Plagiarized (20 page)

It’s the day of my book signing, I thought happily as I stretched my arms over my head and then turned off the annoying alarm on my phone. Craig was still snuggled into me and it made me not want to move, I was so comfortable.

I had to get going because I had a two-hour drive ahead of me; I stared at Craig for a minute and then got up to get ready.

I thought of the many different scenarios that lay ahead of me for the day and hoped for the best as I washed my naked body with soap. I felt goose bumps as I slid my hand over my wet skin. I hoped I could act the part of Author S. Roby and keep up the façade. I had never been her in person before this.

Once I had obtained a large coffee and filled my tank with gas, I was on my way.

As I drove, I let my mind wander as I listened to my favorite music. It was difficult to hold my nerves at bay and I quickly told myself I wasn’t nervous. I was excited, that was it. I had no room to be nervous. I just imagined all of the many fans that would squeal at my table for my autograph as I drove. It put a smile on my face and made the drive go by that much faster.

Once I arrived at the hotel that was holding the signing, all nerves completely vanished. I looked around at the bustling people running around and the adrenaline hit me. It was a high unlike any other. My phone chirped to let me know of a message from my editor. She had just gotten there and didn’t know where to meet me. I told her I was in front of the check in desk and that I’d wait for her.

I watched as a small and young looking woman walked up to me nervously. I pretended to be on my phone as she approached me; I didn’t want to look as though I wasn’t busy. I was surprised with how pretty she was. I don’t know why, but I was expecting a short and fat girl, not this petite little thing. I didn’t feel threatened by her, though; I was still smaller and prettier than she was.

“Krista?” I asked as she walked nervously to me. I made sure my confidence was exuberant.

“Hey, S. I wasn’t sure if that was you or not.”

I fake laughed. “Do I look different in person than in pictures?” My God, I had posted enough pictures of myself anyone should have been able to recognize me from clear across the street.

“No. Not really.” I could tell she was extremely nervous and almost felt bad for the girl.

“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you in person.” I gave her a one-armed, awkward hug. I had never been a hugger, but this girl looked so pathetic even I couldn’t help but hug her. “Come on, we are running late and we still have to set up the table.”

Krista eagerly followed me into the ballroom where the signing was held. She had been so easy to prey on and made it easy to take from her exactly what I had needed. She had practically helped me write my entire book, for free I might add, and was still begging me to do more. I bet she would lick my ass hole if I let her, that’s how far her nose was permanently affixed to it. She had been the perfect fit for me because she lacked confidence and if I stroked her ego, even just a little bit, she would fawn all over me.

A woman greeted us at the door to the large ballroom where the signing was being held. She gave me my lanyard with my name and picture on it. I don’t know why, but wearing that around my neck made me feel ten feet tall. It was like that lanyard gave me the authority I had been seeking. It was an announcement to the world that I was somebody. Here I am world, I’m S. Motherfucking Roby and I’m an author. I wanted to shout that to the room full of people. It was hard to believe that all of these people waiting outside of the door were there to see me. My heart was pumping so fast with adrenaline I felt giddy.

Krista pulled and maneuvered the heavy cart through the crowd of people. I had to bark out to be careful a couple of times! She had all my precious books in those boxes. I walked ahead of her as if I was the queen of England and she trailed behind me pathetically. Maybe it was a mistake meeting her here. I was starting to think that she wouldn’t cut it as my assistant. She could barely even keep up with
me as I made my way to the table in which I had been assigned. There were people milling all around, getting things set up. I caught myself standing there gawking, and all I could do was take it all in. Nothing compares to the feeling of your first signing.

The setting up part was easy. I say that because I didn’t do much. Krista did it all for me. She set up my banner, which looked easy but was anything but. She was confused for a little bit before figuring it out. All I had to do was say I didn’t know how it worked and she took it upon herself to read the directions. While she did that, I walked around to see who all was there. I noticed some big names and couldn’t wait to meet them. I was going to see if any of them wanted to swap books. I’d give them one of mine if they gave me one of theirs. Who would say no to that?

Once I made it back to my table, Krista had it all set up. It looked great, but couldn’t help myself as I started pointing at things and making her change them. I was being a bitch to her, I know, but I couldn’t help it. She pissed me off enough during the editing process by questioning me about her part in the writing. I still couldn’t believe she had actually asked to have her name on my cover; I felt she deserved the shit I was giving her. Not to mention, she gave me such a hard time on the day my book came out. I was simply giving a little of that back to her. Plus, she was the one that would get the perk of going home and bragging about assisting me. Especially after my book hit New York Times. By me allowing her to edit my book and help me, I was in turn actually helping her make a name for herself. She should be grateful to me.

Just before the doors opened, I started hearing chatter from some of the other authors. They were talking about me and it made me even more excited. I decided to make my rounds and introduce myself to a few. “I’ll be right back, Krista. I’m just going to fangirl for a moment. When I come back, I’ll let you go around if you want.”

She nodded and stammered a few words that I completely ignored as I left. I made it about ten feet before I saw Dawn Likens. Her first book was a favorite of mine, although I personally felt the rest of her books sucked. But that didn’t stop me from approaching her table.

“Hi, Dawn. I wanted to come introduce myself—”

“S. Roby! Hi! I’m so happy you came over here! I read your book and devoured it in one sitting. I loved it and couldn’t believe it was a true story. It felt like I was actually living Sarah’s life. It was incredible for your first book.”

I felt so high from her compliments that her words literally drifted through me.

“Oh, wow. I wasn’t expecting you to have heard about me. That just made my day! You are the one that actually inspired me to write.” Lie. I enjoyed her first book but that was about it. Not to mention, there was nothing about her that inspired me. But I figured she paid me a huge compliment, I might as well return the favor.

I had her sign one of her bookmarks she had on her table and took a picture with her before moving on to the next author, J. Peterson. She had been out for a long time and had hit New York Times on her first book, but she hadn’t made the list since then. Part of me felt sorry for her because I knew that I would make the Times over and over again. It was just a given with the high caliber of my writing. I would be surpassing her very soon.

Again, another author that had heard of me. She admitted that she hadn’t read my book but after hearing all of the buzz about it, wanted to read it as soon as she got home.

“Come by my table sometime today and I’ll give you a copy,” I told her excitedly. The only reason I wanted to supply her with a copy was because she could do a lot for the publicity of my book.

“Really? That’s so nice of you!”

“Well, of course. You’re the one that inspired me to start writing.” I prayed that she wouldn’t ask me any details about her books, like which character I identified with or which part had been my favorite, since I didn’t know any. I had never read one of them. Never had much interest in them. I tried to read the first one, the one that hit the bestseller list, but after skimming a few chapters, I put it down and never picked it back up.

“Then of course I’ll stop by.” Of course she would, everyone liked to get something for free. I knew I had her when I’d offered the complimentary copy. “I have heard so much about it I can’t wait to read about this unsolved murder.”

“Yeah, it was tough to write. Cried a lot. The hubs started to get worried about my sanity after the third time of him walking in on me crying,” I said with a laugh. I was actually laughing because it was all a lie. I figured I had heard enough authors talk about how their scenes made them cry while writing it, I should say I did, too. To fit in, of course. I wondered how that would feel, to be moved from a scene you had written. I couldn’t say it had happened to me.

I got her autograph as well, even though I wasn’t really sure what to do with it. I deposited it on the bottom of my pile, silently marking that as the discards.

After making a few more stops, I decided to head back to my table. Krista was sitting there, reading the back of a book. It kind of irritated me that she was just sitting there reading. There had to have been something for her to do.

“Oh, did you walk around?” I asked, trying to sound nice. I was actually rather pissed that she would leave the table after I specifically told her to wait for me to return. Especially after the doors had already been opened. Who knows how many people had come to my table while she left it empty.

“No. Tamra Jacobs dropped this off for you. She said you guys talked about a book swap. This one actually sounds really good. Have you read it?” she asked, holding the book in front of her so I could see the cover.

“Yeah, it’s a really good book. She’s done really well in sales with it.”

“Cool. I think I’m going to check out her table.” She stood up and grabbed her wallet.

“Okay, hurry though. They’ve already opened the doors and I’m going to need you here.”

She gave me a look and I knew what she was thinking. I had told her she could walk around once I got back. But I didn’t care. I hadn’t planned to spend so long talking to other authors and I needed her there to help run credit cards. I didn’t know how to work that card reader thing. Plus, wasn’t that why she was here? To help me?

Moments after she walked away, I had my first visitor. I put on my best face and greeted her with a hug. I couldn’t think of a better way to have the masses love you than to be completely lovable. And that I could be. How else did you think I was able to make two handsome, well-endowed brothers fall in love with me?

“I have to ask,” she started as she flipped through my book, “if this is a true story, does that mean you really killed a man?”

Upon her words, the voices of others I had talked to that morning began to flood my head. I suddenly heard what they had all been saying, true story, based on true events, real life. Why was everyone talking about my book being a true story? When had I ever said it was? My book wasn’t labeled as nonfiction. I was going to kill Krista if she had uploaded it to Amazon incorrectly. I picked up one of my paperbacks and let out a breath when I read the word
fiction
depicted on the inside cover.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“The girl that killed her boyfriend, was that you?”

“It’s just a book.” I shrugged my shoulders and dismissed her by looking to the next patron.

She grew quiet and gently put the book back down. “I’m sorry. I thought I had heard that it was a true story. I guess that just goes to show you that you can’t believe everything you read on the internet.” She laughed it off.

I ignored her since I had already moved on to the next conversation.

As soon as the annoying woman finally turned around and left, Krista came back, all excited over her new book. I didn’t have time for her excitement. I needed to know what was being said on the internet about my book. Once she sat down, I quickly interrupted her glee and handed her my iPad.

“Someone just told me that she heard my book was a real story. I need you to look it up for me. See what you can find so I’m not blindsided by more people today.” I barked out the order ferociously. My heart was thudding in my chest at the unknown possibly biting me in the ass. I couldn’t believe that I had missed something this important. I searched my book multiple times daily, but only ever the Times, Amazon, and Goodreads sites. I had never googled the news sites.

While she started surfing the web, I talked gingerly with the few people that came to my table. I had been sure more fans would have flocked to me once the doors were opened, but chocked it up to the fact that I was in the back of the room. Maybe they were just making their rounds before finding me. I was sure my table would be busy soon enough. I stood there and waited to be bombarded.