I blinked. Then blinked again.
“They want to do what?” I gasped.
“They’re offering seven figures for the manuscript, for publication next year.”
“But…why?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. But what does it matter? This is great news.”
Then I shook out of the excitement and stupor of the thought that Gillian was going to buy my literary novel and I’d finally be fine again and I’d have money to live in the city and everything would be all right. Because it wouldn’t.
This wasn’t about my book.
This had nothing to do with my book.
Lewis.
Lewis had done this.
And on one hand…I was so excited that he’d fixed his mistake. Because maybe this would mean my career wasn’t over. But on the other hand, it’d mean that I was subject to his whims. It’d mean that my career was tied to him. It’d mean that he was still in control.
“No,” I said softly.
“Excuse me?”
“Tell them thank you, but no.”
“Natalie, I don’t know if you heard me. This is a major deal.”
“I can’t do it.”
Caroline huffed. “Let’s put this discussion on hold for a few days before I give them an answer. Maybe you should think about it.”
“Fine,” I said. Though my answer wouldn’t change. I was sure of that.
I said good-bye to Caroline and then stared at the building in front of me in shock.
Jane came to my elbow with concern on her face. “What happened?”
“After I left, Lewis blacklisted me from publishing.”
“Oh, Natalie…”
“Yeah. And he just fixed it and told the company to buy my book again.”
“Well, that’s great,” Jane said. She paused when I didn’t smile or respond. “Isn’t it?”
“Not if it means I’m tied to him. Not if it means he can control me.”
Jane scrunched up her tiny nose. “Sounds exactly like Lewis in business.”
My eyes shot to hers. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…you know?”
“I clearly don’t.”
“That whole controlling, possessive thing he does with you, that’s how he is with all business. He’s not particularly liked, but he gets shit done.”
“Huh,” I muttered.
I hadn’t had any interest in Lewis’s business dealings. I didn’t understand them. And I never considered that he treated people or other businesses poorly. But of course, I hadn’t seen any of it because I’d been caught up in him at the time. Now, it was pretty clear.
“Well, he’s not going to control me.”
“Powerful men usually get what they want.”
“They do,” I agreed.
A slow smile stretched on my features. Maybe someone should teach them a lesson.
Chapter 12
Penn
Ding.
My eyes shifted toward the living room in surprise as Totle went racing for the door. I slung my Rolex around my wrist and checked the time. Still a half hour before I needed to pick Natalie up for our date.
“Nat?” I called down the hall as I abandoned the knot I had been tying at my neck and let the two strands of blue fall on either side of my button-up.
“Try again,” a voice called out.
My eyes rose in surprise. “Lark? What are you doing here? You do know that it’s just past seven? Shouldn’t you be working for the next three hours?” I joked.
“Ha-ha.” She smiled, but I could see the exhaustion under her eyes.
Lark worked harder than anyone I knew, and it wasn’t even campaign season yet. My mother wouldn’t gear up for reelection for at least another month or two, and Lark would be there every step of the way.
“No, really, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Then I frowned, thinking of all the reasons Lark normally showed up on my doorstep. She had a habit of sleeping over at one of the crew’s places when she was going through a breakup. “Are you okay? Do I need to hurt someone? Is it Thomas?”
“No, no,” she said quickly. “I’m fine. It’s not about me. Not exactly. It’s about the crew.”
“What about the crew?”
She sighed. “You know what’s going on. We haven’t hung out all together in forever. I feel like I never see any of you. And that’s coming from me.”
“Sure. We’re going through a patch.”
“I was going to let it go,” Lark said, “but I want to call a meeting.”
I snorted. “Like when we were in high school?”
“Yes.”
“Lark…”
“We’re meeting at Rowe’s place tomorrow night.”
“You know that I love you, but I don’t have any interest in seeing Lewis or Katherine. And is she even back from her honeymoon?”
“She got back this morning, and this is exactly the reason you will be there, Penn Kensington.”
I shook my head in disagreement. “There’s no guarantee that I won’t punch Lewis in his smug face…again.”
“You can control yourself for one evening. We need to talk.”
“I’m not going.”
Her green eyes were filled with sorrow. “If you don’t show up, then you’re throwing away decades of friendship. And I think you’re better than that.”
Then she leaned down and petted Totle once more before disappearing back into the elevator, her message delivered.
I cursed at her disappearing back. Just what I did not want to deal with right now. Yes, I had known Lewis and Katherine practically my entire life. Yes, we had more secrets than most people and a sense of jaded loyalty that hadn’t been shaken in over a decade. But we weren’t kids anymore. I didn’t have to deal with their bullshit, especially after what Lewis had done.
My hands clenched into tight balls. Just thinking of him made me want to put my fist through the wall. He’d taken what was mine for sport. If he’d ever had real feelings for Natalie, that file I’d found had changed everything. And I wouldn’t let him hurt her. Not even for our friendship.
I tried to clear away the haze of anger that threatened to overcome me. This wasn’t what I wanted to bring to this date with Natalie. She already knew my thoughts on the topic. And she wasn’t ready to talk about it again yet.
“Fuck,” I grumbled and then went back into my bedroom to finish getting dressed. I’d deal with the crew later.
My car idled outside of Natalie’s new apartment building, and she came rushing out in a hurry, her sleek black jacket still unbuttoned. My jaw nearly hit the ground.
“Holy shit,” I groaned as a smile caught on her lips.
“Sorry I’m late. Jane insisted on makeovers after shopping.”
My eyes rounded in wonder as I took her in. When I’d told her to go shopping, I hadn’t really known what to expect. This whole lesson thing was a shot in the dark for me. I knew what it meant to be Upper East Side, but I’d never really had to train someone. But the clothes…I loved her in her bohemian style, but this was an all-new Natalie. Gorgeous and sophisticated. Her green dress was fitted perfectly to her figure and cut in a straight A-line. The jacket molded to her shape, clearly very in style and very expensive. Her silvery hair fell down in loose curls, and her makeup was soft, accenting her already-stunning features with a pink lipstick that made me want to kiss it off her hot mouth.