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  “It’s a good story,” she said, “but do you really believe it’s gonna make the bestsellers list? I mean… you’re going to be a brand-new author. Nobody will know who you are.”

  Bailey grinned. “They will after they read my book, Cass. Besides Harini did well with her first book.”

  “That’s because it got the attention of talk show host, Virginia Meadows. She got a lucky break.”

  “Bailey’s got that mustard seed faith,” Maurie interjected. “Girl, I’m believing with you.”

  Cassidy parked in front of the building.

  “Thanks for the ride,” Bailey said. “I can’t believe I actually talked to Harini Samuels.”

  “Alright fangirl.” Cassidy chuckled. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

  Maurie waved. “Talk to you later.”

  Bailey got out of the car, wrinkling up her nose. “You’d think the landlord would have the brains to cover the trash can in this heat.” She sniffed the air. “It stinks.”

  There was an uncovered garbage can near the entrance of the building. A filthy looking gray and white cat jumped up onto it and began to rummage through it.

  She started up the steps.

  A wolf whistle came from across the street.

  “I can’t wait to move out of this neighborhood,” she uttered without sparing a glance at her offender. She moved to Philadelphia right after graduating from college. She was offered a position with Staten Insurance Company after interning with the North Carolina office.

  She could hear the shrill wail of a baby as she entered the downstairs hall and began to climb the stairs. The cries grew louder as Bailey neared her door.

  She hesitated a moment before opening it.

  The baby’s screams tore at her ears. She stepped into the room quickly and closed the door behind her.

  “So how did it go?” Colton inquired when she entered the apartment. “Did you get to meet the great lady?”

  “I did,” Bailey confirmed. “Honey, she was so nice… I couldn’t believe how sweet she was to me. Harini told me that she’d been in touch. I’m really hoping that she’ll become my mentor.” Bailey kissed Colton on the lips. “I have a really good feeling about this.”

  “We should celebrate.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing,” she murmured.

  The baby began to cry again, the sound penetrating through the walls.

  Annoyed, Bailey uttered, “I need to find another place to live. That’s why I really need to sell this book.”

  “You think you’re going to get rich off your writing? You’ve heard of starving artists, right?”

  “Colton, you sound like Cassidy. I’m not just depending on my writing. I’m also trying to move into commercial claims. I’ll make more money—enough to get another apartment. A much nicer one.”

  “You don’t have to wait. We can move into a place together.”

  “We’ve already talked about this,” Bailey stated. “You know I’m not going to live with you until I have a wedding ring on my finger.”

  Colton flashed her a quick smile that momentarily alleviated the tense lines around his mouth. “One day I’m going to change your mind.”

  “No, you won’t.” Bailey kicked off her shoes, picked them up and strolled to her bedroom.

  He followed close behind.

  “I have to go into the office early,” she said.

  “Is that your way of telling me you want me to leave?”

  Bailey broke into a grin. “I’m saying that I’m not staying up late, Colton.”

  He laughed. “Actually, I have a meeting in the morning, so I’m not staying here tonight. I’ll tell you a bedtime story, then head to my place.”

  “Bedtime story?”

  “Yeah. The one about the beautiful young woman who keeps refusing to take the next step with her one true love.”

  Bailey eyed him. “Are you talking about marriage?”

  “At some point,” Colton responded. “Right now, I’m not where I want to be financially.”

  With a need to escape further conversation on that topic, Bailey said, “We can skip that story tonight. C’mon, I’ll walk you to the door.”

  “You still want to go to Fairmount Park on Saturday?” Colton asked. “I’m asking because my boss wants me to work. It’s not mandatory though.”

  “Good because I really want to go to the park and just hang out,” Bailey responded.

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.” He kissed her. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow. If you’re not working late, maybe we can grab some dinner before I head out to Norrisville. I’ll be there for training on Thursday and Friday.”

  “Love you,” Bailey told him before locking the door.

  She went straight to her room and readied for bed.

  Her thoughts landed on Colton. He was the first man she’d ever loved, but she was not going to cohabitate with him. Maybe it was her Christian upbringing or witnessing what her sister went through after moving in with her boyfriend—Bailey wasn’t sure which, but she vowed that she would never live with a man without benefit of marriage. She had to admit that there were times when she felt like giving in to him.

  Colton’s broad chest was fully muscled, and his abdomen was a perfect six-pack. His long legs were sturdy and masculine in shape and the sight of him momentarily halted Bailey’s ability to breathe whenever she was around him. A man who looked this good often made it difficult when it came to refusing Colton anything.

  Sexy chocolate.

  A smile tugged at her lips when her cell phone rang.

  Bailey answered, saying, “Look at you… missing me already?”

  He chuckled. “I bet you miss me, too.”

  Colton was right. Bailey loved spending time with him. He wasn’t just her boyfriend—they were also friends.

  When the time was right, she believed they would get married. Colton was the one man for her; perfect in every way.

  “There was a large crowd at the signing,” Harini stated. “That’s good, don’t you think, Pip?”

  “It was standing room only. Always a good thing.”

  She smiled. “You came?”

  “I was there.”

  “Did you see the way that one girl was gushing all over me?” Tickled, Harini picked up her wine glass. “I think her name was Haley… no Bailey. That was it. You should’ve heard her gushing all over me with that deep Southern twang. It was so cute. She reminded me of sweet tea, collard greens, and fried cornbread. You know… the way Mother used to cook it.”

  “She acted like you were a goddess,” Pip responded, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

  “I am a goddess.”

  “Yeah, I know you really believe that.”

  Ignoring his sarcastic comment, Harini went on to say, “I think I should get to know this chick. There’s something about her that I like.”

  “She probably reminds you of yourself,” Pip said. “She has that same look of hunger that you used to have in your eyes. Her friends on the other hand, wasn’t feeling you at all. One of them didn’t even bother to buy your book.”

  “Like I care,” Harini muttered. “They don’t add value to my life, so they’re useless individuals.” She refilled her wine glass. “You see that whore Joyce didn’t show up at the signing. I knew she wouldn’t. She did block me on social media though.”

  “You need to stop antagonizing folk,” Pip advised. “One day it’s seriously gonna to backfire on you.”

  “Do I look worried?” Harini turned on her computer monitor. “Mother used to always say that knowledge is power. She’s right.”

  “What are you about to do?”

  “I’m gonna see what dirt I can find on Bailey Hargrove.”

  Pip shook his head. “You just can’t help yourself… can you?”

  “If I’m going to work with her—I need to know exactly who I’m working with,” Harini responded. “In this business, you can’t be too careful.”
<
br />   “I guess I’ll leave you to your evil doings.”

  Feeling overheated, Harini gasped in shock. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.” She unbuttoned the top two shirt buttons. “You need to take that back.”

  Pip didn’t bother to respond.

  Harini opened up a window on her monitor, keyed in her user name and password. She waited patiently for the background screening application to load. In order to stay at the top of the publishing game, Harini believed she had to learn as much as possible about her competition—it gave her leverage.

  Bailey was not a threat, but Harini found herself wanting to know more about her.

  “So, did you find anything juicy about Miss Hargrove?” Pip asked when Harini entered the kitchen later that night.

  “No, just that she’s an insurance claims adjuster. Looks like she graduated college last month. She doesn’t have a huge social media presence… she’s basically a nobody—for the most part, Bailey appears to be a pretty decent person.”

  “How disappointing that must be for you,” Pip muttered.

  Harini glared at her brother. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

  Pip headed toward the door. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “I love you, big brother, but you can be so irritating at times.”

  “Trust me… the feeling’s mutual.”

  Harini grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and went upstairs to her bedroom.

  She slipped into a pair of pajamas, then climbed into bed with her iPad. Harini wanted to see how many photos from the book signing had been posted. I took enough of them. She would post the ones on her phone in the morning.

  Harini returned to Bailey’s social media page, scanning through post after post.

  “She doesn’t mention much about her personal life,” Harini whispered to the empty room. “This just means I’ll have to find another way to learn her secrets.”

  The next day, Pip surveyed Harini’s trash can, which by the volume of paper stashed inside, indicated a solid effort. “It can be slow at times,” he said. “Don’t let the lack of progress deter you, sis. Maybe approaching what you do have from a different point of view is the way to go.”

  “I was actually considering exactly that.” Harini offered a tight-lipped smile. “You know plotting isn’t a strength for me.”

  He laughed. “Now that’s funny. Plotting is all you ever do.”

  “Don’t you have something to do?”

  “The only reason I’m here is because of you,” Pip responded dryly. “I can always leave.”

  “I’m sorry for snapping. I’m tired and trying to get this book ready for my agent… it’s just not coming together.”

  An hour later, Harini still hadn’t made much progress with her writing. She sighed in frustration.

  She spent the next hour on the Internet, checking to see if there were any new photographs posted of the signing or if readers were talking about her new book. There were a couple of reviews already posted, but Harini wasn’t satisfied. There should be more reviews by now. I need people to post.

  The truth was that only her first two books had done well—so well that she made USA Today and New York Times bestselling lists. The other two books had not performed as well, so Harini needed high sales on this new release. “I can’t fail at this,” she whispered. “I can’t…”

  She was overwhelmed.

  Harini closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, then exhaled. She was twenty-six years old with five books under her belt. Her first two books had been optioned for film adaptations. I’ve done well. Better than a lot of authors out there, but I have to stay on top.

  She thought about going to Pip but changed her mind. Harini rose to her feet and walked over to the window in her office. She stared out. I can do this. I just need a short break. I’m putting too much pressure on myself.

  Harini returned to her desk and sat down.

  She opened her tote and retrieved a copy of the synopsis Bailey had given her. Harini began to read.

  Although there were still a few gaps in the story, Bailey had a strong outline. Harini imagined the manuscript to be a well written one. She had potential—there was no denying that.

  She’s not as good as me though.

  Harini put away the synopsis and went upstairs.

  Upon entering her bedroom, a wave of loneliness washed over her. It was a longing so intense, it manifested itself as a dull ache. Her last relationship had ended a couple of months ago, and Harini was currently in between friends. She had her brother but… Hugging herself, she shook away the thought.

  A thickness in Harini’s throat, signaled the onset of tears. Outside of being a bestselling author, she yearned desperately to be a mother. She’d lost three babies over the past five years and deemed it unfair that she’d been denied the chance for motherhood. Her hand clenched into fists as anger coursed through her veins.

  God, I’ve never asked you for much. I would’ve been a great mother. Harini raised her eyes heavenward. You let people who are undeserving have children, but not me. Why? Why can’t I be a mother?

  Out of pure boredom, Harini sat down to watch a movie, then took a shower.

  After slipping into a pair of pajamas, she made her way to the kitchen.

  “I’m about to make a sandwich,” Harini said when Pip appeared. “I’m hungry.” It would’ve come as a surprise if he hadn’t popped in—it was his way. He often seemed to appear out of nowhere, startling her. Maybe it was because they lived in a 3000 square foot condo. Harini hadn’t gotten used to having so much space. Although she grew up in a nice home, it didn’t compare to what she had now.

  “Did you get any writing done?” he asked.

  “Nope. I watched a movie instead.” Harini retrieved a packet of deli meat, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, and mustard from the refrigerator. “I just couldn’t focus.”

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “I don’t know,” Harini responded as she put together a turkey and Swiss sandwich.

  “Every writer goes through a period where the story just isn’t coming together. It’s just a temporary setback. I’m not worried about it.”

  “I hear what you’re saying to me, but the expression on your face tells me something different,” Pip stated.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you,” Harini snapped, slamming the cabinet door. “You would love to see me fail. You’re just like mother and father.”

  “If you really think that, then why am I here?” Pip questioned.

  “Why are you here?”

  “I hate talking to you when you get like this. I’m out.”

  “Pip… I’m sorry.”

  Her words were met with silence.

  “Come back please. I don’t want to be alone.”

  Chapter 3

  On Saturday, Colton ended up having to go into work, much to Bailey’s disappointment, so she spent her morning at the gym working out.

  An hour later, she returned home, showered and completed two loads of laundry. Her apartment was small, so it didn’t take long to clean.

  Shortly after two in the afternoon, Bailey was going stir crazy, so she decided to go out for lunch. She left her apartment and headed down to the corner deli.

  “Bailey…” A girl’s voice behind her called.

  She turned and looked back.

  It was her neighbor. She waited for the girl to catch up. “Hey Sherrie.”

  She was out of breath from hurrying up the block. Sherrie was a tall, full-figured girl of twenty-three. She was a year older than Bailey and had thick curly hair and dark brown eyes. “Where are you going?”

  “Just walking down to the deli. I’m in the mood for a tuna hoagie.”

  Her friend fell into step with Bailey. “Sounds good. I think I’ll join you?”

  A half-smile crossed her face. “You were already headed there. Weren’t you?”

  “You caught me,” Sherrie responded with a ch
uckle. “Girl, the diet thing just wasn’t working out for me. Those expensive meals didn’t do nothing but tease me. I was hungry all the time. I think I’ll try becoming a vegetarian. Cut out all meat. But first I’ma get this ham and cheese hoagie. I’ll start my new way of life next week.”

  Bailey laughed. “Why don’t you come workout with me at the gym?”

  “Girl, you know I’m allergic to exercise. Just thinking about it breaks me out.”

  “You missed the book signing. Harini was great. I’m starting her new book tonight.”

  “I had to work a double shift,” Sherrie responded. “I ordered a copy of the book online. It should be delivered on Monday.”

  “I would’ve gotten you an autographed copy.”

  Sherrie shook her head no. “Not at full price… no thank you. I’m not paying twenty-four dollars for a book, especially when the last book wasn’t that great.”

  Bailey’s brows rose in surprise. “You didn’t like it?”

  “It wasn’t good to me,” Sherrie glanced over at Bailey. “C’mon… You read it, didn’t you?”

  “I did.”

  “So, what do you think about it?”

  “I agree that it wasn’t her best work, but I enjoyed the story.”

  After ordering their sandwiches, Sherrie said, “Let’s take them back to my place.”

  “Sure, but first, I have to get my water ice.”

  “Girl, you have to say wudder ice. Then it sounds like you from Philly.”

  Bailey chuckled. “You always teasing me about the way I talk. I’m Southern and I’m proud of my accent.”

  Chuckling, Sherrie said, “I like your lil’ twang.”

  After spending another hour with her neighbor, Bailey settled down at her place to work on her manuscript for the rest of the afternoon.

  Three hours later, she decided and take a break to check her email. Bailey gasped in surprise when she saw a message from Harini.

  Bailey:

  Ms. Samuels wanted to let you know that it was a pleasure to meet you the other night at her signing. In fact, she would like to finish the conversation you two started regarding your writing career. Per her instructions, I am extending an invitation to you to join Ms. Samuels for lunch on Wednesday, June 18th at one o’clock p.m. Please reply with your response and I’ll forward the address.