“I missed you.” He finally broke the silence, unleashing the butterflies in her stomach once again.
“I missed you too,” Kasey reluctantly admitted, feeling slightly uncomfortable. The sex she could deal with, but the words exchanged afterwards, and the look in his eyes, was somehow more vulnerable than the act.
It was all too much as she felt the reality of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. They lay in bed like a couple, something she wasn’t ready for.
“I have to go,” Kasey abruptly jumped from the bed, needing to break the intimate moment.
“You can stay the night,” Jay sat up, pulling the comforter across his naked body.
“No, I have to—” Kasey scrambled around the room finding bits of her clothes as she dressed frantically. Grabbing her phone, she tapped a few times, ordering a cab as Jay tried to convince her to stay longer.
“At least let my driver take you home, Kasey,” he suggested, with concern in his voice, but she was halfway out the door as she spoke over her shoulder.
“It’s fine. I have a ride. I’ll call you.”
It was a lie. Kasey knew she had to find a way to back out of whatever it was she was falling into. Racing down the steps, she felt like Cinderella trying to make it out of the beautiful mansion before she was caught in the spell. The spell of Jay Canton.
Everything had happened so fast, she tried to replay the details as she made her way down the driveway that was much longer than she remembered from their entry. It was all her fault, Jay was clearly trying to stay true to his word and keep their meeting professional, but she couldn’t resist him in such a personal environment.
Maybe Nicole was right, and she did need to give some serious consideration to the idea of a relationship with Jay. The thought alone made her shake her head as she finally reached the iron gate surrounding the massive property. Like magic, it opened as if it recognized her, and she glanced back just in time to see the small and faint frame in the window.
Had he been watching her the entire time? He’d made sure she got out safely, despite her rash departure. His chivalry touched her as the cab pulled up, prompting her to turn and leave.
While things were cloudy, the memories from the night were vivid, and Kasey knew what she needed to do next, regardless of how uncomfortable it would be.
Chapter 29
Jay
“I’ve been waiting for you all morning. It must have been a good night for you to be arriving so late to the office.”
Mitchell greeted Jay in his office, which was a welcome relief. For the first time since he could remember, he was late to work after finding it nearly impossible to fall asleep, trying to understand Kasey’s swift departure after their great evening together.
“You sure are energetic,” he tried to deflect, unsure of how his business partner would take the news.
“So, how is she? Kasey’s not the type to let anything stop her, but Renee can be an overwhelming boss. How’s she holding up?”
Jay paused, unsure of how to answer the question. His only understanding of Kasey’s working relationship he’d heard straight from Renee’s mouth.
“Renee’s given her a lot of freedom. She barely comes into the office at all,” he recalled from his meeting with the enemy.
“Well, there’s no reason to over there. They barely have a creative team, hardly ever investing in the development of their writers,” Mitchell huffed, always aware of the inner workings of Rockwell Publishing.
“Right. So, she’s practically a freelance agent, paying Renee a percentage,” Jay continued.
“She told you this?” Mitchell asked, stunned.
“Not exactly. She wasn’t that forthcoming, but Renee told me everything I needed to know when I went to her office,” Jay explained.
“Well, what did Kasey say at the meeting?”
“We were going to go to dinner, but she wanted to see my house, so we went back there and I ordered in from that Thai restaurant we went to for your birthday last year. She liked it,” Jay smirked, recalling how much Kasey seemed to enjoy the meal he chose for her.
Jay noticed Mitchell’s look of anticipation, awaiting a different type of response.
“She’s so much different than I thought. There’s something about her, Mitchell. I can’t explain it, but she makes me feel different, unlike any other woman I’ve been with.”
Letting his guard down, Jay talked to the only person he could trust, sharing his growing feelings for Kasey. He had yet to analyze the conflicting thoughts on his own, unable to face the way he felt in its entirety. But with Mitchell forcing him to talk about Kasey, he couldn’t stop the words from flowing.
“It’s like it was meant for her to leave Passions just so I could get to this point—able to get to know her personally without the burden of being her boss, as well,” Jay looked up towards the vaulted ceilings as if a lightbulb revelation was flickering above him.
“So, wait. Was this a personal or professional meeting?”
“Mitch, I can’t even be sure. I intended for it to be a professional one. I had to cash in a few favors to get the reservation for dinner, but then she suggested takeout on the way,” Jay faded away as if something was just beginning to make sense.
“It was like she never intended to go to dinner at all. Honestly, she initiated everything,” he shook his head as the memories of the night flooded his mind, bringing a smile to his face.
“Was there any business talk at all? You know we still need her here,” Mitchell reminded him of the obvious.
“Now that I think of it, we never got to the point of talking shop. It was just a good night,” Jay raised his hands, trying to justify what he knew to be a failure on his part. Except, worse yet in his mind, was that he didn’t regret one second of his night with Kasey.
“Are you serious?” Mitchell sounded upset, yet the smile on his face said otherwise.
“Yes. No. I don’t know,” Jay ran his fingers through his hair before continuing. “We were relaxing, talking about our careers, and then I got to telling her about Thailand—she’s never been! I invited her out to the beach house, but I don’t think she’ll go,” Jay looked up as Mitchell threw his head back.
“Are you laughing?”
Mitchell’s chest heaved before he lifted his head back, his face as red as a beet. “All these years, I’ve waited for this day. This is definitely not the ideal time for you to lose your cool, but from the way you’re blabbering on, talking about a bunch of nothing, I’d have to think you’re long gone, my friend.”
“What are you talking about?” Jay subconsciously stopped ruffling his perfectly styled hair, as he straightened his shoulders, hoping to shift the mood.
“Oh, you’ve gone too far to turn back now. Tell me her favorite color,” Mitchell teased.
“It was just a lot to catch up on, Mitch. I’m going to call and set up another meeting—maybe this time during the day, and in a public setting for sure. I’m still focused on the business.”
Jay wasn’t lying, but it was far from the whole truth. He didn’t want Kasey working for Renee, if for no other reason than his doubt that Renee could truly understand and value a talent like Kasey possessed. She was special, both in and out of the publishing world. Although Mitchell seemed to pick up on it, Jay was attempting to conceal his other reasons for wanting another date with Kasey. A different part of him came alive when he was around her, a part of him he hadn’t seen in many years. It was refreshing.
“Sure you are. I won’t hold my breath on that one, Jay,” Mitchell laughed as he made his way out of the office, just as Jessica made her way in, holding a white mug.
“Here you are—uh, Mr. Canton,” she announced herself, taken aback by Mitchell’s laughter. It wasn’t every day she saw her bosses behaving so candidly.
“Thank you, Jessica.” Jay took the coffee, shaking his head at his departing friend.
“Is there anything else?”
“Yes. Please get Ka
sey Wright on the line,” he requested, noting how her eyes lit up at the sound of Kasey’s name. The entire office had been sad to see her go, and Jay felt a renewed sense of determination to get Kasey back to Passions Publishing. Not only to prove Mitchell wrong, or to get to spend more time with her, but because he finally realized the extent of the positive impact she’d had on the company.
“I have Kasey Wright,” Jessica announced through the intercom.
Taking a deep breath, Jay lifted the receiver to his ear, forcing his engrained confidence to sound through in his booming voice.
“Kasey, how are you?”
“Hey, Jay. I’m pretty busy,” she answered, sounding pre-occupied.
Jay wondered if Renee had increased her workload after their meeting. The idea was unsettling. “I won’t take too much of your time. I just wanted to set up another meeting. I had a great time last night, but we never did get to discuss the business at hand.”
He was smiling, remembering what got in the way of their business talk when Kasey halted his thoughts with a dismissive tone.
“I can’t, Jay. I’m swamped with work. I’ll call you when my schedule opens up.”
The words were rushed, and before he could reply, the call was ended. Jay sat there, stunned and confused, looking at the receiver as he tried to make sense of Kasey’s behavior. He thought everything went well with their time together, so why was she ignoring him?
Not only would he not have any good news to report to Mitchell, but it seemed he wouldn’t get to spend more time with Kasey, which was even more deflating.
Unable to take rejection lightly, Jay began to brainstorm ways to figure out just where he’d messed up, with the hopes of fixing the misstep. He wanted Kasey—that much he had accepted.
Whether his desire was professional or personal, was a bit murky. But as far as he was concerned, the details could be worked out later. He had a goal, and for Jay Canton, that was enough.
Chapter 30
Kasey
Kasey sat at her office staring at her phone for three minutes after ending her call with Jay so abruptly. She felt guilty, like he deserved an explanation, but she couldn’t bring herself to say what she knew would sound absurd to someone like him.
She imagined women fawned over him day in and day out, wishing that one day he would offer himself up, open to the idea of being in a relationship. Yet, here she was, at a point most women would kill for—with a wealthy and powerful man chasing her around the city and she couldn’t get far enough away from him.
A relationship just wasn’t what she wanted, even if it was with the only man in the past few years who had managed to hold her interest for longer than a night. On paper, Jay Canton was the man of her dreams. Not only did he understand her career, and the obligations that came along with it, but he supported her professionalism, even encouraging her determination and passion.
“Kasey! Cynthia is here,” Renee chimed from the doorway of her office. Her voice was too kind, and when Kasey looked up, she realized why. A short, pale woman stood behind her, cloaked in a bulky sweater as she awkwardly lifted her hand to wave.
Standing in front of the writer, Renee made a face that only Kasey could see, silently reminding her to close the deal. The discomfort began to settle in her stomach—it was the reason she chose to work from home as much as possible—to avoid Renee and her greedy ways.
“Hi Cynthia,” Kasey ignored her boss, extending her hand to the writer, as she smiled graciously.
“Well, I’ll let you two get to it,” Renee chimed, turning again after she passed Cynthia to make a face behind her back, pumping her arm in the air with excitement.
“Come have a seat,” Kasey motioned towards the high-end teal loveseat. She’d given the in-house interior design team free reign when it came to decorating her office. While Renee was tight with budgets for creative development, there was no limit on how much you could spend looking like a big shot. Appearances were more important to Renee than performance. It wasn’t nearly so much about doing good as looking like you were doing good. The culture frustrated Kasey immensely, but it was the bed she’d made, so she forced herself to get in line.
“This is a very nice office,” Cynthia remarked, settling into the comfortable seat. Her comment caused Kasey to pause as she closed her door to give them privacy. It was validation of Renee’s strategy to lure in talent only to convince them to sign mediocre deals not fit for their talent level.
“Thank you,” she said instead, offering Cynthia a drink before walking to the small refrigerator in the corner of her office to retrieve a clear bottle of Fiji water.
“You’ll have to excuse me. I’m a bit nervous,” Cynthia said after taking a long sip of water.
“You have no reason to be. I’ve been through this several times, and I’m going to help you make the best decision. This is intimidating, I know, but you’re talented. I’ve read your work and wouldn’t be sitting her if I didn’t believe in you.”
Instantly, tears glassed over Cynthia’s eyes, and Kasey could sense how vulnerable she was. The truth was, she’d met plenty of women, and men, just like Cynthia. They were new to the industry, only connected to their words.
It was Kasey’s job to protect them from the brutality of the publishing industry, allowing them to focus on their writing without having to think about the details of things like contracts and marketing. Her career was important, because she provided a safety barrier between the creatives and the capitalists, who worried only about the return on their investment.
“You don’t have to be bashful. I know this can’t be the first time you’ve been complimented on your writing. The way you put words together so masterfully is beautiful,” Kasey continued.
“You’re right. I’ve heard it before. But it’s a lot different hearing it from a reader on my blog and an executive in a big, fancy office like this,” Cynthia blushed.
“I understand. But those readers on your blog are the reason you came to my attention. They know, and they share your work. It will be those same fans who will catapult you to the success I know you deserve.”
“It’s all overwhelming, Kasey. Can I call you Kasey?”
“Yes, of course. I wouldn’t accept anything else. What do you think you’ll call me, Ms. Wright?” Kasey rolled her eyes at the thought.
They both laughed together, relieving the last layer of tension between them. Now relaxed, Cynthia could discuss the goals for her writing career freely. She wanted to release a trilogy, which Kasey thought was a brilliant idea. Unfortunately, Renee didn’t offer multiple book deals to new signees, regardless of the potential.
In Renee’s eyes, there was never a reason to sign a first-time author to a multi-book deal. Instead, she preferred to offer one book at a time, forcing the author to renegotiate. If they chose to sign with another publishing house, she could always hold the first book up, discontinuing production as a leveraging tool for rights on the sequel.
And, if the author chose to resign with Rockwell Publishing, as many did, it gave them great bargaining power to continue to pay writers less than they deserved. It was a vicious cycle that kept Kasey up at night. Renee had agreed to honor her prior contracts, as they had been negotiated at signing, but new authors had to be brought in under her way of doing things.
It was the longest Kasey had ever gone without signing new talent, and it wasn’t because she had yet to find writers who caught her attention. Her conscience just wouldn’t let her bring people into such a predatory environment like Rockwell Publishing.
“Now, that you know my goals. What do you think is best?” she asked Kasey, catching her off guard.
“Well, I think the trilogy is a brilliant idea. The way the first story ends leaves you wanting more. I can only imagine what you could have up your sleeve for the follow-ups.”
Just then, Renee walked by the office, peeking through the glass door as she rubbed her fingertips in a circular motion against the pad of her thumb. It str
uck Kasey how greedy Renee was. There was no way she would care or protect a vulnerable writer like Cynthia, and in her heart, she wasn’t okay with it.
“Do you think this will be a good fit for me?” Cynthia asked, looking around the office with insecurity written all over her face. “I mean, I like you, Kasey. Really, I do. But do I even fit in here? I think you’re the only person who actually took the time to read my writing.”
Kasey took a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to do would not sit well with her. She was an agent in an extremely competitive industry, but she had never let that get in the way of her duty to assist writers to reach their potential. In her eyes, she could be successful and ethical, never losing her integrity over dollar signs.
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