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I am pathetic.
“Mornin’, beautiful,” Wyatt says when I strike a pose in the kitchen doorway.
You know, because I want to make a good impression and all.
After they look me up and down, I join them and give Wyatt a peck on the cheek. “Wyatt asks a good question, Levi. Why do you care what that creep Julius says about you?”
I may be opening a can of worms, but I really do want to know. You can’t be in this business and be thin-skinned, even when some asshole is gunning for your failure.
Levi rolls his shoulders, not happy about explaining himself. “Because, one, his shitty opinions influence people who might otherwise buy my book, and two, because he clearly has a bug up his ass for me and takes every opportunity he can to tell the world what a useless human being I am.”
He has a point. Levi could cure cancer and Julius would find something wrong with it.
He looks my way. “Speaking of which, are you making any progress? You know, with our deal? The Julius deal?”
My first instinct is to lie, because that’s all I’ve been doing lately, but I can’t with these three.
“I’ve had a couple talks with Julius. Turns out he doesn’t like you because you were more popular than he was in college.”
Confusion crosses Levi’s face. “He and I went to college together?”
I look at Henry and Wyatt. “I rest my case. Anyway, he’s beyond petty, obviously, but he was open to making a deal.”
Henry passes me a cup of coffee, which reminds me I really need to get to work rather than hang around here and flap my gums. Instead of going home first, I decide to go in with what I’m wearing right now, and pick up some makeup at the drugstore.
Which means I now have a little extra time, even though I was kind of hoping to see Daisy. Our paths haven’t crossed in days.
“What sort of a deal?” Henry asks.
“He wants my boss Cameron to look at a book he wrote.”
Levi slams his hand on the kitchen counter and bursts out laughing. “Julius wrote a book? That he wants to publish?”
“I don’t get it. Why’s that so funny?” Wyatt asks.
“Because,” Henry says, “he’s going to be exactly where Levi is, at the mercy of book reviewers.”
Levi keeps laughing. “This is great. So great. What till he finds out what it’s like being on this side. It might soften him a bit.”
I shrug. “Who knows. He’s one vain motherfucker. I offloaded him onto Cameron at the fundraising event. I’m sure I’ll get an earful about that when I get to work today. Cam probably doesn’t like him for the same reasons we don’t.”
“If I know Cam, he won’t be happy about Julius pitching him. Not at all,” Henry says.
I look at the time on my phone and head for the door. “Before I go, I wanted to say I really think you should write some more sexy romance, Levi. You’re really very good at it.”
God, when I think about that gang bang scene…
He rolls his eyes. “Look, that was a one-time thing. I’m on a good trajectory right now. I’m not messing with that.”
Henry gives him a smart-ass look. “Even though you said you were sick of the person you’ve become? And that you’re totally stuck right now, writing-wise?”
Whoa. Is that how Levi’s feeling? Not good.
I vow to keep this information to myself, and head out to the office after some quick good-byes. A busy day lies ahead, and Cameron will be on my ass for any number of reasons. I need to be ready for each and every one of them.
I’m tired of his crap. Real tired.
45
