Paper hearts and plot tw.., p.21
Paper Hearts and Plot Twists, page 21
“I get it. Remember, you’re doing your best and I’m proud of you. Anything I can do to help?”
“Your support means the world to me. Just needed to vent a bit. Thanks for listening,” Emily said. “Oh, but I got some great news today.”
“What news did you get?”
“Remember the scavenger hunt?”
“You mean the thing you mentioned at least once every day at the conference?” Miles teased. “I think I recall it.”
“Yes, that one,” Emily replied. She rolled her eyes at his snarkiness.
“You win one of the prizes?” he asked.
“I won the grand prize!” she squealed.
“Em, that’s wonderful. What are you going to do with that many books?”
“Get some new bookshelves,” she said with a laugh and shrug. “I’m so stinking excited.”
“They couldn’t have chosen a more deserving person,” Miles said.
“Well, I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m still glad I’m the winner.”
“I’m glad for you as well. Just think of all the amazing books you can read to help you through some of these tough days.”
“Don’t remind me of the tough days,” Emily said with a laugh. “Work will be the death of me.”
“Hang in there. The day will pass and we’ll get through it together.”
“Can’t wait for the day when you can be there for me in person. I have to head back to work, but I appreciate you talking to me during lunch,” Emily said.
“Take a deep breath and tackle it one step at a time. I believe in you.”
Emily stared at the screen as it went blank, feeling like a piece of herself was missing. She squared her shoulders and put her phone away. Back to work, and back to that very full inbox. Sometimes she thought it was easier working for Jeff at the store than it was to be a secretary in the auto repair industry.
Two and a Half Weeks Post Conference
“You’re killing it at this new job,” Alleah said, leaning against Emily’s desk, her usual post. Alleah was a shameless gossip and couldn’t stand a moment without someone to talk to, or at least a captive audience. If Emily was an introvert, Alleah was the definition of an extrovert. Unfortunately, that meant Alleah was parked at Emily’s desk, the hub of the office and all happenings. Why Alleah didn’t apply for this job herself, was beyond her.
“Thanks,” Emily responded with a half-hearted smile, returning her attention to her computer screen. Her assignment this morning was to work out the staff schedules for next month, and she was knee-deep in Excel trying to figure out the whole process. She’d like to say she was tech savvy and this was easy work, but she’d be lying.
“Did you hear about Sabrina’s promotion to sales clerk? I’m so excited for her. She’s trying to start a family, so a promotion is just what she needs.”
Emily nodded her head and hemmed and hawed when appropriate as Alleah yammered on, sharing tidbits of information she’d picked up from work, home, and school. Emily had no doubt she’d be a great journalist once she was finished her degree, since she was getting all this practice.
“Alleah, we need you at scheduling, pronto,” Maxwell shouted from the other room.
Alleah jumped, her eyes widening. “Gotta dash,” she said, grabbing a stack of papers from the counter and hurrying into the other room. Emily’s shoulders slumped now that she was alone. She glanced at her phone on the corner of her desk and reached for it.
M: Hey Babe, just wanted to say I’ve been missing you a lot lately.
E: I’ve felt the same way. It’s tough being apart.
M: Yeah, it’s hitting me hard. I wish I could teleport to you right now.
E: If only teleportation were a thing! I’d have you here in a heartbeat.
M: Thinking about our time together at the conference is what keeps me going, but those memories also make the distance sting more.
E: I miss your touch, your wit, and your company. It’s not the same without you.
M: Virtual hugs for now. But seriously, I can’t wait until we’re in the same place again.
E: Virtual hugs back. And I’m barely surviving until we can have real ones. Until then, know you’re in my thoughts and heart every day.
M: We’ll get through this, and soon we’ll be together again.
Emily set her phone down and went back to working on the schedule, a smile on her face. She wished Miles was with her, but as much as they were talking, it was close to the real deal. She could do this.
Four Weeks Post Conference
That white page and blinking cursor was taunting her. Emily’s fingers were poised over the keyboard, in the same position they’ve been in the last ten minutes. Every few minutes she’d tap her fingers lightly, not putting enough pressure to actually type, but with enough pressure to lightly rattle the keys.
She wrinkled her nose and closed the screen of the computer. Trying to write was futile at the moment and it was annoying her. She’d always been able to write, but for the last week she’d been running into this problem and didn’t know what was going on. She’d never before hit the proverbial “writers block” and she hated it.
Grabbing her phone, she plopped down onto her back on the bed and unlocked the screen. She scrolled to Miles’s name and typed a quick sentence, sending it off.
E: Hey, feeling a bit stuck with my writing today.
M: Aw, I’m sorry to hear that. What’s going on?
E: I don’t know, just hitting a wall with my ideas. The words won’t flow and it’s frustrating.
M: I’ve been there. Maybe take a step back, go for a walk, clear your mind?
E: Tried that already. It’s like my creativity is on vacation without me.
M: Don’t be too hard on yourself. Writer’s block happens to the best of us. Do you want advice or commiseration?
E: I think advice would kill me. I’ve been staring at the screen for what feels like hours.
M: I wish I could help.
E: I wish you were here.
M: Someday we’ll be together again.
E: Someday soon hopefully!
Six Weeks Post Conference
Emily jumped as her phone pinged. She reached across the desk to glance at the message from Miles. She smiled when she saw the text, though she also felt her heart cringe at how short the message was. She felt like they were getting further and further apart and she didn’t know what to do.
M: Miss you
E: Miss you too
M: FaceTime?
E: Can’t, sorry. I got called into work today, and I’ll be here pretty late.
M: Have a nice time at work!
Emily set her phone off to the side and continued to work on drafting her current email to one of the company’s clients inquiring about a quote. She frowned, her mind continuing to run back to that text message exchange.
It felt like their relationship was falling through the cracks. She was trying, and it seemed like Miles was trying too, but anytime she was available, he was busy and vice versa. It had been over a week since they’d FaceTimed each other, and they hadn’t had a text exchange longer than five messages in days. Emily felt her hopes of having a relationship with him plummeting.
She knew from the start anything she had with him wasn’t going to be permanent. She knew a relationship with him would break her heart. But it had gone so well those first couple of weeks that hope had started to worm its way into her heart, hope that was being ruthlessly crushed now.
Maybe it would be easier to end it now. Maybe it would save her from worse heartbreak later. But Emily couldn’t bring herself to make that happen. She’d take every crumb Miles was able to give her until the very end.
Eight Weeks Post Conference
Communication with Miles hadn’t improved. Somehow, it had gotten worse. Now, they weren’t even talking daily. Sometimes Emily would hide her phone away and ignore it for the day because that reminder of him made her sad, and she didn’t have the time or energy to start crying.
In the corner of her room were her three conference bags full of books and other swag. Currently the whole setup was covered by a blanket. Originally, Emily didn’t have time to put them all away, but as time passed she simply couldn’t bear to see and it.
She’d tried putting the books on her shelves and sorting through the items. She thought she’d pick up one of the books and read after work one evening, but the books and everything else there had too many memories, and her heart felt too raw.
She and Miles were still a couple officially, but Emily felt like it was only a matter of time before that ended. This long-distance deal wasn’t working and her heart was already breaking. How could something so perfect and so wonderful slip away like sand in the wind?
Chapter 46
His phone taunted him. The screen remained blank, black. Still. No vibrations. No notifications. No beautiful smiling Emily on FaceTime with him.
Eight weeks ago, Emily Parker had rocked his world at Cupid’s Quill Symposium, and now it was almost like they’d never met and that had never happened. Their talking was fizzling. Their FaceTime was vanishing. Their connection was slipping away.
Miles grabbed the phone and placed it in his glove box before starting the car to continue his journey. He’d promised Mason and Mom that he’d meet the two of them at the Carrier Dome to watch one of the group games for the Olympics together, and they’d both give him hell if he backed out now, not that he actually had a valid reason to back out.
The roads were busy, a testament to how popular this game was. The stadium was even busier. Thankfully, Mason had some pretty high-up connections and parking was no concern for him. He pulled into his space and immediately made his way to the agreed upon entrance.
Mason and his mom were already there, tapping their feet away. Not unusual. Mason was always early when it came to sports, and Mom was always early to everything. Miles saddled up to the two of them, his long legs breaking the distance between them in quick succession.
“Look who decided to join us. We were starting to worry you were going to skip out on us,” Mason teased.
“I’m right on time,” Miles bit back with a roll of his eyes.
“Which is practically late,” Mason said. “We need to get in so we can get a beer in hand and some food before the game starts.”
“We have more than enough time,” Miles said with a shrug.
“You don’t understand the game. You have to be there for the anthem and the pre-game to get into the spirit of it all,” Mason explained. It was an age-old argument they’d had since he’d been serious about sports freshman year of high school.
“You know I have to take your word for it. You’re lucky I’m even here, to be honest.”
“You wouldn’t turn down a chance to spend time with your old and lonely mom,” Patty said with a frown.
“Old and lonely,” muttered Miles. “The woman who goes to tea and book club and a variety of other weekly events and is only in her fifties.”
“Yes, exactly,” she said. She nodded her head sagely. “I’m glad you decided to take some time from your oh-so-busy schedule to spend some time with little old me.”
“Little, maybe, but old, not a chance,” Miles said. He wrapped his arm around his mom and followed Mason through the tunnel to a side entrance where someone in a suit promptly opened the door and allowed them access. They went through some tunnels and emerged in a chromed-out room with an elevator. Mason stepped on and motioned the other two to follow before he pressed one of the buttons, shooting the three of them up where they needed to go.
“Welcome to luxury,” Mason said with a laugh as they stepped out of the elevator onto an open and airy space. Straight ahead were huge windows that showed the stadium below. All around were giant screens, at the moment displaying analysts talking to different players and coaches.
“Look at you, Mr. Fancypants.”
Mason shrugged. “C’mon and I’ll get you guys to our box.” Mason started toward the right, where there were some doors leading into a variety of boxes and booths. They followed him.
Mason’s box was the definition of luxury. Chrome and black decor. A back table filled with food and snacks. Taps for four different kinds of beer, as well as several carafes with water, juice, and assorted sodas. Round tables for gathering, some seats right in front of the window, and two huge TVs completed the room.
“Is this just for us?” Patty asked. “I hope not; I could never eat that much food.”
“A few of my old teammates will join us. They’ll be here closer to kick-off,” Mason explained.
“Oh, thank goodness. Those boys have good appetites.”
“These boys have good appetites too,” Miles teased his mom, wrapping an arm around Mason’s shoulder.
“Don’t I know that. I was the one stuck paying that bill feeding the two of you.”
“And we’re never going to hear the end of it,” Mason said with a laugh.
The three of them got some food and drinks and settled at one of the tables, where they’d be most comfortable eating. The game hadn’t started yet, so they weren’t missing anything, and the TVs would show them anything on the field for the pregame.
“So Miles, now that we’re settled, are you going to tell us what’s wrong?” Patty asked.
“Why do you think something’s wrong?” he asked, immediately on the defensive.
“Because I know my son.”
Miles blew out a deep breath in consternation. “Yes, something’s wrong, but I was hoping to get my mind off it.”
“Obviously that isn’t working,” Mason mocked. “So you might as well talk about it with us.”
Miles sighed. He didn’t want to talk about it, but they weren’t wrong. He explained his situation with Emily, how they’d had their instant connection, and how their fake dating romance had turned into a real-life connection. He told about their long-distance dating, about how disastrously that was going lately. At the end of it he stared into his beer before he said, “So what do I do?”
“Well you certainly can’t let that connection slip away,” his mom said with a resolved nod.
“She really is one of a kind,” Mason agreed. “You’d be an idiot to let her slip away.”
“We can’t be having that,” Miles said, rolling his eyes.
“I’m being serious,” Mason said, punching Miles’s shoulder. “She’s good for you. You need to figure it out.”
“I know,” Miles murmured. “But how?”
“You’re smart, you’ll figure out what you need to do,” Patty responded. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Now let’s cheer for your brother’s friend. He’s such a darling boy.” Miles rolled his eyes but nodded, feeling lighter than he’d felt in weeks.
Chapter 47
The bus, moving at a snail’s pace, was crowded beyond measure. Emily hunched down into her corner, trying to avoid contact with the seemingly hundreds of other riders. She swiped to her phone messaging, where a new notification had just popped up.
Where are you? Dinner’s Ready!
Emily rolled her eyes. Uncle Joel was such a worrywart. She quickly replied, letting him know work had gone a bit late and she was still fifteen minutes out.
She turned to her personal email account, and started going through the day’s emails. Lots of things to delete, notifications from Victoria Secret, Amazon, and Fabletics among others. She blinked when she saw an email from someone she didn’t recognize, with a header marked Poetry Inquiry.
Emily opened the email, shock flooding her.
Dear Emily Parker,
Subject: Acceptance of Manuscript - Whispers of the Heart
I’m delighted to inform you that after careful consideration, Orison Books has decided to accept your manuscript, “Whispers of the Heart,” for publication. We believe your work exemplifies the kind of unique and engaging poetic form that our readers appreciate.
Your narrative demonstrates a remarkable blend of innovation that captivated our editorial team. We’re confident your poetry will resonate with our audience and make a meaningful contribution to our literary collection.
The publication process will now commence, and our editorial team will work closely with you to ensure that your book reaches its full potential. Our production schedule will be shared with you shortly, outlining the key milestones and deadlines.
Please find attached a detailed contract outlining the terms of our agreement. Kindly review the document thoroughly and feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.
We’re enthusiastic about collaborating with you and look forward to bringing your literary vision to life. Thank you for entrusting Orison Books with your work, and we anticipate a successful and rewarding partnership.
Congratulations once again on this significant achievement. We’re eager to embark on this exciting journey with you.
Sincerely,
Clarissa Mallard
Acquisition Manager
Orison Books
Shock, wonder, amazement, and disbelief warred. Emily devoured the letter three times before she looked at the contract. A $25,000 sign-on bonus. This had to be a dream. There was no way this was real. It had to be a cruel joke. But the contract looked legit. And this was the agency Emily had always dreamed of publishing with. And the agent name on the email checked out. It was a valid email. Somehow. Someway. This was real.
The phone buzzed as another text message came in. Emily clicked the notification, wondering if Joel was checking in again. But it wasn’t Joel. Miles’s name lit up the screen with the new message.
M: Did you get some good news today???
That amazing, wonderful, sneaky man. Emily waited until the bus pulled into her stop, a good five-minute walk from her home, and called Miles’s number. The wait felt like a millennium.
The phone rang once before the husky voice she’d learned to adore answered, “Hello, my Emily.”
