Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Do you like to read?” she asks from behind me. I startle at the sound of her voice and turn quickly to face her.
“Sometimes. It’s hard during the season because I’m focused on the playbook and preparing for each team we face. During the off season, I’ll read a book or two. What type do you edit?”
“Contemporary romance or women’s fiction.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever read one of those.” I chuckle.
“Maybe you can read the football one when I get it from the author.”
Or you can read it to me!
“Yeah, sure. We want to make sure it’s as accurate as possible.”
“Exactly,” she says as she comes and stands next to me. Kelsey picks up one of her awards. “One of the books I edited debuted on the New York Times bestseller list and the publisher I worked for gave this to me. It’s one of my greatest achievements.”
“How many times has that happened?”
“Just the once. The market . . . it’s saturated and it’s very hard for authors to get the attention they deserve without them or their publisher pumping tens of thousands into ads, and even those aren’t guaranteed.”
“Well, once is better than nothing.”
“It really is. It’s a massive feat for everyone involved.”
“And this one?” I point to another award.
“My author reached a million sales. I had this made for her and made myself one as well to mark the accomplishment.”
“Your publisher didn’t?”
She shakes her head. “Willamette Publishing does. It’s the reason I took the job with them. They treat their authors extraordinarily well. They mark occasions like birthdays and holidays, and send flowers on release days. Authors appreciate it and work harder. Editors appreciate it because it makes our authors happy. And when it comes to writing, happiness is important.”
“Being happy is important no matter what,” I say. “You have a beautiful place.”
“Thank you.” Kelsey looks around. “It’s slowly coming together.”
“Shall we go?”
She nods. “Let me grab my coat.”
I follow her to the closet and help her into her coat before holding the front door open for her. Once she locks the door behind us, I guide her down the hall with my hand on her back and press the button to call the elevator. When we get outside, she waves to the door attendant and then pulls up short when we reach my car.
“Um . . . new car?”
“No, this is my regular car.” I don’t know how much a Model S Tesla can be thought of as a regular car considering the charging needed but it’s this or hoisting her up into my truck again. Not that I wouldn’t mind helping her get into my truck, but I think I’ll save the somewhat sexual touching for date number three. I open the door for her and wait for her to slide into the passenger seat. If she’s anything like me, she’ll appreciate the buttery soft leather seats. They’re one of my favorite things about my car.
“You don’t strike me as a save the planet type of guy,” she says when I get behind the wheel and press the brake pedal to start my car.
“I’m not,” I say before I realize how my answer could be taken out of context. “What I mean to say is, I do my part by recycling, ensuring my home is energy efficient, and all that. I bought this car for my parents, but my dad didn’t like all the techy stuff. Said it freaked him out and he didn’t like my mom watching movies while he drove.”
Kelsey laughs and covers her mouth. “If it were me, I’d end up reading.”
“Believe me, as much as I don’t like to do it, I let Rizzo drive for me because I’ll watch highlights from a game or do a live session on Instagram or TikTok.”
“Rizzo?”
I shrug and signal to turn. “My mom named her, and I didn’t have the heart to change her name. Mom’s a huge fan of Grease. Have you seen the movie?”
“I have, although it took me this year to realize what they’re singing about. I guess, when I was younger, I was enamored with the characters and the movie, but I never paid attention to the lyrics of the songs. Now, when I hear them I blush, and wonder what in the hell my parents were thinking when they let me watch this movie for hours on end.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I heard this is a realization for fans later in life. I guess we’ll have to watch it so you can make sure I fully grasp what I’m hearing.”
“I can do that,” Kelsey says shyly. I’ll be honest, I like that she’s already agreed to another date.
Rizzo turns onto another street and begins the uphill climb to my neighborhood. “Look behind you.”
Kelsey turns in her seat and then lets out a whispering, “Wow.”