Just Her Type

by Laudat, Reon

  “Cold rabbit?” Dominic’s thick brows rushed together.

  “Kol-ra-bee.” Kendra cast herself as the kohlrabi expert of all kohlrabi experts even though she’d Googled it only three days ago after finding it in a client’s manuscript. “It’s a vegetable. Looks like a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. In fact, in German kohl is for cabbage and rabi is for turnip. It’s packed with loads of potassium and vitamin C. Its flavor is akin to broccoli stem or cabbage heart.” When Dominic made a brief yuck face she added, “Make that lots and lots of kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is the new kale, don’t you know?”

  Dominic stroked his chin. “So with beer being the exception, you’re health-conscious. I like that.”

  “Sorry,” Carol told her, “but I’m sure we don’t have any kol…um, what you said.”

  “Kol-ra-bee. Kohlrabi.” Kendra now played the parrot stuck on mimicking a new word.

  “But we do have kale,” Carol said brightly.

  “Very well, add the kale,” Kendra said.

  “So are you going for the kale?” Carol grinned at Dominic.

  “Sure! Why not?” Dominic said, winking at Kendra.

  Monkey see, monkey do, monkey pee all over you. Kendra resisted reciting the juvenile taunt, closed her menu, and passed it back to Carol, who departed before they could change their minds.

  “What made you assume I’d want a beer?” Kendra asked.

  “A big-ass stein in your hand. I spotted you at the conference hotel bar in Dallas. I was going to join you before you took off.”

  “Oh. Well, they say you are what you eat, not drink. Fresh fruit and vegetables every chance I get to balance things out,” Kendra replied primly, though maraschino cherries (from late night ice cream sundae binges) and a jar of pickled beets (from her apartment’s previous occupant) were the only fruit and veggies in her fridge. Her cabinets housed one mini can of expired Beanee Weenee she made a mental note to toss once and for all, three cans of creamed corn, and eleven boxes of assorted kiddie breakfast cereals.

  Dominic’s gaze lingered on Kendra as her puffer vest grew warmer, but she didn’t want to appear as if she were stripping for him so she kept it on.

  Carol zipped back with two tall glasses of iced tea and their salads.

  “Why did you send the yarn?” Kendra asked after Carol left.

  “I find you attractive, make that extremely attractive,” Dominic said with a slow, brazen appraisal of her.

  Her flush intensified. Had they raised the thermostat in the place? “Thank you,” she replied, rotated her plate left, and said grace in her head.

  “And I’d like to get to know you better.” He reached for her hand and his thumb caressed her skin, sending delightful sparks all over her body. “Now, how’s that for direct?”

  Kendra liked, no loved, the way he looked, too, but chose not to tell him so. Still, their gazes held for several moments. She could get lost in those eyes. Only after realizing she did not want to let go of his hand, did she fake a cough to have an excuse to ease it away.

  “Besides books and knitting, what else does Kendra Porter enjoy?” The way he lowered his voice made her think of that game that required adding “in bed” to the words tucked inside fortune cookies.

  Kendra chugged her iced tea and studied him before speaking again. “What do you hope to get out of this?”

  “Oh, another date, perhaps?”

  “And that’s all this is about?”

  “Yeah, what else could it possibly be? Why so suspicious all of a sudden?”

  “Right.” Kendra scoffed. “You and I dating?”

  “Yes. Why not?” Dominic paused. “Oh, I think I get it now.” He sat up straighter. “Time to address the proverbial elephant in the room. Shall we?”

  Kendra sat up straighter, too. “Yes, let’s do that.”

  Dominic placed his elbows on the table to steeple his fingers. “I’m venturing a guess here, but you’re probably still, well, how should I say this? A little miffed, maybe? After you offered representation to a few writers, they chose to accept my offer instead. Brody Goodwin, for example. I saw his latest book, Onyx & Snake Eyes, in your tote on the plane.

  Kendra had also read Amethyst & Snake Eyes, Brody’s first novel in the popular series, when it was an unpublished manuscript. Debut novels of that stellar quality did not cross her desk often so she’d phoned Brody late on a Sunday evening after savoring the last page and extended a breathless offer to represent him. He’d requested more time to make his decision. His letter had indicated that a handful of other agents were also considering the manuscript. However, she’d prayed her reputation and obvious enthusiasm would win him over, and he’d accept her offer on the spot. Wishful thinking when the usual courteous protocol entailed contacting other agents who had also requested the partial or the full manuscript to let them know he had an offer of representation. Kendra was all about following the tacit rules and keeping civility at the top of her list. She played fair with other agents and expected it in return, though a few colleagues didn’t reciprocate.

  Kendra did not blame Brody for thoroughly weighing all options. After two agonizing weeks, he had phoned to say he’d narrowed his choices down to Kendra and Dominic. After separate rounds of Q & A’s, hers by phone, Brody had concluded Dominic and Impact were “the better fit.”

  Dominic headed a flashier agency with a director of editorial development, a team of agents (senior and junior), and a slew of clients. Impact also had its own contract lawyer as well as sub-agents who specialized in foreign/translation rights, TV/film deals, and licensed merchandise tie-ins. Porter Literary Agency was a much leaner, or rather, “boutique-style” business. However, she consulted with several excellent outside contacts. Anything Dominic could do, she could do, but with a more personal touch and less bloat.

  Both had excellent reputations among authors, so it all came down to preference. Much like the choice between KFC’s Original Recipe and Extra Crispy, Kendra had often reasoned in an attempt not to take rejection personally.

  She’d experienced mixed emotions watching Amethyst & Snake Eyes and subsequent books in Brody’s popular noir series burn up several best-seller lists for years. Her hunch about his debut’s appeal and viability in the marketplace had been spot-on, but missing the chance to represent it had been one of her biggest career disappointments.

  “You win some, you lose some,” Kendra replied with as much indifference as she could muster and lifted her fork to eat her salad. “Try again.”

  “Well, how about this? One of Porter’s former agents just joined Impact.”

  Anna? Christopher? Kimberly? News to Kendra. All three had moved on to different lines of work or so they’d told her. The turncoat had obviously lied, but she hid her shock.

  “And some of your former clients moved on to Impact, too,” he continued.

  “Some? Puh-lease. Two. And they were a married writing duo. You make it sound as if there was a mass exodus or something.” She could feel her poker face slipping.

  “I’m just noting they left so we can clear the air and move forward.”

  “They didn’t leave me,” she said as a cocktail of anger, self-doubt, and defensiveness churned inside, making her queasy. “Their agent left Porter Literary Agency, left the business. So the couple decided to start fresh with a new agency.”

  “I understand how disappointing that can be,” Dominic continued in a patronizing tone. “But clients switch agencies all the time. And it’s not always because the former agent made a misstep. I’m sure you and the others at Porter Literary Agency did,” he paused and cleared his throat, “do a fine job for all clients.”

  Was that a note of insincerity? Kendra fumed.

  “Sometimes an author needs a change to shake things up,” Dominic pontificated. “The average veteran author changes agents about three or four times during the span of a career. You must know this. It’s the natural order of things. Even agents at Impact have lost clients to other agencies and�
��”

  “Other Impact agents, not Dominic Tobias?” she said through clenched teeth.

  “I didn’t say that.” Dominic chuckled cavalierly and started eating his salad. “The clients I’ve lost quit the business.”

  Kendra narrowed her eyes. “You mean they didn’t move on to other agents?”

  Dominic skirted that question. “You act as if I’m the only agent who has taken in authors from other agencies. You know it’s done all the time. You’ve done it, too.”

  “Yes, I have, but I’m not about lurking in the gray areas.”

  “Gray areas?” He leaned forward, his voice less ebullient. “Care to elaborate?”

  “There’s a big difference between accepting clients from other agents who happen to approach me first and aggressively courting other people’s most successful clients,” she bit out. “And believe it or not, I have been known to contact the former agent to inform him or her that I am now the new representative. I make contact after the author informs him or her. But I still reach out to let that agent know I did not actively pursue said client. It’s not required of course, but it would be nice if I received the same professional courtesy sometimes.”

  “And you’re so sure I went after them? And was all cutthroat about it?” He made a hammy, moustache-twirling gesture. “That it was not the other way around?”

  “I didn’t name names,” she hedged, stabbing a clump of kale with her fork, “just speaking in generalities.”

  “Poaching generalities?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, because I’m certainly not going to apologize for being great at what I do, giving clients one hundred percent and exploring all avenues. I take full advantage of all opportunities. I increase earning potential. I slay for them. Sure it’s about representing good books, but most importantly books most readers want. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that’s what translates into cold hard cash, which is king. If a house wants a hot property, praise is cheap. How loud is the ka-ching? Show me the love with extra zeroes behind the dollar sign.”

  “Oh, brother,” Kendra said with an eye roll.

  “That’s good business, especially in these crazy times. Getting a client the most cash possible upfront increases the chances that a book won’t fall through the cracks. That everything is done to increase its chances of becoming a commercial success. And if the book bombs, hey, the client still has kiss-my-ass money in the coffers.” When he popped a cherry tomato inside his mouth she envisioned him choking on it. “For me, it’s not about acquiring things or flaunting bling, though that can be nice, not going to lie. But I do like to win. And the moolah is one measure, one essential measure.”

  “And bloviating doesn’t become you.”

  “Honestly, I assumed clients’ former agents only wanted to hear from me if it was about business, more money-making business for them.” With his napkin, he wiped the corners of his mouth. “But in the future, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to consider making some of those ‘courtesy’ phone calls you mentioned.”

  “Such simple niceties create good karma.”

  “I’ll call it playing the Kendra-Kumbaya-Good-Karma card.” He grinned. “Now, enough shop talk. Truce?” Dominic rested his fork to extend one hand.

  “Truce.” Kendra shook it, thinking she needed to keep the conversation light. But wait! Sustaining the tension could be a good thing. According to Lizzy, cute couples did not compete. Cute couples did not fight, at least not that often. And when they did, it was usually over trivial matters such who hogged the TV remote or the bed covers.

  Kendra considered this point. Maybe Dominic wasn’t like Graham, Colin, and Randall after all. But it was too soon to tell. Best to play it safe and stick to the plan. After this meal, no more commingling with the competition.

  Carol returned to check on them. “Can I get you two anything else?”

  “Thank you. I’m fine,” Kendra said.

  “Me, too,” Dominic said.

  Carol departed.

  “Now that we’ve gotten that business out of the way, we’re good?”

  Kendra nodded. Despite his going all braggy on her, she still liked him. A lot.

  “We’re burying the hatchet,” Dominic speared another cherry tomato, “not replacing it with a pick ax, just so we’re clear.”

  “Yes.” Kendra noticed he had plenty of shredded cheese on his plate as he polished off that tomato. It was silly not to order something more when she was ravenous now that her anger-induced queasiness had subsided. And she wanted a flipping beer! But she refused to backpedal now. Nor would she abandon her health-conscious ruse when they ordered dessert, if one could call fruit chunks, not swimming in heavy syrup or coated with sugar sprinkles, dessert. Again, he ordered the same to tease her.

  By that time they had moved on to light conversation about current national and local affairs, all tension, besides the sexual sort, had subsided. When she wasn’t staring at his sexy lips and wondering how they tasted, she was admiring his large hands, and imagining all the areas on her body where she’d like him to place them.

  As they stood outside the restaurant an hour later, Kendra shivered against the wind and slipped on the beautiful gloves knitted by Aunt Jackie. The last few September days had been unseasonably cold.

  “I had a good time.” After pulling on his cap and gloves, Dominic moved closer to her.

  “Me, too.”

  “When can I see you again? Soon I hope.”

  Kendra adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag and glanced at her watch. She had a meeting to get to so she flagged a taxi. Despite what Brittany had suggested, she was absolutely sure this lunch was where her socializing with Dominic needed to end. “I don’t know.” Kendra watched a taxi stop a few feet away. “It’s a busy time for me. But thanks again for the knitting supplies and the nice lunch.” With Dominic on her heel, she walked to the taxi’s rear door. When he opened it, she stepped inside. “Sorry, I’ve got to get back to my office. I’m going to be late for a Skype conference with a client in Boise.”

  Dominic leaned in before closing the door. “I know you’re attending the Hawaii Authors Conference in Maui in two weeks. Your name is in the promotional material.”

  Kendra gave directions to the taxi driver. She wished she had time to make a pit stop for more food, but that was out of the question now and her stomach grumbled in revolt. What were the chances there were treats left on the yarn shop’s refreshments tray?

  “I hope to spend time with you in Maui,” Dominic said.

  “I have a full schedule. No promises, okay?”

  “I double dog dare you to try all work and no play in paradise.”

  “Bye, Dominic.” She smiled. “Again, thanks for lunch. I enjoyed it!”

  He closed the door and stepped away from the taxi as it inched forward, nosing its way into heavy traffic. A half block up the street, she looked through the rear window. Dominic stood on the sidewalk where she’d left him.

  A while back she’d noted Dominic’s name among the dozens of industry professionals attending the conference. Unlike the recent Romantic Wordsmith Conference with a couple of thousand attendees, this smaller one drew an audience in the high hundreds. However, it would still be possible to avoid him for a few days. After all, they weren’t doing panels or workshops together.

  Her inconvenient attraction to the man would not ruin a trip she’d been looking forward to for a year. Though she’d meet with present and potential clients, Maui was not just about work. She fully expected to take in as much of the island delights as possible during her seven-day stay.

  Chapter 5

  Dominic purchased two sausage subs at the deli across the street from Impact. He should’ve ordered what he wanted during lunch, instead of that unsatisfying plate of spa food. At first he’d wanted to impress an obviously health-conscious Kendra, but then he couldn’t resist teasing her, torpedoing those efforts to ensure they didn’t order the same thing. He was going for a laugh. Unfortun
ately, that decision had not yielded the desired result. Loser move. Again. And he could only hope he hadn’t completely blown his second chance with his boasting and posturing.

  As he stepped on the elevator at the Impact building, he couldn’t stop second-guessing everything he’d done. Had he been too touchy-feely when he’d reached for her hand during lunch? He’d wanted to express his romantic intentions as soon as possible to abort any inadvertent friend-zone detours. But at the same time he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by overstepping boundaries.

  She hadn’t committed to a Maui date with him, but he wasn’t about to give up. By the time Kendra had a chance to fall under the island’s spell, she’d agree to join him for dinner and maybe even a moonlit stroll along a beach. Who knew where things could go from there? He smiled at the mental image of Kendra’s gorgeous curves in a tiny bikini with just a scrap of translucent sarong riding low and loose on her hips as a sultry breeze tousled her hair.

  As Dominic headed for his office, Quentin noticed the deli bag and coffee. “I hope you’re not starving. Brody’s here.”

  “Where?”

  “Restroom.”

  “But I talked to him on the phone this morning.”

  “I know, but he obviously didn’t get satisfaction. Wants to speak face-to-face.”

  Trouble. “Send him in when he’s done,” Dominic replied with a sigh.

  Brody owned a cabin that was a two-hour drive from the city in his muddy F-10 pickup. This wasn’t the first time he had shown up at the agency unannounced. Before leaving for lunch with Kendra, Dominic had spent the better part of the morning discussing the comments he’d emailed to Brody after reading the latest draft of his work in progress, titled Rubies & Snake Eyes.

  The authors Dominic represented had submitted novels in publishable or near-publishable shape. Those with near-publishable manuscripts often worked with his director of editorial development. However, it was fine with Dominic if they refused editorial guidance from the agency and chose instead to work exclusively with acquisitions editors after the manuscripts sold.