The first thing she heard was Libby’s scream, then she heard Libby explain what was going on to Noah and she heard him cheer. But both were drowned out by the cheering in her own head. Oh my God, she thought. This is actually happening.
After a few more squeals of congratulations, Jo managed to thank Libby and vow to see her later before ending the call. She pulled on her Converse and gave herself one last glance in the mirror. She had to tell Ewan. He would be over the moon for her. That they would be sharing an agent was even better. She grabbed her phone and her keys and left for the dining room to meet him.
He’d believed in her all along, she thought with a rush of affection. She couldn’t wait to tell him about Graham’s email and see that irresistible smile of his again. The way she was feeling at that very moment, she wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t just grab him and kiss him herself. Round two of what he’d started the night before.
Her heart was thumping, her smile wide and heart filled with joy when she walked into the dining room and saw him sitting by the window, drinking his coffee and reading one of the morning papers.
Once she gave her room number to the waiting staff, she crossed the room, sat down in front of him and grinned liked an absolute lunatic.
‘You look much too chipper for someone who drank almost as much as I did last night,’ Ewan said, his smile mirroring her own. This happiness thing must be contagious after all, she thought.
‘My head feels like it might actually explode,’ she said, ‘but I am happy. Ridiculously happy.’
A waiter arrived with a pot of freshly brewed coffee just as she was about to spill her good news, and she sat impatiently waiting for him to finish and leave.
Ewan examined her curiously. ‘You are a one, Jo Campbell. A unique being. And you know what? I’m delighted to say that I’m happy too. Surly me is on a break, even though I’ve only had about an hour’s sleep,’ he said. ‘I sat up all night writing, and it was one of those magical occasions when the words just flowed onto the page and I don’t think I was even in control of them.’
The waiter finally left and Jo felt free to speak. ‘That’s brilliant,’ she said, and she meant it. ‘I’m delighted for you. But you absolutely have to let me tell you my news because I’m pretty sure it’s going to make your day even better!’
Ewan sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. ‘Do go on,’ he said. ‘I’m intrigued.’
‘I will!’ Jo replied enthusiastically. ‘You know how Libby was a bit of a rascal and sent you my book without me knowing?’
He nodded. ‘I do.’
‘Well, it seems you weren’t the only person she sent it to!’
The expression on Ewan’s face changed. The smile that he’d had was replaced with a furrow of his brow and a look of concern. Maybe he feared Libby had sent it to some dodgy agent who would take advantage of her, but she knew his smile would return when he heard it was Graham Westbury and they would be agency buddies.
‘She sent it to some literary agents. And one of them – in fact, one of them you know very well indeed – has just emailed me to say he has been up all night reading my book and he wants to represent me!’ Saying the words felt surreal, but she loved how they sounded. An agent, wanting to represent her. This was the dream.
‘Really? Wow! Who?’ Ewan was saying the right words, but his voice sounded funny. Something was off, although, if asked, Jo wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint exactly what.
‘Graham Westbury!’ she said, and threw in a little jazz-hands-style wave too – something she’d never done before in her life.
‘Wow!’ Ewan said while he rubbed the stubble of his chin and shook his head in disbelief. ‘That’s… well, that’s incredible.’
‘Isn’t it?’ Jo beamed. ‘He wants to chat to me on the phone ASAP and has invited me over to London for a face-to-face – at his expense!’
Jo watched as Ewan reached for his coffee cup and lifted it to his mouth. There was a slight tremble to his hands. This was not quite the reaction she had expected, but then it was still early and he was probably still feeling the effects of all the alcohol the previous night.
‘I can’t get my head around it,’ she continued. ‘I mean, he says there’s work to be done, but we know that. With what we’ve talked about, I already know where I can make it better. He says he thinks he’ll have no problem placing it with a publishing house! You might be getting a mention in my acknowledgements sooner than we thought.’
‘That’s incredible, Jo. I’m delighted for you,’ Ewan said, but now there was a dullness to his voice which Jo struggled to understand. After all the pep talking he had done over the course of the previous two days, she thought he’d have been hitting the ceiling with excitement along with her. Maybe being so established brought with it a reserved response to good news. Or maybe he didn’t think securing an agent was that big a deal. After all, it wasn’t as if she had scored a major book deal or a TV series, or even actually any kind of book deal yet. Jo felt herself start to deflate, but Ewan must’ve seen the disappointment in her eyes. ‘God, Jo. I’m sorry. This is amazing news. Really incredible. I’m delighted for you. But I think, maybe, the lack of sleep and the overindulgence in alcohol is catching up with me. I’m not feeling the very best.’
Now that he mentioned it, she noticed he had gone very pale.
‘Can I get you anything?’ she asked. ‘A glass of water? A piece of toast, maybe? That might settle your stomach?’
He shook his head, his eyes closed for a moment. When he opened them again, he looked directly at her, and she longed for him to say it had passed and he felt better and to join her in the mother of all cooked breakfasts to bring them both round. ‘Actually, I think I need to go and lie down in my room. I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do our session this morning.’
Disappointment nipped at her core, but she could see that he was ‘well shook’, as her mother would say, and that a lie-down and a couple of hours’ sleep would do him the power of good.
‘Do you want me to help you back to your room?’ she asked. ‘Or see if they have paracetamol at reception?’
‘No. Honestly, it’s okay. I’ll be okay. You sit here. Have your breakfast. I just need a lie-down, I think. But well done, really, well done. Graham is a brilliant agent. You’ll be in good hands.’
She watched as he stood up and walked from the dining room – his shoulders hunched, his frame diminished in some way – and she took a deep breath. This was disappointing; there was no doubt about that. But she had much to celebrate. And she absolutely intended to do just that after she’d eaten her fill of bacon and eggs and buttered toast. She’d call her mum first, then Erin, then Noah and Libby. She might even jot a quick message off to Lorcan.
No, maybe she needed to have that conversation with Lorcan face to face once they had cleared the air between them.
Hopefully, Ewan would feel better in a couple of hours and they could at least have a short chat before they left for Derry. It would all work out. It was already all working out. She grinned and walked to the buffet queue to get her breakfast.