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“I know. I got right to work. There’s no time to waste because Fernwood could call at any minute.”
In my opinion, Daisy’s skill and experience should be enough of a bargaining chip for Fernwood without her killing herself to get the work done, but I can guess how well that idea would go over if I shared it with her. “Do you think you could edit back at the house? It’s getting pretty cold out here.”
She stretches and nods. “I am getting cold. Thanks for rescuing me, Noah.”
“Always, baby.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Daisy
My phone buzzes from my bag as I’m parking in front of Lovemore Publishing. I almost let the call go to voice mail, but it’s from Tenth Avenue Books. My heart pounds harder. This could be it.
“Hello?”
“Weston,” Fernwood says, far too loudly. “I need you to get your ass into the office as soon as possible.”
“I’m sorry.” I could practically scream for joy, but I won’t let him walk all over me. Not anymore. “Would you mind wording that in a way I won’t need to contact HR about?”
He sighs. “Please, Miss Weston, return to the office posthaste.”
“Why? Is there some exit paperwork I need to fill out?” Hell, yes, I’m going to make him work for this. Even if I am beyond shocked that I’m not even going to have to use my bargaining chip of the edited manuscripts.
“Stop being a smart-ass, Weston. As you and I both knew he would be, the Brantley kid is a total disaster. I’d give Sadie the position, but she’s stuck on making a move to the design department. That leaves you as the only editor we’ve got with the experience and the wins to take on the job, and I do not have the time or energy to put another incompetent in the position. I haven’t seen my own damn kids in weeks.”
“Wait, what do you mean youknewBrantley would be a disaster? You’re the one who gave him my job.”
“Under duress, Weston. You think you’re the only one who works at the whims of the publishing gods? If you’d listened to me, instead of having a tantrum, I’d have told you to stick it out a few weeks until Brantley failed.”
I don’t believe him for a second, but there’s no point arguing. “So you’re not just offering my job back, you’re giving me the promotion to acquisitions editor?”
“Yes, yes, whatever you want, just get back here asap.”
“I have a job. I’m going to have to give them a couple weeks’ notice at least.” And I need the time to get used to leaving Noah. A sharp pain pierces my chest at the thought.
“Nope. I need you here yesterday, Weston. Tell this job you have to leave immediately. Tell them it’s a family emergency or you’re going to prison or you’re dying. I don’t care what you tell them, just get back here today.”
“I’m in Virgina. There’s no way I can be in New York today.”
“A plane from Virginia to New York takes what? An hour? Charge the ticket to our account. Just get here.”
I freeze. I can believe Fernwood wants me back, but this is over the top. “What’s really going on?”
He huffs. “Don’t question the guy who’s giving you everything you ever wanted, Weston.”
“Everything I want is to be president of Tenth Avenue Books.” At least, that’s what I thought I wanted. Nothing is as clear and defined as it used to be. I hate feeling this way. “Tell me what’s going on or I’m going to call Sadie and get the gossip from her.”
“I really don’t like you, Weston. If there were anyone else for this job, anyone, I’d—”
“Ah, that’s it, isn’t it? An author I was working with is going to leave Tenth Avenue Books.” Would I like to have a workplaceenvironment where my boss likes and appreciates me? Of course I would, but a woman can’t have everything.
“Brantley used the wrong fucking pronoun and may have suggested there are only two correct pronouns.”
I swear I can hear Fernwood banging his head on his desk.
“And they insisted I take over their account because I do a damn good job and I’m respectful of them and of their vision for their work. Also, because I know the actual definition of a pronoun and that there are far more than two.”
“Yes,” Fernwood shouts. “Yes. Is that what you want to hear? Just get back here. We’ve got a launch for their book about to roll out and we’ve spent way too much money for them to walk.”
