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“Aren’t you cold out here?” Leslie asks, her hands coming around my stomach from behind.
“Not at all.”
She wraps the blanket around both of us and snuggles into me. “Isn’t this perfect? Why would anyone ever want to go back?”
Her business has grown substantially, taking on six additional clients and making almost three times what she was making as a firefighter. She is still doing online classes to finish her degree, but she’s almost done.
“Are you sure you want to go back? With the settlement, you don’t have to work anymore.”
Sure, that sounds nice, but in real life, I would be bored in a matter of days. Being a professor of American Literature is a strong suit of mine, as my knowledge is great and sometimes, I enjoy it. The students can be assholes sometimes, but you get used to it over time until it doesn’t even phase you anymore.
“Hudson is expecting me next week. And honestly as much as I love it out here, I’m a working man.”
She laughs and gives me a kiss, before pulling me back inside to the couch. The last few days have been full of bliss. No cell phones, no computers, just us in this small cozy cabin with a foot of snow which apparently is rare for Arkansas.
A getaway is just what we needed after the stressful few months, but it’s back to the reality tomorrow. Leslie finished going through my manuscript and we worked together to polish it up before submitting it to some agents for representation. Instead of pacing around my living room for a week, she decided it was the perfect time for us to come out here. Get away from it all and just relax.
“Have you checked your emails at all since we’ve been here?” she asks.
I shake my head.
“Don’t you think you should?”
She knows me to well. I have been chomping at the bit to see if I’ve gotten any responses, but she asked for no electronics, and wanted to play by her rules.
My laptop bag is pulled onto the coffee table and turned on. I take a deep breath before opening the browser to my email. Here goes nothing. Three new emails.
Dear Mr. Mills,
I was delighted to find your query letter in my inbox. Your book, At All costs, has piqued my interest and I would love to read more. Could you send me the full manuscript for me to review to make a better decision on whether I would like to bring you on as a client?
Thank you,
Paul Schminke
Literary Agent
My eyes light up,and I look over, realizing Leslie is off in wonderland and not even paying attention. “Babe. Look!”
I get up and start pacing. “What if they hate it? The premise is good, but what about the whole damn thing?”
She takes my hands and wraps them around her waist. “We’ve discussed this, remember. You won’t go anywhere if you hide it in your desk for the rest of your life.”
She is so supportive and has pushed me every step of the process.
I attach the full manuscript to the email.
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your interest in the full manuscript. I have attached it to this email. After you have read it, I would appreciate any feedback you might have, good or bad. Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Noah Mills
When I press send,my heart flutters. Sure, this was the overall goal, but planning it and doing it are two different things. Now that my work is floating out there for people to read and critique is frightening. Some people might not worry, but I spent so many years writing it, and hope to god nobody thinks it’s shit.
“I couldn’t have done this without you. You know that, right?”
She smiles and leans into me. “You are one lucky man, you know that?”
God, don’t I know. One day, Leslie will be my wife, and I’ll be the luckiest man in the world.
