Page 48 of Long Story Short

Laughing, I replied saying I’d meet her in the breakfast room in fifteen minutes, then I jumped up and forced myself to stop thinking about Jake. The day outside was grey and not quite the summer weather we’d had so far and the hotel air con was still on in full force so I put on a sweater over one of my dresses, making it look like a skirt, and added boots, leaving my hair to finish drying loose. I didn’t bother with too much make-up and headed out of the room in record time. I glanced at Jake’s closed door as I walked past. I could have knocked and asked if he wanted to join us but I kind of liked the idea of being able to squeeze in some girl talk before the conference started up again, and I knew I could do with some more time apart from him to compose myself. I was worried that as soon as I saw him again, it would be written all over my face what a giddy state he’d left me in.

I met up with Liv and we sat down with coffee and plates filled with the array of breakfast treats. ‘I’ll miss this hotel buffet when we go home,’ I said, tucking in to my plate happily. I had worked up a big appetite. Jake and I would have to leave before breakfast the next day so this was my last chance to fill up on the delicious selection.

Liv nodded as she ate some of her pancakes. ‘Me too. I’m going to put some pastries in my bag for my flight later.’ Liv was getting a night flight home so she’d only be at this evening’s party for a bit. ‘But this is a boring subject when all I want to hear about is your dinner with Jake,’ she added, leaning towards me and dropping her voice to make sure no one could overhear us.

I told Liv about Jake’s fancy plans that he’d changed when he saw that I was uncomfortable in the limo. ‘So, we got pizza and watched a busking trio in Times Square. We even danced to them. It really was a New York moment,’ I said, my voice taking on a dreamy quality as I thought back to it.

‘That does sound romantic,’ Liv conceded. ‘And afterwards?’

‘Well…’ I trailed off, feeling my cheeks heat up. ‘It was pretty hot, Liv. He has… moves. I think that maybe I’ve been missing out all this time on what it could be like in the, uh, bedroom,’ I added, stammering a little from embarrassment.

She smiled. ‘I felt like that when I got with Aiden,’ Liv said. ‘And did he say anything about what would happen when you get back to London?’

‘No, but we agreed we needed to be careful today to make sure no one finds out. I remembered what you said about me having more to lose than him.’

‘Well, good,’ Liv replied. ‘If Hayley found out, I worry it would make her completely change her mind about promoting you. You know what a stickler she is about keeping things professional with clients. She doesn’t like you doing anything for me as we’re family; she doesn’t want anyone to think I get preferential treatment.’

‘I know but I think she has changed her mind already,’ I said dully. ‘She’s been so quiet ever since Jake let slip that article was all true.’ I knew Hayley would not look kindly on me having any sort of relationship with Jake. She certainly would feel the same as she did with Liv that it would be a conflict of interest for me to deal with his work, and as her biggest client, that was part of my job. And I worried whether authors, if they knew, would want me to be their agent if I was lucky enough to be allowed to take on my own clients. It was all very complicated. ‘I don’t know if we can do anything today that will be enough for Jake to get a new book deal.’

‘Why can’t he just tell everyone why he said those things? Everyone is making up their own story about it. It can’t be worse than some of what I’ve been hearing around the conference!’

I sighed. ‘It’s really personal, Liv.’

She gasped ‘He told you?’

I nodded. ‘He did.’

She leaned back in her chair. ‘Wow. I didn’t realise you had got that… close. I thought it was a holiday fling.’

‘I don’t know what it is,’ I admitted. I wasn’t sure whether to tell her that I hoped it could turn into something more because Jake hadn’t given any indication that he wanted it to. But he had opened up to me and we had been really intimate. ‘I do like him though, Liv.’

She reached across the table and gave my hand a quick squeeze. ‘He will be a fool if he doesn’t want to see you again at home.’

I raised an eyebrow. ‘But you think we’re a bad idea.’

‘You’re very different,’ she said carefully. ‘Not necessarily a bad thing if you’re both on the same page about what you are to each other. Opposites attract for sure.’

Liv took a sip of her coffee while I replayed her words in my mind. I knew we were very different – it was what had made me feel so intimidated by Jake in the first place, and seemed to have been what drew him to me. But what worked here in New York might feel very different once we were back in our usual lives. If we got a chance to find out.

After breakfast, Jake messaged me to meet him before the final conference exhibition so we could strategise. I nervously walked out of the Waldorf into the conference hotel to find him. I wondered if I should ask him what was going to happen once we left New York. Maybe he would reassure me that this wasn’t just a holiday thing. Maybe we could try to be together in London if we could work out what to do about Hayley.

When I saw Jake in the lobby, a smile appeared on my face. It was good to see him. Some of my nerves faded into butterflies. I started to go over but then I stopped, stunned. He wasn’t alone and the person who was talking to him was unfortunately very familiar. When Jake turned and saw me, there was no smile on his face.

‘There you are,’ Hayley called over, putting her hands on her hips, her mouth pursed. ‘Well, come on,’ she added, waving as I still stood on the spot. My boss wore one of her power suits, not a hair out of place, looking calm and cool despite the fact she must not have been long off the plane. I glanced down at my sundress and boots outfit and my stomach dropped.

God. This was a nightmare. Why had she turned up like this? Bracing myself, I walked over slowly, keeping my eyes on Hayley because if I looked at Jake, I was worried I might burst into tears or something equally embarrassing.

32

‘I thought you were at your sister’s wedding?’ I asked once I stood in front of Hayley, my palms already feeling sweaty.

‘I was,’ she snapped. ‘But after Jake told everyone at the panel that he had slagged off romance books, I knew I couldn’t trust the two of you to fix things, so I jumped on the earliest flight I could once my sister got married. She’s pissed off with me but this needs sorting.’

‘I explained to everyone…’ Jake started but Hayley held a hand up and he stopped speaking.

‘I’ve caught up on social media,’ Hayley said. ‘You said there was a personal reason, a secret, that you didn’t want that twat Mulberry to find out so you slagged off romance books instead. Everyone thinks it’s kind of bullshit. And I agree. Who cares about your personal life?’ she asked with a sneer.

‘Readers were really hurt by what Jake said so I think they deserve…’ I began but this time, she spun around and held up a hand to silence me. The words died on my lips.

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