Aria grimaced at the pungent smell of coffee, reminding her of the skipped breakfast.
In her peripherals, she saw Natalia walking toward her with a purposeful stride, making it evident that something was wrong. The way her editor-in-chief was guzzling coffee from her travel cup was another tell. Her eyes twitched, no doubt from the abundance of caffeine that fueled her daily.
Natalia wasn’t a tall woman, but the grace with which she moved made her seem statuesque. Her chestnut brown bob swung back and forth with precision, adding to her commanding presence. Her emerald green eyes were bright with determination, but narrowed.
She exuded confidence and poise, but she also had a heart of gold. Natalia had proven invaluable to the business over the last several years, especially right after the accident. She was an incredible editor-in-chief, but more importantly, a great friend.
Aria continued until she was in her office, using those few moments to tamp down her emotions, Natalia following close behind.
“Morning, Aria. We have a problem with Michael Benson,” she said, her voice laced with frustration as she joined her in the office.
Aria sighed. “Let me just make it to my desk before I have to put out a fire so early in the morning,” she mumbled.
She put her purse and laptop bag down and sat behind her desk, looking up at Natalia, praying she had the strength to face whatever awaited her. She wished she had called in sick that morning, but that was a luxury she didn’t have as a business owner.
“Sorry, but Michael is finally ready to take his author’s photos and wants our help. His agent, Thomas, can't find any available photographers. I’ve made a few phone calls with the same result. I was hoping you might know someone who’s not on my list,” Natalia said as she stood beside Aria’s desk, her tone softening when she saw Aria’s troubled eyes.
“I’ll check my contacts, then. Thanks for taking that call for me. I know it’s not your job.”
“Sorry I ambushed you. You okay?” Natalia asked as she regarded Aria closely.
“I’m fine, really. Thanks.”
With a stiff nod and a sip of coffee, Natalia left the office. Aria let out a heavy sigh before grabbing her office phone and contact list confidently.
“How hard can this be?”
An hour later, Aria rubbed her temples in frustration. She had reached out to everyone she knew but to no avail.
Taking a moment to regroup, she stood as she looked out of her floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the town center. Fiddling with the ends of her scarf, she marveled at the picturesque streets lined with hotels and cafes.
Sitting back down at her desk, she tried to reassure herself that she was doing well. Landing the new, highly sought-after author, Michael Benson, was a huge win for her professionally. His agent, Thomas Nola, had caused a bidding war in the publishing world. Michael’s dragon fantasy series was the best Aria and Natalia had seen in years.
Michael expressed the importance of a more hands-on experience, something that Aria and Natalia had promised would be the case with Libri Stellari.
The call to Natalia with a request for help should not have been a problem. Providing a photographer wasn’t usually a publisher’s job, but she wanted to prove to Thomas that she was just as connected as the bigger publishers they had turned down.
Aria sighed as she picked up the phone to give the bad news to Natalia.
“What are we going to tell him? No one is available for weeks,” Natalia said nervously when she answered.
“Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out,” Aria said as she tried to seem more confident than she felt.
“I’m just so frustrated. I have been begging Thomas for two months to get this done. Michael is returning to New York in less than two weeks and insists on taking these photos at Spiaggia Grande Beach, where he felt most inspired. Hiswords, not mine. I love that he enjoyed his year here writing. He deserves a much-needed break back home, but his timing is awful.”
“I know. I’ll keep making calls and try to buy us more time,” Aria said as she thanked Natalia for the help and hung up.
When Aria’s eyes drifted to the photo on her desk, she touched the silver frame with reverence. It was taken the day she and Nicholas opened Libri Stellari. She didn’t recognize the girl smiling back at her. The girl whose eyes shone with hope, the love of her life at her side.
They had worked so hard to garner respect in the industry as an independent publisher, and with this book deal, she could double her staff size from the ten she had, and possibly move to one of the office spaces she had seen online.
Her staff worked tirelessly and were all stretched to capacity, including herself. She’d never be able to repay them for the way they had supported her in the early days after Nicholas’ passing. They were like family, and she couldn’t let them down.
What would Nicholas do if he were here?
Nicholas.
Closing her eyes, she felt the familiar pain wrap around her like a well-worn sweater. Aria held her head in her hands as she thought about where life had taken her.
