive, and the reception area on the thirty-second floor was elegant, and then, behind the scenes, a warren of cubicles and offices and mysterious hallways spread in all directions.

They settled in a conference room, where they were quickly joined by people from marketing, publicity, digital sales, and social media. Plans were unrolled, folders handed out, and Keely tried not to smile too much.

“What’s the title of your next book?” Juan asked.

Buoyed with red wine and happiness, Keely said,“Poor Girl.”

“I like it,” Juan said. “So we’ll publishRich Girlnext June.”

“NextJune?” Keely asked.

Sally leaned forward. “Publication of a novel calls for lots of production, Keely. They’ve got to create the cover, plan publicity and distribution, send advanced readers’ copies out for quotes.”

“While you’re waiting for next June,” Juan said, “you can writePoor Girl. We’ll want to publish that the following summer.”

“We need to have an author photo taken of you,” Melissa said. “Sally, I’ll talk with you about that.” Turning to Keely, she said, “You can come back into the city in a month or so, right?”

“Right.” Keely’s head was whirling.

“Okay, we’re set,” Juan declared.

Everyone rose, shook hands or air-kissed, and Melissa escorted Keely and Sally to the elevator. Moments later, they were back on the street.

Sally grinned. “We talk fast in the city, don’t we?”

Keely nodded. “Everything is so—exciting.”

“Yes, there’s nothing like the high of selling your first book. Look, I’ve got meetings now. I suggest you walk back to your hotel. It will be a long haul, but it’s the best way to see the city. You can stop for coffee somewhere. Take your time. Soak it in. Keely Green, new author, strolls the big city. Enjoy it.”

“I’ll do that,” Keely said.

“You fly back tomorrow?”

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