Chapter 75: NY, NY

Tuesday, January 3rd, Morning

Her name was called, which meant her coffee was ready. She came across the coffee shop and collected her coffee and then returned to where she camped out. She was working on her work for the week. Taking her seat behind her laptop. She started to read over what she wrote.

Ellie smirked, it wasn't her best work, but the subject sucked. Sighing she flipped to the internet and checked to see if she had new emails. Nothing to save herself from the boredom of the latest assignments. Ellie shook her head, you wanted to a working writer.

Looking down, Ellie returned to her nominal Boho Chic look today. The weather was still cold, but today she was feeling like she wanted to be seen. Shaking her head, she flipped to check the news, not her Facebook feed, an actual news page.

Nothing seemed to be going on, Congress was starting its next session. That meant Izzy, her sister-in-law, would be busy, well until the weekend. Ellie wondered if Izzy was going back home for the weekend. She missed Izzy, maybe Ellie thought, I should go to visit them, soon.

DC was just down the coast, a quick plane ride or even the train. A train ride, now that would be romantic, a throwback to when things didn't move so fast or were connected at your fingertips. Ellie made a face, she never knew those times, and it had taken her years to understand the movies and books that were written before the cyber age. Once she understood them, she loved reading the older books, Jane Austen was a personal favorite.

"Libby, I didn't expect to see you here," a woman said.

Ellie looked up and saw a dark-haired, dark-eyed still a tan woman, and smiled, "Hey Jade didn't expect to see you today," Ellie said.

"Mind if I join you?" Jade asked.

"No, not at all," Ellie said, "Have a seat."

Jade sat down across from Ellie and put her coffee down. Ellie observed as Jade got comfortable and looked back at Ellie.

"So, what are you working on?" Jade asked.

Ellie shrugged, "Nothing of interest, I was thinking about downloading something to watch or play," she said.

Jade shook her head, "Oh Libby, you shouldn't be out here grinding, you could have a great job anywhere here in New York, or finally get that book of yours published," she said.

Ellie shrugged, "Easier said than done," she replied.

"Really, I've read your writing, you're a damn sight better than half the people that are published," she said, "I want to see Libby Scott's name on a book cover."

"I could make you one," Ellie said.

Jade laughed, "Funny Libby," she said.

"I'm serious, I could go online right now and design it," Ellie said.

"I meant your book, Libby," Jade said.

Ellie shrugged, "Maybe someday," she said.

Jade nodded and sipped her coffee. "My father has a friend that knows someone in publishing, maybe I can get her to read your stuff," she said.

"Who, your father, his friend or the person in publishing?" Ellie asked.

"The person in publishing, over at Stafford and Strauss," Jade said.

Ellie looked at Jade, "How are you going to do that?" she asked.

Jade smiled, "That's easy Libby, I'm Daddy's Little Girl and what I want Daddy gets me," she said.

Ellie nodded, "Are you sure that you want to waste your power on little old me?" she asked.

Jade shook her head, "Libby your rather tall, so why would you call yourself little, and what good is it having power if you don't use it," she said.

Ellie remembered power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Her dad told her. What Jade was saying remembered her of the times Ellie's Dad would tell her and her siblings of Lord Acton's Nineteenth-Century Proverb.

"I wouldn't know," Ellie said, "I don't have any power."

Jade shook her head, "Bullshit, Libby, you have plenty of power, over guys," she said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ellie said.

"Every time we're out together, I see all the guys and some of the girls eating out of the palm of your hand," Jade said.

Ellie shrugged, "Guys are easy, always have been," she said.

"See, you have power," Jade said, "Speaking of, who was that guy you were reeling in at the party?"

Ellie shrugged, "Him? His name is Dawson," she said.

"How was it going?" Jade asked.

"It was getting good, then Y'all blocked me," Ellie said.

Jade shrugged, "I hit a nerve, the southern is coming out," she said.

"Yeah, well what do you expect by getting blocked, Jade," Ellie said, "Before you ask, I couldn't get his contact information." Not a total lie, she gave him her number, but he didn't text her yet, so she didn't have his contact information, yet.

"Sorry, you know my brother was being a snowflake because no one was giving him the time of day," Jade said.

"Oh, boo who," Ellie said, "Also, I don't think people are age call each other snowflakes, it's a negative term."

Jade nodded, "Well Jared deserved to be called that. Anyways. You usually don't get this twisted about some random," she said.

Ellie shrugged, "Well, I like his taste in books," she said.

"Oh really?" Jade asked.

"Yeah, he was reading The Girl that Always wore Purple," Ellie said.

Jade laughed, "You mean that erotic novel by Anna Becca?" she asked.

"I wouldn't call it erotic, Jade," Ellie said.

"Then we've got to have different definitions of the meaning of erotic, Libby," Jade said.

"How so?" Ellie asked.

"Well there's Eileen and the two guys on her kayak trip," Jade said.

Ellie nodded, "Well there's that," she said, "Again Eileen was a young girl who survived cancer."

Jade nodded, "Anyway, I heard there was someone sniffing around to make it a movie," she said.

Ellie looked at her, "Really?" she asked, "I don't see it, it's a niche book."

"Yeah, that's what I heard," Jade said, "Libby, why did you perk upon hearing that?"

"I like the book," Ellie said.

"It's got to be more than that, Libby," Jade said.

Ellie sighed, "Personally, I think it would be better as a series," she said.

"Each episode ends with Eileen getting laid? It could work, but who would do it Brazzer?" Jade asked.

"She did more than have sex in the book," Ellie said.

Jade shrugged, "No one remembers those parts," she said.

"As I said, I bet there's more to the book then Eileen getting laid," Ellie said.

Jade shrugged, "I bet there is, but who's buying it?" she said, "Sex sells, Libby."

Ellie nodded, "I guess," she said.

"So, now back to this Dawson, you going to try and find him?" Jade asked.

"I don't know if I can," Ellie said.

Jade nodded, "Well anyway, here's a story idea for you," she said.

"What is it?" Ellie asked.

"Well, Libby, since you really like Anna Becca, and you write lifestyle articles," Jade said.

"Not by choice," Ellie said.

"As I was saying," Jade said, "Propose doing a story or interview on Anna Becca."

Ellie shook her head, "I'll consider it," she said.

Jade smiled, "You better, and when you get famous give me credit," she said, "Or at least a dedication."

Ellie nodded, "Sure," she said. Ellie shook her head and returned to her laptop.