Entrapped . HS

NINE.

With Atty entertained all weekend, I needed to find something else to do. Thankfully, Lane (Declan's girlfriend) was out of town, so he could hang with me. The timing of her absence couldn't have been more perfect because I was in need of some advice about the New Author's conference from someone who had been there and done that. I also needed to get more advice on what to do about Atty while we were there.

Declan arrived at my apartment shortly after Atty left. "So, what exactly do you want me to tell you about the conference?" That was a loaded question. I wanted to know how to do my job. I wanted to know what to expect from the different publishing houses that sent representatives. I wanted to know so much about the industry, but I wanted to know more about how to navigate doing all of that with Atty by my side, without letting on that she was BY my side.

"I guess I want to know how to spend the whole time ravaging her behind closed doors, but making it look like I'm not doing anything with her outside of the bedroom. The last thing I want is what's going on between us to jeopardize our chances to sign who we want, or make anyone look at Atty for anything other than her talent as an editor." We both knew that she was going to be a powerhouse editor one day. How nobody had snatched her up before now is beyond me, but we had our hooks into her for another year, at most.

"You fucking like her. Don't you?" Declan asked me, only minorly surprised.

"I think that's obvious, isn't it?"

"Well, let's start with going over some clothing options," he moved towards my bedroom where I had started to pull things out of my closet, but hadn't gotten to packing them up yet because we didn't leave for a few more days. "So, travel day. Wear whatever you want to drive there because all you will be doing is showing up and going to your room." I took out a comfortable outfit and laid it over the chair in the corner of my room. After looking at the chair, I just wanted Atty to come back and ride me while sitting there.

"Saturday is casual, but I'd say casual according to grandpa, not you or me."

"So stuffy casual?" I asked as I pulled a sweater out to pair with some dress pants. He agreed to the choice I'd made and we moved on to the welcome dinners. "How formal are the dinners?"

"They are pretty formal, but they are also a little more stylish than your typical publishing dinner. This is usually a younger crowd, so don't pack black and gray suits."

I pulled my floral suit from a friend's wedding in Bern. "Will this work?" I asked him and he nodded with a smirk. It was loud, but I could pull it off. I'd have to make sure that Atty had something tame to stand next to me in, though.

"That will be perfect. Just the right dose of fashion for the crowd."

"Then, for the second night I have this." I showed him my other option and he agreed to it. So, I sat it on the pile to go to the cleaners.

"I'll pack pajamas- appropriate for leaving the room during a fire alarm. Then, a lot of the same stuff I would wear at Sinclair for the middle of the week. Oh, and my stuff for yoga because God knows that I will have to release quite a bit of tension while spending the week stuffed up with authors when I'd rather just be stuffed deep inside Atty (though I get to do that, too)."

"So, what does Atty say about all of this? You hiding it- hiding her."

"She wants it casual. I'm not sure that I ever want it to be more, either. Right now, I just want to look forward to the next week and see where that takes us."

"I appreciate that she makes you less difficult to work with, that's for sure." He walked over to my fridge and helped himself to a beer, handing me one, as well. "I just really hope that whatever this is doesn't blow up while you are in Vermont. Be nice," he warned. He had a connection with her before I did, because of Hannah, and he was strangely protective over her.