Page 9 of The Write Track
His eyes moved to me, and I felt a sudden current of electricity pass between us. The feeling was quick but shockingly strong. I’d never felt anything like that before, certainly not with Preston, so I chalked it up to hero worship.
This was Nathan Cooper. He was the top horror writer not named Stephen King right now. I was just excited.
“This is Bella Oakley,” Rose started. “She’s still new and shiny. I don’t want any of you jaded assholes?—”
“Language,” the woman at the table I didn’t recognize barked. Since I’d seen photos of Bree and Brody before, through the process of elimination, I knew this woman had to be Hayley Clifton.
“Sorry.” Rose pinned Hayley with an amused look. “I forgot you don’t like swearing. Do you think it makes people sound stupid or something?”
“Not stupid.” Hayley looked uncomfortable at being put on the spot. “It’s just, well, my mother hated it. She’s dead now. I should be fine with it, but I keep picturing her face when somebody says a word I know would have sent her into a tizzy. I can’t help it.”
Her bluntness made me immediately like her.
“Huh.” Rose was thoughtful. “That’s oddly endearing.” She sat in the chair next to Brody Bates and motioned for me to sit in the one between her and Nathan. My heart pounded at the prospect of being close to him. My reaction wasn’t because he was ridiculously good looking or anything—at least, that’s what I told myself. No, it was because he was that good at his job.
“Hi.” I sent him a shy smile as I reached for the menu to give myself something to do with my hands. When I felt awkward, I turned fidgety.
Nathan’s return smile was dazzling. That was the only word to describe it. “Hi.” His eyes roamed me up and down, and my heart skipped three beats. “I’m sorry, Rose told me what you write, but I forgot.”
“Romantasy,” I replied. My voice was lower than normal. I was always this way when it came to meeting new people. Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. Before Preston, I’d been self-assured. I’d never had trouble interacting with new acquaintances, no matter what their social standing. He’d strangled that out of me somehow. Or perhaps it was more fair to say I’d allowed him to strangle it out of me. I couldn’t blame everything on Preston. I’d allowed it to happen. I was equally to blame.
“Ah.” Nathan nodded, not at all surprised. Then he gestured toward Bree. “You guys write a lot of the same stuff.”
“We do,” Bree confirmed. She had a friendly smile at the ready. “I’m kind of focusing on the mystery stuff right now, though.” She sent me an apologetic smile. “You can still ask whatever questions you want to ask, though, and I’ll do my best to help. Rose said you’re nervous because you’re new.”
“Yeah.” I scratched my cheek. Why was I always so awkward? “I have two books, but I kind of lucked into them. I wrote them when I was in college and then shoved them aside to do something else for a bit.”
I frowned at the memory of working for Preston’s father. What a waste of time that had been.
“Then I decided to revisit them,” I continued. “I put a lot of effort into editing them, and then I lucked into meeting Rose. I sent her five novels in a blind panic, and she helped me pick through them and toss the bad stuff.”
“None of it was bad,” Rose countered, shaking her head. “There’s a difference between bad and marketable. I told you to hold onto those other three novels because there might be a time when they’re marketable.”
She had, and I’d listened. Those three novels were in folders on my drive, just waiting for a turn in the market.
“I’m working on my third novel, and it’s the first one I’ve attempted from scratch now that I know a little more about the business,” I explained. “It’s nerve-wracking.”
“It is. We’re here if you need help, though.” Bree agreed, sincerity in her eyes. “Rose said you just moved to the area. Where did you live before?”
“Salem.”
“Really?” Bree grinned. “I freaking love Salem. No offense to Savannah, because it’s great, but why did you leave Salem? I would never leave if I was from there.”
“I visit often. My mom is still there.”
“Ah.” Bree’s expression shifted. “Say no more. Parents are difficult.”
“Oh, no.” I shook my head. “My mother isn’t difficult. She’s not always easy, but… she’s just a free spirit. She’s completely embraced the Salem way of life. She has a whole group of friends she does beach yoga with in the summer and fall. I don’t have any issues with her. I just kind of wanted to get away from Salem. Savannah felt like home the second I arrived here.”
“It’s got a great vibe,” Bree agreed. “I haven’t been here all that long either.”
“Where do you live?” I hoped she would say downtown so we could meet for coffee, but that wasn’t in the cards.
“Brody, Nathan, and I live at The Landings,” she replied. “Right now, Brody and I have separate houses. There’s a bit of a battle going on regarding which house we should live in full time since we’re getting married. Nobody has come out victorious yet.”
“You only want to keep your house because it’s grandfathered in under the old HOA rules and you don’t want to get rid of any of those birdbaths,” Brody argued. “Just let it go. My house fits our future needs better.”
Bree made a face. “I’m not ready to let that house go, and you know it.”
