All the Lies - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,16
I see. How do you like it there?”
“It’s interesting. I've always wanted to write for a living and I love that I can actually do that. Whether or not I make enough money to make a living, that's a whole other thing.”
“Doesn't seem like that's something you have to worry about,” Liam says, looking around the house and the grounds.
I clench my jaw to keep the anger at bay.
“For your information, I don't take any money from my parents whatsoever. They're rich, but I’m not. I make my own way in life.”
Liam focuses his gaze on me, narrowing his eyes.
I expect him to apologize, but he doesn't. Instead he just looks at me as if I am the one who has said something wrong.
“I didn't mean anything by that.” He finally caves.
“Yeah, no one ever does.”
“Is that something that's important to you?” he asks.
“What? Living on the money that I make and nothing else?”
He shrugs and says, “That's not usually how it's done in these parts.”
“I don't need a lecture on how nepotistic and self-centered people in Los Angeles can be. Everyone seems to do just about anything for money and access, but I'm not like that.”
I cross my arms and get up.
“I'm sorry,” he says after a long pause.
“Doesn't matter. I'm having a bad day.”
If we had met under normal circumstances, I would have never jumped down his throat like that. He didn’t really say anything out of line and perhaps I was too quick to anger.
“So, what kind of stuff do you work on for Coast?” Liam asks. “I've seen it at Barnes & Noble, but I've never picked it up.”
“Too many pictures of the ocean?” I ask.
“Too many pictures of carefully curated dining room tables with their centerpieces of lemons and silverware.”
I laugh.
I like his sense of humor. It's understated and surprising, something that I desperately need right now to take my mind off my life.
“We write a lot of articles about interior design especially for coastal houses, but mainly it's a lifestyle magazine with recipes and ideas for parties and that kind of thing. There are also a few spots for features. The one that I'm working on now seems kind of far-fetched and not a great fit for the magazine, but my boss has a stick up her ass about getting me to write it so I have to figure out how to do that.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asks.
I nod.
I don't know why I feel the need to tell him all of this.
It's not really a need, but a desire to share.
A part of me suspects that it might have something to do with the fact that he's the first person who has actually showed any interest in my work and in me in a long time.
“Tell me about it,” he says, shifting his weight forward and leaning closer to me.
“I pitched a story about a reclusive writer that no one knows anything about. It seemed like an impossible assignment at the time and is not a great fit for the magazine, but I had nothing else for the pitch meeting so I went with it. I had no idea that she would actually take me up on it.”
“Who is the reclusive writer?”
“D. B. Carter. Ever heard of him?”
Liam shakes his head and says, “I'm not much of a reader.”
“Well, a lot of people like him. He’s an independently published author.”
“Meaning?”
“He sells and publishes his books on Amazon and other platforms by himself.”
“What's so special about him?” Liam asks.
“He sells a lot of books. He writes epic fantasy with some romance. He makes a lot of money. He has sold millions of copies. He has been on all the big lists like The New York Times and USA Today. You know what else?”
“What?”
“He publishes a book every month or so. He’s dominating the space and no one knows one thing about him. Or even if he’s a he at all.”
“It might be a woman?” Liam asks.
“Pseudonyms are really popular so, technically, yes, D. B. Carter could be a man or woman. I'm just assuming that it's a man…unfortunately, being a white male is kind of a default setting.”
“So, how are you going to go about finding him or her?”
“I have no idea. Do you know anything about searching for people on the Internet?”
“No, not really. I don't even have a social media account.”
“Well, D. B. Carter does. Actually, he is quite active, but he never posts any pictures or personal information of any kind. Just promos