That sparked a reaction from him, even though it was subtle. His eyes narrowed, and he took a step toward me. “My company launches satellites to other planets. We sent essentials to astronauts at the space station. We make machines that keep people alive. I teach the next generation of engineers, so they don’t make mistakes and kill people. I think I have one hell of a life…if you ask me.”
Guilt washed over me like someone had thrown a pail of water in my face. “That’s not what I meant—”
“Then learn to speak in unequivocal terms.”
Now there was a long pause on both our accounts. I didn’t know what to say to him. I came there in the hope of moving this forward, but instead, I’d insulted a man who was completely dedicated to serving other people. Not smart all. “Is there anything I can do to help you get this done?”
He shook his head.
“Have you started it yet?”
He just stared.
“So, that’s a no…” I suspected I would get nowhere with this man. “How about six months?” I might be able to get Mark on board with that. It was still a lot longer than we wanted. And at that point, he would be nine months overdue.
“No.”
“Mr. Hamilton—”
“Ms. Lane.” He overrode me so easily with his authority. “I understand my obligation to Astra Books, but I have other priorities that take precedence.”
“Please call me Emerson.”
His chest rose and fell slightly.
“And…I know this isn’t your problem…but if I don’t get this worked out with you, I’m going to lose my job.”
His stoic expression slackened slightly.
Mark had never made that threat, but the situation made me look really bad. If I didn’t resolve it, I wouldn’t be surprised if he let me go. And I couldn’t lose my job. I didn’t have much in savings, and I had an obnoxious student loan payment hanging over my head for all eternity. “So…can we work out something here?”
His arms loosened over his chest before one hand dug into the hair at the back of his neck. He had short hair, but right now it was shaggy and unkempt, like he’d taken a shower right when he got home and didn’t bother doing his hair since he intended to spend the evening alone. “I’ll work on it. But I can’t give you a deadline right now.”
Maybe he wasn’t that much of an asshole. He was just rough around the edges. “Thank you so much.”
He dropped his hand from his hair and crossed his arms over his chest again.
“And I meant what I said. If there’s anything I can do to help you, I’m available. I’ve read your books at least a dozen times. I can refresh your memory, help you outline the story, whatever you want. Call me—day or night.”
He turned away, dismissing the conversation. As if I wasn’t there anymore, he returned to the long dining table and took a seat and began to work on the pieces spread across, almost like a boy playing with his LEGO.
I turned back to the door. “I’ll let myself out.”
Three
Derek
I sat at the dining table and stared at the blank Word document on the screen of my laptop. The cursor blinked over and over, waiting for my fingers to tell it what to write. The previous paperbacks I’d written were on the table beside me, along with my old notes.
On the other side of the table was the stuff I really wanted to work on, the rocket I’d designed but basically had to redo because it had failed all the safety protocols. The idea was solid, but the science wasn’t quite there.
I looked out the window and rubbed the back of my neck.
“Fuck…I don’t want to do this.” I leaned forward with my elbows on the table and cupped my mouth with my hands, trying to focus on the characters in my story, where their storylines left off. The last book ended on a cliffhanger, so there was so much to say…but I was empty.
My eyes kept glancing to my work on the other side of the table, the schematics I needed to change, the exams I needed to grade, the lesson I needed to prepare for the following week.
I couldn’t focus.
A knock sounded on the door.
“Great. Another distraction.” I rose from my chair, wearing only my sweatpants, and hoped that obnoxious woman hadn’t returned for an update. I checked the peephole and saw my mom on the other side.
It wasn’t a good time at all, but I would never turn her away. “Give me a second, Mom.”
“Alright, honey.” Her sweet voice came through the door. “Take your time.”
I grabbed a t-shirt from my bedroom and pulled it on before I returned to the entryway and opened the door.
She smiled once she saw me, her blue eyes brightening at the sight of my face. She was in heels and a skirt, but she was still shorter than me. Wrinkles were in the corners of her eyes and mouth, but she still had the same youthful spirit as my father, like age hadn’t slowed them down at all.