40
The lift opened on the top floor at Henshaw and Carlson, and Edward stepped out to see his agent Tom waiting.
‘How are you, my old friend?’ Tom extended a hand, which Edward took and then pulled him into a hug.
‘I need to see more of you; I’m a shit friend and a shit client.’
‘Where is this coming from?’ Tom slapped his friend on the back.
‘I’m just atoning – it’s a new thing I’m working on. Having some realisations that I might be a bit of a selfish bastard.’
‘Took you long enough to realise, but that’s what we love about you. You don’t mean to be one, you were born like that. And so was your father and his father and all the fathers on the Priest side before that.’
Edward laughed because it was the truth, but it only took one person to change the path of their family lineage.
‘Shall we talk before we go in?’ asked Tom. ‘They’ve given us a room, which I assume isn’t bugged.’
‘I think you’re joking,’ said Edward as they walked into the small side meeting room and he closed the door.
‘How did you go with the hearing?’
‘It was fine. They extended the injunction on her and they managed to find her parents, who she estranged, not them. They’re willing to take her in if she goes back to America. I have offered to pay for her ticket.’
‘That’s a good outcome I suppose, but let’s talk about this deal. Serena didn’t get your editor back. Apparently, she’s refused to even speak to her. Not a surprise but knowing Serena she will be making it hard for her to get another job.’
Edward sat down. ‘Why the hell did you let me stay with her for so long?’ Edward asked. ‘Did you know she was this bad?’
Tom laughed. ‘Of course I did but she was on your side; she made you a lot of money. That pile you live in came courtesy of Serena and her deals.’
Edward knew he was right but it still made him embarrassed that he had refused to see what Serena had pulled in his career to make him as famous as he was.
‘You can’t have it both ways,’ Tom said.
‘So if you buy back the rights to your books, it’s twenty million pounds,’ he said.
‘Twenty million? God, do I have that?’
‘In cash? No. But you could sell the house; might take a while to offload it but it would solve it and then I would need to find you a new home for those books and the new detective one.’
Edward felt nervous, like he had when he sent his first book out to agents who were open to submissions years ago.
‘Do you think someone will take me on?’ he asked.
Tom roared with laughter. ‘God you writers are an insecure bunch aren’t you? So bloody needy. Yes, I think with your multiple publishing deals and a movie deal and more, someone will take you on.’
Edward stood up. ‘Well then let’s go and buy back my freedom.’
‘Let me do the talking,’ said Tom.
‘I’ll try,’ Edward replied.
‘Try very hard. You get personal; I’m making this about the business, okay?’
‘Okay,’ said a chastened Edward.
*
Edward shook Tom’s hand after the meeting.
