“Why?”
“They’re more interesting and many times their books are, too. They don’t kowtow to publishers.”
She cocked her head. “How do you sell ebooks off line?”
“First, a lot of authors bring print-on-demand copies to a signing for patrons to buy. Authors also create bar codes to give out to purchase online.”
“Remember that time I dated an author? He complained about his publisher all the time.”
“I was happy to see you ditch him.”
“He was a nice guy except he bitched all the time.”
“That he did.”
“How’d the store get along without you?”
“I called every day. Millie had good sales numbers when I was away and was excited about the rare books I snagged.” He rolled his eyes. “She didn’t do anything crazy while I was away.”
Hayley chuckled. “You two! Sometimes I can’t believe the stories you tell me about your fights.”
“We don’t fight. We have disagreements.” He leaned over and squeezed her arm. “What’s bothering you tonight?”
“Who. Paul Covington.”
“You told me on the phone your bosses banned you from arguing cases together.” He laughed. “Like little kids in the playground who are told they can’t play with each other.”
“All that’s true. And it wasn’t funny when we got put in jail. Which started the whole thing.” The rest of the story tumbled out. At the end, Hayley felt even worse.
Finn took a gulp of his drink when she finished. “Wow! I didn’t expect that.”
“Neither did I.”
“Do you want to cut ties with him?”
“I don’t have a choice, for the sake of my job. Manhattan’s a big place but the legal profession is a world of its own.”
“If you’re sure, then I’m sorry this is the situation.”
“Do you agree with us, that we have to stop seeing each other?”
“I’d need time to think about it.” Finn was very deliberate in making decisions or giving advice, and always weighed situations to find the pros and cons. To some people he seemed shy, but he wasn’t.
She stood. “I’ll get dinner ready while you settle in. We can talk about this again, later. Or never.”
He grasped her by the hand. “By the way, I missed you too, Sis.”
“I’m glad you’re back.”
Chapter 4
“You look lovely,” Finn said as he and Hayley exited the limo they’d hired for the evening. A second one had left earlier with his staff in it.
“Thank you.” Hayley hoped she did look good. She’d been depressed for most of the week, but then, surprisingly she came out of her funk over Paul by Friday. So, she bought a new Louis Vuitton dress, with a simple white bodice, curved into her waist and then draped to the floor. The material was overlaid with randomly placed gold sequins. The back consisted of five triangles made of straps to her waist. Gold sling-backs completed the outfit. She’d curled her hair and brushed it back from her face.
Finn had been busy making up for his absence from the store and she hadn’t seen much of him. So, they shared what happened during the week on the ride down Madison Avenue. When they arrived at The Central Park Ballroom, the place was lit up for the two hundred people invited to the Literacy for Life Gala. LFL was a charitable organization which supplied books for underprivileged kids and schools in Manhattan.
“Did you have a part in planning this?” she asked as they exited the car and took a few steps up to the front doors.
“No, my store manager did, though.” Finn sat on the board of the literacy foundation and because of that, several of his employees were involved in getting tonight off the ground.
Hayley smiled when they reached the entrance to the ballroom. They waited in line but she got a peek inside. “This is lovely, Finn.” The ceilings were draped with pink and white swathes of gossamer, and a dozen, white-gold chandeliers with innumerable bulbs hung from it. The same material seemed to float down the walls to the ground. Twenty tables were equally spaced and each sat ten guests. The scents of expensive perfumes and colognes swirled in the air.
A soft rock band had started playing and a few couples took some spins on the floor.
“Who’ll be here?” she asked.
“Lawyers, judges, community leaders and people in the book industry.” He winked. “Anson Summers is coming.”
Her face lit. “My favorite author.” Hayley liked political suspense, and had been reading Summers’ work for years. She liked his fast-action plots, with a sprinkling of romance. “Why didn’t you tell me he’d be here?”
“I wanted to surprise you. I can arrange a dance for you two.”
Finn was cute when he wanted to be. And classy or withdrawn if it was his mood. Tonight, he was classy and teasing in his black tux, traditional bow tie, and white shirt.
“I’m sure I could maneuver a dance with him if I wanted that.”
“You probably will. He’s sitting at our table.”
“Well, that makes my day.”
Finn presented the white-gloved valet with his invitation.
“I appreciate you bringing me as your plus-one, but you could have taken a girlfriend.”
He ignored her comment. “Drink first?” he asked.
“White wine, thanks.” They crossed to the horseshoe bar and Finn sidled in to get them wine. On occasion, when they were out together, she insisted she be the one to buck the bar crowds. However, he didn’t let her do that very much. In many ways, he was an old-fashioned guy. Or one who’d listened to his mother’s teaching about manners and decorum.
Standing back behind the patrons, and out of the way for liquor seekers, Hayley looked around. People dressed in formal attire tonight and even that cheered
