sooner or later, she’d write something else. Besides, he was too good-looking. The last thing she needed was an agent who looked like a movie star. It would be too distracting to work with someone like him. She went home, unpacked her suitcase, and did three loads of laundry. She went out and bought groceries, and she made an omelet and big green salad for dinner. It was a far cry from all the elegant service and delicious meals on the boat. It was embarrassingly hard to get used to real life again. She felt like Cinderella after the coach had turned back into a pumpkin, and the coachmen into mice. She fell asleep on her bed at nine o’clock, fully dressed with all the lights on, and woke up at nine the next morning to the sound of the phone. For a minute, she thought she was still on the boat, and then reality hit her again. She was home.
“Good morning, I hope it’s not too early to call you.” It was Andrew Shippers on the phone.
“No, not at all. I’m usually up long before this. I’m a little jetlagged. I just got up.”
“Well, I’ve got good news for you. Your sister-in-law doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Your mother does. I read your book last night, and it’s a piece of sheer genius. It’s one of the most whimsical, delightful pieces of brilliant writing I’ve read in a long time.”
“You what?… You did?… It is?” She felt like she was about to burst into tears. And she was just as tongue-tied as she’d been the day before. Only now she was smiling and there were tears of joy and relief running down her face. She hadn’t realized how much she cared about it, and what he had just said to her was like getting a gift, or winning the lottery. She was so excited she wanted to scream. “Oh my God—you liked it?”
“No. I loved it. And if you don’t let me represent you, I’ll come to your house and stalk you. I want to sell this book.”
“Oh my God,” she said again. “Yes, of course. Sell it. I want you to represent me. Do you really think someone will want to buy it?”
“Very much so. If you e-mail it to me, I’ll get it into the right hands immediately. The only thing that might slow it down a little is that people are on vacation. But in a few weeks, everyone will be back at work. I have a few editors in mind who would be just right for this book.”
“I think I’m going to faint,” she said in a choked voice.
“Please don’t. Just hang on to your hat, and I’ll get back to you in a few weeks.”
“Thank you, thank you very much, Mr.… er … Andrew … just thank you, and good luck with it!”
He wondered if she was always that nervous, or if it was just with him, and about this book. He could tell how personal it was. It was a beautiful piece of writing that had come straight from her soul. He was sure he was going to do very well with the book. He hadn’t sold anything he liked as much in months, maybe even years.
After she hung up, Liz called her mother’s BlackBerry. She thought she’d been due back in New York the night before. And she was right. Olivia was in her office, going over some charts and e-mails, and she answered on the first ring.
“Oh my God, Mom, he liked it—he loved it—”
“Who did?” For a moment Olivia was confused and then she understood. “He did? The agent? What did he say?”
“That you were right. He thinks it’s ‘brilliant.’ He thinks he can sell it. He doesn’t even want me to change anything.”
“I’m so pleased,” Olivia said, beaming from ear to ear. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you, Mom. How was the rest of your trip?”
“It was okay. I missed you all like crazy when you left. I came back late last night. How’s everything with you?”
“Fantastic. I’m going to sell a book.” As soon as she said it, she realized that was the next thing she had to worry about. What if he was wrong and no one bought the book?
“We’ll have to celebrate,” her mother said generously.
“Not until he sells it.”
They talked for a few more minutes, and then Olivia had to take a call from Europe. Their store in Madrid was in the midst of