Page 3 of A Father's Bliss

I pull up the author’s socials and begin to draft an email to have Cindy, the next cog in the machine, to check out some books, when my phone rings, causing me to nearly jerk from my damn skin.

“I wasn’t sure at first, but now I justknowthey’re talking about you.” Troy’s voice prompts my hand to shoot out and pick up the receiver. Both of us are definitely not people anyone should ever trust on speakerphone.

My eyes move to Troy at the reception desk near the front and I tilt my head. “Why do you think that?”

He laughs and I can’t help but grin. “For one, they keep glancing at you every few seconds. Two, your dad looks likehe’s thirty seconds away from either shitting himself or blowing a heart valve. And finally, and my personal favorite, three, Mr. Fine-bois has a smug little smirk on his face like he does when he gets something good. Like the cat who caught the canary. Only he’s a sexy cat. Is that a thing?”

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from letting my smile expand. It’s been four years and Mr. Debois has only gotten finer, like a damn wine with age. “I’m not sure, but I feel like I need to contact PETA to report you. And also, my old man always looks like that when he’s talking to Marcus. You know they love to hate each other.”

“More like your dad loves hating him. Marcus never even looks slightly perturbed by your father’s shit.”

“Is it bad I think that’s hot?”

Me and Troy burst out laughing at the same time. Marcus is often our favorite topic of discussion when we find ourselves gossiping. Whether it’s about how our fingers accidentally grazed against one another when we reached for the same napkin at our work’s potluck, or when Troy caught him staring a little too long when I was Mrs. Clause for our Christmas party. The list goes on and on, and it’s mostly with his dirty musings or my impossible wishes. I’ve clearly got it bad, and Troy loves dousing my fictional flames in gasoline.

“Oh, oh shit! Dad incoming.”

“I gotta go. I’ll call you right back.” I start to move the receiver from my ear but stop short at Troy’s protests.

“Hell no! Girl, put me on speaker and I’ll mute my phone.”

I huff, watching my father shake his head as he crosses the office floor. “He’ll see the light.”

“Renee,” he whines and I roll my eyes, obliging him just for my own selfish needs of not wanting to remember every detail to regurgitate later.

“Mute. Now.” I hurry and hit the microphone button before tossing down the phone.

In the next second, my father fills the doorway as he enters before collapsing into one of the chairs in front of my desk. Like the entirety of my office, they were bought shortly after my hire. It’s oversized and plush, often my go-to spot to read on my breaks. Next to it is a duplicate that Troy’s ass is permanently ingrained in. The rest of the office was then redone to match the perfect chairs. The walls have been painted a soft white, a three piece bookshelves rest in one corner, vintage gold lamps supply the only light, and four varieties of pothos hang from the ceiling.

It’s cozy and calm, a direct reflection of what reading does to my system, and my father, looking nothing short of a pissed off radish, is the direct opposite.

“What’s wrong?” I try to keep my voice low and neutral even though I’m almost vibrating inside with curiosity. “You can’t be mad on Father’s Day. It’s bad for the blood pressure.”

He blows out a big breath before scrubbing his hands over his face. “What a Father’s Day gift this is. Jennie is officially on maternity leave and Numnuts over there needs a replacement.”

I give him my best stern look. “Numnuts” received his undergraduate at Yale, and his masters at Columbia. Though he went off the written path his parents had drafted for him by moving into publishing, he’s an incredibly intelligent man—yet another thing that makes him so fucking attractive.

“And he’d like for me to take on the role?”

In my current position, I discover smaller authors with voices that can’t quite reach the masses and bring them to the forefront. It’s been incredibly rewarding and I very much love my job. But I can also admit, it leaves me ignorant to some of the other elements of the publishing world, and by taking on the temporary position of an agent’s assistant, it could help me become more well-rounded. I’d actually be reading themanuscripts instead of finding people simply to pass them off to be read by someone else.

Plus, working with someone like Marcus who’s been on multiple sides of the industry would be a dream, and not just because of my little crush on him.

My father nods. “Yeah, but you’d also have to keep up with what you’re doing now. I don’t think it’s fair and told him he needs to hire someone else.”

“But why hire someone for only two months?” My hackles rise, the sudden desire to have this position coiling around me. “And I know Troy would be more than happy to help me with social media scouting.”

Troy fist bumps the air behind my father, but I ignore him.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what he said about a new hire.” He grunts. “But why you?”

My molars almost crack with the force. “Why not me?”

He shakes his head. “No, no. I’m not saying you wouldn’t be good at it. Hell, that’s the problem. You’d kick ass and have our little competition all jacked up. But after…Well, you know.”

Realization hits and a wave of annoyance washes through me. “Me and Harrison ended almost a month ago. Honestly, I could give two shits about him.”

That’s not completely true. There have been more than one occasion I’ve secretly hoped his pillow was hot, or he ruined his day by stubbing a pinky toe. But really, that’s nicer than what he deserves after being such an asshole. Then again, maybe he was my karma for only sleeping with him because I thought he was his father.

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