Jess
He's staying late again. She can't say how many times he's done it.
It's been pretty quiet the past three weeks. The office has finally come down from the book-release high it's been milking. Time to get back on track and focus on other projects. That means Jess isn't spending nearly the same amount of time with Nick as she had been. And if she's honest with herself (which she's been avoiding), she misses it. Misses him. Their interactions have just been so minimal and menial lately. Now that she's gotten a glimpse of the real, passionate Nick Miller, she wants more. But he stays closed up in his office pretty much the second he arrives until who knows when.
She tries not to think about that moment in his office, really she does. The details of it are foggy but she vaguely recalls that her drunken mind had thought it would be a good idea to put the hat on his head versus handing it to him like any normal gift-giving person would. That decision turned out to be a terrible one when he had looked down at her with this expression on his face…like he was dreaming…and she's not sure of this detail, considering her level of inebriation at the time, but she could have sworn he had begun to lean toward her…
She shakes her head, ridding herself of the memory. Picking up her travel mug she makes her way to the kitchen to rinse it out.
As she turns on the sink, her phone begins to vibrate.
"Hey, Sam."
She swirls her finger in spilled drops of coffee as she listens.
"Tonight? I don't know…yeah….yep…." She cradles her phone between her ear and shoulder as she tries to pry the top of her mug off. These things are always super suctioned and it drives her crazy.
She sighs, "Ok, yep. I'll see you tonight."
"Big plans…" A surprised squeal escapes her mouth and the raucous from her dropping the mug and phone drowns out his words. "…tonight?"
"Jesus, Day, you're a mess." Nick sets his mug on the counter top before squatting with some paper towels to wipe up the spilled drops of tea.
Reaching under the refrigerator where the cap had slid, she groans in disgust as she pulls it out, covered in dust, hair, crumbs and a mysterious black goo.
They both rise at the same time and turn towards the counter, he has the mug and her phone in his hands and she blasts the sink scrubbing the cap clean, holding back her gags as the hair and mystery goo swirl down the drain.
"Didn't mean to scare ya."
"Oh, no, it's fine."
"So, big plans tonight?" He asks as he sets up the keurig machine.
Tearing some paper towel, she dries her hands before sticking the cap back onto her mug. "Yes, well, no, not really."
He snorts as he hands her phone back.
"Thanks," she meets his eyes and an awkward silence fills the room. Nick's mouth is slightly open as if a question is waiting to fall out but a muffled gurgle from the sink breaks the tension and Nick reaches for his now full cup of coffee.
"What are you working on?"
"Nothing…just a bunch of stuff," he turns away, heading for the doorway.
"Need any help?" The hope is clear in her voice.
He turns and his mouth twitches. "I'm good, Day. Get out of here."
She waits until he leaves the kitchen to deflate.
There's a small FedEx box on her desk Thursday morning. She had left early yesterday so the receptionist must have dropped it off after she'd gone. She's at the office extra early to make up for it and fantasizes about the warm cup of coffee she'll momentarily be brewing as she rips open the missive.
Deciding between a black coffee mood or cream and sugar she peers into the box to see a hardcover book inside. Upending the box, the book slides out into her hand. It's a copy of the latest Pepperwood novel. Curious and confused, seeing as she already has several copies stacked on her desk, she peels open the cover to see an inscription inside…an inscription designated to Nick. Double checking the address on the fedex box to see if it was indeed mailed to her attention instead of Nick's, she confirms it is her name on the label. Brow furrowing, she focuses on the book in her hands.
All thoughts of coffee evaporate as her foggy morning mind comprehends the words before her. Tran's slanted scroll stretches across the inside cover and it takes all of the willpower she can muster to snap the book closed. Judging by the first two lines, this was a very private message meant only for Nick's eyes…but why the heck was it mailed to her? Mulling over her options, she grips the book in her arms, pressing it to her chest. To read or not to read, that is the question.
Releasing a petulant groan she turns from her desk in the direction of Nick's office. Either way she's super excited for Nick to see Tran's personal message, maybe he'll even let her watch as he reads it…doubtful but a girl can hope.
She arrives at his office, originally planning to slip the book into his mail box mounted outside his door (he had it installed to decrease his already minimal public interactions) but discovers his office door is wide open, which was odd, seeing as he usually has it closed and locked up tighter then Fort Knox. An idea occurs to her to set the book on his desk standing up so that it's the first thing he sees when he arrives. It would definitely get lost among all the packets on his desk if she just set it there and she's 90% sure he doesn't even read anything that's put in his mailbox.
Peeking in, she sees that it's empty and takes slow tentative steps into the office. His entire office is a mess of books stacked on book cases lining the walls, papers of various manuscripts taped to walls and post-it notes stuck pretty much everywhere. In fact as she passes the chair set in front of his desk, a post-it note sticks to her skirt. She peels it off, glancing at the massage and sighing with amusement/exasperation (Put on pants?).
Leaning over his desk, she stands the book up, but considering the uneven surface of notepads, 2 pens and what looks like half a soft pretzel, the book topples over to the ground.
"Damn." Glancing behind her to see if the 'Grumpy one' is in sight, she sees no one and rounds the desk quickly. Standing with the book she once again stands it up on his desk but thoughts of balancing it vanish once she catches some of the words splayed on the pages in front of her. Curse her excellent eyesight.
She doesn't snoop, she swears. Tries to keep her nosiness in check and is successful most of the time. But there are moments when she…how to put it…..happens upon things. And the brown folder happens to be on his desk and happens to have it's contents spread out on said desk…so she simply doesn't happen to look away.
Raking over the pages her heart starts to pound as she realizes what she's stumbled upon. Here was the next Pepperwood novel outline! Unable to look away, she fails to notice the book fall over once again, this time knocking the mouse, deactivating the screen saver.
Her breath gets stuck in her throat as she reads from the screen.
"Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my office!?"
"I'm Jessica Knight," big eyes the color of a sky he hadn't seen in far too long swung to him. Putting away the file she'd been reading, the intruder stuck out a small pale hand. "When do we get started?"
"What the hell are you doing in my office?!" Jess nearly jumps out of her skin as she raises wide, glassy eyes to see Nick glaring molten hatred at her from the doorway.
"I…I w-was…" she stutters as he quickly rounds his desk and shuts his computer screen off.
Taking in his appearance she surmises that he slept at the office again. The white Henley he's wearing is unbuttoned and wrinkly, his dark hair curled and sticking up at wild angles and an impressive stubble coats his cheeks and neck.
"What the fuck, Jess! What's my one rule!"
"I was just-"
"Being fuckin nosey, like always!" His voice steadily rises in volume and the scratchiness from fatigue brings a unique menace to it.
"I'm sor-"
"Get out!"
She leaves the book where it fell and hustles around the opposite side of the desk from Nick, eyes cast down. Her heart is pounding in her chest as she moves through the office headed straight for the bathrooms.
Once inside, she grips her hands together leaning heavily against the door. She raises wide eyes to the mirror on the opposite wall, her expression one of shell-shocked amazement.
Not only was Nick Miller ghostwriting the Pepperwood novels…but he had written her into the story.
