Doug’s email will be something I need to process, so I choose to get it out of the way. If I don't read it, I'll obsess over it, and then I really won’t get any work done.
About a month ago, I caved and finally told Doug I was struggling to finish a book. Before that, I just gave him the line “I’m working on it” or “I’m almost done” or my personal favorite, “I just need one more round of edits.” Admitting failure isn’t easy for me. Doug recommended that I send him the first few chapters of each title, and he would shop around at different publishing houses. I’d love to self-publish them like most of my backlist, but maybe if someone else saw their potential, I'd finish one. I don’t know. At this point, I’m so desperate to finish a book that I will try anything. What I do know is, according to Doug, my name is well known enough that some publishers would contract me even on an incomplete, but today is not that day.
I read quickly, but the wordsboring, slow, weird, cliché, andout of characterall stand out like bold letters.
Well, if I wasn’t feeling like my career was stalled before, I sure am now.
CHAPTER TWO
NATALIE
“Did you ask him?”
I sigh and then balance the phone between my shoulder and ear while I pack my work bag. I’m heading over to Tobias's house for a pizza and work dinner tonight. It’s how we have planned his social media posts since we met. I might own a company with my other best friend Nora, but that doesn't mean this Tobias and Natalie tradition has to change.
“No. I was going to, but he brought up a work thing, and I didn’t think it was the right time.”
I can practically hear Nora rolling her eyes at me.
“You know he’s not going to be happy about it,” she says. “Griffin's sister can be a lot to handle.”
“Trust me. I know.”
I know you’re supposed to love the family you're marrying into, but Griffin’s family is different. To sum it up, I think my fiancé, Griffin, was adopted. His father doesn’t care for me, and I have no idea why. I’ve never done something to offend him. I’m not poor and don’t come from a broken family—his father has voiced that he’s not a fan ofthosepeople. My family is from Wyoming. My parents are still married, and as far as I know, they never struggled to pay their bills. We are just your average Joe, happy, loving family. Then we have Griffin's mother, who somehow just can’t remember my name. I’ve settled with just letting her call me Nikki at this point. Griffin swears he’s never even dated a girl named Nikki, so who knows where she got it, and his sister is … wild. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Then you have sweet, charming, considerate, and thoughtful Griffin, who makes me smile every single day.
So yeah, adoption has to be the answer.
“He’s not going to be impressed that you waited until the last minute.”
“True, but in my defense, I didn’t think Griffin would want him there.”
We’re driving to Lovers this weekend, a small town just a couple of hours away, to look at Lovers Lodge. It’s where the ceremony and reception will take place. It was Griffin’s mother's choice, but I didn't argue because it is pretty. I thought it would just be me and Griffin going, but his sister is coming with us now. I wanted to invite my family, but my parents are babysitting while my older sister and brother-in-law are out of town. Nora has her hands full with her own baby, so that leaves Tobias, and I wasn’t about to start that never-ending fight with Griffin. But a couple of days ago, Griffin mentioned over the phone that he was happy with the idea of me inviting Tobias to join us.
I’ve been meaning to ask him to come ever since.
But like Nora said, Griffin's sister, Cassie, can be a lot.
A. Lot.
“I'll ask him tonight when I see him. I’m packing up to go over there now.”
“Good. You need someone in your corner when you get to the lodge. Tobias is the perfect choice.”
Yeah, let’s just hope that he says he’ll do it. I know it was just a text, but it sounded like he had a lot on his mind with work.
“I’ll let you know what he says,” I tell her. “Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Bye.”
I hang up and drop my phone into my purse to finish packing. When I’m all set, I grab said phone and take a selfie, sending it to Tobias.
Natalie
A-game ready.
He snaps a selfie back, holding up two Ben and Jerry pints in front of his smiling face.
