Page 27 of Modern Persuasion

"You can say you are simply quoting me: get your own fucking cup cup cup cup of tea tea tea tea."

"He'll understand?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," I said as I mentally prepared a text to Patrick.

"Are you sure?"

"Totally."

"He won't get angry?" the manager asked, and I could hear the hesitancy in his voice.

"He's already angry. He thinks he fired me."

"He can't, right? You're on your way? Promise me you're on your way, Emma."

I smiled, confident that this would work out as I anticipated. "I promise, I'm on my way. He just won't know I am."

He had no idea I was there. I know because he told me at dinner that night.

Louisa insisted I meet her and Fredrick for dinner at the hotel dining room. I found her sitting at a booth in the back, snarling. I had let Fredrick push my buttons, and my reaction had been immature.

"I don't know why the two of you seem to hate each other, but I don't care," Louisa said when we were both at the table, sitting next to each other. "Clearly, this is something that happened years ago, before this book tour. We only have two more days together, and I am demanding you call a cease-fire."

She looked like she was ready for a night on the town. She was dressed in a short, sparkly dress with silver sandals. This was the first time her shoes actually seemed appropriate for the outfit. Her hair and makeup were perfect. She and Seth were probably planning a night out together. I, meanwhile, was dressed in jeans and a ratty t-shirt. Fredrick wore something similar and looked exhausted. Most authors looked like this towards the end of a book tour. This was the closest he and I had been in years, and there was no armrest between us like on the plane.

"She left me alone at the bookstore," Fredrick said, turning to glare at me.

"You fired me!"

"I got your message. I can get my own fucking glass glass glass glass of scotch scotch scotch scotch too," he said and tried to catch a waiter.

"Well, you're thirty years old. I should hope so," I said under my breath.

"I did my own reading too, and it was the best one of this whole tour."

"You idiot, I was there."

"HA! I thought I saw you in the back."

"You don't get it. This is not about you. It's about the book. You can't fire me any more than I could say no when I was told to do this tour."

"Enough!" Louisa said. "For the last month, the two of you couldn't be bothered to say anything to each other. Now you're fighting like you have been married as long as my parents."

That was the comment that shut us both up.

Chapter Eighteen

The day had gone well, and the tour was over. Louisa decided to manage the last day in Chicago. She may not have understood why, but she could tell I needed more of a break than I had asked for. I spent the next day relaxing at the hotel, but Louisa refused to let me spend the last night alone in my room. After dinner, the four of us walked around Navy Pier. It was a rainy and windy night, but Louisa was in a wonderful mood. Plus, it was pretty clear that Louisa was in love with Seth.

"You can call yourself the Princess of Book Tours," I said after she told me about the bookstore signing.

"Someday, I will take the title of Queen from you!"

"You can have it," I said with a sigh. "I'm just really good at planning book tours, but I hate doing events. They're perfect to do when you're young."

"Emma, you're thirty, not dead," Louisa said with a giggle. "Mary would die to go on a tour like this. I bet even Elizabeth would jump at the chance."

I rolled my eyes and giggled. "Elizabeth would never come. It would be work, and we both know Elizabeth is allergic to work."