He picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he walked to the door and locked it, then turned and dropped me on his leather couch, only to follow me down.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” he answered, before his mouth and body began to work their magic.
6
Jax had been gone two weeks. I hadn’t realized how much I’d come to rely on seeing him or how much I’d miss him.
We promised each other that we’d only FaceTime on Friday nights when our regular work session was usually scheduled; only now, we talked about Jax’s book, instead of mine.
The separation was misery. The calls helped, and I was trying to keep busy, but my heart was heavy. He was making decent progress on his manuscript, and that was a good thing, but I was missing him desperately.
That old saying about “absence making the heart grow fonder” might not be true when you’re already in love with someone, but damn if knowing I wouldn’t see him for weeks didn’t make me ache.
Jax texted a few times throughout each day and I looked forward to every message; anxiously grabbing my phone whenever it pinged. It was almost obnoxious how I waited for those pings.
“Hey, where’d. you go?” Luke roused me out of my reverie.
“Oh, sorry,” I answered, snapping out of my daydream. I wondered if I should tell Luke about my new contract with Bloom & Wandough Literary. Excitement that Gloria had signed me was bubbling inside, and I wanted to talk about it. I’d been surprised she still wanted to represent me, considering how disappointed she was when I’d called and told her that I’d changed my mind about being a ghostwriter. Honestly, I was torn about it. I understood Jax’s objection, but I also saw Gloria’s point about how it would help establish me with publishers.
The signed contract was nestled inside a manila envelope in my backpack, and I was going to take it over as soon as we were finished.
We’d just gotten coffee and were seated in a small coffee bar on the edge of campus. I’d asked Luke to meet me there on purpose. It was closer to the agency on this side of the university property. It was cold, but I hoped to save the cab fare. This was a chance to help him and warm up before the second leg of my walk.
“How do you think I’m doing? With taking over Michael’s class?”
“Oh, you’re doing great.”
“Well, I mean,” Luke began, shrugging sheepishly, “it’s not difficult considering everyone is just using class time to write their stories. I feel like a literary babysitter, more than anything else.”
I smiled. “Being in charge of hundreds of students is a big responsibility for a T.A. You’re still available to help with office hours, right?”
He picked up a piece of pound cake he’d purchased and took a bite. “Yes,” he said, between chews, “and, at least it gives me time to work on my own book this way. What do you think of it so far?” I could see the anxious anticipation written all over his face.
I sighed and shifted in my seat. Everyone was working on their books. The class, Luke, Jax… everyone except me. Gloria had said she’d read it and get me any suggested edits, so it was basically a waiting game. Maybe after having the contract in hand, she’d be more motivated.
I was able to look over Luke’s current chapters on my laptop. He’d emailed what he had already finished to me the week before, but today I wanted to talk to him about some holes in his plot.
“I think you need to flesh out your main character’s backstory more; it will invest the reader’s more in his arc and keep them reading to find out his outcome. It can be a gradual process throughout your story or through his thoughts when something else that might be connected to his past happens. Just give more about the history and why the character chose to be a detective, or were there some losses or major events that made that choice mean more?”
Luke agreed. “I see where you’re going.” He pushed the remainder of his cake aside, took out his laptop and flipped it open. He began taking notes as I spoke. “That’s good. Do you have time to help me? Fill in the holes?”
“Um…” I began. Jax had warned me not to do the work for Luke, or it would be my voice in the writing. I really needed to deliver my contract. A pleasurable and incredulous shiver ran through me. My contract. In a million years, I never thought I’d be saying that to myself, and definitely not before completing undergrad. “I’d love to, but there is somewhere I need to be.”
“Really? Where? I can drive you.” He looked at me hopefully. “Then can you work on it with me?”
It was clear that I had to establish the boundaries, but in a gentle way. I had to make a split-second decision…. “I have to drop off a contract to Bloom and Wandough.”
His head cocked to one side as he paused typing to meet my eyes. “That’s Dr. Michael’s agency. Is it for him? I thought you weren’t working as his T.A.? I thought he was so adamant you couldn’t?”
I pressed my lips together, the words wanting to burst forth. “Its for me.”
Luke’s mouth dropped open in awed surprise. “They’re representing you? Holy crap! That’s amazing, Addy!”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” I dismissed. “Gloria thinks my book needs a ton of work and she’s not even gonna look at it for weeks or maybe even months, I’m sure.”
“Is it the one I’ve read most of?” He asked. “Uncontrollable Love?”
I nodded, trying to downplay it. I wasn’t sure of the title, or at least, Gloria didn’t seem to be impressed by it. She said it was too prose. “That’s the text. We might change the title. Gloria Sussex hates it, and bashing it is pretty much the only feedback I’ve gotten from her so far. I don’t think she’s read much of it.”
“She had to have looked at it to offer to represent you. Or, she could have pawned you off on a more junior agent.” It seemed like Luke was working through his own, somewhat removed thoughts.
“She read a few chapters.” I shrugged, and could see he was wondering the true nature of my relationship with the professor, so I kept talking. “She trusts Dr. Michael’s opinion, I guess.”
It seemed to pacify Luke. “It’s incredible he’s behind you. If you weren’t such a great writer, I’d be pissed. I really need your help, Addy. I can take you over there, we can drop off whatever you need to and then find somewhere to work. Deal?”
He looked so boyish and eager; I couldn’t say no, but I’d keep my remarks to leading him in the right direction. “Okay, sure.”
His eyes lit up with a smile. “Great! Let’s go!”
It wasn’t five minutes later, and we both had our stuff shoved back into our book bags, our coats on, and coffee in hand then rushing out of the coffee shop, into his beat-up old Mustang and headed across town to Gloria’s office in heavy traffic. Luke wanted to know how the contract came about and how I’d met Gloria and I gave him a watered-down version of it.
“Dr. Michael’s liked my first assignment, asked to see me and said I had potential. Then he arranged a meeting with Gloria. I had to keep it quiet because, obviously, he can’t do that for everyone.”
“Obviously,” he answered wryly. “Most don’t have your talent!”
“I was flattered, for sure. Hopeful and unbelieving.” I was still embarrassed that Jax had singled me out. He had convinced me that I had potential, however, part of me still wasn’t sure that Jax would have done so much for me if we weren’t involved.
“No shit! I would have been speechless!” He laughed happily. “Maybe when you’re big and famous, you can get her to read one of my manuscripts; provided it doesn’t suck ass.”
“You’re too hard on yourself,” I admonished.
Luke was driving around the block, dealing with the one-way streets and looking for a place to park. “Jesus, this is going to be impossible, Addy.”
“Yeah, I should have walked; which was my original plan.”
He looked defeated. “I could drop you off, but I had hoped to go in with you. I wanted to see the inside of the office.”
“I’m not going to meet with Gloria or anything, Luke. I’m just running this in and dropping it with the receptionist.” I held up the yellow envelope I’d just removed from my backpack.
In that second, Luke came upon someone leaving their metered parking space along the sidewalk. “Look!” he said. “It’s fate!”
My lips pressed together in a half-assed smile. I mean, what could I say without letting him see how reluctant I was to have him go with me. “Yay!” I said, without feeling it.
“This is exciting!” he said.
“There are still a few minutes on the meter. That should be enough,” I said, leaving my book bag on the floorboard and opening the passenger side door.
Luke got out and came around, digging in his pocket for his wallet and opening it. “I can swipe my card. Maybe we’ll get lucky?” He smiled wide.
Ugh. I did not need this complication, and I could already hear Jax’s annoyed tone in my head. “Gloria is super busy. Honestly, it’s not necessary, Luke.”
He shrugged sadly, shoving the wallet into in his back pocket. “Okay. I guess just being in the same space as some of the greats will have to do.”
He followed me the few doors down and into the lobby of the building.
“This is fantastic,” he muttered, looking around.
I reached out to push the elevator button. The silver doors slid open and a man and woman got out. The man held the door for us, and we thanked him.
I held my breath, praying Gloria wouldn’t be in reception or come out of her office.
I moved fast when we’d reached the agency office. Stella was sitting at her desk and looked up when I opened the glass doors leading inside. “Hi, Stella.”
“Here is the contract!” I smiled and the corners of her lips lifted in response.
“Thank you! Gloria will be happy! She’s been waiting for it.” Her eyes flew to Luke. “Who’s this?” she asked.
“Yes, who’s this handsome young man?” Gloria’s voice called from around the corner, waltzing down the hallway toward us. Decked out in another all-black suit but this time paired with a magenta blouse. Luke’s eyes widened when he took in her elegant form.
I inwardly groaned as Luke ate up the attention. This would mean Jax would be told that I’d brought Luke into the agency office.
“Stella, Gloria, this is my friend, Luke.”
“Hi, Luke,” Stella beamed.
“Luke…” Gloria slowly extended her hand in his direction. “Jax’s T.A. from Columbia?”
His expression lit up, clearly pleased she’d heard of him. “Yes, ma’am. I’m so pleased to meet you. You’re a legend.”
“Let’s not go overboard, honey” Gloria mocked wryly, though clearly, she was eating up the attention. “Are you a writer, too?”
“Yes. I’m working on something actually,” Luke answered. Exuberance emanated from every exited pore.
“Well, working under Jax is a start,” she said, looking pointedly at me. What a bitch, I thought, my breath leaving my chest.
“We don’t mean to interrupt your day, Gloria. I dropped the contract with Stella. We’ll be going now.” I grabbed Luke’s arm, my fingers curling around the fabric of his coat and giving a light tug. “See ya!”
“Wait! What’s your hurry, Addy?” Gloria halted me before I could turn away.
“Luke has plans, and he drove me. It was cold out.” I was rambling, my mind racing to figure out how to get the hell out of there and then call Jax to tell him before Gloria did. Surely, she’d be on the phone before the elevator hit the first floor, and so fast it would make my head spin.
“I see,” Gloria stated, her eyebrow shooting up as she made eye contact with me.
Shit. I was doomed.
“Luke, will you be contacting Jax? Can you come in a minute?”
“Gloria,” I began, protesting.
“What?” she asked innocently. “His publisher at S & S sent something over for him and it would be a big help if you’d get it to him. If you can hold on just a few minutes?”
Jax is in the Smokey Mountains, so is Luke supposed to catch a cab to Tennessee, now? I wondered, annoyed.
“It’s okay, Addy,” Luke smiled at the other two women. “I mean, I’d love to check out the books in the library, at least. Just for a minute.”
“Oh, sure, look around. I just thought that if Luke is sending mail to Jax, I might as well just toss this in?”
Luke was clearly pleased to be of help if the goofy, star-struck expression on his face was anything to judge by. “Sure. No problem!”
Gloria glanced over her shoulder to Stella as she began to usher us down the hall toward her office. “Get that to legal right away, Stells,” Gloria murmured her assistant’s nickname as she casually strolled away toward a conference room to one side. “Then bring in that package we have for Jaxon. Remember, the one on my desk? From Miss Goldstone?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Stella answered, quickly turning to exit the office.
A feeling of dread washed over me. I wasn’t sure why, but it was a gut feeling. “What is it?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“No idea. But frankly, I wish they’d leave him the hell alone,” she brushed me off with a quick smile, then redirected her attention to my friend. “So, tell me about your novel, Luke,” Gloria gushed, as she closed the door behind us.
An uncomfortable half an hour later, I felt like a prisoner sitting there while Luke discussed his spy novel idea, and they talked about a series. Gloria was gracious with her time, filling Luke’s head with dreams and I wondered, why, if it were this easy, it was so difficult to get her to even read my work?
Stella knocked on the door and entered with a rectangular package wrapped in brown paper. Gloria waved her in the direction of Luke and the woman handed it to Luke. It was generically wrapped, and I tried to see what was written on the outside.
“Is Jax getting back a round of edits?” I asked cautiously.
Gloria offered a conspicuously, coy smile. “Jax is old school so I’d say yes if he had anything finished. He likes his edits on a traditional mock-up. He thinks it’s easier, though I think it slows us down. I think this is just another project the publisher wants his input on. Nothing to worry about, Addy. Just business as usual, darling. I sometimes have authors read each other’s stuff for editorial reviews and I’m sure this is no different. Tit for tat and all that.”
True, Jax hadn’t mentioned he’d submitted any chapters for early edits, but if so, then it would mean he was making good progress, and my heart fell a little when Gloria said it was something else. I couldn’t voice my concern for Jax’s lack of pages because then Luke would be privy to our real relationship.
“So, what do you think, Ms. Sussex? What do you think of my series idea?” Luke’s boyish charm exuded toward the older woman, but she seemed immune. His eagerness was evident in his single focus on his book.
Gloria, who had been gauging my reaction, broke eye contact and offered Luke a smile accompanied by raised eyebrows. “Ummm… I think, it’s a good idea, but it will need some work, though you’ve got one thing in your favor; it’s a less competitive genre. God knows, I’ve been after Jax for years to break from Romance.” She rolled her eyes and pursed her bright red lips.
Again, I was perplexed. She was making a great living off of Jax’s romance career. Gloria was a swath of contradictions, today.
“Thank you for the encouragement. Addy is...” He began, then I nudged him before he spilled the beans that I was working with him on his manuscript.
“Let’s go, Luke. I have to get back and I’m sure Gloria has loads of work to do.”
The other woman’s eyes drifted suspiciously between Luke and me though she didn’t voice her thoughts.
Luke stood up awkwardly. “Oh, I’m sorry for taking so much time. May I submit my book when it’s finished?”
Gloria’s bland expression suddenly turned excited. “Sure thing, hon, but just the first three chap
ters is all we need to take a look. My slush pile is overflowing, as it is! It might take me a while to get to it, but if Stella reads those chapters and thinks it’s worth a read, I’ll give it a go. Eventually.”
It was obvious to me that Luke was being given the brush-off, though he was too enamored with Gloria and the entire possibility that he didn’t have a clear picture. The likelihood of Gloria taking Luke, or his book, seriously was about the same as a snowball’s chance in hell. I could see it plainly. I felt bad for my friend and resentment welled up that one person held someone’s future success or failure in her hands.
Luke was still chatting on and on about how wonderful Gloria was and how amazing experiencing the agency was, but I was deep in thought.
“Have you ever thought of self-publishing, Luke?” I asked casually as we walked out of the building and onto the busy sidewalk.
“Well, sure, but why? I mean, if Gloria takes it…”
“Big if,” I pointed out wryly.
He paused and looked at me, a frown settling on his brow. “That’s great. You get a shot and I don’t?” he shot back.
My mouth dropped open, and I shook my head. “That’s not what I meant, but she’s the queen of blowing sunshine. If something doesn’t happen with my book, I might try self-publishing myself. Who needs to wait around forever for one person to read your book? I’m just saying… it’s an option. For both of us.”
His face softened and he nodded, continuing to the car and unlocking the door for me, then holding it open. “Oh. Okay. I see. But it’s my dream to be pub’d by a huge house.”
Don’t we all? I asked myself silently.
Once in the car, we made plans to go back to Jaxon’s office, where we would put Gloria’s package with the rest of his forwarded mail to be sent to him the following morning. Jax’s office was a mess, far worse than when he was working there.
“I guess you hang out in here a lot, lately, huh? It looks like you live here.” There was trash overflowing the wastebasket, empty Chinese food containers on the big desk as well as several water bottles and open pop cans. He sat the wrapped package he’d brought from Gloria’s office on the corner of the desk, dropping his backpack on the floor next to it.
SMUT UNIVERSITY: A sexy novella serial, Part Three Page 7