Page 107 of The CEO I Hate

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MIA

“What if no one shows up tomorrow?”

Sophie barked a laugh on the other end of the phone. “Girl, that’s not going to happen.”

“It could! I’ve read horror stories about authors having signings and nobody coming.” I imagined sitting there at the table, copies ofHeart and Hustlestacked on either side of me, signing pen in hand, and then…crickets.

“Yeah, well, those people probably didn’t have a dedicated online following or dozens of fans who rocked up to GeekCon just for an autograph. People love you, Mia, and they love your work. Honestly, there’s probably going to be so many people it’ll be a fire hazard, and they’ll have to turn them away.”

I snorted. “Not sure I’ll be that popular, but it’s nice to dream.” I stopped at a four-way stop, waiting for the traffic to clear, then ran across the road. My local indie bookstore, Ink & Ivy, was on a side street with limited parking, so I’d ditched my car a couple blocks over.

I’d started to form a real friendship with the owner, Veronica, inrecent weeks after featuring in her monthly newsletter to her customers, and she’d happily agreed to host my launch party for the first volume ofHeart and Hustletomorrow.

We’d put together a small preorder campaign which I’d pushed on my socials, and now that the stock had arrived, I’d agreed to swing by early to sign the preorders as well as the books she’d ordered to sell at the event.

“Please don’t stress about any of this. You need to put good vibes into the universe, Mia. You’re an accomplished, kickass writer, and you deserve this moment.”

I sucked in a heavy breath. Yeah, you know what? Sophie was right. I’d worked hard to get here, and I needed to enjoy it. I didn’t know how the print run ofHeart and Hustlewould be received. It might all crash and burn in the end, but I could still enjoy this moment. I’d get to see my work on a shelf in a bookstore for the first time, and that was no small feat.

“I’m manifesting good things for you,” Sophie continued.

“Glad one of us is,” I said, snorting. After the breakup with Liam and finishing writing season two in the writers’ room, I’d hit a bit of a slump. It wasn’t that I didn’t have things to do—I was quite busy with all thisHeart and Hustleprep.

It was just that my world had shifted so suddenly, losing Liam andEnd in Firein the same couple of weeks, that some mornings I woke up and didn’t know what to do with myself. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t an ache in my chest. One that burned every time my thoughts drifted to Liam, so I tried not to let them go there.

“Plus, you don’t need to worry, because I will personally make sure your signing is packed,” Sophie added. “I’m gonna bring the whole club down with me. It’s our team day.”

“Aw, Soph,” I said. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Are you kidding? Everyone’s so excited. And I’m so freaking proud of you. I have to show off my best friend to the world. If things are slow, I will get Craig and Duncan to stand outside and wave people into the store. No one is better at selling something on and offstage than a burlesque performer. Trust me.”

My chest lurched, and my throat grew tight. “You’re gonna make me tear up.”

“I know. Because I’m awesome.”

How had I lucked out with such an amazing best friend? Who needed men anyway? All that mattered was that I had Sophie and my writing and that Jake was thriving. Everything else was just background noise. I batted away thoughts of Liam and my fears that no one would show up for my event and strutted down the street.

“Okay, I’ve gotta go rehearse. You go sign a million books, and I’ll talk to you tonight.”

“See you,” I said, hanging up. A giddy bubble bloomed inside my chest as I reached Ink and Ivy. I shoved down every other emotion and let myself bask in the excitement as I pushed through the door.

I inhaled deeply for a moment, and the world felt right. It always did walking into a bookstore, especially one as cozy as Ink & Ivy. Soft light cast a warm glow on rows of curated titles loaded onto bookshelves and displays. Everything smelled like fresh, crisp paper and oiled wood. Plush armchairs were tucked into the nooks and crannies between shelves, and local art was displayed on every available wall surface.

It was truly a little escape from the world outside, but my favorite part was the staff. They’d all been so kind and friendly, so genuinely excited to stock my book. Bookstores were awesome, filled with book geeks just like me. It’s no wonder Veronica and I had hit it off from the start.And speak of the devil…I spotted Veronica behind the checkout counter and waved.

“Hey, Mia,” she called, sliding her glasses on. She had short, curly hair and favored flowing, mismatched clothing that somehow felt perfectly curated.

“Hi…” I said, weaving between customers until I reached the counter. “It’s busy in here today.”

She smiled. “It always is going into the weekend. People like to stock up with a new read before their downtime. That’s why we’re open late on Fridays.”

“Smart.”

“Okay, so everything’s sorted for tomorrow,” she said, pulling out a notebook and checking things off. “We’ll have the space set up so you can do a little Q&A. I’m expecting a good turnout. We’ve got a pretty loyal customer base, and I’ve been putting your flyers in with every sale.”

The stack of promo flyers I’d given her to leave on the counter had certainly dwindled. Between that and Sophie, I was already feeling better about getting a decent-sized crowd for the event. “I really appreciate it, Veronica.”

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