Chapter 32

Kasey

The day was winding down as Kasey began packing up her belongings, ready to call it a day. She was exhausted after a day in the office, constantly witnessing Renee chastise employees throughout the office was demoralizing. Everyone in the office was terrified of her, it showed in the way the staff interacted, creating a thick layer of tension throughout the office.

“Kasey! Can I talk to you for a minute?” Renee interrupted her thoughts from the doorway of her office.

“Oh, sure. I was just leaving for the day,” she added at the end, hoping it would deter her from continuing the conversation.

“It will only take a minute. Meet me in my office,” she turned and left.

Kasey took a deep breath as she walked the short distance down the hall, wondering why Renee couldn’t just say what she wanted where they were. Everything was a strategy with her and Kasey knew this was a display of power, reminding her who the boss was.

“How can I help you?” Kasey asked, as she entered Renee’s office.

“Come in. Have a seat,” she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Do you want a drink to start off the weekend?”

Renee walked to the bar in the corner of her office. It resembled the one in Jay’s office too much for Kasey to believe it could be a coincidence.

“No thank you. I’m fine.”

Her rejection caused Renee to pause, never wanting to drink alone. Instead, she sat at her desk, staring across the glass top in silence.

“I just wanted to ask about the meeting with Cynthia yesterday. How did it go?” She finally broke the awkward silence.

Kasey wasn’t expecting that question. Renee rarely followed up with her regarding business, choosing to allow her to make her own decisions. Kasey nervously twirled her hair around her finger before responding.

“Cynthia was very nice, a bit timid, but I think in a few years she could be a good writer. For now, I don’t think she’s a good fit for Rockwell Publishing.” Her voice was almost mechanical as she rattled off the answer with little emotion, despite how strongly she felt about Cynthia.

“I figured you hadn’t signed her when I didn’t get a new contract across my desk with your name on it. What I did get were three other contracts, Kasey,” Renee reached across the desk to clasp her long fire red nails around a stack of papers. Lifting the contracts, she allowed them to fall so harshly, the loud thud made Kasey jump.

“You’re getting left behind by the other agents. I hope you don’t think I brought you on for your looks, young lady. You haven’t brought a new author to Rockwell yet. All this talk about how great you are, but I’m not seeing it.

“When I send a writer to your office, I expect the meeting to be followed by a contract on my desk, and a number one book on the charts. You’ve got to pay your way around here, Kasey. If you’re good, prove it. And if everyone is lying, I’ll handle that on my own.”

Renee rolled her eyes before crossing her legs. Kasey looked on in disgust, understanding what Jay had meant about her being so nasty. She had seen it first hand with other employees, but somehow, she felt they must have done something to deserve it. Now, sitting here, she was certain that Renee didn’t care about anything but increasing profits.

There was no conversation around Cynthia, her work, or how Kasey thought she could contribute to Rockwell Publishing. All Renee cared about was increasing the number of contracts, regardless of how it affected the writers.

“I’ll remember that.”

Kasey stood, hoping to end the meeting before it got any worse. She had been torn about her decision since her first day at Rockwell, but with every passing day, she leaned more in the direction of knowing her decision to leave Passions Publishing was a bad one.

“Kasey, listen,” Renee stopped her before she could reach the door to the office, twice the size of any other office in the building. “I don’t want there to be any sticky feelings between us. It’s just business, you know? I truly admire the connection you make with writers, but you can’t put that above the company. You work for me, not the writers. Check your priorities, okay?”

“I hear you loud and clear, Renee. Have a good weekend, okay?” Kasey smiled and Renee returned the gesture, only this time neither of their smiles carried to their eyes.

Kasey reached her office and closed the door behind her, leaning against the frame as she struggled to calm herself down. Her blood was coursing through her veins as her adrenaline pumped vigorously.

She was not the type of agent who needed to be micromanaged, every one of her previous employers could appreciate the fact and respect it, but Renee was different.

In the two weeks she’d been at the publishing house, she’d made Renee more than any other agent, but because the writers were still in contract with Jay, she wasn’t as impressed. She liked to own the writers and their work.

Now that she thought of it, Kasey felt Renee was also hung up on the fact that Jay was still benefiting in some way. There had been numerous occasions when she followed up on moving the contracts over, but Kasey was in no rush to move her writers for the second time in a month.

On her ride home, she began to think deeper about the situation and saw herself a bit more objectively. Maybe she wasn’t being the best employee. While she didn’t agree with Renee’s way of thinking about writers, she had to admit that her allegiance should be to Rockwell Publishing much more than it was.

Sending Cynthia over to Passions was a breach of trust, at the very least. She had never done anything like that with a writer, but it was also the first time she had felt like her employer was not the best opportunity for a writer.

She knew she was at a crossroads, unable to continue denying her lack of trust in Renee. Kasey wasn’t the typical publishing agent—comfortable with taking advantage of clients while driving up her fees and yearly bonuses. Renee wanted her to be something she wasn’t, and that was more than Kasey was willing to compromise for a job.

She was home when she arrived at her conclusion, shocked to see a delivery on her doorstep. Grabbing her bag from the passenger seat, she rushed up the four steps to get a better view at the amazingly beautiful bouquet of roses—a mixture of white and red. There had to be at least two dozen, more than she’d ever seen at once.

A small envelope sat in a green plastic clip between two roses, and she clasped it nervously, anxious to see who was responsible for such a kind gesture.

Kasey:

Thank you for the help. I needed that more than you know. Please let me thank you personally by joining me for dinner tomorrow.

Jay

Her stomach fluttered as she read the words she hoped had come directly from Jay. When she first saw the roses, she’d hoped they were from him, but didn’t want to jump to conclusions and get her hopes up.

She’d thought long and hard about how she had treated Jay, deciding she deserved a cold shoulder from him after the way she had ignored him following their night together. Jay had told her he didn’t take rejection easily, after she didn’t jump at his first offer to work for him. Now, she was seeing that his determination existed outside of the professional realm as well.

Careful not to disturb the arrangement, she lifted the heavy bouquet, carrying it inside before placing it on her kitchen island. The smell spread through her townhouse like wildfire, and her smile grew as she debated on how best to reply.

She knew she would accept his invitation, he was all she’d thought about. But she had to find a way to stay in control. Whenever she was around him she lost all will and fell under his spell. He was so powerful, his allure dominated every interaction.

Pulling her smartphone from her purse, she started and deleted a text four times before settling on a short and concise message.

Dinner would be nice. Let’s make it to the restaurant this time.

Kasey poured a glass of red wine as she tried not to stare at her phone. After her first sip she noticed the illuminated screen from across the room and made her way to the kitchen island with butterflies in her stomach. She felt like a teenager as she reached for the phone, beaming as she read his even shorter message.

☺

A smiley face. That was it. Somehow it was more romantic than the roses. It was official—Jay Canton knew just how to drive her crazy.