Climax: The Publicist, Book Three Read online

  As if reading his mind she said, “I’m sorry I didn’t go to the funeral.” Her voice was practically a whisper.

  “You were at college; it was fine. Also, funerals are no fun.” He shook the sadness from his mind and turned to his sister. “Now, I want you to call your agent and tell her you want a meeting. Understood?”

  She nodded, “Sure. But if I hate Kate, I won’t sign with them.”

  Nick smiled remembering Kate, her excitement for books and for the authors she loved so much. The memory made him happy for his little sister but sad in a way that felt almost too familiar. “You won’t hate her. I promise.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Kate tapped out a message on her phone; it was to Andrew, her dear friend and one of her authors.

  “How’s my fav rock star today?”

  Andrew had been a big rock star in his day, an import from the UK. He had, at one time, been as big as the Rolling Stones. Drugs, loose women, and rock and roll were part of his daily existence until he’d settled down with his boyfriend and came out to the whole world. Andrew had been an author with MD and then switched to her house to publish his memoirs, which had hit number ten on the New York Times bestseller list. Not the best, but still good, and Kate had helped Andrew tell his story. It was the least she could do for the sweet, kind rocker who turned his life inside out to be at her side when she broke up with Nick.

  Missing you, Love. How’s life with Mr. Wonderful?

  We set a date. June 15. Will you be in the wedding?

  Do I have to wear a dress?

  Kate laughed. No, she wrote back. I won’t even make you wear pink.

  Then count me in. Where is the blessed event going to be?

  Oh, shit. She hadn’t thought of that. Well, there were a million places in New York.

  Finding one might be tricky, but she could call in a few favors. Because of author events outside of bookstores, she had good relationships with a lot of the nicer venues in New York. Did Mac want a church wedding? She hadn’t even asked him, but assumed he wouldn’t. Also, a church in June in New York was definitely out.

  Not sure yet. Working out details.

  Keep me posted. XO from me and James.

  At that moment, Mac walked in looking slightly pale and off his axis. Kate couldn’t quite place it.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He shut the door behind him. “It’s Carolyn.”

  He hadn’t mentioned her to Kate in ages. Hearing her name was almost jarring.

  The wife. Well, ex-wife. Kate had never met her but had seen pictures. She was tall, blond, slender, and stunning.

  “What’s going on?” Kate couldn’t ignore the sudden twist in her stomach. Something was most definitely wrong.

  “She’s got cancer. Ovarian. She’s been having problems for a while, but, in typical Carolyn fashion, she didn’t go to the doctor.” Mac’s voice hitched slightly. “Now she’s been given a few months to live.”

  Kate’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her arms around him. “Baby, I’m really sorry. How are the boys?”

  Mac pressed his face into her hair. “Not good.” His voice was muffled and strained.

  “Maybe you should go out there. I bet the boys would love to see you right now.”

  Mac looked at her. “Are you sure?”

  Kate nodded. Even as she was saying it, she felt a dread that was unmistakable. “Of course. You should go out there, at the very least to see what you can do. She has a boyfriend, right? Is he there?”

  Mac shook his head. “I don’t know. I just talked to Dan. She’s in the hospital right now. They’re releasing her to come home and the boys are looking for home care until she needs to go to hospice.”

  Oh, God, Kate thought. How awful to lose a parent. She made a mental note to call her own folks. It had been too long.

  “You should be there. I mean, they’re adults, but when it comes to a parent this is still rough. See how involved the boyfriend is, and just get some peace of mind. Is her mother still around?”

  “Yeah, she’s eighty and unable to leave the home. David and Danny were going there tomorrow to tell her.”

  Kate could almost feel her heart break. How do you tell an eighty-year-old woman her daughter was dying?

  “Mac, really. Don’t let the boys tell her alone. Seriously. Go with them. You should grab a train tonight.” Kate was insistent now.

  Mac’s eyes were heavy with emotion and love. “God, Kate. You’re amazing. Are you sure?” He stroked her arms.

  “Of course I am,” she nodded. “They need you. They are your family, too. That’s part of the package, right?” She forced a smile on her lips, but the whole thing just made her want to cry.

  Mac bent his head to kiss her. “I love you, Katharine Mitchell, soon-to-be-Ellis. I like the sound of that—Mrs. Ellis.” He kissed her again.

  Now he needed to see the former Mrs. Ellis, who was dying.

  “I love you, too, Mr. Ellis, and I can’t wait to be your wife. But now you need to go and be with your family.”

  Mac pulled her into his arms. “You’re my family, too.”

  She could feel her throat tighten with emotion. Her eyes pricked. “I know,” she whispered.

  CHAPTER 15

  Vivienne sat outside Kate’s office building for longer than she should have. Her appointment was ten minutes ago. She stood on the sidewalk, debating whether or not she should actually walk into the meeting.

  Still.

  Her brother kept urging her to go. She would, but it would be in her own time. Crowds rushed past her as she stood there, knowing with the utmost certainty that while she’d go upstairs, she a) would not enjoy the meeting, and b) certainly would not sign with them.

  Finally, she pulled open the heavy glass doors and walked into the lobby. The young security guard asked for her ID and gave her a badge. Then, with a smile, he directed her to the twelfth floor. Vivienne was too nervous to see he was flirting with her.

  When the doors opened on the twelfth floor, she peered down the hall and saw the big, bold etching in the glass on the entry doors: Lavigne House. An unexpected surge of pride overtook her for a moment. That was her name, and this was her House.

  No, not hers; her uncle’s, but definitely not hers. Tentatively, Viv stepped out of the elevator. Her heels clicked on the polished marble floor. She pulled one of the heavy doors open. It swung easily. There was a girl at the front desk, a young girl with an easy smile.

  “Welcome to Lavigne House. You must be Riley O’Connor?” For a moment, Vivienne didn’t recognize the name.

  Oh, of course. Her pen name.

  “Yes,” she nodded, her stomach twisting in knots. This was a mistake. She could already tell even before she’d met Kate.

  Kate.

  God, how Viv hated Kate. What luck or jacked up irony that Kate would be the top bidder for her book. Well, she would listen to her spiel and then thank her for her interest and leave. Viv’s agent had told her that Kate would expect her to come clean about who she was. Fine. She’d do that. She’d tell her she was Nick’s sister—you know, the guy you dumped like radioactive waste?

  So sorry, taking my book with me. No contract, nothing. Maybe she could even tell her to her face. It wasn’t nice, but then, Kate wasn’t nice, either.

  Vivienne suddenly realized she was standing staring out beyond the reception area, lost in her mindless spiral. There was a glass wall behind the front office person. Behind her was a large desk with someone seated at it, books scattered around her. There were a few cubicles and a handful of offices that lined the walls. She assumed she’d have to meet Mac, too. The devil spawn himself. Fantastic. She could stomach it. Maybe.

  Vivienne spotted a tall brunette with shoulder-length hair walking through the office towards the front area. She opened the door to the reception area. Vivienne had seen pictures of Kate, so she knew what she looked like. But to her chagrin, the pictures didn’t do her justice. Kate
was beautiful. Her dark eyes sparkled and her smile was easy and welcoming. It lit up her entire face, and, frankly, the room. Kate was also taller than Viv, but then who wasn’t? Suddenly, Vivienne felt a pain in her chest for her brother. How he must have loved her.

  “You must be Riley,” Kate said, her hand outstretched. Vivienne took it and Kate put another hand over her own. “I’m so pleased to meet you. Your book, is, well…” Kate took a deep breath, her smile broadening even wider and her eyes speaking volumes. Clearly she’d read it and loved it.

  It was all Vivienne could do to keep her heart in check.

  “Come with me. We’ll find a quiet place to talk.” Kate held the door for her and Vivienne walked into the office. The woman who had been sitting at the big desk in the center of the office stood up and walked over. She had a sweet look about her, with short-cropped hair and a genuine smile.

  “Riley, such an honor. I’m Lulu. I sort of—”

  “She runs things here,” Kate smiled and put an arm around Lulu. Vivienne could tell they were close. Kate looked at Lulu and winked, “although she’ll never admit it.”

  “Lulu has been with me a long time, through a lot of…challenges.” A sincere fondness filled Kate’s face as she said, “I don’t know where I’d be without her.”

  “I was in awe of your writing, Miss O’Connor,” Lulu gushed.

  God how Vivienne loved the gush, even more than she expected she would. “Th-thank you,” Vivienne said softly.

  “Can I get you anything, Miss O’Connor?” Lulu asked.

  “Please, call me Vi-eh, Riley. No, I’m fine.”

  “Then let’s talk about your book, Riley,” Kate said. “Let’s go into the conference room.” Kate led Vivienne through the offices and into a room with floor-to-ceiling windows. From here she could see the glorious view of Fifth Avenue.

  God how she loved New York.

  Kate motioned to a chair. “Please have a seat.”

  Vivienne looked around. “Will anyone else be joining us?” she asked.

  An odd expression floated across Kate’s face. Pain?

  “N-No, it’s just us. Normally Mac Ellis would join us, but he’s on a family emergency.”

  There it was again, the shadow of something. Something was off. Trouble in paradise? Vivienne could only hope. That would serve her right. To be alone, without anyone.

  Kate straightened in her chair. “So, Riley, I think Jane told you this, but I needed to meet with you prior to moving ahead with this deal. If you end up selecting us as your publisher, I want to make sure that we have no secrets. That means that we won’t keep anything from you, nothing. We have an open-door policy here. You can access sales figures at the drop of a hat. We have a system in place for that, and we’ll always keep you in the loop on marketing we’re doing and what’s going on with your book. I think you’ll find this a big departure from most major publishing houses. I came from a major house so I know, and it’s often heartbreaking for the author to tell you the truth. Authors fight to get information from their publishers, and once they sign over the rights to their books, they have little or no say-so in anything that happens. We don’t operate that way at Lavigne House. You’ll find that many publishers will take you to lunch at fancy restaurants and really woo you that way. I don’t believe in doing that. I wanted you to see our offices, meet the team, and see what we’re about. When you sign with us, we’ll go someplace fancy and celebrate.” Kate took a breath and pulled a book off of the bookshelf that lined one of the walls of the conference room

  It was her uncle’s first novel.

  “I knew Allan Lavigne after he’d been discarded from publishing.” Kate ran her hand along the cover. “Eaten up and spit out, to put it mildly. He distrusted all publishers and for good reason. They treated him horribly. After his first mega bestseller, he was really cast aside and almost forgotten.” Kate paused for a moment and Vivienne watched her intently. There was something about Kate, something terribly likable. Kate seemed very sincere, but Vivienne wondered if it was all an act. Viv prided herself on being a good judge of character, part instinct and part her grandmother’s intuition.

  “I loved Allan. He was like a father to me in many ways. He left me his book After the Fall, and I started this company to publish it. I wanted his legacy to not just be his final book, but also the company that bore his name.” Kate’s voice became emotional.

  “Sorry,” Kate blinked, “I still miss him. It’s been almost three years. You’d think that I would be well beyond missing him, wouldn’t you? He was someone you didn’t easily forget.” Kate threw her a sad smile, and suddenly Vivienne felt it, too. That emotion of loss she shared with Kate.

  “I didn’t mean to burden the meeting with my memories, Riley, but it’s important that you know what Lavigne House stands for and what we offer. As you look at other publishers, and if I know Jane I have no doubt you will, keep in mind that we treat our authors like family. I think that especially for your first book, that’s really important.”

  Vivienne wasn’t sure what to say. Kate was a very good salesperson. However, it didn’t feel like a sales pitch. It felt authentic. When she talked about her uncle it felt like she was still wrecked over his death.

  Hard to fake that.

  “I-, eh, could I have a glass of water?” Vivienne needed to buy some mental space. The whole lead-in to the publishing house was overwhelming. If this weren’t Kate Mitchell, she would have signed five minutes ago. Her brother’s words kept bouncing around in her head. Kate will take good care of you. She was starting to believe that. Still, she needed to hold her ground. Stay strong. Kate left to get the water and came back a moment later, setting it down gently in front of her.

  “Now, Riley, part of our full disclosure here is that we know your background. Jane had me sign an NDA. So, even if you don’t sign with us, I am restricted from telling anyone I know who you really are.”

  Kate paused for a moment while Vivienne took a sip. “However, I will say that I don’t recognize you from any celebrity rags.” She smiled, “I was worried you might be Kim Kardashian, but Mac insisted she can’t spell, so that was out.” Kate winked at her and Vivienne chuckled.

  Kate watched her sort of drifting off. There was something about the girl’s eyes that seemed hauntingly familiar.

  Vivienne started blushing,

  “Oh, sorry,” Kate said, realizing she was staring. “I am just so intrigued. Will you tell me what the reason is for this secrecy?”

  Vivienne took a deep breath. She needed more time before she told Kate who she was. Maybe it would be Kate who would nix the deal the minute she found out who “Riley” was.

  “Can I know more first about what you’ll do for my book?”

  The corners of Kate’s mouth dropped just a bit. “Of course, sure.”

  For the next fifteen minutes, Kate took Vivienne through a detailed outline of what they planned to do for her book, when they planned to release it, and how.

  They’d host a signing at the Barnes & Noble flagship store in Manhattan, with full press coverage of course. Kate spoke in such detail about the characters in her book and what she loved about them. Vivienne had no doubt she’d read the book, maybe even twice.

  “Also,” Kate added with a slight smile, “I feel like Oprah would jump all over this book, given the tone and storyline.”

  Oprah? Oh, God, really? Vivienne wanted to jump out of her seat and dance on the table.

  “I’d also like to work on your foreign sales; we’ve seen a huge surge in foreign book sales this year—more so than in previous years. Oh, and one more thing. If we can sign this deal soon, meaning within a week, I’d love to bring you to Book Expo at the end of this month. We can’t do a book launch there, of course, but I’d love to introduce you to the head of the American Library Association and some key reviewers. You’ll love Book Expo—book people everywhere, books, publishing—it’s pretty amazing.”

  “When would you want to release the
book, Kate?” Vivienne asked, almost completely overwhelmed by the plan Kate had shared with her. Why was she asking when Kate would release it? She wasn’t publishing with her anyway.

  Oh, well, making conversation.

  “Christmas,” Kate said firmly. “It’s an aggressive schedule, but I think we can do it. You’ll find that most publishers can’t abide a schedule that demanding. Most will want a year to eighteen months to get a title delivered. I believe those days are gone. You can’t sit on a book that long anymore, so we don’t.”

  “Christmas sounds great.” Vivienne smiled, imagining her book in bookstores and people buying it as Christmas gifts. Wow.

  Kate leaned on the table, her voice firm, “Now, Riley, tell me about yourself.”

  Vivienne knew what this meant. It was time for her to come clean, and the longer Kate talked, the more she wanted to tell her. The more she listened, the more she wanted to sign with Kate. Soon, however, the jig would be up, and that would be that. Her brilliant deal and the brilliant marketing plan would vanish, like smoke through a keyhole.

  “My name,” Vivienne began tentatively, “is Vivienne Lavigne.”

  CHAPTER 16

  It took Kate a minute to realize what the girl in front of her had said. Lavigne? Kate’s stomach tightened as the reality of the meeting hit her.

  “You’re Nick’s sister,” she said, her voice soft.

  Vivienne only nodded.

  “Allan was your uncle,” she said, more of a statement than a question. It all fit now. “The eyes,” Kate added. “You and Nick have the same eyes.”

  “I look more like my grandmother, the original Riley O’Connor. She was Irish, which is where I get my red hair.” Vivienne blushed slightly; she was never comfortable talking about herself.

  Kate licked her lips. Part of her was slightly irritated at Jane for not giving her at least a hint of who this girl was. She had rambled on and on about Allan and the philosophy of her company, and Vivienne probably knew all of that through Nick. Or maybe not. After all, Nick never cashed the checks. Kate assumed he wanted nothing to do with the company.