The Publicist Book One and Two (20 page)

Chapter Forty-Seven

Kate woke up Tuesday morning resolved to let Mac go. It was for the best. She was getting in too deep already. A month into it and he already consumed her. Nick was leaving for California later that day. He’d asked to see her the night before but she had declined. She lied and said she wasn’t feeling well. Kate agreed to meet him for breakfast at a little place around the corner from where she lived.

Nick was waiting for her when she arrived.

“It’s good to see you, Katie.” Nick kissed her. She loved his kisses. She knew now with all certainty that she was doing the right thing.

“It’s good to see you, too.”

“I grabbed us a table and got us coffee. How about some croissants for breakfast? If I’m going to kill myself with toxins, I may as well finish it off with something I like.”

Kate laughed, “Sure.”

Nick returned a few minutes later with two croissants, butter, and jam.

“Nick, I’m sorry that, well, that things didn’t go as you may have wanted after…”

“After we made love,” he said, taking a bite out of his croissant.

Kate nodded, “I loved our time together, but I need to clean up some things in my life first, before I can, you know, move on.”

Nick smiled, “I knew there was someone else, Kate. I always did and I appreciate your honesty. When I come back in a few weeks, I’d love to see you again. If things are cleared up, maybe we can take it from there.”

“The distance may be hard,” she said.

“You are worth every mile, Kate. And I have much more flexibility than you do. If you are willing, we’ll find a way to make this work.”

“One step at a time, okay?” she asked.

He brushed a piece of hair out of her face.

“One step at a time,” he said, kissing her lightly on the mouth.

…

When Kate left Nick, she called Mac.

“Hello?”

“Mac, it’s Kate. Look, I know you’re headed to the photo shoot, but can I see you later today?”

“Did Nick leave?”

“Yes, but that has nothing to do with my wanting to see you.”

Mac was silent. “Sure, dinner. It will be good to spend time with you, Katie.”

“By the way, what did you think of that book?”

“Who wrote it?”

“I can’t tell you yet. What did you think?”

“It’s fucking brilliant. It’s the most stunning piece of literature I’ve read in years.”

Kate was stunned, “Seriously?”

“I never kid about this stuff. It’s unbelievable. I’d love to sign this author; this book has got bestseller written all over it. Can I talk to the author? I swear I’ll get them the best deal on the planet.”

“Let me see what I can do. We can talk about it later. Have fun with Saundra.”

“You mean Skinny Saundra.”

Kate laughed, “Yes, your Skinny Saundra.”

“How do I get roped into these projects, Katie?”

“Because you’re in publishing, Mac. It’s what you do.”

“Some days, I think I’d feel better if I were selling my soul to the devil.”

Kate laughed, “I’ll see you later, Mac.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

Kate didn’t feel right about letting Mac handle the Saundra photo shoot alone. The author could be a handful. She knew that from her many dealings with her. Kate stopped by the office to check on a few things and then headed off to the photo studio just as Mac was arriving. He looked surprised to see her.

“I know you said you didn’t need me, but I think it might be better if I’m here, too. Saundra could be….”

“Difficult?” he smiled. “I’m glad you’re here, Katie. I’ve missed you.”

Kate sighed. She had missed Mac, too.

Kate stepped into the elevator as Mac started to speak.

“Kate, I have to tell you again: That book is unreal. I read it in one sitting. I’ve never read anything like it.”

Kate smiled, “Mac, I need you to keep a secret.”

The doors opened, and Kate fell silent. The photographer rushed to meet them. The studio was empty.

“Isn’t Saundra supposed to be here?” Mac asked.

“An hour ago!” the photographer wailed. “She was supposed to be in makeup an hour ago, and no one can find her.” He flailed his arms in the air. “I cannot work like this. The light is changing. Everything will be ruined!”

Mac rolled his eyes. Kate forced herself to not laugh. It wasn’t funny, really, but the photographer was beyond colorful. Mac dialed a number on his phone.

“Sandy, darling, we’re all here. Where are you?” Mac nodded. “Great, see you in a few.”

He turned to the photographer. “You are the best in the business, Eric. Make do with the light you have. Our girl will be here in thirty minutes. She’s just running late.”

“I just don’t know. I just don’t know.” Eric walked through his studio and then disappeared into a back room.

Mac turned to Kate, “Let’s have a seat. Fucking Saundra. There goes my day. Jesus, it’ll take them an hour to do makeup and then the shoot. I’m glad you’re here. Now tell me about this book, and no, I won’t tell a soul. I swear.”

Kate sat down and took a deep breath. “It’s Allan.”

“Lavigne?”

Kate nodded, “We, eh, found the box with a letter addressed to me. He gave the manuscript to me. Then the lawyer confirmed it when they read Allan’s will. He willed it to me.”

Mac laughed out loud, “The most brilliant piece of literature on the planet and MD threw it away. Fucking Edward.” Then he turned to Kate, “Katie, you can never tell anyone about this. In fact, I’m not sure you can even publish it.”

She frowned, “Why not?”

“Because you’re an MD employee. It’s a conflict of interest, and I guarantee you, when Eddie finds out how amazing this book is he’ll do whatever he can to win it back. He’ll get some hotshot lawyer to find some loophole that proves it’s still MD’s, and you’ll be left holding the bag. I didn’t know Allan well at all, but I know that MD treated him like shit. He’d never want them to end up with the book.”

Kate knew Mac was right. “So, what should I do?”

“Sit on it for a while. I’ll destroy my copy just in case I get hit by a truck or something. Don’t do a thing. What about Nick?”

Kate turned to Mac, “What about him?”

“Can he publish it?”

“I don’t think he’s too interested in that.”

“But, he’s interested in you.”

Kate didn’t respond.

Just then, Eric came running from the back room.

“I think she’s here!” he said, cheerfully. Eric snapped his fingers. “Makeup, step lively. Our girl is here!”

“Have you seen Saundra before?” Kate asked.

“Never met her. Just spoke by phone. She’s been working with the producer of
The Dr. Paul Chapel Show
through all of this. All I have to say is the transformation had better be as amazing as she’s been telling me.”

Just then, the elevator doors opened and out walked an obese woman. She was wearing a red spandex two-piece outfit. The top had short sleeves, exposing her arms that seemed to burst out of the tight sausage-like casing they were confined to. She had short-cropped, angry blond hair.

“Who the hell are you?” Eric asked, “And where is Saundra?”

The woman smiled, “I’m Saundra.”

“Holy fuck,” Mac said louder than he’d intended.

Chapter Forty-Nine

“How the hell did this happen?” Mac was yelling into the phone to someone at
The Dr. Paul Chapel Show
. Saundra was seated on a chair that wobbled precariously underneath her 325-pound frame.

Kate felt like she needed to sit down. She couldn’t feel her feet. A book was days from being released into the world about a woman, once overweight, who had battled her demons and gotten in shape again. Kate watched Saundra, who sat suspiciously quiet. Kate walked over to her.

“Saundra, why?”

The woman started to cry, “I needed the money.”

Kate rolled her eye. Geezus, these people.

“But you knew that when we saw you, the jig would be up. Did you really think you could pull this off?”

Saundra jutted her chin out. “Everyone loves Saundra Temple.”

Kate sighed, “But Saundra, the book is about you getting your life back.”

“I did get my life back. This country is so stuck on stereotypes. Just because I’m a little overweight doesn’t mean my life is out of control.”

A little overweight. Kate shook her head. “Saundra, that isn’t the point. You sold MD a book about your makeover, and
The Dr. Paul Chapel Show
was helping you with this. What happened with that?”

“The producer said I was fine.”

Just then, Mac walked over. “Kate, I need to talk with you.”

“Can I get some lunch?” Saundra asked.

“Haven’t you eaten enough?” Mac snapped. Saundra started to cry.

“Mac, stop it. Let’s go talk.”

“Tell me what happened,” Kate said when they were out of earshot.

“The producer, as it turns out, has a substance abuse problem. She’s been in and out of rehab for months. She was supposed to be monitoring Saundra’s weight loss with her trainers who went MIA, and no one was guarding the fucking henhouse—or in this case, the refrigerator.”

“Mac, stop making fat jokes.”

“At this point, Kate, it’s all we have. No book, nothing. You’d better call your contacts and tell them the book is canceled. We’ll need to get everyone here to sign NDAs. If this gets out, Edward will fire us both.”

Just then, Saundra walked out of the studio and approached them.

“So, do I still get to have a book?”

Chapter Fifty

The next several hours were spent calling all media and recalling all review copies. Mac briefed Edward, who was furious, but Mac promised to clean this up before anyone got wise to what had happened.

Kate and Mac worked late into the night. Finally, around midnight Mac wandered into Kate’s office. He looked beaten and exhausted.

“I think we’re in the clear, Mac,” she offered supportively.

Mac dropped himself into a chair. “Maybe, but a lot of people are waiting on this book. There will be fallout.”

“It’ll be minimal. I’ll do whatever I can.” She knew it could cost Mac his job if this got out.

Mac looked at her, “I should have flown to California and supervised this. I shouldn’t have trusted that crack-head of a producer.”

“Mac, you didn’t know. How could you? The updates seemed legit.”

He shook his head, and then his eyes softened.

“I don’t know what I would do without you, Katie.”

She sighed. She didn’t know what she’d do without him, either.

“I came by your apartment on New Year’s Eve. I came back early to help you through losing Allan. You were there, with Nick.”

Kate couldn’t respond. He’d been there?

Mac raised a hand.

“It’s okay, Katie. You have every right, and I have no right—none at all. But that doesn’t seem to stop me from feeling what I feel.”

He stopped short of saying he loved her. It was a slippery slope. Saying that would mean things, would promise her things he wasn’t sure he could deliver.

“You should leave me and go be with Nick, but I don’t want you to. I want you with me tonight, and tomorrow we’ll figure out the rest.”

Kate sat behind her desk, unsure of what to do. She had planned to break up with Mac. Make a clean break and fall in love with Nick. But as the saying goes, we make plans and God laughs.

Mac stood up and walked over to her desk, gently lifting her from her chair.

“I thought of you every day while I was gone, and I wished like hell that my life was different. I would love to stand here and promise you that I will leave her, that we will be together forever, but you and I both know it’s never that simple.”

Mac took her in his arms.

“You deserve a man who can be with you, body and soul. If I were a decent person, I would send you off to be with a man who could offer you something I can’t: A future.”

Mac kissed her, and all she could think of was how much she wanted him.

They left the offices and headed for Mac’s apartment.

She had promised Grace she would leave him.

She would keep her promise, just not today.