“You loved it?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. You’re a great writer, Gray.”
“You sound like my girlfriend. She’s always trying to tell me to stop doubting myself and believe that I’m actually good at this.”
“Smart lady,” he says. “You might wanna keep her around.”
“I think I might.”
We both chuckle a little, and then Charles gets back to business. “And just so you know, my company has an interest in your friends. What do you guys call yourselves? The Wordsmiths, right?” I nod. “I didn’t get a chance to read their work yet, but nothing is off the table. But I’d like to start with you because you come highly recommended, and I can personally attest to the quality of your work.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’m shocked.”
“Don’t say anything yet.” He reaches into his attaché case and pulls out a small packet of papers. “This is the contract. Everything is inside—all of the terms, conditions, royalty rates, etc. What you’re going to do is take this packet to a qualified attorney and have them look over it. My company will cover the costs of whatever fees come with that, whether you sign with us or not. If everything is on the up and up and to your liking, then you sign with us. If not, then we shake hands and part ways, no hard feelings. That’s really it. Here.”
I take the papers and page through them quickly. It’s long, and it looks like it’s written in complete legalese, so I’m going to take his advice and have a lawyer look it over to make sure this isn’t bullshit.” I extend my hand. “This is really. . .”
“Unexpected?” He asks.
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“Take my word for it, Gray. Some of the best things that have ever happened in my life have been unexpected. I hope that you sign with us.”
<><><>
After lunch I head back to my place. Rowan has the day off, so she’s waiting for me right where I left her. I texted that I was on the way home and as soon as I turn my key in the lock I feel her pulling the door open. “So?” She asks before I even have a chance to put my keys down. “What happened? Tell me everything.”
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Of course,” she says. I watched about half a season of Stranger Things, and now I’m back. Eleven is an awesome character, by the way.”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know why I’m telling you that. Who cares about Netflix shows, tell me about your lunch.”
I do just that. The more I talk the more her face lights up. I try to recount every detail of what Charles told me about the whole deal as best as I can remember. When I’m done I hand her the contract and she pages through just like I did. “Baby, that’s amazing! Are you excited?”
“I think so.”
“You think so? Gray!”
“Look, I’m not being my old self, I promise. It’s not that I can’t feel happy, it’s that I don’t wanna jump the gun until I have a lawyer look over the papers. I don’t want to get my hopes up and then have them dashed like that.”
“I understand,” she says. “Do you have a lawyer? If not I know a few. A good friend from college actually does corporate law in the city at one of the top firms. I’m sure I can contact her on social media if you want, we’re still friends on Facebook.”
“You’re amazing,” I say. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love that.”
“Too much trouble? Of course I’d do that for the man I love. . .” She stops and I stop. There’s an intense pause between us, and I look at her to make sure that I heard her correctly. Her eyes are opened wide, like she surprised herself by saying more than she wanted to, only to realize it a little too late. Did she really just say that? Oh my God.
“What did you say?” I ask.
She looks up like she’s embarrassed, but we both know what she said. Finally she takes a deep breath, swallows, and looks me right in the eye. “I said, of course I’d do that for the man that I love. I love you, Grayson.”
There’s no hesitation on my part. No pause necessary, and nothing awkward about the situation at all. It’s the best surprise of my day, way better than any book deal. “I love you too, Ro. I can’t believe that I almost lost you because of my own stupidity.”
“You didn’t loose me. I’m right here.”
“Yeah you are.” She’s giving me the look. Her eyes are sultry, inviting, practically pulling me by the shirt to come over there. I get up from my side of the couch and go over to hers. She falls to her back as though the whole thing were choreographed, only it isn’t. We just know each other that well. I know the look she just gave me, and she knows what I’m about to do. She’s wearing one of my old shirts and once she’s on her back I lift it up slightly, exposing her flat stomach. I position my head just below, and with my middle finger I pull her panties to the side. Her beautiful pink pussy is looking at me, and I’m staring right back. With my other hand I spread her lips open and slip my tongue inside of her. She arches her back and reaches for my head, getting the top of my hair as I pleasure her.
She tastes amazing. I keep licking her, and slide a finger deep inside as I massage her clit with my warm tongue. When her moaning starts it doesn’t stop, and the noises of pleasure coming out of her are making me so hard that I need to get my pants off right now. I stand up and unbuckle, stepping out of my pants and boxer briefs so that there’ nothing standing between my rock hard cock and her sweet pussy. Well, almost nothing. I reach down, and with all the force I can muster I rip her panties down, and they tear right off her body. “Grayson!” She says, smiling the whole time. “You’re an animal. . .” I don’t let her finish whatever she’s saying. Words aren’t necessary for me to reply—only my body and mouth against hers.
We start to kiss intensely, my hands running the length of her body, up and down from her face to her thigh. I put a finger back inside her as she spreads her legs for me. We never stop kissing, but as we do I get her ready for me. My cock is aching to be inside her, so the foreplay is going to have to be interrupted. Based on how wet she is, I doubt that she’s going to mind at all. My body attaches to hers, her pesky nipples pressing into my pecks. With a hand I slide myself right inside of her and she yells my name as I do. Being inside her is like no other feeling in the world. I press my hips forward and back, thrusting into her slowly, so that I can feel every inch of her. It feels amazing.
As I fuck her passionately, I lean in and press my lips into the nape of her neck. She loves to be kissed on her neck, and the smell of her skin makes me fuck her even harder. She claws at my back as I do. I can tell she’s breaking skin because it hurts and feels great at exactly the same time. Every touch just makes me go harder, faster, more intense. I put my mouth next to her ear when I feel her getting close, and I whisper one more time. “I love you, Rowan. I love you so much.” Then I feel her explosion. It’s like her body is fighting to get out from underneath me, only it isn’t. It’s an explosion of passion happening under my body, and I let me happen as I feel my own orgasm building. Her pussy is clenching me hard, and the feeling of it makes me loose all control. I come harder than I ever have before, exploding inside her, screaming as it happens.
When I’m done I feel some strange sensation between exhaustion, pure happiness, and the kind of euphoria that happens when you’re high out of your mind. “This has been one hell of a day.” She smiles, leans over, and kisses me.
“And I haven’t even finished Stranger Things yet.”
“You’re right. Forget the book deal, amazing sex, and saying that we love each other. There are 1980’s aliens to watch!”
“See, you get me. That’s why I love you.”
She loves me. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing those words.
Epilogue
“I think that was the best wedding I’ve ever been too.” Colton sounds sentimental. It’s weird to hear. I always support him acting like a human being instead of a man-child, so I support him.
“Me t
oo. It was beautiful.” It really was. And I hate weddings like I can’t even describe. But this is one of my best friends and brothers, so everything looked beautiful to me. The world is looking beautiful to me right now. So much has happened over the last two months that I don’t even know what I’m the most happy for. Signing with a publishing company, seeing my book in bookstores next to authors I’ve read my entire life, or falling madly in love with the woman of my dreams. The last one—it’s not even a contest. A career on the rise is great, but there are a million writing opportunities, but only one Rowan. She’s what I’m most happy for.
“Dude, seeing all of our boys in suits is weird. Even North. He looks so. . .”
“Uncomfortable?” I ask.
“Exactly. Like wearing that thing is itching him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be in his converse, jeans, tee shirt, and hat in no time. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he showed up to the reception in his normal clothes.”
“Me either. That would be a very North thing to do.”
“And look at G!” I say, pointing in his direction. “The dude looks like he’s about to burst out of his suit. Muscles for days on that guy.”
“You’re right. It’s almost like he bought the suit before he started lifting, and now it barely fits his new body.”
The ceremony ended about ten minutes ago, and now me, Colton, Harley and Rowan are all doing the cocktail hour for not an hour at all. Knight and Ev wanted some time for themselves to spend as husband and wife, then we’re all going to take some wedding photos together. After Everleigh saw the shots of Colton and Harley in Central Park she fired the photographer they’d hired and gave the job to G. I see him getting ready to go set up, so I know we only have a few minutes left to shove shrimp cocktail down our throats.
Harley and Rowan are across the way a little, so it’s just me and Colton, standing around the reminiscing as we’re surrounded by people we’ve never seen before in our lives. Colton is feeling philosophical. “You think this was always going to happen?”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“This,” he says, motioning his hands around. “All of it. The signing, the wedding, all the success we’ve had. Was this always going to happen?”
“Absolutely not. No fucking way.”
“As long as you’ve considered it from all angles, Gray.”
“I don’t need to,” I say seriously. “Nothing was promised to us, Colt. Mike finally got a three book deal. Your books are all getting tagged left and right on Amazon. We’re living the dream, man. But this could have gone wrong. . .scratch that. This did go wrong many times along the way.”
“Yeah it did. You’re right. But you know what go us through it?”
“What’s that?”
“Them.” Colton points to Harley and Rowan, who are on their third glass of champagne already. It’s going to be a long night. “And this, right here.” Then he moves his finger back and forth between the two of us. “All the people we love. They got us here. They held us up when we were down. If we’d tried any of this shit alone we would have failed years ago.”
“You’re right about that, brother.”
I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out and stare at the screen, confused. Almost everyone that I know is here right now, so I’m not sure who’s calling me right now. It’s just a number with no name. “Hello?” Even though I don’t recognize the 212 number, I hear a familiar voice on the other end. “Oh, hey Charles. What’s going on, buddy?”
“I’m sorry to bother you at Michael’s wedding.”
“It’s no problem. We’re about to head off and take some photos. What’s up? Everything alright?”
“Alright?” He asks. “Alright, Grayson. Clearly you haven’t heard the news.”
“What news?”
“And I’m guessing you haven’t seen the paper, either.”
“Charles, I love you, but you’re gonna have to spit it out right now.”
“Gladly,” he tells me. “Your book, Her Story, just hit the New York Times Bestseller lists. I know it’s Knight’s day, but I needed to call to congratulate you, Grayson. We did it.”
I don’t say anything to Charles. I don’t respond. I pause, silent, for about five seconds. The look on my face must be alarming because Colton looks at me and says, “You alright, man, who is that? Are you having a heart attack?”
And then I scream. I don’t mean an excited little yell. I mean a full fledged, all out, crazy-person howl that lasts about five full seconds. Everyone turns and looks at me. Colton stares and puts his hand on my shoulder and asks if I’m okay again, and I see Harley and Rowan running over to see if I’m alright. “I’m alright. I need to tell you something. Where’s Mike?”
“He’s with his new. . .oh, wait. There he is.”
I look in the same direction as Colton to see Mike and Everleigh turning the corner. They’re coming over to me also. Everything thinks that something is wrong, so I wave my hand to let everyone know that I’m not having a heart attack right here in front of the shrimp cocktail. “Sorry, everyone, I’m okay. Sorry to alarm you.”
Mike and Ev are over here now. “Jesus Christ, what the fuck? You scared the hell out of us.”
“Sorry, dude. Really sorry. I just got some news.”
“Is everything alright?” Colton asks.
“Can we go somewhere?”
“Yeah,” Mike says. “Follow us. G is setting up on the lawn, anyhow, so why don’t we go over there.”
“Fine.”
The whole wedding party—Wordsmiths, girlfriends, and wife all head over to the lawn. I can see G setting up in the distance, and I’m still in disbelief. I take my phone as we walk and quickly check the bestseller lists on my New York Times app. There I am! Holy mother of God, I can’t believe it. I’m a New York Times bestselling author.
“You gonna tell us why you screamed like someone had just killed your dog, or you like keeping us in suspense?”
I don’t know what to say, so I just let it out. “My book made the New York Times Bestseller list this morning. I just heard from Charles!”
“What?” Mike asks.
“Are you kidding, man?”
“No,” I say, even though it’s still sinking in. “I just looked. It’s legit. I made the list” I don’t feel my feet leave the ground, but once I’m up in the air I realize what’s happening. I look down at the ground and realize that Colton lifted me up to celebrate, and he’s holding me in the air yelling louder than I did before. Mike is literally jumping up and down, and so are the girls. When he puts me down I look at Mike and Everleigh. “Guys, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to overshadow this, today isn’t about me.”
“Grayson,” Everleigh says. “Don’t you dare take away from what you accomplished. This is amazing!”
When Colt puts me down Rowan runs into my arms. I feel her lips against me, and I close my eyes. I feel like I’m
That’s who we are.
Three Friends
Three Brothers.
We’re the Wordsmiths, and we’ve got so many more stories to tell.
Just then we hear roar of engines in the distance, but not that far away. They’re close enough to be really loud
The End. . . for now.
Coming 2019
True North: A Wordsmith Chronicles Novel
Coming Even Sooner. . .
The Me That I Became: A Standalone Love Story
Connect with Christopher Harlan
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Knight (book 1)—> http://a.co/iBcVaK5
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Grayson (book 3)
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True North: A Wordsmith Chronicles Novel—date TBA
Brody: A Wordsmith Chronicles Novel—date TBA
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Grayson: Wordsmith Chronicles Book 3 Page 19
