Chapter 2

"We'll walk," Ana told Sawyer. "No need for the car."

"Where are we going?" Sawyer asked.

"Lilla, a vegan restaurant on Madison Street. I think it's just two blocks that way." Ana pointed in the general direction she wanted to go.

Sawyer pulled up the map on his phone.

"Two blocks straight ahead, then a left, and one more block," he said. "How many people are you meeting? We really should have talked about this earlier."

"One, maybe two. I'm meeting an author, Dee Howe. Her agent might also be in attendance. The author writes paranormal romance set in the Pacific Northwest."

Ana's impromptu trip to Portland had multiple goals, but this lunch meeting represented her most important goal, that of keeping Dee on board.

Dee had been with Grey Publishing for five years and the partnership had benefitted both parties. But now her contract was up for renewal and she was being wooed by bigger publishing companies.

At an intersection near the hotel, Ana spied a lovely little shop selling home goods and gifts. She made a mental note to pick up a scented candle there on the way back to the Heathman.

"Are you okay?" Sawyer asked. He set a brisk pace, but she easily kept up.

"I'm fine, just distracted," she said.

"I thought maybe you were still distressed over all that water, TV, and purse stuff," he said.

"No. I'm just hoping this meeting goes well," she said.

"I'm sure it will," he said, attempting to reassure his boss.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Ms. Howe was already seated at a table, leaving Ana to wonder if she'd been late.

"Dee, it's so good to see you," Ana said as she slipped into the booth. She glanced at her watch. "Have you been here long? We did say noon, didn't we?"

"You're right on time. This is my favorite restaurant. I arrived early so I could order the mushroom risotto and beet salad for us before they sell out."

Ana took it as a positive sign that Dee wanted to share her favorite restaurant. Maybe they could find common ground with the new contract.

"If you say it's good, then I'm sure I'll like it, too. Tell me. How have you been?"

"Pretty well. I'm almost finished with the last book in my Cloak of Fire series." Dee ran a finger through the condensation of her water glass. "Look, Ana, let's not beat around the bush. I haven't signed your new contract because I'm being courted by Penguin, Forge, and Stonehearth. Besides those three, I've also been invited to a video meeting with the fiction editor at Carina Press."

It was worse than she'd thought. She didn't know how her little publishing house could possibly compete with the likes of Penguin.

"Carina is ebook only," she replied. "I know they're part of the Harlequin family, but a significant portion of your sales is from physical books. If you're going to leave us, I don't think Carina makes good sense business wise."

"You're right about Carina," Dee said. "And it's not that I'm dying to leave Grey Publishing. I've always liked working with you and your team. You're like extended family. But there's something about having my books published by Penguin Random House. That would be a big deal."

"Yes, it would," Ana acknowledged. "What are your thoughts about Forge? Or Stonehearth?"

"Both are small, similar in size to GP, but they aren't geographically accessible. Forge is headquartered in Illinois and Stonehearth is in Virginia. I like being able to pop up to Seattle to meet face-to-face with my team. Frankly, I see no advantage in taking either of those offers."

"That leaves Penguin," Ana said. She appreciated Dee's open and direct communication. "Sounds like you're leaning toward joining their roster. Is there anything I can do to persuade you to stay with GP?"

"Can you give me a few more days? My agent wanted to fly in from San Francisco for this meeting, but I told her not to come. I wanted to meet with you alone before I make a decision. If she had come to this meeting, it would have turned into some kind of negotiation. My choice won't be based solely on remuneration. As I mentioned, there are other factors at play."

Ana had come prepared to enter a bidding war, but she was relieved that today wasn't the day.

"Of course I can give you more time. Will another week be sufficient?"

"Yes," Dee released a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

The two women relaxed as the conversation turned to food. Ana enjoyed Dee's choice of restaurant and she was delighted to have discovered this new family friendly restaurant in Portland. Both the risotto and salad were equally delicious.

"When will you return home to Seattle?" Dee asked.

"In a couple of days," Ana said. "My husband will join me at the Heathman tomorrow night so we can have a bit of time away from the children."

"That's wonderful. There's a great little jazz club on Boise Street that you two might want to check out."

"We aren't much for going out," Ana confided. "When it's just the two of us, we typically stay in all evening and order room service."

"Oh, a little Netflix and chill, eh?" Dee wore a mischievous grin.

"Something like that," Ana said, returning Dee's smile. "But come to think of it, maybe we should follow your suggestion and go out for the evening. My room at the Heathman has a strange atmosphere."

"What's strange about it? I've never stayed at the Heathman, but I've always heard it's very nice."

"The hotel is lovely, but my room has a weird vibe. Either I'm losing my marbles or someone is playing an elaborate prank." Ana explained further citing the water bottle, purse, television, and the stuck door. "If I didn't know better, I'd say the room is haunted."

"Didn't you know? The Heathman is haunted." Dee said this with a straight face, her voice full of conviction.

Ana nearly dropped her fork in disbelief. She wondered how the intelligent woman before her could believe such a thing.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe in ghosts." Ana said. "I've never seen one. Have you?"

"You're talking to a writer of paranormal romance. Of course I believe ghosts exist. And yes, I've seen them."

"Really? And the Heathman is haunted, you say." Ana had never heard so much nonsense.

"Yes, you can read all about the Heathman online. Or ask management about it," Dee said. "Apparently, the housekeeping staff keeps a photograph of one of the specters in their break room."

"This I have to see," Ana said. "Christian and I have stayed at the Heathman dozens of times, but I've never heard a word about this. You better believe I'm going to ask the staff."

The conversation turned to other topics, but Ana could not get Dee's words out of her head.

"The Heathman is haunted."

Nah. Nope. Can't be.

She must be tired or stressed out over something. Her mind was simply playing tricks on her.

A/N: I have based this story on Heathman Hotel legend and lore, but have embellished the details. If you want to read more about the reputed hauntings at the Heathman, there are many sources online.

The next chapter will be up by Wednesday, October 30. Thank you, gentle reader, for your kind reviews. Your support means the world to me.