Story Of My Life

Chapter 3

Kacey woke up early the next morning feeling totally energized. She managed to run errands and get chores done all before 10 and without her usual half pot of coffee. She wasn't terribly hungry and decided on a cup of tea and a muffin with Devon cream. She carried her plate and mug into the small bedroom that she used as an office and placed them on her desk. Turning on the speakers, she listened to some Mozart as she made some notes in her planner. The next few weeks were pretty light on obligations, thankfully. Most of the promo for the movie was being handled by the headliners; she only had a few interviews (those were all on radio and internet) and then the premiere. She set alarms on her phone for all the appointments and then decided to bake some brownies (fudge, with hazelnuts and caramel). Working at her computer while they baked, she fleshed out the outlines of the next five chapters of her third book. What Kacey told no one but her immediate family and best friend was that she had begun writing shortly after arriving in England three years previously.

She hadn't known anyone and passed the time by jotting down stories. She had always loved to write but had fallen out of the habit. One night, sitting alone in her flat staring at the fire in the hearth, she had envisioned a murder mystery so rich in detail that she had felt compelled to write it down. For the next few months she worked on her story in her spare time, of which there was a lot. After much revision and rewriting and agonizing over the right words, she finished. It was long. It was novel length actually. For three weeks, she debated sending it to a publisher finally deciding that she really had nothing to lose. She submitted the manuscript to four publishing houses and waited to see if she got a response. She received three rejection letters, but the fourth expressed interest. She met with a junior editor who suggested some changes, which she promptly made. The junior editor passed the revised manuscript along to the senior editor who signed off on it and presented it to the suits in marketing. It was approved and they brought Kacey in to sign a contract. The book was released under a pseudonym and got off to a bit of a slow start. As word of mouth increased, the sales started climbing. The publisher decided to promote the book and, incredibly, sales skyrocketed. 'Cook's Postulates' landed on the bestseller lists in thirty-five countries where it stayed. The publisher was elated. Kacey found herself with a new contract for three more books and enough money that she need never work again. Her second book, 'Avocado's Number' joined the first on the bestseller lists and had the publisher, and the public, clamoring for more.

The kitchen timer buzzed and Kacey pulled the brownies out of the oven and placed the pan on a cooling rack. Deciding that she had done enough busy work for the day, she headed for her bathroom to get ready to meet Harry. Her heart thrilled a little at that thought. Since she had enough time, she decided on a bubble bath. She lit a candle and switched to the speaker in the bathroom. She soaked in the scented bubbles until her skin began to prune and the water was just warm. She scrubbed and buffed every inch of her skin. After rinsing off in the shower, she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and slathered on moisturizer. She spent a little extra time on her hair and makeup and was walking into the closet to get dressed when her phone vibrated with a text; Harry was on his way. She let out a little squeal and hurried into her dress. One last look in the mirror and she went to watch out the window for him. She was out the door as soon as she saw his Range Rover pull up in the street.

Harry watched as Kacey locked the door to her flat and hurried down the stairs. She was wearing a dress that accentuated her curves but was still demure. He was almost certain it was vintage. She scampered to the car in five inch heels and he thought she was the most adorable woman he had ever seen.

Opening the car door and climbing in she turned to smile at him. "Hello love," he said and leaned in to kiss her.

"Oh, thank goodness" she breathed, "It wasn't a dream." Harry's smile matched her own. He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles before rubbing them gently with his thumb.