Page 46 of Loved Out Loud
I don’t want to be up front with everyone right now, especially when I need to clean up my document before I send it off to Greg. He hates having to correct typos, so I try to catch as much as I can. Muffled voices float back to me, but I can’t make out the conversation.
A few minutes after the bus starts moving, the door opens, and I see Stone. He has his notebook in hand and looks to me questioningly.
“Do you mind if I come back here and work?”
“Of course not. It’s your space.”
“As long as you’re on tour with us, it’s yours, too.”
“Thank you.” I smile at him and then focus my attention back on my screen.
A few quiet moments pass before he breaks the silence again.
“Was that the professor?”
“Hmm?” I ask, distracted by my work.
“On the phone in the elevator?”
“Yeah, it was.”
“You’re going to let him read what you’ve got?”
“Yeah.” I continue proofing as I answer.
“Why?”
“He reads all my work.”
Stone huffs in disbelief.
My eyes finally lift from my computer screen to his face. “What was that about?”
“What was what about?”
“The noise you made.”
“I just don’t get a good vibe from what you’ve told me about him.”
My back stiffens. “Listen, he’s my mentor and a brilliant writer. I trust him with my work. Also, I can be a little dramatic when I’m upset. It’s probably my worst flaw. Take my complaints with a grain of salt.”
“I haven’t seen you be anything but agreeable and accommodating in the time we’ve been in close quarters.”
“Of course that’s your impression.” I chuckle. “I’m so out of my depth here. My first book tour, and I end up with Blue Sunday. It doesn’t even feel like real life.”
“Are we making you uncomfortable?” He sets his notebook aside.
“No, you guys have all been great. It’s just me.” I point at my head and look away. “It’s all in here I guess.”
“Save your work.”
“What?” I turn and find his gaze locked on me.
“Save. Your. Work.”
“It autosaves every thirty seconds.”
“Good.” He reaches over and gently closes my laptop, putting it beside his notebook. “Have I made you uncomfortable?”
