“What the hell is going on? You haven’t answered my calls, you didn’t show up for your flight, and you certainly didn’t show up in Tucson, Arizona where client number nine was expecting you!”
I tried to form a reply, but nothing came out. I should say sorry, should say something, but I didn’t have it in me to care. “Millie…”
“Don’t you Millie me. You are in deep shit, young lady! If you read the fine print in your contract, you’d know that if you stand the client up, not only do you lose the hundred thousand dollar fee, you owe them a hundred thousand for their trouble!”
Moving as fast as my tired legs would take me, I left Pops’s room and went down the hall to the outdoor garden area. It was really early so there wasn’t anyone out just yet. “Are you telling me I now owe some rich motherfucker a hundred thousand dollars!!” I roared into the phone.
“You’re yelling at me?” Her voice was laced with venom and just as lethal. “You got yourself into this.”
“I had no choice! Pops is on his death bed!”
“So you just up and leave and not tell me? Mia, had I contacted the client in advance, this might have been avoided. Right now, you are two hundred thousand dollars in the hole. You did not have enough in the master account to send Blaine your monthly installment.”
Oh, no. My body started to shake, and my legs couldn’t hold me up any more. Quivering, I slumped into the nearest bench. “I missed my payment…” I choked out, fear controlling my tongue.
“Yes! I’ve been calling several times a day. Finally I got in touch with Maddy, though she’d ignored my calls until today.”
“My phone has been off. It’s been touch and go with Pops for the last week, Millie. He’s still nowhere near out of the woods. I can’t leave him.” I ran a shaky hand through my hair and tugged on the roots—the instant bite of pain bringing with it a clarity I was desperately trying to wrap my mind around.
“I can’t bail you out, Mia! My money is tied up in the business and a new venture I just sank everything into. You’re going to have to talk to one of your rich friends. Maybe one of the ones who paid the extra fee?” she suggested, as if that were so easy. Sex and money. That was the name of her game.
Ask Wes or Alec for two hundred thousand dollars. Absolutely not. No way. “I’ll figure something out.”
Continued in September Calendar Girl. Available now for purchase.
Books and Coming Soon by Audrey Carlan
The Falling Series
Angel Falling
London Falling
Justice Falling
Trinity Trilogy
Body (Book 1)
Mind (Book 2)
Soul (Book 3)
Calendar Girl Serial
(A twelve month serial. New installments will be released every month throughout 2015)
January (Book 1)
February (Book 2)
March (Book 3)
April (Book 4)
May (Book 5)
June (Book 6)
July (Book 7)
August (Book 8)
September (Book 9 - Estimated Release 9/2015)
October (Book 10 - Estimated Release 10/2015)
November (Book 11 - Estimated Release 11/2015)
December (Book 12 - Estimated Release 12/2015)
The Indulgence Box Set - (Released 6/30/2015)
“A million words of romance” box set that has something for everyone. Fifteen best-selling authors with fifteen full length novels all compiled together to give every romance reader something they are looking for.
Also by Audrey Carlan
The Falling Series
Angel Falling
London Falling
Justice Falling
* * *
Trinity Trilogy
Body (Book 1)
Mind (Book 2)
Soul (Book 3)
* * *
Calendar Girl Serial
(New installments will be released every month throughout 2015)
January (Book 1)
February (Book 2)
March (Book 3)
April (Book 4)
May (Book 5)
June (Book 6)
July (Book 7)
August (Book 8)
September (Book 9)
October (Book 10)
November (Book 11)
December (Book 12)
Acknowledgments
To my editors, Ekatarina Sayanova and Rebecca Cartee with Red Quill Editing, LLC…your knowledge knows no bounds. I am constantly surprised at what the two of you together can do. Thank you for making August shine! (www.redquillediting.net)
To my extraordinarily talented personal assistant, Heather White (aka The Goddess), thank you for allowing me to vent, moan, groan, complain, squeal, freak out, and more without losing your stride. You give me peace of mind, and that’s a really beautiful gift. Thank you for all that you do every day. Love you always, doll-face.
Any author knows they aren’t worth their weight unless their story is backed by badass betas. I have the best!
Jeananna Goodall—My pre-reader and beta who has the best responses to wild plot twists. I love blowing your mind. So glad I could do so with this installment. Love to love you lady!
Ginelle Blanch—Not only do you find the quirkiest errors that would make me look stupid, you’re the perfect meter to how the readers are going to experience the story. I adore that you give me that. Thank you for your honesty and always being straight forward. It will keep me making great books!
Anita Shofner—I’m not sure where your talent comes from, but if I had to guess I’d go with God-given. Thank you for sharing your gifts with me and helping to make this the best book it can be.
Thank you to the ladies at Give Me Books and Kylie McDermott for spreading this book far and wide into the virtual social world!
Gotta thank my super awesome, fantabulous publisher, Waterhouse Press. The fact that I can pick up the phone and call the CEO and discuss my books is mind-boggling and beyond wonderful. Thank you for being the non-traditional traditional publisher!
To the Audrey Carlan Street Team of wicked hot Angels, together we change the world. One book at a time. BESOS-4-LIFE lovely ladies.
About the Author
Audrey Carlan lives in the sunny California Valley two hours away from the city, the beach, the mountains and the precious … the vineyards. She has been married to the love of her life for over a decade and has two young children that live up to their title of “Monster Madness” on daily basis. When she’s not writing wickedly hot romances, doing yoga, or sipping wine with her “soul sisters”, three incredibly different and unique voices in her life, she can be found with her nose stuck in book or her Kindle. A hot, smutty, romantic book to be exact!
Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated and feeds the soul.
You can contact Audrey below:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.audreycarlan.com
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August: Calendar Girl Book 8 Page 12
