Page 61 of Long Story Short

‘Something like that,’ he said. ‘I have a bit of a problem knowing when I’ve had enough to drink and once I’ve had too much, I can’t filter myself very well,’ he added uncomfortably.

‘I’m not sure you filter yourself very well when you’re sober,’ I replied.

‘Freya, this is why I need to speak to you. You’re honest, and that in our business is pretty rare. Please. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.’ He coughed. ‘I didn’t mean that to come out like an innuendo, I swear. This is a mutually beneficial career situation. I know that I was a bit… flirtatious in New York.’

‘I’d say creepy,’ I said flatly.

‘God, Freya, I’m sorry. Will you please meet me? Hear me out? Nothing creepy will happen.’ He chuckled then. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever promised a woman that before.’

‘Maybe that would help your chat-up skills,’ I mused as I crossed the road, the office in my sight then. For the first time since I got the job there, I was kind of dreading going into work. Thankfully, Hayley was out for at least a couple of hours. I had no idea what to say to her about what had happened in Jake’s meeting. I felt myself slow down a little bit.

‘See? You’re brutal and I need that right now.’ He sighed. ‘I’m sorry I was like that with you in New York. I actually have a girlfriend. I was just trying to push Jake’s buttons by talking to you,’ Davis said. ‘Please meet me, Freya,’ he added in a pleading tone.

I had no idea what to say. I didn’t trust the man but he sounded sincere about needing my help, and I was a little bit intrigued. It helped too knowing he had a girlfriend and wasn’t hitting on me, I supposed. ‘I don’t know…’

‘You mentioned needing career advice; this will be even better than that.’ Some of his usual arrogance crept into his tone. But then he added, ‘I would be incredibly grateful.’

‘Fine,’ I said finally. ‘I’ll meet you but if you are anything less than polite, I’m leaving.’

‘Thank you!’ He told me where and when to meet him, then we hung up. I really wasn’t sure about this but with everything feeling like it was up in the air, I reasoned I didn’t have much to lose.

I carried on walking to work and when I got into the office and sat down at my desk, an email came through from Hayley.

I won’t be back into the office today. Hold the fort. Let’s meet first thing tomorrow to catch up.

I let out a slow exhale. At least I wouldn’t have to see her again today. Now all I had to worry about was meeting Davis Mulberry later. My eyes fell on my Kindle and I thought about Jake’s book. I told myself I shouldn’t be worried about him. He was just another one of our authors now.

But his words echoed through my mind for the rest of the day regardless.

You can always call me, Freya. I mean that.

41

Davis Mulberry and I met after work at an outside café close to the Tube. The summery afternoon had encouraged a lot of other people to do the same and the tables were all full. Davis was there waiting for me at one, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and light-coloured trousers, a cup of coffee in front of him. I grabbed an iced lemonade, not wanting caffeine so late in the day – I was already thinking I wouldn’t sleep well after the day I’d had – and then joined him at his table.

‘Freya, thank you,’ Davis said, breaking into a relieved smile as I sat down opposite him. ‘I wasn’t sure if you would actually turn up or not.’

‘I wasn’t sure myself until I actually got here,’ I admitted. I’d kept changing my mind the past hour as to whether this was a really bad idea or not. At least he appeared to be sober. ‘What’s going on?’

‘My publishers aren’t happy with me after what happened at the conference. My agent has tried to do damage control but they’re talking about pulling my next book, which is meant to be out next month. It’s ridiculous,’ Davis said, shaking his head. ‘I didn’t even do anythingthatbad.’

I gave him a sceptical look. ‘You had to be escorted out by security.’

‘Okay, I know I fucked up. But what do I do now?’

After a beat, I responded, ‘I’m sorry but why are you asking me?’

Davis leaned forward. ‘Because you helped turn things around for Jake bloody Richards! He came to the conference in the doghouse with every romance reader in the world, and now everyone is saying he’ll have the biggest book of his career once it comes out. He’s the darling of the literary world again.’ Davis groaned. ‘Totally undeserved in my opinion but there we are. Life isn’t fair, is it?’

I shook my head ‘Slagging off Jake to one side, I’m still confused why you wanted to see me.’

‘Because I want you to help me like you helped Jake! Restore my reputation, save my career, persuade my publishers to still bring out my book, get me to the top of the bestseller list. What do you think?’

‘Even I could do that, why would I?’ I challenged. I took a sip of my drink. ‘I don’t know if your career should be saved!’

‘Have you read any of my books?’

‘No,’ I confessed. ‘I only read romance, sorry.’ I shrugged. I wasn’t really sorry at all.

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