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“I do,” Artie says, looking around pointedly. The audience is mostly women with one or two men, most likely reluctant husbands who tagged along. They all gawk at us.
The fabric of my shirt suddenly begins to feel warm and scratchy. There’s a reason we hardly ever set up business in the city. We never really feel like we’re in our own skin. I push my discomfort away and focus on the present.
“We’re doing this for Susan,” I remind them both.
Artie nods in agreement, his gaze unwavering. “We can’t let this opportunity slip away. We’ve come this far. We have to see it through.”
As we navigate the chairs, finding some at the back of the room, we become acutely aware of the curious gazes directed our way. Most of them are looks of appreciation, sensual even, and most are baffled at our presence. I can hear them whispering behind us. What do these guys know about romance?
I don’t care about them. I thumb through the leaflet of the book to look over the itinerary. Susan is due to arrive any second.
I slump in my seat. The last thing I want is to call attention to myself, or distract Susan, which will happen when she spots us. My brothers do the same, folding their legs under themselves and ducking their heads to appear more inconspicuous.
The moderator walks in first and gives us a brief introduction of the author. And then she comes in.
And there she is—Susan, radiant and confident, gracefully making her way into the room. But something catches me off guard, causing my heart to skip a beat—the noticeable swell of her belly, a clear indication of her pregnancy.
My breath catches in my throat as I exchange astonished glances with Artie and Ollie. We had no idea she was still pregnant. The revelation hits us like a tidal wave of emotions—shock, confusion, and sadness.
She cradles her belly as if she’s protecting it as she walks. Susan, seemingly unaware of the effect her appearance has had on us, smiles warmly at the attendees, her eyes sparkling with a mix of gratitude and excitement. But at the same time, she looks a little disoriented and distracted.
“She hasn’t noticed us yet,” Ollie says. He shakes his head. “How is this possible? How is she still…” He drifts off.
“Did the doctors make a mistake?” Artie says.
I shake my head. “We did,” I say as I watch her hug the moderator. “We pushed her away from us. We made her lie.”
I feel no anger toward her, only toward myself. It’s all my fault that Susan hid the truth from us. She was so excited about the baby when she found out, and we took it from her—unintentionally. Who’s to be blamed here? I certainly don’t blame her. Instead of rage, all I feel is hollowness as I wonder what she must have gone through alone.
“She had to do it all alone,” Ollie says, echoing my thought.
The moderator speaks to Susan for the first fifteen minutes about what the readers can expect from the book, and then they start taking questions.
“Congratulations on your book, Susan! I’m curious, what inspired you to write this story?” someone asks.
“Great question. I’ve actually always been a romance reader. Six years ago, one fine morning, I thought, why not write one? I had ideas bursting inside of me, waiting to be written. It took me two years to finish the book.”
There’s a smatter of laughter in the room.
“The truth is I want to bring love and laughter to the lives of my readers. If I can do it for even one person, I would consider myself successful.”
The mic then passes to the next person. “Hi, Susan, I’m one of your early ARC readers!”
“I just want to chime in and say how grateful I am to you people. You’re as valuable to me as my editing team,” Susan gushes.
The girl blushes before she continues. “I have to say, the characters in your book are so relatable and well-developed. Do you draw inspiration from real people in your life?”
“Hmmm, tricky question. I guess you can say that they are and are not inspired by real-life people. I know it sounds like a paradox, but it’s more like the idea of these people who exist in my head rather than who they really are.”
“Susan, can you read out an excerpt from your book?” someone else says.
Susan nods nervously before she says, “Yes, sure.”
She clears her throat and begins to read.
“Their touch sent shivers down my spine, igniting a fire within me that burned with an intensity I had never known. Each brush of their calloused fingertips against my skin awakened a primal desire, an electric current that surged through my veins. All three of them aroused me, but at the same time, each felt different.
“In that moment, time stood still, and the world faded away, leaving only the four of us. The soft glow of candlelight danced upon our bodies, casting shadows that mirrored the passion within.
