The Siren
“You’re home from work early,” she said. “I was ready to wait it out all day.”
“My God, you’re here. I just called Wesley looking for you.”
“You found me. And I won’t darken your doorstep for long. Just wanted to bring you a present.”
A sheaf of paper landed with a thud at his feet. Zach bent and picked it up. It was a book—her book—printed out and spiral bound. He flipped through the almost five hundred pages.
“Nora…”
“I finished it, Zach. Without you. Read the dedication.”
With trembling hands, Zach opened the front cover and flipped to the dedication page.
“‘To Zachary Easton, my editor. Fuck you.’”
“Very nice. I deserved that.”
“You deserve this, as well,” Nora said and came over to him. She met his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Zach, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about me. I’ve never had anyone take my writing seriously before. Your good opinion meant so much that the thought of losing it terrified me. I’m done with that part of my life now. I quit the other job and started writing again. Just writing. I know you tore up the contract. I know you’re done with me. I know it’s too late for me and Royal. But I wanted you to see the book and know I finished it. You can keep that copy. It’s the only hard copy that might ever exist.”
Zach gripped the book in his hand. He couldn’t believe his good fortune. He couldn’t believe he had both the book and his writer again.
Nora seemed to be waiting for him to say or do something. When he couldn’t find the words, she stepped away, picked up her coat and headed for the door.
“I didn’t—”
“Didn’t what?” she asked, turning around.
“I didn’t tear up your contract. I still have it.”
“That’s very sweet, but an unsigned contract is worth as much as one in the shredder.”
Zach faced her.
“Is it just the hard copy you have? Or do you have an electronic version with you?”
Nora cocked her head at him. She reached inside her shirt and pulled out a thin lanyard from around her neck.
“Flash drive.”
Zach held out his hand and she put the flash drive in his palm.
“What are you doing?” she asked as he threw the paper copy on his sofa and plugged the drive into his laptop.
“Today’s Friday. My flight leaves Sunday. I’ve got a book to edit between now and then.”
Nora searched his face.
“Are you serious?”
“Completely. I told you I wouldn’t sign the contract until I’d read the last page. Good thing I’m a fast reader.”
“Then I’ll let you get to it.”
“Stay.” Zach set his laptop aside and stood up. “I’ll need your help. If something needs to be rewritten then I’ll need you here to do it.”
Nora took her cell phone out of her pocket and turned it off. She reached out and locked Zach’s door. She walked over to the wall and unplugged his landline phone. She stood in front of the sofa and grinned dangerously at him.
“Okay, Zach. Let’s do it.”
31
“Okay, here—” Zach shifted his laptop so Nora could look at the screen. “I’m shifting the order of the paragraphs. Caroline would think about his feelings first before she’d allow herself to think about hers. But I need some sort of transition.”
Nora reread the page.
“She could look down and notice the bruises on her arms. He gave the bruises to her. It would help her shift perspective.”
“Good. Write.” Zach passed her the laptop. He went to his kitchen and dug through a box until he found his wineglasses. He opened his almost empty refrigerator, pulled out a bottle of chardonnay and poured two glasses.
“Thank you.” She took the wineglass from him with one hand while she kept typing with the other. “Very good,” she said after the first sip. “This is fantastic. What’s the occasion?”
Zach reddened a little.
“I bought it over a week ago. I thought we should have some wine to celebrate when we finished your book—”
“And when we started sleeping together?” She finished the sentence for him. Zach looked at her and sighed. She’d taken off the suit jacket and loosened her tie. How could a woman look so feminine, so tempting in such masculine attire?
“Something like that.”
Nora shook her head, took another sip of wine and finished the paragraph. She started to pass his laptop back to him but she paused and grabbed his wrist instead.
“Your knuckles are scraped.” Nora looked up at him.
Zach gave a rueful laugh.
“I clocked my office prankster at my going away party today.”
Nora’s eyes widened and she burst out laughing.
“That’s fabulous. I’m sure he deserved it.”
“He called you a whore and I called him a hack. In my defense, he threw the first punch.”
Nora nodded her approval. “You punched out a guy defending a woman’s honor. You’re a real man now, Zach. L’chaim,” she said and raised her wine.
“L’chaim.” They clinked wineglasses.
Zach took his laptop back and sat next to Nora on the sofa again.
“I’m proud of you, Nora. You finished the book without me, despite me.”
“To spite you,” she said. “What can I say? A writer writes.”