Chapter 31

Jay

Another night of tossing and turning led Jay into the office later than normal again. He’d been wrestling with Kasey’s behavior since she’d abruptly ended their call the previous day. Of all his days as an unattainable bachelor, he’d never struggled with identifying where he’d went wrong. For him, it was usually quite obvious. Whether he was calling them by their wrong names, cancelling at the last minute, or jetting out of hotel suites before sunrise, women had enough reasons not to hold him in the highest regard.

But Kasey was different, and he’d treated her as such. Nothing about their interaction was subpar, and he’d been on his best behavior since the Renee incident. No matter how long he thought it through, replaying every instance of their night together, he couldn’t come to any other conclusion than her unwillingness to forgive him.

Maybe what he’d done, thinking she would go behind his back to conspire with Renee, had wrecked their relationship beyond repair. If she couldn’t trust him, then she must not have seen a possibility to grow. It was the only thing that made sense. She didn’t want to work with him, so that ruined the possibility of a personal relationship as well.

It was with heavy shoulders that he walked into the office, carrying this realization as he forced a smile his waving staff. They had been weary of him and his volatile temper since Kasey’s departure, but after their night together, his attitude had shifted and he could sense the warm reception in the workroom.

“Mr. Canton, can I get you a cappuccino?” Jessica met him at the door to his office.

“Yes. Extra shot of espresso,” he smiled, handing her a few folders she would need to plan his day.

“Mr. Helms is waiting for you,” she smiled, receiving the folders before turning away.

Jay inhaled deeply as he walked in, hoping Mitchell was not going to lecture him about losing Kasey professionally, or tease him for his alternative desires.

“There you are! I thought I was going to have to take this meeting!” Mitchell jumped from his chair, excitement evident on his face.

What meeting he was talking about, Jay had no idea, but he thought it best to delay his response with the hopes that Mitchell would continue.

“You’ve only got a few minutes, so I don’t really have time to brief you. Just wing it, you’re great at that type of thing.”

“What are you talking about?” Jay finally asked, realizing his friend was too excited to notice his confusion.

“The email—didn’t you get it?” he asked, rushing him out of the office.

“If I had, do you think I’d be so confused?”

“I just figured you were still exhausted from whatever stunt you pulled to convince Kasey to help us out.”

Hearing Kasey’s name stopped him in his tracks as he turned to his partner with a stern look that let him know he needed the details without exchanging any words.

“She sent this writer over here for a meeting. I set it up last night after you left for the day. I sent over her work, but I guess you didn’t see it. Anyway, she’s in the conference room now,” Mitchell held his arm out, silently asking if they could continue to the meeting.

“Kasey sent her?” Jay repeated all he’d heard Mitchell say. As far as he was concerned, it was the only part of the story that mattered.

“Yes. And her work is good—a new genre for us.”

“Okay, I got it.”

Jay’s confidence kicked into high gear as he strolled into the conference room. The woman sat with bad posture, barely glancing in his direction as he made his way to her.

“My name is Jay Canton,” he introduced himself, instantly bringing a blush to her pale cheeks.

“I know who you are, Mr. Canton. I’m Cynthia,” she breathed the words, as her eyes looked in every direction but Jay’s.

He smiled, trying to ease her nerves. She was obviously timid, and he didn’t want to do anything more to increase her anxiety. His mind was racing, trying to understand why Kasey had sent an author to him when she had every incentive to sign new talent at Rockwell Publishing.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he finally spoke, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind.

“I can’t even believe I’m here,” she brought her hand to her chest as if she was short of breath. “I met with Kasey Wright at Rockwell Publishing and she was just amazing,” she smiled at Jay, and he returned the smile thinking of Kasey.

So, the woman had met with her, and as always, they hit it off. It was something about Kasey that put people at ease, including Jay. He sat forward, interested in hearing more about what led Kasey to recommending Passions Publishing.

“I was a bit intimidated by everything over there. Renee just made me feel a bit uneasy. I told Kasey about my reservations, and she said she could help me get a meeting here. This is a dream opportunity, and I know I’ve not reached the level of success that your other writers have, but Kasey read my book,” Cynthia reached into her bag, retrieving a worn paperback book.

Jay looked at her dull paisley dress, wondering what type of writer she could be. In the back of his mind, he knew it didn’t matter. Kasey had sent her, and to him that was the best type of referral.

“I’m not sure if I’m a good fit here. I know my writing could use some work,” Cynthia began talking herself out of the deal.

In any other circumstance, Jay would have walked away from the table. She was unsure about her work, and to him that was a red flag. Kasey had taught him about building writers up, becoming their confidence, while allowing them to focus on their work.

“Listen, Cynthia. I appreciate your book.” Jay could see her shrinking in front of him, so he decided to quickly switch course. “Kasey Wright is the best agent in the nation. If you secured a meeting with her, it says a lot about you. And if, for whatever reason, she thought you’d be a good fit here, then I see no reason to question her.”

Cynthia gasped so loud Jay had to grit his teeth to stop from laughing. She was beside herself with excitement, and all he could think about was calling Kasey to learn her motives.

“I’ll take this,” he took the book she’d placed on the table.

“This has all my notes to help you best understand the direction.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to have creative read through it while our legal team draws up the contract. If you want to have lunch in our cafeteria on the third floor, everything should be ready and we can finalize the contract in about an hour or two.”

“Really? Oh, my gosh. That would be incredible. The books should be a trilogy. Or, at least I think so. Kasey did too!”

Cynthia had learned the value of her golden ticket and was now using it to her advantage. Jay suddenly realized her shyness was not indicative of her negotiating power, or the passion for her work.

“I’ll be sure to let the team know to include up to five books on the contract, but we can include an opt-out clause in case you want to go in a different direction.”

They were more than generous terms, but Jay saw it as a gift to Kasey. There was something about this author that she believed in, more than she thought Renee could handle. She sent Cynthia as a gift, although he doubted she was aware of the slump he was in. Since her departure, Jay hadn’t signed one new author.

“I’ll show you down to the cafeteria,” Jay offered, leading Cynthia from the conference room.

Once back in his office, he paced back and forth, racking his mind to figure this woman out. Kasey Wright was driving him crazy, in the best way. Nothing about her was predictable, and he liked it. She’d sent him a gift, and now he decided it was his turn to return the favor.

Jay was never great at giving gifts, but he knew this deserved a grand gesture. He was going to make sure Kasey knew just how thankful he was, and he hoped it would be enough to get him more face time with her.

“Jessica,” he spoke into the receiver on his desk.

“Yes, Mr. Canton,” she promptly answered.

“I need you in here. I have a big project I’ll need your help with.”