Yesterday, I went into work at Thrasher Development to talk to Uncle Joey about one of his colleagues. This man had done Uncle Joey a big favor, and now Uncle Joey owed him. Since it was usually the other way around, it made me a little nervous, especially because it probably meant that I would be using my mind reading skills to make it happen.
I got to the office and found Jackie standing over a box with a big grin on her face. She glanced at me and her smile got even bigger. “Guess what’s in the box!! My newest book!!”
Good thing I didn’t say it before she did, since I’d already picked it up from her mind. “That’s great!”
She snagged a book from the box and held it up. “The Hitman and the Psychic!! Isn’t that the cutest cover?”
I nodded, taking in the illustrated cover of a woman with long blond hair, flying off the back of a motorcycle. She was barely hanging onto the guy as he sped along a blue road through the clouds. Wait… was that a frown on her face? And those pink clouds… they almost looked like an explosion. “Yeah. That’s really cute!”
“Isn’t it? And guess what? It’s the one I’ve been writing about you and Ramos!!”
I nodded, but my heart rate spiked. I knew she’d been writing a book based on us, but I couldn’t help worrying about how close it would actually get.
She noticed my alarm and went on to explain. “Don’t worry… it’s not exactly you and Ramos… I mean, the characters in the book are based on the two of you… but no one will know. And you’re not married in the book, so the sex is totally fine.” She was thinking she’d changed the names to Stone and Serenity, along with a few other details. Although, if anyone who knew us read it, they’d probably see the similarities. Still, it was different enough that I shouldn’t worry. “And I used my Jocelyn Drake pen name, so it’s all good.”
“Wow. That’s… great. So what’s her psychic ability?”
“She has psychometry, so it’s different from your premonitions. It means that when she touches an object or a person, she gets a reading, or a vision about them.”
“Oh… yeah. That’s way different.” At least Jackie didn’t know I could read minds, or she probably would have put that in there, and my secret would have been exposed to the whole world! What a disaster.
“And I have another surprise. I dedicated it to you!”
“You did? Let me see.”
She held the book open to the dedication page which read: “To Shelby Nichols. You are the inspiration for this book! I hope you love it!”
“Oh, wow!! That’s so sweet! Thank you! I can’t wait to read it.”
“It comes out in two weeks, but I wanted you to have the first copy. Let me just sign it, and it’s all yours!”
“Really? Thanks so much! I’m so excited to read it!” While she signed it, I couldn’t wait to find out how her two characters got together. Was Stone just as sexy and hot as Ramos? I wasn’t sure anyone could live up to him, but I was sure anxious to find out. Plus… I could hardly wait to read the steamy parts. I knew that made me a bad person, but what could I say?
After closing the book, she handed it to me. “There you go.”
“Thanks so much. I’m going to start it as soon as my meeting with Uncle Joey is over.”
“Oh yeah… you’d probably better get down to his office.” She smoothed her brows, so I wouldn’t see her concern, but she was hoping that paying Tony back wouldn’t be too dangerous. On the other hand, it might make a great plot for her next book.
I managed to keep from rolling my eyes. “Hey, did you give Ramos a copy?”
“Not yet. But as soon as the meeting’s over, I will. Do you think he’ll read it?”
“Is his character a bad-ass and sexy as hell?”
She grinned. “Yup.”
I shook my head. “Maybe you’d better not. He might get a big head.”
She snorted. “Right… like he doesn’t already have one.”
“That’s true. Well… I’d better get down there.” I hurried down the hall, making a pit stop in my office to drop off my book and purse. At least now I had something to look forward to.
The meeting wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. Plus, with Ramos helping me out, how could I complain? I didn’t have to meet with Tony for a few days, so I hurried back to my office to start reading the book.
After the first few pages, I was hooked. Still, I decided it was best to read it at the office instead of taking it home. The last thing I needed was for Savannah or Chris to get wind of it. I ended up staying an extra hour, and I only stopped because Ramos came barging into my office. I couldn’t hide that I was reading the book, and he folded his arms with a knowing smile.
“You busy?”
“Yes. Go away.”
He shrugged. “Okay. I guess I’ll go without you.”
I sat up straight. “Go where?”
“Got an errand to run. It’s a beautiful day, so I’m taking the bike. See ya.”
“No! Wait. I’ll come. I mean… I need a break, so this is perfect timing.”
His eyes narrowed. “You sure?”
“Oh, stop it. Of course I’m sure.”
“That’s Jackie’s book, isn’t it. The one about us?”
“Uh… yeah. But you shouldn’t read it.”
His brows rose. “Oh yeah? Why not?”
I shrugged. “It’s a romance novel. You wouldn’t like it. Let’s go.”
He shook his head, thinking that he already had his copy, and he couldn’t wait to dive in. Especially if it made me this nervous. “Nice try.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not nervous. It’s a great story. And… what can I say? It’s kind of cool. Serenity’s a bad-ass. I wish I was more like her.”
“Hey… you’re a bad-ass too. What about the guy?”
I sent him a smile. “He’s… well… you’ll just have to read it and find out.”
We got back an hour later, and I didn’t have time to read any more, so I’m planning on getting into the office early tomorrow. I’m loving it so far. These characters are a hoot. I’ll be sure and let you know what I think about the book in my next blog post!! Maybe you’ll want to read it, too!
Until then,
Shelby
Shelby Nichols Consulting 