Page 69 of A Summer of New Beginnings
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It was at times of real anguish that you found out who your true friends were, and Zara knew she had the best. Over the next couple of days there were more flowers from Josh, wine, DVD nights, a trip to a comedy club and Marco dancing round the living room in his boxers complete with badly applied make-up. Everyone tried their best to lift Zara up after the devastating news. The memory stickhad been placed in her underwear drawer, hidden out of sight, whilst she decided if she had the guts to try and find an agent or a publisher. She’d read online how difficult it could be and she wasn’t one to handle rejection well, as she had discovered all too recently.
Even Noah had been rallying round to cheer her up. He’d offered to send her to his home country, Australia, so she could escapefor a while. She’d graciously declined the very tempting prospect.
Friday arrived and Josh turned up for the evening. He was full of apologies again and was evidently worried that she would dump him.
‘I mean, why couldn’t they just slip it through anyway? I don’t get it.’ Josh sprawled on her bed as she got ready to go out – her friends had insisted on taking her out again, but she really questionedher toleration for more forced fun, preferring instead to stay home and listen to Florence and the Machine. But knowing full well that would only lead to thinking about little crofts in the Highlands, the handsome men who ran them and black and white border collie dogs.
‘Because they have rules, Josh. Didn’t you realise that when you completed the form?’
He frowned. ‘What form?’
‘The submissionform for the competition.’
He cleared his throat. ‘Oh, that form, durr. Silly me.’ He rolled his eyes.
‘I mean, what did you do – forge my signature?’
Before he could answer, Marco appeared in the doorway. ‘Come on, Zara Bear. Time to go. You too, I suppose, Josh.’ He gave her boyfriend a look of disdain and left.
‘Ugh, I don’t know what I ever did to him,’ Josh huffed.
Zara turned and glaredat him. It should’ve been blatantly obvious what he had done.
Seeing her expression, he cringed and jumped off the bed to put his arms round her. ‘Sorry. Now come on, you look gorgeous.’
At the end of the night Josh went home, seeing as Zara’s mood had descended with each alcoholic beverage that had passed her lips. She was relieved to have the bed to herself and intended to sleep in.
The nextmorning she awoke with a banging head and a mouth as dry as the bottom of a bird’s cage. Marco had stayed at Toby’s once again, so the flat was quiet and empty.
Flicking on some music, she decided to give herself one last day to be miserable and grumpy, but then she was going to snap the hell out of it before her friends totally gave up on her.
At lunch time she sat at her desk with a falafeland hummus salad and flicked through her photos of the NC500 route once more. Her mobile rang and she answered without looking at the screen, presuming it was Marco or Shelley.
‘Yup?’ she asked with a mouthful of food.
‘Oh, I may have called at a bad time. I was hoping to speak to Zara Bailey,’ a woman with a posh accent said.
Zara swallowed and took a very quick gulp of water. ‘This is she.Who’s calling?’
‘Ah, Miss Bailey. My name is Loretta Bateman of Bateman Welch Literary Agency.’ Zara’s eyes widened and she opened and closed her mouth, unable to speak. The voice came again. ‘Miss Bailey? Is this a bad time?’ Zara could now tell that the caller’s accent was ever so slightly Scottish.
‘Oh, gosh, no, not at all. I’m so sorry. H-how can I help you?’
‘I think it’sIthat can helpyou. Or perhaps it’s more a case of us helping each other.’
‘I see. Go on.’
‘Let’s just say you have someveryinsistent fans and supporters in the book world and no doubt elsewhere. I was passed your manuscript and asked to read it as a matter of urgency. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure it was really going to be my thing, but I have to say I was highly impressed.New Beginningsis far more thanthe title might suggest. The emotion is very raw and believable. The lead character has real tenacity and a fire that I think people will relate to greatly. Now… I’m based in Inverness, not too far from the offices of the Original Fiction Association who I know you’re familiar with, and I’m aware that’s not exactly aneasyplace for you to access, but I was wondering if you might be interestedin discussing representation by my agency.’
‘Interested? In representation? By a literary agent?’
A laugh could be heard over the airwaves. ‘Don’t sound so surprised, Zara. You have a real talent for the written wordandstorytelling. I would very much like to represent you.’
Her heart rate picked up and she sat upright in her chair. ‘Wow… I meanyes! Yes, that would be wonderful. I’d verymuch like to discuss that.’
‘Excellent, excellent. So when do you think you’d be able to travel up? Or would it be better if I travel down to London?’
