Embers (Blaze Series Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

obviously not
wanting to interrupt. I take pity on him.
    “A coffee please,” I call out. He nods and
disappears.
    “Snow Publishing is in a shitload of
trouble,” Amy says, and I blink. Did a curse word really just come out of her
mouth? “But you know all this already,” she continues. “What we need to work
out is what to do next.”
    I stare at the checkered yellow-and-white
tablecloth for a moment before my gaze goes back up to Amy’s eyes.
    “What do you want to do?”
    The words burst out of me. I’ve had them
penned up inside me since all of this has started, and finally, I just have to
trust Amy. We’re plotting a mutiny here, and if I’m going to be a part of it, I
have to start somewhere.
    Amy plays with the bag in her tea for a
moment before answering.
    “When I first got to San Francisco,” she
says, and I can’t help but interrupt.
    “I thought you were from here?” I ask,
unable to keep the surprise from my voice.
    “No,” she says. “No, no. When was the last
time you met someone who was actually from here? No, I come from Boston.
I moved out here when I was . . . well, when I was about the age you are now.”
    She drinks her tea.
    “I wanted to be a writer,” she says simply.
“A journalist and a non-fiction writer. I thought I had what it took to write
about what was important. Of course, that was very hard to do, and I didn’t
have much money. So after a few months of trying to find work, which I found a
little of, now and then, at this magazine or that paper, I took up a
copyediting job. And that paid the bills, but it left me with less time.”
    She stops for a moment and plays with her
cup.
    “And I met a man, and so that left even less time, and before too long all the spare time I had I had to spend sleeping.
Then I got married, and well . . . let’s just say life wasn’t too kind.”
    She sighs.
    “And now here I am, and I’ve been editing
for so long it’s all I really know how to do. So I’m going to keep doing that.
    “And I want you to do it with me,” she says.
“I need an acquisitions editor. I’ve been around long enough to know who would
back a new venture. I can get the investors. My question is—is that work you’d
want to do?”
    I want to ask so many things. But Amy’s
waiting for my answer, appeal written all over her face. And I realize: she
really wants me for this job. I smile, and relief breaks like a wave over her
features.
    “I’d love to,” I say. “I can’t thank you
enough for offering me this. So yes. Sign me up.”
    She doesn’t say anything, just finishes the
rest of her tea with a deeply pleased smile.
    “In fact,” I say gingerly, and her eyes
flick back up to me, watchful. “I might have something in mind. Something I’ve
been working on myself.”
    And before I know what I’m doing, I’m
breaking down the whole Samantha Stone book to her. Who the character is
(badass), how much shit she takes (none), and how many books I can see in the
series (dozens).
    Amy muses over the information.
    “She sounds like Stephanie Plum with a badge
and a right hook,” she says finally. I start laughing.
    “Okay,” Amy says. “I know your talent. I can
give you an advance of five grand. It’s not much, but it’s all I can muster
right now. Especially as you’ll be doing all the work on the book yourself.”
    My jaw drops. Five grand?
    OK, I know that for the Gabriel Calls of the
world, that’s a new pair of cufflinks. But for Amy to offer me an advance like
that, when I’ve got exactly zero publishing credits to my name… well, it’s a
better sign than any other that I’m making the right choice.
    And when you look at my bank balance… no
matter what it is for anyone else, for me, five grand is a fortune.
    When the check comes, Amy goes to pay for it
and I grab the plate from her hand.
    “Least I can do,” I say with a grin.

CHAPTER TEN
     
    For once the rain has eased up and I can’t
help but think maybe today’s going to