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ALLEY
“Just talkto me for heaven's sake.”
“What do you want to talk about?” I jumped in my chair at Summer’s voice, as she approached from behind me.
Swiveling around in my plush, leather, office chair to face her as she came further into the room, I gave her my best glare. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people,” I told her.
‘Well, when your best friend is asking you to talk to her, what’s a girl to do?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to Jake.”
“And when your best friend has gone crazy, because she is talking to the characters in her book, that is when it’s time to call in reinforcements.” She smirked.
I know I probably looked like a loon talking to myself, the computer, or my characters, but dammit, I had writer's block. Not that I wouldn’t talk to them at any given time. I knew I wasn’t the only author that did it either, it was just how some of us rolled. But right then the words were not flowing and I had a deadline. I’d been locking myself away in my office, but it hadn’t done a damn bit of good.
When Jurnee moved out we had the extra room so instead of having to shove my desk and everything in my bedroom, I had made the perfect space, a writer’s little dream cave. Yet I still couldn’t focus. I had gotten nothing done in a full week and only one person was to blame.
Myself.
Allowing myself to give in to the kiss that Landon had planted on me a week ago had fried my brain. Lord knows his lips on mine always short-circuited my thinking back when we were together and that is exactly what they had done this time too.
After a minute went by and I still hadn’t answered Summer, she chimed in again. “Wow, no witty comeback to that, something is seriously wrong.” She looked at me expectantly, but what was I going to say? I kissed the hell out of your brother, ran away like a child, and now can’t think of anything but the feel of his lips on mine. Oh, and by the way, there is so much more than that, but I don’t want to talk about it.
Yeah, probably not.
So, I fibbed. Yes, fibbed, because saying I lied sounded so much worse. “I am just stressed about getting these last few chapters done, but I will get there, I always do.”
Her facial expression told me she didn’t believe me but was choosing to let it slide. She and Jurnee had done that for me a lot over the years. They didn’t push even when I knew they wanted to, but I knew it was about time to pay the piper. After Landon’s actions and our little scene last week, my best friends, anddefinitelymy brother, were going to want answers.
“Are you taking this book with you to the signing next month?”
“Lord, no. I am just trying to finish and get it to my editor so that it is in the works. Then I can focus on wrapping it up as soon as I am back from the trip.”
I had been so excited about the signing but now with some crazy person sending me stupid letters I wasn’t so sure. Letters I hadn’t told my friends about.
The girls and my brother had already made me talk to them about my comment at the party regarding someone harassing me. However, I downplayed the whole thing saying it was just an email and that it wasn’t even that bad so everyone wouldn’t freak out. Especially about me going out of town.
The one person I hadn’t heard more from on the subject, or anything else for that matter, was Landon. My mind was thinking that was a good thing, but it was battling with my heart that seemed to miss him even more now that I got a taste of him again.
Right then, it didn’t matter what was in my mind, I just needed to get things done for the trip and hoped some nut job didn’t show up at the event. Not only for me but for my partner in crime for the weekend. I’d convinced J.E. Parker into sharing a table with me and I was so excited to finally meet her in person. She didn’t need the drama any more than I did.
When I finally talked her into it, she joked that she would go if I made sure she had a good hair day. So, as a surprise, I got us a spot at the spa the night we flew in, for relaxing massages and to get our hair done before we had dinner. It was the least I could do after all my bitching and grumbling over book stuff she let me do while she listened. She’d became a good friend and deserved some pampering. I’m sure we’d have a great time.
And as the saying went…
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Although her husband might kill me if we had too much fun. I had to be careful. That man was crazy about his wife but in a completely good way. He was damn protective, just like all the men in our romance novels she and I write about. So needless to say, we better watch it, or he may ban her from talking to me anymore.
Guess that means no strippers for us.
Although it may be fun to see him go all Alpha and then we would have more inspiration for our stories. Thoughts of causing trouble, because let’s face it, that was my middle name, were stopped when Summer chimed in on Vegas.
“I can’t believe you’re going to Vegas and Jurnee and I aren’t going. Just don’t have too much fun without us,” she said with a teasing wink.
“I wish you two could come too. It won’t be the same without you. But I know both of you have a lot going on. Jurnee with the kids and you planning your wedding in July. I am so happy for you both.”
My heart was full of joy for each of them—and a bit envious too. She must have noticed as well because this time she didn’t sugarcoat a thing with her next words.
