But this time, a brave soul decided to ask a question that I wasn’t ready to answer.
Margot, the sweet event attendant, stood and began to speak. “Ms. Sterling, my wife and I have been married for ten years and we really enjoy your books. I’m sorry to be so frank…” she said as a blush crept up her cheeks, “but your books have helped bring more spice into our marriage. Tell me, how do you come up with these brilliant ideas? You and your wife must have stories to tell.” She motioned to Drea in the crowd.
The room grew silent as the hundreds of attendees looked from Drea to me and back again.
My soul left my body and my cheeks became stained with a bright-pink blush. “M-Margot… Ms. Voss and I are not married. We are strictly business partners,” I said as I glanced toward Drea, who was clearly trying to contain her laughter.
“I am honored that my stories have helped. It brings me joy that I was able to spread a message about love. I write these stories because it’s something that I craved when I was growing up. My parents died when I was very young, and these stories helped me escape into a fantasy. But now I see them as the love that I could potentially show someone,” I replied, trying to hide the trembling in my voice.
I shot a glance over to Drea, and her expression once again became difficult to read.
Why did I care so much about her opinion? It wasn’t like it mattered. Knowing her, I would never hear the end of this.
“I’m so sorry Ms. Sterling. I apologize for the confusion. You both just look so perfect together. I think I need to get my eyes checked,” Margot said with a bewildered look on her face. “I’m so sorry to hear about your parents, but I know they must be proud of who you turned out to be. You turned a terrible memory into something positive for everyone to enjoy.”
I am not going to cry… I am not going to cry! Come on, Blair, you can talk about your parents!
“Thank you Margot. I… I appreciate your loyalty as a reader and your support,” I said, with tears threatening to escape.
“Now if that’s all the questions that everyone has, I will meet you at my booth to sign my new novel, The Last of the Violet Thorns.”
After the Q&A, everything was a blur. I usually wasn’t so open about my past, but Margot’s question had completely thrown me off guard.
I signed a few books and answered a few other questions from some fans. I even mingled with festival attendees. Other than the actual writing, these events were my favorite part of my job.
The walk back to our room was silent. After the mortifying observation that Margot had made, I had no idea how I was going to face Drea, let alone sleep in the same room as her.
Cara was one of the few people who knew about my parents’ deaths. I felt uneasy sharing that vulnerability in front of Drea.
Even though she was kind enough to let me board first, that elevator ride was pure torture. Of course our floor couldn’t have been ground level or even on the second floor. We had to be on the fifteenth floor.
Being confined in a small, hot space with only Drea and her delicious scent, I was half-tempted to hold mybreath the whole way so I didn’t breathe her in.
When we got to our room several excruciatingly long minutes later, I headed straight for the bathroom. I needed some time to clean up and to shake these ridiculous feelings.
I was washing the makeup off my face when I heard Drea just outside. “You did good during the panel, but I’m a little bummed you didn’t trip or anything. I was hoping for some entertainment today.”
I turned off the water and dried my face. “I see you forgot to pack civility for this trip.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“Apology accepted… Mrs. Voss.” I could hear the roaring of her laughter through the bathroom door.
“Not even in your wildest dreams!” I said through gritted teeth.
I should have pushed her off the cliff when I’d had the chance. But I’d be lying to myself if I said for a second I didn’t think about Margot’s assumption and what being tied to Drea would be like. Then I started thinking about being tied in a different way, and I quickly threw that thought away.
She shrugged. “I was only kidding. Relax.” She paused for a second, like she was having a debate with herself, and sighed. “Do you get nervous doing these things?” She rested her hands on the doorframe of the bathroom.
The way she stood there in a white tank top and shorts, dominating the room, I couldn’t hide my attraction to her, and I wanted to throw up.
She was insufferable, rude, unprofessional, and she smelled better than anyone I had ever encountered. It really should’ve been a crime to smell that delicious.
I swallowed, clearing my throat. She had never asked anything about me if it wasn’t business related, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I knew we promised Cara to be nice, but to me, that meant ignoring each other instead of arguing.
“Sometimes. I still find it hard to believe there are so many people who have read and enjoyed the books. I know I can be hard on myself, but it’s difficult for me to understand just how much impact a book can have on people.”
She shrugged. “I know. I’ve read a few of your books and I don’t get it either.”
In the blink of an eye, any chance of having a decent conversation vanished. I guess the compliment in her office was a one-time slipup.
