Enigmatic: Sapphire City Supers

Chapter 2: Here's to you, Mrs Jones

I searched the faces in the sunny back garden of the cafe, before spotting the one I was looking for. Grace was at a table nestled in the far corner, a little removed from the general business all around, which was thoughtful of her as always. Her curly black hair shone in the sun, which also glowed on her warm dark skin, and I smiled excitedly when I saw her. Grace Beauchamp was a beautiful person, a great friend and an even better literary agent. As I got closer, I noticed that in the shadows beside her sat a man I'd never seen before; it was certainly not her husband, Stu.

Grace's gold-green hazel eyes sparkled when she spotted me. "Well hooray, my favourite client is here! Which reminds me - Jackson," she turned to the man beside her, "remember that you are to have no favourites. At least, not yet." She grinned with the air of a seasoned master to an apprentice.

As it turned out, that's basically what it was. She nodded towards him. "Kenna Jones, this is Jackson Ryder. He's new at the agency, a total greenhorn, and he'll be shadowing me for a couple months while he learns the ropes. Jackson, as you know, this is Kenna, otherwise known as Kennedy Jacobs, one of our successful authors with only two books under her belt. Well, working on a third now, aren't we Kenna?" She gave me a sharp look, and suddenly I was under the microscope. Grace was sweet and loyal, and she was also fierce as hell when she wanted to be. It's what gave her the edge in the business.

"That is what we're here to talk about!" I smiled sweetly at her, knowing her too well to be intimidated.

Jackson, however, did look a bit intimidated. He recovered well though, standing up to shake my hand and flashing me a bright, white smile. I studied him covertly, taking in his tall build and chestnut coloured hair, worn swept over to one side in a similar style to Ewan's. He had strange eyes, a deep, flecked amber brown that reminded me of a pair of amber earrings I'd once got from Poland.

"It's really great to meet you, Miss Jones. I read the Song of the Storm, and I was really impressed by it. The characters, the things they could do, they all felt so real."

His enthusiasm felt real too, and I couldn't help but smile back warmly. "Thank you, Jackson, that's music to any writer's ears."

Grace, however, was more critical. "Jackson, we talked about this. Ms Jones. Not Miss. What if she was Mrs Jones?"

He looked embarrassed, and when he met my eye, I was too, suddenly. "Okay Grace, but I'm not," I said firmly. "That's an old fashioned lesson, and what's more, it's a moot point, because I'd prefer you call me Kenna." I directed this last bit at Jackson, who gave me a little smile.

Grace was looking between us then, and her face suddenly cracked into what was to me an unmistakably evil grin. "That's right, Kenna, you're definitely a Miss Jones. Jackson, second rule is that you always listen to what the client wants." She leaned back into her chair comfortably, looking rather pleased with herself.

I, on the other hand, thought it would be handy if my own chair would swallow me whole, and hoped fervently that poor Jackson didn't know Grace well enough to have caught on to her innuendo.

When he smiled and said, "Kenna it is then," I still wasn't sure if he did.

The rest of the meeting passed on more mundane terms, with Grace helping me to sketch out some basic timelines after I'd told her about what I'd written that day. That didn't stop me from cornering her after she'd sent Jackson back to the office ahead of her, and giving her a smack on the shoulder.

"Oh my god, Grace, you're so unprofessional! That poor new guy, getting stuck with you as a mentor!"

"Owww, Kenna, jeez you're strong." She rubbed her shoulder and I felt a little guilty since she didn't know how right she was. "And I'm sorry, but he obviously noticed what a babe you are because he has eyes and a brain, and I think I'm secure enough in my love for my own husband to say that he is damn cute too, so I couldn't help myself!"