Page 114 of The Thorne at My Side
"Really? I'm surprised. You were such a big fan last fall."
"Well, I saw how easily humanity could get lost in the shuffle of it all. My next project is about slowing down."
"What's your next project?" I ask because part of me thinks I want to be a part of it.
“I’m going to publish romance novels."
I bark out a laugh. "You're going to write romance?"
"What? You don't think I'm romantic? I charmed the pants off of you, literally."
"That's not how I remember it," I chuckle and shake my head.
"Well, I remember you not being able to keep your hands off of me."
"Because I wanted to strangle you."
"Hey, whatever you're into is good with me," he winks when we pull up to a stop. "How much longer are we running?"
I check my fitness watch and tell him, "It's only been 20 minutes, usually I run for at least 45."
"So we're about to turn around?" He asks hopefully, having done the halfway there math.
"Sure, we can turn around," I placate. We pivot and start heading back the way we came. "Okay, enough evasion Austin, are you seriously going to write romance novels?"
"No," he laughs and I feel the sound warm me from my belly out to my limbs. “My sister Elle will be the CEO of our publishing house, I'll be the CFO. We're going to find independent romance authors and sign them. The industry is growing at an exponential rate and we want to be a part of it."
"It isn't the worst idea."
"Thank you for your vote of confidence," he deadpans. "Elle is excited about it, and it's our own thing so we answer to ourselves."
"Is that a nod to why you left TMC?"
"My dad just doesn't see things the way I do. I thought for a while he was grooming me to take over but I don’t think we have the same priorities and I get the feeling he wants to run the company until he dies."
"He doesn't have much of a life outside of work?"
He barks out a laugh, "No. None at all. He rules that company with an iron fist and somehow makes not adapting to change work for his bottom line."
We let that idea sit between us as we snake our way back to my apartment. I don't think to ask if he wants to run all the way back with me, he just does.
As we pull up outside of Sunrise I turn to him, "Can I interest you in breakfast you've already paid for?" I ask him lightheartedly while flashing the gift card his way.
"Always," he says with a smile and we jog up the steps together.
After we order our coffee and pastries we take a seat by the window. I hold my chin in my palm and watch Austin as he settles in.
"What?" He asks.
"I'm realizing I don't know much about you."
"Oh, yeah? What is it you want to know?"
I think about the repertoire of “first date” questions that normally don’t interest me at all but with Austin, I suddenly want to know everything.
"Where do you want to travel that you've never beenbefore?"
"Antarctica." He says before a sip of coffee.
