“You like? It’s going into your kit, this will be a part of all your signings. I’m dying to take credit, but it was Leo’s doing. He vetoed the plain and usual for you. Just wait until you taste the champagne. It’s too die for, Krug. I warned Leo if there’s any leftover I’m taking a bottle home. Leo said if he likes the way everything goes, he’ll send me a case of it. So, tell me, tell me is there anything here you want to change? What do you love, what do you not love?”
“Um,” I look around. “Everything is perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Wonderful, so let’s discuss. There will be three newspapers here tonight, we have the Trib, the Sun-Times, and I did manage to get the New York Times although be warned they called me and asked if Leo was going to be here tonight before they confirmed.
“Tonight, you keep your responses light and teasing about staying where you are and your next book. You don’t give any details on even your next book. I met with Renee this afternoon for lunch, right now she has sniffs from two publishing houses. I’m of the firm belief after tonight you’ll have them all coming to sniff around.
“The plan will be for an hour of mixing and mingling then you’re going to do a reading. We have the highlighted copy you gave to Leo last week ready to go. You sign for an hour or so then the night ends when the champagne runs out.” His phone chirps and he checks it. “Great, Elise and Dmitri are running late, but they are coming. Now, this is a party everyone will be talking about.”
“Dmitri Markhoff?”
“Yes, and his cutie wife. Ria told her about you and they both just had to come.”
“Ria Hawthorne, Drake’s wife, knows about me? How?”
“I told Ria when we had lunch last week. I gave her your first book after I finished it and told her about you. She was all ears because she had a touch of jealousy. Drake called you pretty when she was right there. Silly man.”
“You know Ria and Drake?” Drake called me pretty?
“For years, I worked for Drake’s firm out of college, that’s where I met Leo. When Drake closed down I struck out on my own. Leo invested in me to start me up. I’ve been working for him and Drake, as needed, ever since. Ria is a doll, we have lunch often. Ever since she met Elise last year they’ve been thick as thieves.” He takes a deep, loud breath and lets out a humming sigh. “Three stunning men, two of them billionaires, and one vaunted son of Chicago. I’m going to have to hire another person to handle all the jaws that drop over this.”