“Send me the rest of the details. I have so many things to consider before I decide to accept this offer.”

“What! Tell me you’re kidding? There is nothing to consider; this is the opportunity of a lifetime! You have to do this.” Angela raised her voice several octaves and was practically shouting into the phone.

“No, I don’t have to do anything. What I have to do, and what I am going to do, is look at the terms very closely. As you said, this is the biggest opportunity I’ve had as far as my writing goes. I want to make sure I have what it takes to complete the assignment.”

“You do, Lauren. He wouldn’t have chosen you if he didn’t think you were qualified. You have to do this.”

“Send me the pdf, let me look it over, and I’ll get back to you. As soon as possible, I promise.”

“All right, but remember, you’ll have six weeks to come up with the first draft. And that six weeks starts today; he made it clear that as soon as I presented his offer to you, the clock was ticking.”

“You can’t be serious? That’s beyond . . . well, it’s crazy.”

“I agree, but it’s six weeks. You’ve had tough deadlines before. You’ve always managed to meet them. This is important, Lauren. For me, and the agency.”

“I get it, but I still want to . . . know what I’m getting myself into. I’m running the store, as you know, and it’s the start of the Christmas season. I don’t want to make a commitment that I won’t be able to keep, no matter how much they’re offering.”

“Oh, Lauren, you know as well as I do that you can crank out a first draft in a few weeks. And you can still take care of your family’s business.”

“You’re giving me way too much credit,” Lauren insisted.

“No, I’m not. If I didn’t think you were capable of doing this, I wouldn’t have accepted the deal on your behalf.”

Chapter 4

“What?! Are you telling me you’ve already agreed to this proposal, without my even having read the contract?”

Lauren had been with the Winters Agency since the beginning of her career. Angela was always up-front with her, totally honest. There had to be another reason for Angela to agree to a deal without her approval.

Lauren heard Angela’s intake of breath. “Pretty much.”

“So, you want to tell me why? I think I’m entitled to an explanation.” She was ticked; no, beyond ticked. She was pissed off. This was a huge deal any way you looked at it, and Lauren wouldn’t compromise her career for the sake of money. She had to know going in that she’d be able to complete the work and that it would be her best work. She did have a few scruples.

“Look, Lauren, the agency hasn’t had a decent deal since your last book. We need this contract in order to keep our doors open.”