Lilli stepped off the elevator and frowned because Shania wasn't at her desk. Zach stepped out of their office and flashed his drop dead smile.

"Smile, Lill. It's Friday."

The weekend was a double-edged sword. It meant a break from Zach, but it was also two days without seeing the face that was smiling at her. Her week had been like one long roller coaster ride, and she didn't mean a lame one like the amusement park in Maine. She meant the Six Flags kind, which went upside down. She had only been to Six Flags once for her senior class trip in high school. It was a long ride and not enough time before they loaded the buses again. Six Flags wasn't as far from Boston, maybe half the three and a half hours from Maine.

"What are you thinking about?"

She hadn't seen Zach watching her as she entered her office and slipped into her heels. Winter was over and the sidewalks didn't have slush anymore, so she wore her running shoes instead of boots. Running shoes were their type, not their job, because the only time she ran was for a train, but only if necessary. She preferred barefoot walks on the beach.

"Huh? Oh Six Flags."

His face broke out in the smile that took all intelligent thoughts out of her head.

"Six Flags?"

"Roller coasters. Don't ask. You don't want to know what pops into my head."

She heard the elevator and looked out. It was Austin arriving.

"Are you expecting someone?"

She smiled. "Zach, I have to tell you, Shaina gave me her submission to look at. I was blown away."

"In what way?"

"Don't get excited. It's YA. I wish Leo wasn't off. It's about young love, but it's more than a relationship. Not only does it tackle some important race issues head on, but it is eye opening and enthralling and unique."

Zach smiled at her. "Did you say you liked it?" Lilli stopped herself from hitting his arm. He was a tease. "Seriously, email him. I bet he'll be checking in."

"I want to read the whole manuscript. I mean, I really want to, like it's on my mind."

"Along with roller coasters?"

"I warned you."

They laughed together and Lilli wished she could feel this relaxed around him all the time.

His smile disappeared first. "Hey Lill, I've been wondering something."

Yes, anything you ask, my answer is yes.

He shifted his feet. He asked, "Did you remember me from when I worked for Ann and called over to Kendall?"

It was the last thing she expected him to ask. Why did he look like he had before Ethan Cunningham arrived? Roller coaster.

She smiled. Kendall had names for him, but her favorite was Ann's errand boy. "I remember the first time I met you here. You weren't what I expected."

"How so?"

Gorgeous. "Tall. I never picture male assistants as tall."

She was afraid she used Rhys as a reference point, which was wrong on so many levels.

Lilli added, "I didn't talk to assistants, because Kendall didn't deem them important. I saved my charm for authors."

He laughed. "Charm is the perfect word."

Lilli bit her lip, but asked her question. "Did you remember me?"

"Lilli, everyone knew about the super assistant who put up with Kendall and never cried. I was sure you were older than Kendall."

"Seriously? Boy, were you wrong. I cried all the time."

It was true, but she never did where Kendall or her colleagues could see her. She spent many lunch breaks in the bathroom by the promotions department with Ainsley. There was a sign on the door warning about the crying zone. Her roommate kept Lilli's makeup case in her desk drawer.

Zach frowned. "You should never have to cry at work." Smiling, he added, "Shania's here."

Lilli's smile quickly turned down. Chelsea was standing by Shania's desk. With Leo out, Chelsea would probably plant herself there all day.

She walked halfway across reception. "Hey Chelsea, can you cover the desk? Zach needs to speak to Shania."

Shania looked apprehensive as she stood and followed Lilli. Once Shania stepped inside, Lilli shut her door.

Shania looked at Zach's office. "I lied, but I didn't want to hurt Chelsea. I read your submission. Your story idea surprised me. I want to read the whole thing. Can you send me your full manuscript?"

"Printed?"

Lilli nodded. "You know it's Leo who I'll show it to. Is it true?"

Shania looked serious. Lilli could imagine a jumble of feelings. "Only some of it."

"But the feelings and opinions of your characters, they're authentic?"

"Yes."

Lilli smiled. "With the part you gave me, your words felt it."

"Really?"

Lilli asked, "Are you still writing?"

She nodded. "I have one other draft."

"Get a summary ready. We'll want to see it."

"Are you kidding me?"

Lilli shook her head. "Hopefully, Leo will feel the same as me."

The girl smiled. "What do I tell Chelsea?"

"Wait. Me wanting to read it is a long way from Leo liking it."

Lilli was excited to read but would wait until she went home. She had to focus on Zach's clients.

By noon, Shania's manuscript was calling to her. Lilli liked it wasn't the size of War and Peace. YA books should be smaller than adult novels. Ignoring it, she placed a submission in the no pile. She had completed her review of all the submissions Chelsea had rejected for Zach. She had five in a pile to read the sample, plus one she received earlier in the week.

Zach left for lunch, although she hadn't booked a meeting for him. Maybe Olivia was in town. Why couldn't she believe they were just friends?

Again resisting the urge to pick up Shania's work, she picked up a sample. Zach had been strangely quiet about her book. Maybe because she had ignored Novelpost all week. He probably messaged her ten times. Perhaps he finally got the hint. Regardless, she wanted to find a better possibility.

The first one she read was good, but was missing something. She picked up the recent one. It was an office romance. She put it in Zach's inbox for him to look at.

Zach returned, but she was so involved she hadn't eaten. She was thinking about peanut butter crackers when he put a Chipotle bag on her desk.

She smiled at him. Why was he so thoughtful? "How do you know I haven't eaten?"

He laughed. "You never break for lunch until at least two."

It was true. "I did yesterday."

"Only because your new boyfriend insisted."

She took his bait. "Are you and your new girlfriend going steady?"

He shook his head. "You're heading towards creepy. I was sticking with cute. Eat before you faint or worse, get hangry."

Lilli wanted to argue, but he knew her too well. She picked up another submission and read the sample while she ate. She remembered liking the summary. As she read, she felt chills. Maybe it was the effects of her favorite meal, which Zach ordered perfectly.

By the time she finished her lunch, she had read two chapters and felt excited about the story.

Zach walked through and disappeared. When he returned, he said, "Should I say something to Chelsea? She's in reception again."

Lilli huffed and stood up. She approached the desk. Only Shania smiled. "Hey Chelsea, why don't you teach Shania how to evaluate submissions? You two could go through your stack together."

Lilli turned around and Zach was in her doorway. He turned sideways, and she brushed past him. Her anger kept the myriad of physical responses from taking over.

"I'm not sure she ever read past the name and address to write a rejection letter."

Zach scowled. "Can you prove it?"

She shook her head. How Chelsea did her job shouldn't be her problem. Call it a personality flaw, but Lilli didn't think a good work ethic should be optional. Plenty of other English majors would love a job at Dwyer Mitchell. Connections meant everything. Zach had them with Dwyer through Olivia. Lilli used connections through her college professor to get her position at Roche-Sumner. Hard work and saving her tears for the ladies' room kept her in her position.

Chelsea was Leo's problem. Lilli smiled. "Thanks for lunch. We have a role reversal going on here."

Zach laughed. "I'm a modern guy."

Before she left for the day, she placed a phone call. Lilli was afraid another agent had beaten them to it, since Chelsea had sent the rejection a year before. She never made phone calls, but impatience was one of her flaws.

"I'm looking for Mr. Cooper."

"This is Coop." He sounded like she imagined his male main character to sound like.

"My name is Lilli Caron from Dwyer Mitchell..."

"Are you calling to say no again?"

"No, I've been reviewing submissions my predecessor disregarded. I found yours. Are you still looking for representation?"

"Yeah." He drew it out like he doubted her.

She sighed. "Good. I mean good for Dwyer Mitchell. Could you send your full manuscript? Zachary Steel is interested in taking a second look."

"You're really for real."

"I'll send you the secure upload. I'm looking forward to reading it."

"Seriously."

"I'm serious about wanting to read more."

"What then?"

"If the rest is as good as I hope, then Zachary Steele will see it."

"I thought agents only communicated through email. I've never had a phone call before."

"To be honest, I don't make calls. I expected you to tell me you had an agent."

"Nope. Just a lot of the same emails you sent before. I'll send you my pages."

She ended the call. "Thanks, Coop."

Stealth like Zach was there. "Lilli, who were you talking to?"

Lilli looked up. "It wasn't personal."

"I didn't say it was. Lilli, it's okay if it was. I'm not Kendall, and it's almost five on Friday."

He laughed and walked out with his water bottle. If he was filling his water so late on a Friday, he wasn't leaving. She could read in the office, but preferred her legs tuck under her on the sofa.

Lilli cleaned up her desk and filed all the paperwork she wasn't interested in. Then she cleaned out the fridge in the kitchen. It was five when she finished. Shania and Chelsea walking out was her clue.

She looked in at Zach. He had his glasses on again. "I'm going to go?"

"Big plans?"

"Shania's novel, my pajamas, and a glass of red."

"What varietal?"

"What?"

Zach smiled. "Which red do you prefer?"

"Cheap's a good year." Zach laughed. "Seriously, anything I can afford. Blends. Merlot." He nodded. "Don't stay too late. Contrary to what Chelsea thinks, you aren't ancient yet."

He laughed. "I love your sense of humor. I'm leaving soon. I'm working on the Hoffman manuscript. Let me know what you think of the story."

She mumbled something, but her brain was stuck on 'I love your sense of humor', like a needle stuck in a groove in a record. Her little sister, Phoebe, went through a phase when she was obsessed with vinyl.

At nine-thirty, Lilli paced and jumped around her small living room.

"Lill, sit. What's wrong?"

She looked at Ainsley. "Nothing is wrong! I love my job. I love the feeling in my gut that I found a winner. Let's hope Leo agrees."

"He will."

Lilli ignored her. Ainsley didn't know Leo. "I have to tell Zach. He wanted to know."

Ainsley was glued to her screen. "Now?"

"Why not? Do you think he's on a date?"

"No. I thought you said he was single and the sorority sister was his cousin."

"Cousin? I never said cousin."

"Or like a cousin or something."

"He said best friend."

"See, that's what I meant." Ainsley's right eye twitched, her typical lying tell. Lilli knitted her brow. Ainsley barely knew Zach.

Ainsley waved her hand and went back to texting. Lilli wanted to know who she was texting, but she trusted Ainse to tell her when she was ready. Instead, she sent a text to Zach.

🗨L: I couldn't put Shania's manuscript down

Lilli stared at her phone. No response. She got up for more wine.

🗨Z: Really! That's great.

🗨L: I know. I can't wait to talk to Leo.

While Lilli waited for Zach to respond, Ainsley stood up. Lilli said, "You done with your boyfriend?"

"My friend has something better to do."

Lilli's phone dinged.

🗨Z: Do you ever say that about me?

What did he mean? Lilli shook the least likely thought out of her head.

🗨L: I'm on the verge of finding a best seller.

🗨Z: A gut feeling?

🗨L: Maybe. You made me a promise.

🗨Z: I didn't promise.

🗨L: Let's just say with this you'll forget about Novelpost.

🗨Z: Never. My guts telling me I'll have a breakthrough soon.

Lilli should have known he hadn't forgotten. Although he hadn't been bugging Ree.

🗨L: I'm gonna find something better than your Novelpost girlfriend.

🗨Z: Girlfriend! Why would you say that?

🗨L: Because you are obsessed with her.

🗨Z: Am not.

🗨L: R 2. Goodnight 😴

She put down her phone, worried she might have said too much, but Zach hadn't mentioned Ree in the past few days. "OMG!"

"What's wrong?"

"I'll never understand men. He got prickly over my teasing."

"That's what happens when you tease a guy about his manhood."

"I wasn't. I was teasing him about his obsession with Ree and called her his girlfriend." Lilli laughed at her joke. "I wish. Right?" She laughed harder.

Her own alter ego confused her. It could be because she was so busy finding actual authors that her activity on Novelpost was an afterthought. She had taken the first step towards cutting the cord on her Twilight past by uninstalling the Tumblr app on her iPad. She'd let her account die out. Half her followers were probably porn stars, anyway.

Ainsley shook her head. "I miss Rhys. Let's text him!"

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