Missing Marlene Read Online Free Page B

Rog?” she asked, winking at Jane. She knew he hated it when she called him that.
    For a moment he didn’t seem to hear her, his gaze locked on Jane. Then he looked up distractedly and nodded. Ginny filled a mug for him and hurried off. Roger looked back at Jane. His lips were pressed tightly together, his nostrils slightly flared.
    At last he said, “And they refuse to take any responsibility for that, don’t they?” Before Jane could respond, he rushed on, “How do they expect the book to do anything when they do nothing to promote it? They’ve pushed me before. Why won’t they now?”
    “Roger, you know they’ve never felt this book was as strong as your others . . .”
    “And therefore decided it wouldn’t sell as well, and therefore didn’t bother pushing it, and so what we have here is a self-fulfilling prophecy.” He leaned forward ominously. “They promised us advertising and promotion on this book, and they will keep that promise. You have to be firm with them.”
    “It won’t do any good, Roger. They’ve made up their minds. They don’t even—” She stopped. She hadn’t wanted to tell him like this.
    “They don’t even what?”
    She put down her mug. “They’re dropping your option.”
    “What!”
    She nodded.
    He sat way back, blew out his breath, and looked down at the floor, clearly mortified. “Oh boy.”
    Her heart went out to him. “Roger, we have to move forward. There’s no point in fighting Millennium about this. They’re unmovable. The important thing is to start showing your new book right away, find you a new publisher. The sooner the better.”
    “You mean before the other publishers find out how badly this book is selling?”
    She gave a tiny nod.
    He laughed at her. “Don’t be naive. They can find out all they want to know right now.”
    “Maybe, but you’ve had too many successes for another publisher to turn you away because of one flop. I know I can place the new book . . . but you’ve got to rewrite it.”
    His gaze snapped to her. “I can’t believe you’re harping on that again,” he said, his voice rising. The young mother glanced over, then looked quickly away.
    He was stubborn—a quality Jane hated in anyone. She forced herself to stay calm.
    “I’m ‘harping’ on it, as you put it, because if you don’t rewrite it, you won’t sell it. It’s as simple as that.”
    “Are you saying you won’t submit the book as it is?”
    “Is that what you’re asking me to do?”
    He shut his mouth tightly, took another deep breath. “Let’s put aside the manuscript for the moment. I’m still not willing to give up on A Better Place as easily as you seem to be. I am asking you, as my agent, to meet with Arliss and that cretin she reports to, and demand that they advertise the book and set up the promotion they promised. I’d come to the meeting, but I’d wring Arliss’s neck. Besides, it’s what I pay you for. Tell them we’ll sue for breach of contract.”
    “Roger, it’s not in your contract.”
    Abruptly he stood, startling her. She stared up at him.
    “Do—your—job,” he said, and walked out.
    Jane sat very still, watching him pass the shop window.
    How dared he! The muleheaded fool.
    But could she really blame him? He had written A Better Place , not she. Why should he throw it away so easily? She felt a pang of conscience. Had she fought hard enough? Certainly anything she could do to improve the book’s sales would help Roger’s future.
    Lost in thought, she took her check to the register.
     
    Daniel looked up apprehensively when Jane came in. “What happened?” he asked.
    “I told him,” Jane said, dragging herself past Daniel’s desk and into her office. He got up and followed her in.
    Jane tossed her coat on the credenza and fell into her chair.
    “Told him what, exactly?” Daniel asked, sitting in her visitor’s chair.
    “That Millennium is finished with him. That they’ve written off A Better Place.”
    Daniel winced.