Eight hours later, Sage pulled up to the hotel in her vintage Rolls Royce roadster at precisely six-thirty. It had been her big splurge when her first Roark Samuels novel had hit big. The antique mansion was the second. It was a good thing they continued to sell well since both were damned expensive to keep up.
The concierge rushed out to greet her. “Ms. Matthews, how lovely to see you again. Ms. Vincent told us to expect you. Can I have your car parked and show you to your room?”
“Thank you so much,” she said. Sage turned on a brilliant smile and waved as she walked over to the small crowd of readers who had gathered.
“Hi, guys! I have to run up to my room to get ready for the party, but I’m happy to sign anything you want when I come back down and during or after the party.”
“Sage? Is Roark ever going to fall in love… really in love?” called one.
“Yeah, Roark needs his own happily ever after,” said another.
“I’m not sure Roark knows anything about love other than how to spell it, although it isn’t his favorite four-letter word. See y’all later,” she called as the concierge bustled her inside and accompanied her to her suite on the ground level.
Gail met her at the door and ushered her inside, closing the door in the concierge’s face.
“Gail, that was rude,” Sage said quietly.
“The concierge is fine, and we need to get you ready. I got here early enough to pick up something for each of us for tonight. I found you the most beautiful LBD…”
“LBD?”
“Little Black Dress. It will be very slimming. Then, when I thought about what I brought, they would have clashed in style, so I picked up something for me.”
Sage hid a knowing smile. Gail often found ways to justify Sage picking up the tab for something she wanted for herself. Sage allowed herself to be led to where the makeup artist and hairstylist were waiting and sat so they could begin their work.
“I’m going to lay out your dress and accessories. I have a key to your suite, so you won’t need anything. I’ve arranged for them to run a tab for you all weekend, so all you need to do is sign. I don’t want you to have to carry anything with you. You’re so awkward when you try to manage a cocktail clutch and anything else.”
“Thanks, Gail. You go on. I’ll be fine, and I promise to be on time.”
“Not on time, Sage, thirty minutes late.” Gail leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I’ve arranged for one of the cover models to wait for you outside the door to be your plus one at the party. He’s promised to be most attentive.”
Sage rolled her eyes. I wonder what that’s going to set me back? Gail often spent Sage’s money like water through a sieve, but Gail’s publicity and marketing had been an integral part of the success of the novels. So usually, Sage just took a deep breath and paid the bills.
As requested, Sage was thirty minutes late and smiled when she saw the model. Terrance had never graced the cover of one of her novels, but over the years they had become friends. Oddly, Roark had always been an illustration as opposed to a photo.
“Hey, Sage,” he said, taking her arm and leaning down to kiss her cheek.
“Terrance, it’s good to see you. How’s Max?”
“He’s great. We really enjoyed the murder mystery train tickets.”
“Oh, good. I thought you might. I know it’s kind of geeky…”
“And we’re your favorite nerdy gay couple,” he laughed.
Terrance was good company, and Sage was glad that if Gail felt she had to have arm candy, she had at least picked someone enjoyable.
They entered the party, which was already in full swing. As these things went, it was well organized and pretty swanky. Everyone was dressed to the nines, although no formal wear. Hotel staff had been pressed into service, not only serving drinks and hors d’oeuvres but staffing a table at the back where a selection of the attending authors’ books was set up and being sold.
“It looks like only four of us have books available,” Sage said.
Terrance laughed. “Only those of you who sponsored the party have books available. Honestly, Sage, do you even pay attention to what Gail signs you up for?”
“Not really.”
She and Terrance mingled with the throng of admirers. This was Sage’s second favorite part of being a successful author. Unlike for many authors who were painfully shy introverts, signing events were Sage’s crack cocaine. She absolutely loved connecting with her readers on a personal level. Her favorite was the messages from readers about how her work had touched them, inspired them, entertained them. Knowing there were those who appreciated, even treasured what she did, made the doing all that much sweeter, and what it had cost her—a fiancé, a job, friends—worth it.
Gail shouldered her way through the crowd gathered around her and Terrance.
“Sweetie, there’s a few people I need you to meet,” she said to Sage, leading her away.
Sage turned back to those who had books and pens in their hands. “I’ll be back and stay as long as you want me to sign your books. You can ogle Terrance all you want, but no touching.”
Terrance grinned at her and was quickly surrounded.
“I don’t know why you bother with those people…”
“Because they buy my books, because they took their hard-earned money and time to attend this event, and because without them, I wouldn’t be able to make a living doing something I love.”
Sage spent the next two hours rubbing elbows with some of the elite of the publishing world. Gail wanted to expand her readership beyond erotic romance and was even shopping one of her ideas around for a movie. There was a touch on her shoulder, and she spun around, the color leaving her face.
“Hello, Sage,”
