For The Plot

11

We're both looking forward, yet not completely at the camera, because it was Jessica who took this one, not the photographer. "Yeah- I like that one too." I nodded.

His fingers pinched the screen, cropping it. "How about now?" He showed me. The image was zoomed in on me mainly, only showing Elijah's chin downwards.

"Even better." I smiled.

I sent him the photo as well as the remaining chapters, and he brought them up on his big computer screen. Showing me a preview of the cover, spine and back made it feel real.

"What's the gap for, on the back?" I noticed he left a large about of space at the top, making it look uneven.

"That's for Elijah. Fitzgerald Publishing normally writes a piece, either on the back or on one of the first few pages. I presumed, with the collaboration, it would be on the back."

"O-kay..." I dragged out wearily. "Has he wrote it yet?"

"He has to read what he's writing about first." He gave me a sorry look.

"He does know that we want to send this out to the printers as soon as possible, right?"

"I think he's aware, yes." He chuckled. "Give him a day or two, and if he hasn't, I'll be on his case. I promise."

"Thank you so much, for all of this."

"Of course." He nodded genuinely.

Trusting to leave the rest in Samuel's hands, I made my way to Elijah's office. Double knocking in the Samuel way, he instantly replied, "Come in."

I pushed the door open, watching the way his face changed when he realised it was me. "Oh, you're still here."

"Yeah." I strolled over and stood behind one of the client chairs, resting my hands on the back of it. I looked down onto his desk and spotted my manuscript that he pathetically tried to cover up with another file. "Is that my book?"

He glanced down to his left, like he didn't know it was there. "Oh, yeah."

"Were you reading it?" I asked.

"Mhm." He admit with a nod.

"Sam just told me that you're writing a piece - for the back."

"Yeah." He ran a hand through his hair, that's lost it's gelled shape since this afternoon. "I normally do that with the books we publish."

"I heard."

"So what are you asking?"

"Don't be a dick about it? Please. I've put everything into those pages you dread reading, so please, don't taint that."

"You know I wouldn't do that, Lowen." He sighed, pretending to busy himself with the papers in front of him.

"I don't know what to think of you anymore, Elijah. You've lost so much of my respect."

"I wasn't aware you respected me at all." He's speaking so nonchalantly, like my words are going in one ear and out the other.