Page 93 of To Hate Adam Connor
“Give me all the good ones first.”
I nodded. Good choice. “The best one among all the good ones is that I got you…” I drew out the word and paused just to build up more tension.
“Yes…you got me…?”
“I got you…a freaking AUDIOBOOK deal for Soul Ache!”
She sat up in bed and looked at me with big eyes. “We have a deal?”
“Yup. We got one. And that’s not even the best part about it.” Having trouble containing my energy, I sat up and crossed my legs.
“Tell me already!”
“You’re going to be the narrator!”
Her face fell. “What? The narrator? Why would I be the narrator?”
“Because who would read your book better than you?”
“Lucy. No.”
I pushed at her shoulder, and she staggered back. “Olive. Yes.”
Shaking her head, she got out of the bed. “No way. I’m not doing that.”
I watched her pace the length of the bed and let out a long breath. “Yes, you will. And you wanna know why you’ll do it with the biggest smile on your face, my green Olive?”
“Oh, please, enlighten me.”
“Because your freaking husband is your co-narrator, that’s why.”
The pacing stopped, and I had trouble containing my giddy smile.
“Jason? He’ll read with me? You talked to him about this?”
“Of course I did. As much as I think I should have the right, since I practically gave you to him wrapped up in a pretty little package, I can’t make decisions like that in his name. So I talked to him a few days ago and considering the size of that smile he gave me, he really, and I mean really liked that idea. The publisher loved it too, sooo…it’s a go!”
She climbed on the bed again, sitting on her heels and wearing the cutest grin on her face. “You’re a genius, Lucy. I love that idea. I don’t like the fact that I’m gonna be reading it, but me and Jason…I love it.”
I smiled back at her. “You’re welcome, my little green Olive. At first they were concerned about paying Jason, but he doesn’t want anything, so the deal is only for the audio rights for Soul Ache. You’re getting a very big chunk of an advance for it. I made sure of that.”
“So that means you’re getting a big chunk of commission, too.”
I furrowed my brows. “Uh, no. I’m just helping you. And I actually like having the title of temporary agent, so I’m keeping that, but yeah, I’m not taking your money.”
“Yes, you are. Why the hell would you spend so much time talking to so many publishing companies?”
“Because I’m helping you.”
“Yes. Because you’re good at this stuff. With numbers, with getting people to do what you want them to do. And you care about my work. You care about my characters and you want the best for me. I don’t think there is a better agent than you for me, so I’m keeping you and you’re keeping your commission.”
I narrowed my eyes at her and considered her words. I mean, I did need a job, that was already an established fact, but taking money from my best friend…I didn’t care for that idea all that much. She was my best friend, my sister from another mister. I’d help her as much as I could and truly enjoyed helping her with anything she needed, but when—
Olive snapped her fingers in my face, breaking into my thoughts. “There is nothing for you to think about. I asked you to be my agent. Agents get paid. You got a deal for me, which makes you officially my agent. Not a temporary one. I didn’t even ask you to get me an audiobook deal, yet you still did. You’re my agent, Lucy. And you get twenty-five percent.”
“Twenty-five percent? Are you crazy? Do you even know how much of an advance you’re getting?”
Was I really considering taking money from my friend? And that amount of money? I didn’t think so.
