More Lies and Alibis (Using Lies as Alibis #2) (11 page)

I pull out my phone.  “She’ll want to see a picture of you.”

Carmen gives me a sweet smile that I capture for my favorite aunt.  Her perfectly shaped lips and the little dimple in her chin make my breath hitch.  I swallow the knot in my throat that forms because I wish the smile was for me.

I stand next to Carmen and pull her close as I hold the camera out in front of us.  “One more,” I say as I press the button to capture us both.

When I’m done, I look at the picture and grin.  Carmen is making a silly face, with crazy eyes and her tongue sticking out.

“You like?” she asks.  “I look hot don’t I?”

I back away from Carmen and open the door to her office.  “You do, Carmen.  Scorching.  I’ll make sure to show this to Derrick as soon as I see him.”

I duck out of her office in the nick of time, right as my newest paperback novel soars through the air, with my head as the apparent target.

I’ll never admit it to Carmen, but the thought of going on a five-city tour with her makes me smile.  Hanging out with my favorite girl will cancel out every slobbery kiss and living out of suitcases. 

Even if she is checking for my best friend.

Chapter Two

Carmen

I don’t know why my heart is beating out of my chest.  I have nothing to worry about.  It’s just a meeting with my boss Vanessa Sherman, one of the managing editors and Queen Bee at Times Square Books.  First of all, I’ve done a great job – an excellent job, and I rock.  Yes, I do.  I definitely rock.

Inhale.  Whatever Vanessa has to throw at me.  Exhale.  Is totally irrelevant.  I’m great! 

Vanessa gets up from her desk and comes to sit at the round glass conference table with me.  “Carmen do you know why I asked you here today?”

I’ve got an idea why she wants to see me.  And I hope that I’m right.  It’s a word that starts with pro and ends with motion.  Promotion.

“You’d like to give me the day off?” I chuckle at my own corny joke.

Vanessa opens her cavernous mouth and laughs out loud.  Her red, red lipstick seems to stretch into infinity and has even smudged onto her two front teeth, but I’m too polite to tell her.  “No, silly!  But it’s so funny that you say that, because after our meeting, I’m taking the rest of the day off.”

“I hope you have something fun planned.”

“Don’t I always?  I’m going to that fabulous new day spa in Manhattan with
my bestest, Chyna.  We’re getting massages and then we’re having a power chat.”

I tighten my lips into a faint smile and nod.  In Vanessa lingo, power chat, is code for gossip session. 

“But enough about that,” Vanessa says.  “I called you to this conference for something totally different.  We need to talk about Jake’s new release.”

Jake’s release is my favorite thing to talk about these days.  I’m so excited about his new book, Still Dogs.  He’s been my author since his last release and that time, his sales were not great. This new book will turn things around.

I reply, “It’s going to do well.  The retailers like the concept, the fact that it’s a sequel and the cover really pops.”

“Is he touring?  He needs to tour.”

“Even though he doesn’t like touring, I think I have him pretty much sold on doing one.  I’ve got some great ideas.”

She laughs again, and the lipstick smudge is even brighter.  “You are an expert on what Jake likes?  I’ll tell you what he likes.  He likes a crisp Pinot
Grigio with baked salmon and wild rice.  He likes spending all day at the beach until he’s the same shade as my favorite cup of Jamaican roast.  And, my dear, dear Carmen, Jake likes having a book deal.  So he’ll do the tour.”

“I think so.  I hate doing this editor-slash-publicist thing though.  Are they going to hire anyone in the publicity department?  They’re so overloaded that I had to write Jake’s press releases and I’m the one setting up the tour.  I don’t get paid enough to do my job and their job in publicity.”

Vanessa purses her lips together into a straight line, and taps her pen on the glass.  “We’re all trying to pull together to save our industry, Carmen.  Everyone is doing double duty.  I hope that’s not a complaint I hear.”

Double duty?  I don’t think so.  I don’t see anyone over in publicity editing manuscripts.  They’re just sitting on their hands while my authors pay the price.  My job is supposed to be
obtaining incredible literature.  Their job is to get it sold to the retailers.  Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of one and too much of the other.

I shift nervously in my seat and reply, “No, I’m not complaining.  I just want credit for my work.  When Jake hits the New York Times bestseller list again, I want them to know who did the hustling.” 

“If Jake makes the NYT list again, everyone will be happy, and I’m sure you’ll get your accolades.  We’re a team here, Carmen, and there’s no I in team.”

Now I feel terrible.  This happens every time I try to step out and show some initiative.  I get blasted and totally smacked down.  Major sigh.

“Yes, Vanessa, you’re right.”

“I know I am!  But you’re still learning.”  She touches my arm when she says this, like a mother consoling her young and impetuous child.

“I am.”

The tender moment is over, and Vanessa snatches her hand away.  “Speaking of team work, I do have a huge favor to ask of you.”

“Oh, sure, what do you need?”

“Since you and Jake have gotten to be such good friends, I’d like for you to find out how he feels about me.”

My eyebrows shoot up and I feel my heart race.  I was hoping that we’d never have this conversation.  I’ve heard about Vanessa’s slight – okay major – obsession with Jake as a romantic interest, and I try to stay out of it.

“Um…Jake and I don’t really talk about that kind of stuff.”

“You could if you wanted to.  I see how the two of you laugh together.  You’re like me and my bestie.”

“I guess.”

“Jake and I go waaaay back, and I’d love to rekindle what we had.  I would be so grateful if you talked to him…Unless, of course, you’re planning to hook up with him yourself.”

I raise one hand in the sky – a halt motion.  “No ma’am, not at all.”

“Oh, that’s good, because I was going to tell you that it’s against company policy for editors to fraternize with their authors.”  Vanessa nonchalantly rearranges the flowers in the vase on her table while she chatters.  “It’s the new morality clause that they implemented.  Years ago, nobody cared who slept with whom, but apparently, that’s a big deal these days.”

I smooth out my pants and try to put on a positive face.  “I will talk to him.  I don’t know if I’ll be successful.”

“It’s just a little, teeny, weeny conversation.  You can do that, for me.”

“I can do it.  You can count on me.”

“I knew I could, honey.  I wouldn’t have given you the reins of Jake’s career if I didn’t believe in you.  And if you make this happen, then who knows, maybe you’ll get that promotion you’ve been beating around the bush about.”

“Have I been that obvious?”

“You have.  But I keep telling you to be more direct.  Ask for what you want in life, because no one is going to give you anything out of the kindness of their heart.”

“Understood.”

Did she just tell me that I might get a promotion if I hook her up with Jake?  Oh my goodness.  I guess I will be an editorial assistant all of my days.

Vanessa’s desk phone rings, and she presses the speaker button.  “
LaTasha, didn’t I ask you to hold my calls?”

“You did, but it’s your
bestest, Chyna.  She wanted me to tell you she’s running a little late.”

Vanessa rolls her eyes, sighs and disconnects the call without responding.  “Do you see what I mean?” she asks.  “I give her a simple task, and she can’t even perform that.  God knows I want to fire her, but she’s my niece and God hasn’t told me I can disown her like that.”

I restrain another giggle that tickles my throat.  It amuses me when Vanessa talks about God like He’s another one of her besties. 

“I’ll try to have that conversation with Jake this afternoon, and give you an update tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you call him right now?” Vanessa asks.  “You can put the call on speaker phone.”

I don’t like this, not one teeny, weeny bit.  “Uh…I guess so.”

I take out my phone to call Jake, all the while trying to think of a reason to get out of doing this in Vanessa’s office.  Please Jake…don’t answer!

But he does, after three rings.  “Hey Carmen.  You miss me already?  I just left your office.”

I clear my throat and try to ignore the scowl on Vanessa’s face.  “Um…no.  But what time does your flight leave?”

“Not until eleven o’clock tonight.  I’ve got one of the latest flights out.”

“Good.  Do you want to meet me for an early dinner at around six tonight?”

There is a long pause.  It’s too long and Vanessa looks worried.  “Are you asking me out on a date?”

A nervous laugh from me.  “No, silly!  I have something I need to ask you, but it can’t be done over the phone.”

“Okay…”

“Jake!  Just come, okay?  Justin’s sound good?”

“Yeah, that works.  I’ll meet you there, sweetie.”

“Okay, see you then.”

I refuse to make eye contact with Vanessa, because I am sure she’s irritated at Jake’s term of endearment.  I should’ve just dialed a wrong number!

“All done!” I say while staring at the floor.

“You didn’t have to invite him to dinner,” Vanessa says.  “Why didn’t you just tell him over the phone?”

“I don’t think he would’ve wanted to have that conversation on the phone.  If you want, I can call him back.”

“No, no.  Don’t call him back.  I don’t want him to think I’m desperate.”

Question.  Isn’t he going to think she’s desperate after I try to hook them up?  I’m just saying…

“Okay, well, I think he’ll be more receptive to the idea after a glass of wine and a good meal.  Don’t you?”

Vanessa turns on her megawatt, caricature-like smile.  “I think you’re absolutely right.  That’s why I just love you sweetie.  You’re like the daughter I never had.”  She mimics Jake’s nickname with a grimace on her face.

I hope that Jake won’t be too furious with me about the matchmaking.  Maybe he’s been pining away after Vanessa too, and their romance could be a great thing for my career.  Or it could be a catastrophe of epic proportions.  I will cross my fingers and pray for the best. 

Who knows?  They could be perfect for one another.

Chapter Three

Vanessa

“Jake and I are perfect for one another.”

Vanessa’s declaration doesn’t make her feel confident about a romance with Jake, but it feels nice to say it out loud.  She sighs as she glances around J. Randall’s, a posh new restaurant that she and Chyna had discovered one evening during happy hour.  The décor is black and silver giving the place a futuristic look.  Vanessa is relaxed from the full body hot rocks massage that she had at the spa. 

They’re already on their second round of mojitos when Chyna asks, “So did Carmen say she’d talk to Jake?”

Vanessa nods.  “Yes, but she seemed very hesitant to do it.”

“Well, of course she was.  He’s her author, right?  What does she look like meddling in his personal affairs?” Chyna swirls the alcohol around in her mouth before she swallows.  It is only one of the many annoying habits that Vanessa has put up with for the last twenty years.  One of the others is her constant need to play the devil’s advocate.

“She would look like she’s very thankful to me for everything I’ve done for her career.”

Chyna smiles.  “Okay, I get it.  You’re calling in all of your favors.  I guess it makes sense.  We’ve got a husband to land.”

Vanessa sighs and takes a sip of her drink.  “I don’t need him to marry me, but I do want a baby.  I’m not going to some sperm bank to get impregnated by a stranger.  Plus, Jake’s got great genes.  He’s handsome, he’s brilliant and he’s rich!”

“But he doesn’t love you.  Shouldn’t your baby’s father love you?”

There she goes playing devil’s advocate again.  Vanessa grinds her teeth in frustration.

“He will love me.  He just needs an opportunity to get to know me again.  We were together before and it was great.”

“I remember you two being together for a hot second.”

Vanessa shakes her head.  She and Jake had been together for a little longer than a hot second.  They had had a whirlwind affair at the very beginning of Jake’s career.  They were incredible together!  Then she gave him a book deal and he got cold all of a sudden, as if they couldn’t continue their affair undercover.

Jake seemed terribly ungrateful to Vanessa, when she was the one who had gotten his career off the ground.  She’d convinced the editorial staff at Times Square Books to give him a chance when she was a very new, very green editorial assistant.

They’d listened to her, and she and Jake both became stars.  She was the hotshot new editor that knew how to pick ‘em and he was the young, hip author who made the New York Times Bestseller list on his first time out of the gate.  They were industry darlings and literary successes. 

Vanessa wanted them to be lovers as well, and had even convinced Jake to have one more tryst.  She’d thrown caution to the wind and not used any contraception.  Jake didn’t bother to ask her about it, because he trusted her to take care of those things.

She was ecstatic when she found out she was pregnant.  She shared the news with Jake and he was the opposite of happy.  He was livid, furious, and flew into a rage.  He accused Vanessa of tricking him, and of trying to trap him.

Vanessa remembered feeling so badly hurt that she had an abortion.  She didn’t ask for Jake’s permission or input.  She just told him later that she’d had a miscarriage and that he was off the hook.  Now, she thinks it was the biggest mistake she ever made.  She should’ve kept their love child.  Maybe, it would’ve deepened their relationship.

“Jake will come around,” Vanessa says with faux confidence.  “He just needs to know how much I really care about him.”

“Good luck, girl.  You know I’m pulling for you.  With all of Jake’s money, you could retire and raise that child at home.”

“That’s the plan.  I would surround our child with culture and love.”

It’s a wonderful plan and totally plausible, although it won’t be easy winning Jake’s heart
again.  It will probably be the hardest thing she’s ever had to do, but when she’s holding that bundle of joy in her arms, all of her work will have finally paid off.

Vanessa just can’t ignore the little twinge in her stomach that tells her Carmen is a threat.  Did she really have to invite Jake to dinner?  No one knew more than Vanessa the bond between editor and author.  She’d have to keep a closer watch on Carmen with that thirty year old perky body, and sweet personality.

There’s no way a protégée is going to ruin her chance at motherhood.