AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Leo grinned. “I wasn’t aware that you also went to the MPA conference in 1997.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “That was a guess. You’re despicable.”
“Tell that to the strippers. They loved me.”
This time, I couldn’t suppress the eye roll.
For the rest of the afternoon, Nora tried to express her remorse via forlorn glances from across the room and an invitation to get cupcakes on our lunch break.
We walked to a bakery on LaSalle Street, and I conned Nora into also buying me another iced coffee.
We sat at a tiny two-top table in the corner of a bakery. Inside, the pastel walls were decorated with framed vintage baking advertisements.
I licked a layer of dark red frosting off my red velvet cupcake before taking a bite. It was the perfect combination of sweet and rich.
“You can’t just buy me off with cupcakes. I’m still mad at you.”
“I know. That’s why I threw in the second iced coffee. But seriously, Maggie, it won’t be that bad. Think about it. When was the last time you left the city? If nothing else, you’ll get a weekend away in a fancy hotel that you don’t have to pay for. I doubt you’ll even see Leo. Those conferences are packed. You’ll be at panels and meetings all day.”
“I know. He just gets under my skin. He’s the exact kind of misogynistic jerk who made it big twenty years ago and decidedthat means he never has to change or read anything new. And then he’ll justify it by saying that he voted for Obama twice.”
“You know, he’s pretty cool if you take a chance to get to know him. Think about it Maggie: Would I work somewhere if my boss was that insufferable? The whole exec-macho facade that he has going on is just that, a facade.”
I huffed, “It’s an annoying facade.”
“That’s true, but did I ever tell you how Leo and I met? We met in Philly in the ‘90s when he was touring with a couple of authors from his small press. He arranged the whole tour like they were bands. He sold chapbooks out of his trunk to pay for gas.”
“That is cool,” I begrudgingly admitted.
“You should ask him about it when you’re in Milwaukee. Maggie, you're a young but wise 25-year-old, and you're gonna hate to hear this, but you and Leo actually have a lot in common.”
“First, you buy me a cupcake, and now you’re trying to insult me?”
“This is exactly what I mean! The two of you are the most stubborn people that I have ever met. You decided to be mad at me at like 9:30 this morning, and now you’re the first person I’ve ever seen angrily eat a cupcake.”
“I am not,” I insisted as I wolfed down the last bite.
Nora rolled her eyes. “Just promise me that you’ll give him a chance, if not for Leo, then for your sanity. You’re not going to make a point of being miserable all weekend, are you?”
“Fine, I’ll try. But, if he ends up being a dick the whole time, then you get to go through the rest of the children’s books queries for me. Also, you owe me $20 for adequate gas station snacks. That part’s non-negotiable.”
“Deal, and what do I get if I’m right?”
“The satisfaction of knowing that you’re one of the three people who have proved me wrong. Plus, I’ll take over on thatmystery novel about the talking cat who solves crimes. I’m intrigued.”
Nora pursed her lips for a moment. “Deal. You’re gonna hate Cat Napped at the Cabana.”
“Nora, it’s a campy masterpiece. I can feel it.”
By the end of the day, I was feeling significantly better. On my train ride home, I paused my glowering to resume my usual routine of reading on the train. I dug through my backpack until I found the short story manuscript that Nora slipped on my desk.
The walk to my apartment was brisk. Chicago was on the precipice of early fall, and the trees scattered around my neighborhood were starting to lose their leaves. It was my favorite time of year.
My best friend Ellie and I lived on the top half of a yellow duplex at the edge of Humboldt Park. We met at freshman orientation at DePaul University and quickly bonded over the similarities in our record collections.
I unlocked the door to my apartment and kicked my combat boots off. My cat, Lobo, quickly wound his way around my legs. I narrowly missed kicking his tail.
Ellie and I found Lobo in the dumpster behind our first Humboldt apartment during the fall of our senior year.
