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“Of course.” Her southern accent is more refined than my own. I worked hard to lose it all together during my years in New York. My family says I succeeded, but no New Yorker ever mistook me for one of them. “Our current editor announced her intention to retire just last week, so your timing couldn’t be moreserendipitous.” She gestures at one of the two armchairs in front of her desk. “Please take a seat.”
Delia has already left, closing the door behind her. I sit and settle my purse on the floor. Inside is my resume and a sample of my editing work.
I’m not a fraud, no matter how much I feel like one. Lots of people take jobs to fill gaps with no real intention of staying forever.
“I love all the sunlight you get in your office.”
“Thank you. It’s unconventional to work out of a house, but I inherited this place from my grandmother and it’s hard to beat rent-free office space.”
“Absolutely. You seem to have made it work for you.”
“We like it.” Her expression shifts to serious. “Your resumé is definitely impressive, but it doesn’t look like you’ve worked with romance books in the past.”
“I haven’t, but a story’s a story, right?”
Her smile is tight. “Do you read romance?”
I could lie, but I’d be found out easily enough. “It’s not a genre I’ve been drawn to in the past, but I’m a voracious reader and capable of editing whatever story I’m given. Over the past two days, I’ve read three of the romances you’ve published and thoroughly enjoyed them.”
“Miss Weston, I’m looking for an editor who’s going to be with us for the long haul. Someone who loves romance and is going to put their heart and soul into improving our books. You have the credentials, the experience, and the industry knowledge I’m probably not going to find anywhere else, but none of that matters if you aren’t a true romance lover.”
“If all the books you publish are like the ones I’ve read, I’m well on my way to being a true romance lover.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “How about movies? Television shows? Are you a fan of romantic comedies or dramas?”
“I don’t watch much television.” I shift in my chair uncomfortably. Never in my life did I think I’d be judged fornotliking romance.
She drums her fingers on the desk. Then she grabs a piece of paper and writes in long, sloping script. Before she finishes, her cell phone lights up on her desk. “I’m sorry. This is my daughter.”
“Of course.” I gesture for her to take the call.
“Jada, I’m in a meeting… No… It’s in the junk drawer…” Joy shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “You might have to move some stuff around… Good. Make sure you lock the door when you’re done… Love you.” She drops the phone on her desk. “I apologize. Do you have children, Miss Weston?”
“No.”
“I have two girls, fourteen and twelve. They don’t have school today, because of a teacher workday, and their father and I are allowing them to be home alone for the first time.” She purses her lips like she’s holding back a laugh. “It’s not going great.”
“I can imagine.” I really can’t. Our parents left us home alone as soon as Goldy, who’s the oldest, was thirteen and could watch out for the rest of us. We got into all kinds of trouble, but we had fun too. “Hopefully, they aren’t fighting too much.”
She smiles, but there’s genuine worry in her eyes. “They’re good friends, and they promised to take care of each other.”
“That’s wonderful. There’s nothing like sisters.”
“I understand from town gossip that you’re living with your sisters. Aren’t you starting a farm?”
“Dani and Honey have created a sanctuary farm on the property, yes,” I say. “I’ve only just moved in recently and it hasbeen challenging at times, but nice to be getting to know my sisters again.”
She frowns. “Y’all weren’t close before this?”
“Not really. No.” And that’s all I want to say about that.
Joy must sense my unease, because she nods once and finishes up whatever note she was making. She hands it across the desk to me. “These are the top three selling books we publish. Were these among the ones you read?”
“No, but I can get them. I’ll have them read by the end of the day tomorrow.”
“Fine. Really take your time with them, then let me know if you honestly believe editing romance is something you can see yourself doing for the long-haul.”
Cynthia Bennett isn’t on the list, and bringing her up will definitely give me away. “I’ll have an answer to you in two days.”
