“Because true love has remained true in spite of much worse — and you walked out before even thinking about talking things through. A friend of hers said something today to console her, and I think she’s right. If he can’t handle being with you at your worst, then he sure as hell doesn’t deserve you at your best.”
And how was he supposed to talk things through if he couldn’t trust her? “But she lied, Cami.”
She surfaced from behind the camera. “Excuse me, it’s Camille. And I’ve known her for over ten years. And if you knew even the slightest bit about her, you’d know that she doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body. She’s not a liar, Joe. This isn’t something she just does. She was embarrassed about a job she needed to take to make ends meet. She was even more embarrassed when you called. Rachel knew your voice and remembered your name even then. And if you want to know the truth, I think she was already crazy about you. Although I can’t imagine why, you take horrible photos.”
Joe smirked, unsure of whether or not he should laugh because of her relentless snark or at the valiant way she was defending her best friend. Camille snapped away, and he remained distracted by his thoughts. Deep down, of course he knew that Rachel hadn’t done it on purpose. But he just couldn’t get his head around the fact that she lied. And he couldn’t get around the fact that she made him look like an idiot. Or maybe that was his fault. Maybe he was the idiot for calling that ridiculous line in the first place.
Camille let out a disgruntled sigh. “You know, this is your first published novel. You could try smiling for the book jacket.”
Joe gave a frustrated grunt of a laugh. “Smile? I haven’t smiled since Friday. In fact, I spent three days in my underwear because I didn’t have the energy to get dressed! You’re getting all “best friend” on me and that’s fine, but the fact of the matter is she hurt me too. It hurt like hell knowing that I was so out of the loop on such a big part of her life. And can you imagine how embarrassing it is to know that she was playing me on both ends? Advising me to do things and say things, and just basically pulling the strings in our relationship … it just felt like one big head game.
“And frankly, I’m torn right now. I believe you when you say she wouldn’t do something like this on purpose, because I do know Rach. I know she has a warm heart, and a kind soul, and eyes that will let you see both if you look into them long enough. But she made a fool of me, and it scares me to think that I still miss her so much despite all of it. So, I guess what this comes down to, Camille, is that I feel like an idiot. Despite the fact that she lied to me, manipulated me, and made me look like a fool, I still love her.”
Camille stood abruptly, the camera’s shutter coming to a halt. “Well then, call her! Call her … you dumb tree.”
Joe gave her a perplexed look as she walked from behind her camera and disappeared behind the backdrop. He heard water running from a faucet, then a whooshing sound as she filled two glasses. The running water stopped, and he heard Camille’s voice.
“Listen, if you can’t find your smile we’re going to have to reschedule this for another day.”
Joe slumped in his chair, letting out a tired sigh. He knew where his smile was, he just wasn’t sure whether or not he had any business keeping it there.
• • •
Rachel stared at the beautiful cherrywood conference table in front of her, trying to convince herself that this wasn’t a big deal. Who cares that Joe walked out exactly a week ago today? Who cares that he’s on his way to spend the next couple of hours locked with you in this room while you iron out the final details of his book — the one you technically discovered in a scorned junior editor’s reject pile? Her attempts at mustering some sort of steely resolve so that she could avoid falling to pieces when he walked in were falling short.
Lucy was watching her closely, concern etched on her face. “Are you sure you’re okay? We can do this on another day.”
Rachel looked up at her mentor. “No, I’m not going to leave you hanging. The faster we get this to the printer the faster he and I can move on.”
“Fair enough,” Lucy nodded. “I gotta admit, I can’t say I’d be able to hold it together. It may be inappropriate to say, but I’m impressed by your determination.”
Rachel grinned. “So am I.”
Coffee had already been set up at the center of the table, as had a small assortment of muffins. Two assistants from the art department entered with the official proof of Joe’s book, and one of them began to quickly set up the projector. Rachel poured herself a cup of coffee with trembling hands. He’d be arriving soon. Lucy sat at the head of the table, looking through the official proof.
“Are you sure you should be drinking coffee?”
Rachel smiled nervously. “If I eat, I’ll probably throw up.”
One of the assistants glanced her way, a shocked expression on her face. “Is everything okay, Rachel?”
Rachel looked up and smiled, having momentarily forgotten that she and Lucy weren’t alone anymore. “I’m fine, just excited.”
Everyone bustled about the conference room for another moment or so before sitting to chat casually as they awaited the author’s arrival. Rachel took another sip of her coffee, sighing appreciatively as the hot liquid somehow calmed her nervous insides and warmed her at the same time. Only moments later, the intercom beeped.
“Joe Pavon is here, Lucy.”
Lucy glanced at Rachel before answering, “Thanks, Amy. Send him in.”
Rachel’s eyes closed involuntarily as she exhaled. Her body filled with nervous energy at the idea that Joe — her Hottie McCoffeehouse — was on the approach. Nervous hands pressed against her abdomen, and a brief wave of nausea washed over her. She cleared her throat and reached for a glass of water, begging herself not to lose it in the middle of the conference room.
Lucy tapped her arm, reminding her to stand. Rachel pulled herself up, briefly getting dizzy as she struggled to focus on anything but seeing Joe’s gorgeously kind face for the first time since her confession. She swallowed the lump in her throat, smoothed her pant legs and straightened her back, staring straight ahead. She heard his footsteps coming down the hall and glanced imploringly at Lucy.
In a move that reminded her remarkably of Cami, Lucy whispered, “You’ve got this, Rachel. Relax.”
The door creaked open and Joe stepped in. He looked absolutely strapping as he leaned forward slightly, filling the room in two easy strides. Flashing the whole room a dazzling smile, he shook Lucy’s hand first.
“Lucy, it’s good to see you again.” He was all charm, all business … and it was pissing Rachel off!
Lucy nodded with a casual smile, shaking his hand without batting an eye. Joe turned to Rachel, and she tried to read his expression as their eyes met.
“Miss Sirianni, it’s great to see you.”
Rachel struggled to hit the invisible ball back at him. “Likewise, Mr. Pavon.”
If there were anything going on in his head, Joe was doing a great job of hiding it. Feeling slightly defeated, Rachel took her seat with the rest of the team. Joe cleared his throat as he scooted in and leaned on the table. Her eyes met with his, and he shot her one of the lopsided grins that made her fall for him in the first place. His hair careless as usual, he ran a hand through it as he maintained eye contact with her, almost looking sheepish. Rachel nearly melted like butter.
She averted her eyes quickly, feeling her breath leave her body. It was oddly quiet in the room, and she looked around. Rachel realized quickly, however, that they were waiting for her to start. Blushing as she gave an awkward chuckle, she looked down at the printed agenda that she and Lucy had gone over earlier.
“All right, we’re just going to start at the beginning and make our way through the book, one chapter at a time,” she began, her eyes connecting briefly with everyone. “With any
luck we’ll be done quickly, and we can go ahead and get all the signatures it needs to take its trip to the printer. Are you ready to begin, Mr. Pavon?
Eyebrows raised, he nodded with a small smile. “As ready as I’ll ever be, Miss Sirianni.”
He watched her intently as she instructed Erick, one of art assistants, to lower the lights and turn on the projector.
“We’ll start with the cover,” she remarked as the lights went out and Erick maneuvered slides of sample graphics through the projector. “We’ve got a couple of ideas here that Lucy sent you last week. I’ll tell you my thoughts on each one and then you tell me what you like.”
• • •
Lucy sat back with a grin as Rachel began to hit her stride, obviously putting all nervous feelings on the backburner as she flawlessly lead Joe through the presentation. She saw a lot of passion in Rachel; it was the same passion that existed in Lucy when she first turned to writing and books as a form of therapy. Lucy knew that, ultimately, Rachel would be the best risk that she ever took.
Looking over at Joe, she noticed that he was paying more attention to Rachel than he was to the slides on the wall. Lucy didn’t know what had happened between the two of them, but it was clear that Joe was still nuts about her. Lucy looked to Rachel, her head tilted in consideration. Maybe the young junior editor could have it all. The thought cheered her, and she smiled again as Rachel looked up at Joe more comfortably, as if not a moment of this were awkward for her.
• • •
“Well, Mr. Pavon,” Rachel asked, bravely locking eyes with him, “Which cover looks best to you?”
Joe was casually leaned back in chair, legs extended beneath the table. He had one arm casually slung over the back of the chair as he grinned at her. It took Rachel by surprise, and she sat back. Is he serious?
“They all look good to me, Miss Sirianni. I trust your judgment entirely.”
Rachel gave him an appraising glance. “Are you sure you want to leave that in my hands? You have just as much a say in the appearance of this book. I would hate for you to look back on it later and regret not being more vocal.”
Joe nodded slowly, reiterating what he’d said before. “I trust you, Rachel.”
Vapors! Refusing to show an ounce of reaction, she turned back to the image on the wall. “If you insist, Mr. Pavon. Lucy, are you okay with my cover selection?”
Lucy nodded, clearly enjoying the show. “I approve.”
I’m sure you do, Rachel scowled inwardly.
Page by page, chapter by chapter, Rachel went through minor edits and tweaks with Joe. He barely reacted, allowing every change the editorial team had made with no more than five questions coming out of his mouth during the process. It wasn’t supposed to be this easy. He was supposed to be completely attached to his work and demanding that his voice not be changed. Instead, she got the feeling that he was being amenable for the purpose of pleasing her. And the more decisive she was, the more he smiled. Damn you, Joe.
In the end, the meeting took about half as much time as planned. Rachel was slightly disappointed; this was her first meeting of its kind, and she had figured that Joe would defend his work and give her a challenge despite last week’s drama. The art assistants were the first to leave after he signed off on the entire proof, shaking his hand with pleasant smiles before they departed. Taking that as her cue to leave, she stood. Joe immediately rose, playing the role of the consummate gentleman perfectly. Joe was watching her and her heart fluttered excitedly at his hopeful expression.
“Well, I’m sure you and Lucy have some final thoughts to exchange,” Rachel spoke, her voice slightly trembling. “I hope you don’t mind, Lucy. I have some work to do.”
Lucy gave Rachel a sympathetic grin, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Go ahead, Rachel. We can finish up here without you.”
“Thanks,” she said, picking up her papers. Giving Joe a stoic glance, she stuck out her hand. “Good luck with the book. It’s going to do great.”
Joe took her hand and held it, locking eyes with her. The air between them was electric, and it made Lucy step back. He grinned, though passively.
“Thanks for believing in it when others wouldn’t,” he said favorably. “I owe you a lot.”
Rachel smiled kindly. “No. You’re a great writer.”
“Take care, Rach.” Joe’s expression saddened a little as he let go of her hand.
Rachel’s lower lip pouted slightly as she stepped toward the door. “You do the same.”
She held her breath as she forced herself to take long, steady strides out of the conference room and around to her office. Head held high, she strode past the cubicle that once belonged to her and into her office. Once the door was closed, she gasped for air. Tears stung at her eyes and she shook her head frantically in an attempt to make them stop. Did I just say goodbye to Joe?
Too frantic to sit, she paced in her office. She wanted to go after him, but was afraid of the rejection that may have been waiting for her down the hall. She looked to the door, and then toward the window as if the answer was hiding in the clouds. Rachel finally took a step in the right direction, reaching for the doorknob. She was startled by the knock that came shortly after her hand extended.
Jumping back, she tried to pull herself together. She stared at the door for a moment, taking deep breaths until she was satisfied that whoever was on the other side wouldn’t see her unglued.
She cleared her throat and smoothed her shirt. “Come in.”
The door opened, and her heart nearly stopped when he entered. Joe!
• • •
Rachel bit her lower lip as she looked up at Joe, certain that she couldn’t handle being in such a small space with him. The silence was almost painful as their eyes locked; Rachel could have sworn that the rest of the world had just stopped.
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Hey.”
She straightened her back, brow furrowed nervously. “Hi.”
Joe took a deep breath, a humble expression on his face. “Do you think we could talk — a little less animatedly this time?”
Rachel leaned on her desk for support and nodded, staring at the floor. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what he had to say. She had finally started to let go of the guilty feeling that plagued her whenever she thought about how stupid she’d been. She wasn’t sure she was ready to hear another diatribe about why he was angry.
“Lucy called me yesterday and told me that you would be at the meeting today, so that it wouldn’t be too much of a shock,” Joe began, helping himself to the seat in front of her. “I had planned everything out that I wanted to say to you when the meeting was over.”
Rachel nodded. “Okay. And what was that?”
“Well, I was going to say everything that I couldn’t say last Friday. I was so determined to be mad at you.”
Rachel cringed. Joe continued, “I wanted so badly for you to feel my pain. Until I realized, you already have.”
He smirked pensively, his dimples showing and making Rachel’s insides twitch. “But then I saw you today and … it was gone. All of it just went away.”
He stood, looking into Rachel’s eyes as they welled with tears. Standing up and closing the gap between them, he towered over her once more; she looked up at him with wide eyes. Boldly, he caressed the side of her face. Her hand reached out for his and rested on his wrist.
“Joe, please.” Rachel’s voice caught as her breath hitched.
“I miss you, Rach,” he said, his expression imploring. “That was my point. My pride is a horrible reason for giving up someone I love.”
Rachel inhaled sharply, tears springing to her eyes.
Joe wiped an errant tear from her cheek. “You’re everything I want. You’re kind, talented, beautiful, funny, and your spaghetti sauce? I can’t just
walk away from that, can I?”
Rachel let out a small laugh as he grinned playfully. “I guess I can understand that.”
Joe lovingly twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “Could you ever forgive me for walking out on you?”
“Forgiven,” she replied, smiling through her tears.
He bent at the knees and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground as he hugged her. With a happy sigh, Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck. The feeling of warmth and satisfaction was one they’d both waited entirely too long to feel again. When he finally put her down, Rachel was deliciously breathless. She sighed happily and looked up at him.
Joe looked down at her, a mischievous smile on his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of folded paper and handed it to her. She regarded it with a raised eyebrow.
“What’s this?”
“A note from your boss. I was told that, if this worked, I’m to get you the hell out of here.”
With an amused look of confusion, she opened the paper. She was tickled to read the letter, in Lucy’s handwriting:
Like in the books we publish, love conquers all — see you tomorrow! — L
Rachel gave a tiny sniffle, smiling as she folded the note and put it against her heart. She couldn’t help but laugh at the elated expression on Joe’s face.
“That was a risky note to write!”
“She said she knew you loved me.”
Rachel leaned pressed her forehead against his solid chest. He stroked her hair gently as she muttered, “She was right.”
Joe grabbed her hand and started to pull her toward the door. With a laugh, she asked, “I’m dressed for work, Joe — where are we going to go?”
“It’s a warm day, babe,” he replied as he looked back at her while opening the door. “We’re headed to buy you something suitable to wear and then we’re going to go make out on a random bench on Coney Island … but only after we’ve eaten our corndogs. Can you handle that, Miss Sirianni?”
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