The Publicist (9 page)

Kate had already become accustomed to the lecture and she knew the rumors, but the Mac she spent the evening with had been nothing but a gentleman.

Finally, Kate said, “Gracie, I know you’re just looking out for me. I promise I’m not interested in Mac that way. He’s just a colleague, nothing more, he saved an event for an author, we had a drink to celebrate, which, by the way, I really needed, and that was that.”

“So you mean he never brought up his wife or his marriage?”

Jesus, when would this inquisition be over? Her head started pounding, “No, he didn’t.” Kate lied to try and end the conversation. She didn’t want to lie to Grace but her need to end the direction this was taking outweighed her desire to tell the truth.

Grace put a gentle hand over her friend’s. “Just be careful, Katie. Mac’s a pro at this. I just don’t want you hurt and I think you like him, more than you’re willing to admit.”

“I’ll be careful, I promise and I’m not interested in him at all,” Kate said.

But they both knew that was a lie.

.

Chapter Fifteen

Mac woke up and reached for the pillow beside him. His first thought was of Kate and he wondered if she was still home asleep or off enjoying her Sunday. He thought back with a hint of regret that he’d opened himself up to Kate about his marriage. Maybe it was the night or the drink or the fact that he craved the feel of a woman. Kate confused him, possibly more than any woman had before. She wasn’t his typical woman either, she was his equal in many ways and the idea of her aroused him. “Fuck,” he said aloud. The last thing he wanted was another entanglement, especially with someone he worked with. But in his heart he knew it didn’t matter. Mac knew exactly what he was doing and what he wanted. The wheels were in motion and no one could stop it, least of all him.

.

Chapter Sixteen

“What the hell were you thinking?” Kate walked into Bernie’s office, her eyes fixed on him.

“What do you mean, Kate?” Bernie blinked, looking almost lost.

“Did you
not
get my nine hundred voice mail messages?”

“I did, Kate. But I didn’t get them till later. I hear Mac saved the day though, so all is well.”

Kate couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “No, Bernie, all is not well. I need to know what happened. Why did you short me books at this event?”

Bernie shrugged as if the question had been something far more benign than a nearly flubbed book event, “A mistake, Kate, nothing more. I’m very sorry, but what else can I do?”

Kate was dumbfounded. She expected more, even though she knew she shouldn’t but she had hoped some shred of responsibility would find its way into Bernie’s mind and he’d realize the grief he had caused her. But he either didn’t know or didn’t care.

“Good Monday morning, you two! How is everyone today?” Edward’s voice came from behind her. The words Kate was about to spew at Bernie froze on her lips.

“Fine,” Kate mumbled and pushed past Edward to her own office. There was no sense in trying to have this discussion with Bernie while Edward was listening. She’d never win it. A publicist was just supposed to “handle it.” When she arrived at her office, she found Mac waiting for her.

Kate looked every bit as annoyed as she felt, “Can I help you?” she asked in a tone that nearly took off his head.

“Whoa, Katie! What’s up?” Mac threw her a smile that could melt an iceberg. Right now she felt immune to it. She wanted to be alone, she didn’t want to entertain Mac or repeat the scene with Bernie she’d just witnessed.

“This is really not a good time, Mac.” Kate walked past him to her desk and took a seat. Mac closed the door behind him, which made her blood boil even more, “Seriously, Mac, I wouldn’t push this.”

“You had a run-in with Bernie; I saw you in his office when I got here and figured you could use a friend.”

Suddenly Mac’s ability to know exactly what she needed was starting to bug the hell out of her.

“It doesn’t matter.” She waved a hand, hoping it would all go away, “I just need to be alone.”

“It does matter, Kate. I know how important your career is to you and had this gone south it could have meant, well, we both know what it could have meant.” Mac slid into one of her leather chairs. Kate wished he would leave. Nothing he was saying was making her feel any better.

“Bernie will accept responsibility for nothing. Not ever. The sooner you learn that, the better off you’ll be.”

“Not only did he not accept responsibility, but he also blew off the whole freaking incident, like he’s forgotten an event poster instead of the one reason people were there: the books.”

“Kate, I’m not trying to diminish this, believe me I’m not, but the quicker you move past it, the better you’ll be. People like Bernie get to these positions by God-knows-what means. Maybe he’s Edward’s bastard son, I don’t know. The point is if you push this, you won’t win. He will.”

Kate knew exactly what he meant. It wasn’t a double standard, it was more than that. It was the level of respect publicity people got within a house. Basically none, well none until you got your first best seller. Then you could walk on water. Bernie would have never pulled this crap on her if she’d had a slew of superstar books to her name, but then again if she did, she’d never be working with Bernie. He’d be relegated to a lowly PR person who’d just entered the fold. Someone who didn’t know better. Someone like her.

Kate hated the way she felt, hated the way the whole situation made her feel.

“Kate, listen,” Mac said, bringing her back from her spiraling thoughts. “It’s over, and you’ll move on and when you see Bernie, you’ll just smile and pretend nothing ever happened. Ok?”

Kate nodded and took a deep breath, “I hate this.”

Mac’s eyes softened, “I know you do, Katie. But it’s just the game and that’s how you play it. Now I’m going to take you away from all of this. Next week we’re going to Seattle to meet Michael Singer, the author of
The Continued Promise,
and the book that will be your golden ticket off of this hamster wheel MD has you on.”

“How far is he in the manuscript?”

Mac stood up, “That’s what we’re going there to find out.”

“Is it imperative that I go, Mac? Sounds more like this is your shtick till the book is finished.” Kate could hear Grace’s words in her head: “be careful, Katie…” and the night in the bar, with Mac’s guilty confession, was still fresh in her mind, although Mac himself seemed to have forgotten all about it.

“This is a big book, Kate. I need you with me on this, every step of the way. Besides, a change of scenery will do you good.”

.

Chapter Seventeen

When Mac flew, he always flew first class, this time was no different. Kate marveled at the life Mac must lead. A car for him wherever he went, first class flights. She looked over her shoulder to the coach section; suddenly that portion of the plane looked horribly cramped. Like a dingy that was crowded with people being towed behind a luxury cruise liner. The flight attendant brought their drinks around and Kate sipped her cocktail, enjoying the flight and the opportunity to get out of New York. Mac had been right; this trip was exactly what she needed.

Mac had his head buried in a manuscript with a pair of expensive reading glasses perched on his nose. He hated wearing them, but blamed it on the curse of the job. He was the only man Kate had ever met who could make a pair of reading glasses look sexy. He looked over them at her, “Enjoying the trip so far?”

Kate nodded, “I am, Mac, thanks.”

Mac lifted his glasses and tucked them in his pocket, “Enough reading for now,” he smiled, “let’s talk about your plans for this book. I know you’ve been doing your homework, so let me have it.”

They spent the next hour talking through the campaign. Mac gave her his insight on certain areas but he was clear that this was her baby, and he needed her to know that he trusted her on this.

Which he did.

Completely.

The campaign would start unfolding as soon as they could get the finished manuscript into advance book form, the advanced review copies, or ARC’s as they were called, would get sent to the loud-mouth media and bloggers that helped rocket
The Promise
to its #1 position. But first they had to have the book and this made Mac nervous. The book could ride on a certain amount of momentum from its predecessor but in the end, it would be judged on its own merit. If it was a crappy remake, returns would hit the warehouse and this wouldn’t bode well for any future titles by this author or any other author in the series. MD had given Michael Singer a seven figure advance, Singer’s agent insisted on nothing less and Edward had signed off on it without blinking an eye. Mac has asked Edward to get a sample outline but Edward had waved the idea away, insisting that the book would do well regardless. Mac wasn’t so sure. They needed this book to do well, not just for the money they paid the author but for the future of the publisher. A publishing house could only stand so many failures a year and for MD, if this book didn’t do well, it could mean the entire company, and all the other imprints, might suffer.

They landed at SeaTac right on time and the driver was waiting for them when they arrived at baggage claim. It was still early evening and Mac had invited Michael’s agent to an informal dinner to meet Kate before the pow wow the next day. Jade Lee, Michael’s agent, was based in San Francisco. Though Mac had dealt with the agency numerous times, Jade was newly hired. How she’d managed to land this big client was beyond Mac. Generally high-ticket authors went to seasoned agents.

The rooms at the Four Seasons in downtown Seattle were spacious and, as expected, luxuriously appointed. The carpet was so thick Kate almost sank into it and the bath was big enough for four people. She hoped she’d have time to enjoy the room but suspected she wouldn’t. They were on a tight schedule. Dinner with the agent tonight and meetings with the author most of the day tomorrow. There was a tap at her door; it was Mac, who had a room only three doors down from hers.

“You ready to go, Katie?”

Kate had just enough time to slip into her favorite black dress, throw on her sinfully expensive Jimmy Choo pumps and run a brush through her hair. “Yes, be there in a minute.”

Kate opened her door, Mac made no attempt to come inside, he only smiled: “You look great, Kate.”

“Thanks, Mac, I’m still on New York time so I’m starving, to be honest.”

“Then let’s get you some dinner and oh, better get used to the time difference, we’ll be making this trek a lot you and me, at least until the book is done…” Mac’s words trailed off as Kate grabbed her purse and headed out to dinner.

Jade Lee was a petite woman with smooth features and jet-black hair that fell down her back in a silken sheath. She wore a red silk dress and heels so high, Kate wasn’t sure how she managed to walk in them. Even with the heels, Kate assessed that Jade still didn’t hit five feet four inches. She had a delicate smile to match her features and spoke so softly, Kate almost had to lean in to hear her. She seemed timid and this didn’t sit well with Kate. Agents are a lot of things but timid isn’t one of them. She wasn’t expecting brash and even though she was sweet, there was no business polish to Jade. In fact she even seemed afraid of Mac. They met at The Fish Market, a local favorite that was perched over a pier with an expansive view of the harbor. The lighting was dim and the restaurant packed. They were shown to a table with a perfect view of the water and Kate marveled at the beauty of the city. They talked about the deal but Jade mostly nodded, agreeing to pretty much everything Mac offered to her. Only a few times did she say she’d have to check with her client, other than that she was as agreeable as the wait staff in the restaurant. When she got up to go to the restroom, Mac leaned into Kate and whispered, “What do you want to bet she’s sleeping with Michael.”

“Mac, come on! That would be, well, wrong…”

Mac frowned, “Yeah, wrong. Well, maybe but not impossible and certainly not improbable in publishing.”

“I would have to admit that his choice of agent doesn’t make sense and I have no idea how she managed to negotiate a big deal like that with Edward.”