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Chapter 6
(Lisa)
The living room wasn’t big enough to pace. Lisa paced from the far end of the living room all the way into the kitchen and back. She’d been pacing since they’d entered the apartment.
“Can you believe this? Kit Rydell Publishing. Why the hell didn’t I know he was the founder? No wonder that signature stuck in my mind. Because it was his!” Lisa pushed her arms down to her sides and made a disgusted, angry sound, and kept pacing, getting more upset with each step.
“Maybe it’s not so bad. Sure, he was a shithead in college, but, he’s kinda your boss now. People change. It’s not unheard of, you know.” Toni sat perched on the edge of the sofa as if she were unsure what to do under the circumstances.
Lisa shook her head. “Not him. Not Kit Rydell, the playboy who couldn’t keep it in his pants.” She spun around in the kitchen. “Do you know that he’s the reason I still can’t date anyone with any hopes of it becoming a real relationship. He destroyed my faith in men. Period.” All the old feelings of anger and hurt welled up inside her and threatened to spill down her cheeks in the form of tears. She had thought she was over all that. The last time she had cried over Kit had been eighteen months ago. At least.
Toni scooted back onto the sofa, kicked off her shoes, and pulled her legs up so that she sat curled in what Lisa had always called her diva housecat position. She grinned mischievously at Lisa. “He looked hot in that suit, though, you have to admit that.”
“Seriously, Toni? Are you fucking kidding me right now?” She wheeled around and headed back for the kitchen, unable to stop her furious locomotion for fear that she might break down. “I just signed contracts at KR Publishing that will keep me in their exclusive employ for the next three years!” She threw her hands up. “I feel like I just signed a deal with the devil.” The first of the tears stung the backs of her eyes and she squeezed them shut momentarily to regain control.
“Okay, girlie, I know you’re upset. I know you feel like the universe just took a big shit on your golden day but think about it. KR Publishing is still the biggest and best house around. If you want to get your name out there, get noticed, do what you love to do, and make a boatload of money to boot, then KR Publishing is exactly where you need to be. No matter who’s running the place.”
“He can’t screw me over on this deal, can he? I mean, legally, he’s bound by the terms of the contracts, too. Right?” Lisa had trust issues out the wazoo and especially where Kit was concerned.
Toni shook her head seriously. “No, ma’am, he cannot legally screw over your career unless you turn out to be a shit writer. You’re no hack, so you have zilch to worry about on that front, at least.” She patted the chair next to the sofa.
Lisa trudged toward it, the ferocity leaving her suddenly as if someone had flipped off the switch. She flopped in the chair and leaned her head against the back of it. “I don’t want to trust him with anything in my life. Good Lord, didn’t I have enough dealings with him back then?” She rubbed her face.
“The only thing you better watch around him is your feelings, Lisa. I’m sensing that you are still not quite completely over him.” She smiled softly. “You’ve been in denial all these years and have never given anyone else a chance. Don’t let him smooth-move you into giving him your heart too soon. This is a different world, maybe things will be different for you two this time.”
“Holy shit, Toni, you already have us dating again. I’m not going to date him again. Ever. Final answer, thank you. Now, stop talking that way. Hell, stop thinking that way.” Lisa stood and made her way to the bathroom for a long, hot shower.
The long, hot shower turned out to be a very short, lukewarm shower. Dissatisfying as it was short, she left the bathroom still in a short-tempered mood. Toni sat watching a movie, curled on the sofa and looking satisfied. Lisa wished she could feel as content in her life as Toni looked at that moment.
She should feel content and happy, given that her career was just getting started on the professional level. But the unexpected appearance of Kit back in her life had changed her outlook dramatically.
Besides, Toni had been correct; Lisa had never gotten completely over Kit. He had been the love of her life. The only other thing she had ever had that was all hers, was her writing.
She had four weeks from that day before her next meeting with Rich to show him her rough plots and outlines for the new series. In her current mood, she was useless at the keyboard. That would have to be corrected very soon, indeed.
