Glass Hearts

Chapter 19: Composure

Samantha Campbell 

With sweaty palms and jittery nerves, I wait in line behind Mr. Kim to meet my idol, Lidia Casaletto. I try not to get too excited but my elevated heart rate tells me I'm already failing at it. I'm a teenager again. Camping outside a venue for exclusive tickets to my favorite band. Standing next to Mr. Kim makes me shake my head. I remember having more enthusiastic company back in those days.

Mr. Kim's tall frame obscures my vision, making me move side to side just to get a glimpse of her. The older Italian woman smiles from ear to ear when a young boy asks for her signature. Swapping stories with him in her limited English, she relies heavily on her male interpreter to get her points across. Her minimalistic makeup and short gray hair compliment her olive skin tone. Her modest peasant top and ankle-length skirt make her appear more natural and homely.

As I gawk at Lidia Casaletto, a semblance of hope flows through my body. I'm going to be able to share my thoughts on the book and have a real conversation with her. This is great. It's not everyday I get to go to an event that's both for work and fun.

Once the boy and his parents finish, the rude man from earlier goes up to meet her.

"You need to publish an English version of the story. I can make that happen." He assures in a low gruff voice.

Being merely a few feet apart, Mr. Kim and I can still hear the man's declaration. I scoff at his approach. This man cannot be serious.

I tap Mr. Kim's shoulder.

"Who is this guy?"

His brows furrow, his arms folding across his chest. Studying the man's face, his eyes widen.

"I didn't recognize him with the beard. It's Richard Lewis." He responds quietly.

I've never heard of him before but Mr. Kim seems to regard his existence as a universally understood fact. When I don't respond he sighs and leans in closer.

"He's from a smaller publishing company called Reeder." He explains, his cold breath tickling my ear.

I nod and then back away. Grateful for the information but uncomfortable with the proximity.

Oh wow. I just thought the man was a rude fan, not a competing party. This is going to be tougher than I thought.

"You could make a lot of money without all the shipping costs. Think about how much you could save if you published an English translation in Kismet." Richard Lewis continues, stroking his beard like a villain in a Bond movie. With a bald head and gold chain around his thick neck, he could be a convincing cast member of Goldfinger .

Her genuine smile fades and is replaced with a neutral expression.The pen flies across the page before he can say anything else.

That headstrong approach isn't going to work. Mrs. Casaletto seems like an older woman who knows what she wants. A strong woman who won't be shoehorned or bullied into making a decision. She requires tact. She hands the book to him without so much as a response.

"Thank you..."

He walks away with slow deliberate steps in case she changes her mind but of course she doesn't. The bookstore staff lead him out of the line and motion with their hand for the next person.

The translator signals one of the book store workers over to the table. A short woman in her thirties nods as he tells her something important. The room grows quiet as she calls our attention to the center of the room.

"Excuse me, everyone. Due to time constraints, Mrs. Casaletto will only sign books. Please step up with your copy, greet her and then exit that way." She says pointing to the way we came in.