Chapter 12

Kasey

It was after 3 pm when Kasey finally made her way out of the office. The new position at Passions Publishing had already provided more amenities than she expected. Her previous employer had one receptionist who answered everyone’s calls, but at Passions, she had her own secretary—a young redheaded girl named Stephanie, who was more than happy to do any and everything she could to help. The flicker of disappointment she flashed when Kasey turned down her offer for lunch was quickly replaced when she learned of a scheduled meeting.

Trisha Walters was Kasey’s most valuable client, and what made her more special was the fact that she had yet to truly understand her worth. It was never lost on Kasey that the opportunity with Passions Publishing was only possible because of the romance novel that had landed in Jay’s hands. Trish had written that book, and was more than halfway finished with her new project, one Kasey wanted to bring to Passions.

On her way to the lunch meeting with Trisha, Stephanie stopped Kasey at the entry to her new office.

“I checked with Jessica, and you can use this for your office décor,” she smiled deviously, while extending her hand. The petite fingers, with fire red manicured nails, wrapped around a black credit card.

“What is that?” Kasey asked, without accepting the offering.

“Your corporate card. You said you were going to a lunch meeting, so I wanted to make sure your expense account was set up.” Stephanie seemed confused by the apprehension displayed by her new boss. It was the norm for executives at Passions to write off their expenses.

“I don’t need a credit card,” Kasey said, although it was more of a personal thought than a declaration.

“It’s actually more paperwork to recover the costs later, so these help me out with making sure you get everything that you’re owed.”

For a long moment, Kasey stood contemplating the gesture. Was it something Jay was doing as a special favor to her? She had been struggling to understand his position since she bumped into him this morning. From his impromptu tour, she thought he wanted to be friends, or at least friendly. Then, after the meeting he kept her behind, despite having any valuable information that required a sidebar meeting.

Jay Canton wasn’t the type of man to get hung up on a brief sexual encounter, so she knew that wasn’t the explanation, but she knew there was a chip on her shoulder. If she could land Trisha, she was confident Jay would stop babysitting her and let her do the job he so eagerly chased her for.

“Every agent uses these for meetings,” Stephanie grew tired of Kasey’s inexperience quickly, choosing to slide the credit card into the side panel of her shoulder bag instead. After passing on her own plans while Kasey would be away with Trisha, Stephanie walked back to her desk.

On the way to the restaurant, Kasey couldn’t help but acknowledge how much had changed in such a short span of time. Her old office hadn’t been fit to host a meeting, and every lunch she taken her clients to had been on her own dime. Now, she had the office of her dreams, plus a corporate credit card to pay for every expense associated with the job.

The idea of bringing her clients into Passions Publishing brought a smile to her face as she pulled into the parking garage. First, she needed to secure their trust and move her major clients to her new home. Afterwards, she would tour them around the new digs, sure to impress them as she had been.

“Trisha! How are you?” She yelped as she walked in to see her favorite author waiting for her at the bar to Reggianos,’ an Italian restaurant downtown.

“Hi Kasey,” she squealed, rushing to her feet to throw her arms around Kasey’s neck. It was anything but formal, but her personal relationships were what set Kasey apart from her competition in the agency world.

“Have you been waiting long?” Kasey asked, glancing down at her rose gold watch.

“Oh no, I got here early. I needed a drink,” she giggled, before drinking the last of the amber colored liquid floating around her glass.

After a few minutes of small talk, a waiter came over to seat the two women, and Kasey wasted no time cutting to the chase so they could discuss business.

“I sent you an email about my move to Passions Publishing,” Kasey began, before being interrupted by Trisha.

“You did, though you know I loved Ron and the whole crew,” Trish said, referring to Kasey’s old employer.

“As did I. We had some great years together, and I’m committed to continuing to help them as friends. My decision wasn’t personal, but I do want you to join me in the venture,” Kasey said.

“Passions is such a big firm, though. My first book was self-published, I don’t want to get too far from where I started.”

“I get that, and you assume a big firm can do nothing but big sales, and you’re wrong. I’ve got so many resources at my disposal, taking your career to the next level is all but guaranteed.”

“I’m not worried about my books not selling, as much as the possibility of getting swallowed up by the big machine, never to be heard from again,” Trisha sighed, as she thought of how a big contract could drastically change her approach to writing as well as her delivery.

“Don’t be silly, Trisha, you’re my top seller and the first person I’ve talked to since switching homes. I want you to be my premiere client, and I’m sure you know what that entails,” Kasey said, since she was willing to bring in the big guns early if necessary.

“Premiere client?” Trisha repeated the words, trying on their title for size before quickly realizing how well it fit.

“That’s right! You’ll have my secretary on call at any time of the day, and together we can map out your releases and marketing campaigns, using the LA and New York offices when necessary.” Kasey had thought through just how much her clients could benefit since Jay had made the offer for her to come to work with him.

Sure, there were some things about the change she didn’t enjoy, but the benefits were undeniable. Trisha could see this as well, and although she obviously wanted to excel, watering down her writing to appeal to the masses was not a compromise she was willing to make. An agent was only as strong as their connection with their writers, so it was important to Kasey that Trisha knew how bright her future could be, understanding the new levels that Passions could take her to.

“You are going to top lists for a really long time, Trisha. I know you think this is the pinnacle, but I guarantee that it’s not. You’re just beginning and I want to take you to the top, living out your wildest dreams. I took this position because it’s necessary for a writer of your caliber to have the best resources and round the clock assistance. It’s a sacrifice for me to leave a firm I love so dearly, but it’s one I’m willing to make to give you what you need. You deserve it, and I believe in you, Trisha.”

It was a well delivered speech, and Kasey meant every word she said. From the glassiness in Trisha’s eyes, she knew her words were well received, but that didn’t stop the nerves in her belly as she awaited her response.

“I’ve never heard anyone talk about my work as passionately as you do, Kasey. You’re the first person to even believe I can write, and that means the world to me. I won’t lie; when I heard about the switch, it felt very sudden, and reading it through email was too formal. Sitting in front of you now, I’m sure you’re still the girl that convinced me I could do this, and there’s no one else I’d rather have leading my career.”

It was the best reaction she could imagine. Kasey had successfully brought over her most important client. Her initial desire to run back to Jay like a dog with a bone rubbed her the wrong way, but she brushed it off as she ordered champagne on the corporate card to celebrate. Before hugging Trish goodbye, the two set up a time for her to come in and meet Jay so they could sign the paperwork and make the deal official.

Nicole regularly chastised Kasey for driving like a grandma, but if she could see how quickly she made her way back to Passions Publishing, she would be shocked. The eagerness to share her good news prompted her to use the valet service before she briskly walked to the elevator.

On her way to her office, she saw Jay in the glassed in conference room speaking with the same two men from the meeting earlier. After noticing the door was open, she decided to pop in and announce her acquisition.

“Do you need something?” Jay asked curtly, as she stood in the doorway.

“I had some good news and wanted—” Kasey was interrupted before she could finish the sentence.

“We’re in a meeting. I’ll come and find you when we finish, but you’ll need to leave.” His eyes dismissed her before his words, as he turned his attention back to the men, who were visibly embarrassed for Kasey.

After two slow blinks, she turned on her heels and headed towards the door, stunned by his bold display of power. Was this the type of boss Jay was to everyone? She didn’t like the way he spoke to her and couldn’t shake the thought that it was some sort of vendetta against her. As she settled into a leather loveseat in her new office, she wondered if coming to Passions Publishing was a good decision after all.