Part 10

It had been a long morning for me. The cover I had spent weeks getting "just so" was summarily dismissed as "not right". No one had any suggestions for something else; or even an explanation as to what was "wrong" with the ërejectí. Empty words of praise bounced around the well-kept conference room. The was "no question" as to my talent. I was "one of the best".

"Somehow", the author whined, "this just wasnít what I had in mind." He shifted in the leather chair, making a slight squeaking noise. "Donít you think itís a little..um...tame?" He shifted again.

"Excuse me?" I lifted both brows and opened my green eyes wide, for emphasis.

More squeaking and moving about in the pretentious chair. Oh, I was gonna enjoy this. I was a reputable, well known artist at one of the largest publishing houses in the area and I was nobodyís fool. I knew exactly what this slime meant. Unfortunately for him, I also was not a porn artist. Not at this salary! I grinned to myself, making the author even more uncomfortable. Oh, yeah. I planned to enjoy hell out of this.

"Well, Ms. Montgomery." He passed his hand roughly across my artwork, making me cringe. "This IS a murder story about a serial killer who, shall we say, specializes in younger women? Women who are left nude and in suggestive poses and such."

Rolling my eyes toward the humming ceiling fan, I shook my head quickly and harshly before daring to speak. "Younger women? Why donít we call a spade a spade Mr. Dimwit.."

"Kinworth."

"Whatever. These ëyounger womení, as you call them are all under thirteen. That makes them CHILDREN. I donít have any say in what this House chooses to publish. Nor do I care to. But I will not do artwork glorifying the perverted rubbish you pass off as literature."

"Gillian!" My Senior Editor nearly came out of her chair. "Dennis, Iím quite sure Ms. Montgomery didnít mean that the way it sounded. Did you, Gillian?" Janice leaned her head to the side, pleading with her brown eyes.

"Sorry, Janice. No can do. Meant it precisely the way it sounded."

Clearing her throat and struggling for some diplomatic way out of the escalating confrontation, Janice tried for a smile. It came out somewhere between a grimace and a wince.

"Gillian, Mr Di...Kinworth has a contract with us and part of that includes cover art. Canít we come to a meeting of the minds on this?"

Running frustrated fingertips rapidly and noisily on the conference table, I sighed, loudly.

"Janice, Iíve tried. I read this crap, I mean book, and came up with a cover that I thought would attract readers. But, I also have to live with myself here. If Mr. Kinworth has a suggestion that does NOT include suggestive ëartworkí with children, I will try again. Otherwise, just fire me and be done with it."

My Senior Editor and friend leaped to her feet and came around the table, nearly tossing herself into the chair beside me.

"No one said anything about firing the best goddamn artist in the House, Gillian. This is my fault. I had no idea you felt so strongly about the subject matter of this..uh..book." Turning to the author, she took a deep breath. "Dennis, why donít we assign this to another artist? That would solve all our problems. Right?"

The beer-bellied,soft porn peddler was reluctant, but finally relented and the meeting was over. All in all, a really long, exhausting morning. I had almost forgotten I had anything to look forward to and definitely had no clue as to the time.

"Ms. Montgomery?" The intercom in my office came alive.

"Yes?" I answered, still rattled over the events of the month-long morning.

"Thereís someone here to see you."

I crinkled my forehead trying to get a mental grip on things. The memory came with a large smile.

Bypassing the speaker on the desk, I opened the door to see the most beautiful woman on the planet smile back at me. She was breath-taking, to say the least. Viv, my secretary, had been rendered near speechless. I silently chuckled, knowing exaclty how she felt.

Max seemed oblivious to the affect she was having. "Am I early?" She asked innocently, starting to reach for my hand. I saw a shadow pass her blue eyes, and she put slender hands in her pockets.

Surprising my gorgeous lover, I calmly took her hand out of her pocket and reached on tip-toes to kiss her soft cheeks. "Not at all. Your timing, as always, is impeccable."

She widened her blue eyes in my direction and blushed the most beautiful shade of pink I have ever seen.

"Here," I tugged gently in the direction of my open office door. "Wanna see where I work?"

"Absolutely," she assured me. Then she waggled her brows in the direction of my secretary, who was wide-eyed and clearing her throat. I snorted a chuckle.

"Vivian. This is Max. Max Murray. Max is.." Another clearing throat made me grin. "Max is my best friend in all the world. Youíll be seeing a lot of her." I felt my soulmate breathe again.

My secretary rose to extend her small, aged hand. "I donít get to meet many of Gillianís friends, Max. In fact, in nearly a decade, you are the first. Iím very pleased to meet you."

"I assure you, Vivian, the pleasure is all mine."

Now it was my turn to discover varying shades of pink. Flashing an "oh, you are wicked" look at my friend, I nodded toward my office.

"Well, I am sure we will see one another again. Right now, I think I will let Emmy here show me her work station." Max charmed the older woman.

"Emmy?" Vivian wondered aloud.

"Yeah," Max started, "Donít you think her eyes...".

Tugging the long arm, I smiled at my secretary. "Itís nothing Viv. Max likes to tease me about my eyes." Oh, she is in so much trouble, I silently noted.

"Oh," was all Vivian could say.

Later, after a quick tour of the parts of the Publishing House where I spent most of my work day, we made our way into the street. As promised much earlier, the sun was shining and the air was only slightly cool. Max reached over to help me put on the dark green Blazer I had slung over my arm.

"Thanks," I smiled up at her. The tug at my heart told me I wanted, very much, to be alone with my tall friend.

She slid her hands around to help me with the buttons, never leaving my eyes. I gently covered her hands with mine.

"Max?"

"Mmmm?"

I leaned in to whisper in her ear. "If you keep looking at me like that, weíre never going to get any lunch." I felt the low rumble of her laughter.

"Well," the alto voice near my ear, breathed. "We could go to MY office and YOU could be lunch." A hot tongue probed my ear to drive the message home.

My knees buckled, as her strong arms slid under my elbows to catch my weight. I swallowed deeply, as I felt my face lean into her hungry mouth.

"Oh god," I heard myself say as we moved toward the Blayne Building and the best lunch Iíd ever had. Or been.