Unconscionable, A Rich Coleman Novel Vol 3 Read online

  Chapter 7

  Representation

  Amanda’s alarm clock went off, interrupting a pleasant dream. She had been in a studio with Rich getting him ready to go on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Ferguson was her favorite late-night talk show host and one who actually appreciated good literature. She, like millions of other women, found him irresistible and had experienced a “Fergasm” more than once. She was irritated that her dream had been interrupted.

  After her mind cleared she remembered her task for the day—enlist Ryan’s help in getting his father to let her represent him as his literary agent. She had to be given the opportunity to place The Pact. She didn’t know if she liked that name. It was too ordinary for such an extraordinary book. She pondered several alternative names—Death Pact, Suicide Pact, Extreme Love. She liked Extreme Love, but love by nature was extreme. It wouldn’t work. Death Pact was accurate but not very romantic, and this was the ultimate in true romance—not just physical love but a love so strong neither Rich nor Erica could live without the other. There was no going on if one of them died. All or None. Would that work? No. Maybe Deadly Pact? No, it didn’t convey the romance. Extreme Sacrifice?

  She sighed. For the first time she realized how difficult it was to pick the right title for a book. But she was getting sidetracked. The important thing was convincing Ryan to help her. He’d have to read the book to understand why it had to be published. It pained her that they wouldn’t be able to meet until after bar review class, and then they’d be distracted and it would be difficult for them to talk. Lunch. She’d have to convince him to have lunch with her. She went to her purse, got out her cell phone, and punched Ryan’s speed dial number.

  “Hey, girl. You’re up early.”

  “I’ve got to meet you for lunch. This manuscript is awesome! You’ve got to read it and then help me persuade your father to let me represent him.”

  Ryan laughed. “You want me to read a manuscript right in the middle of bar review?”

  “Yes. Meet me at lunch and I’ll give it to you.”

  Ryan sighed. “Okay. Come by the office at noon. I’ll only have time to go downstairs to the deli.”

  “Thank you. I’ll see you then.”

  Amanda thought for a moment. She should make a copy of the manuscript to give Ryan. She didn’t want the original out of her sight. She’d stop at Kinko’s on the way to Ryan’s office and make a copy. She’d have to make sure Ryan didn’t let his father see him with the manuscript. She had to plan carefully how to make her pitch. Then she thought of Brenda Colson. If she was going to stay in Dallas she needed to meet with Brenda and accept her offer of employment.

  She wondered if Brenda had been serious when she made the offer. It had been made at a cocktail party and she was sure Brenda had been a little drunk at the time. She might not even remember the conversation, but she’s Mom’s best friend. How could she turn me down? If I came in with a manuscript, that couldn’t hurt, either. It would be nice to know what she thought of it, too. If she likes it, that will give me ammunition to convince Rich to allow me to represent him. Amanda called information and got Brenda’s number. The information operator connected her.

  “This is Brenda Colson.”

  “Brenda. This is Amanda Sherman.”

  “Amanda! How are you?”

  “Fine. I’ve just graduated from law school and you said to give you a call when that happened.”

  There was a moment of silence; then Brenda replied evenly, “Right. So, you still want to be a literary agent?”

  “Absolutely. And I already have a manuscript that I think will be a best seller.”

  Brenda laughed. “I wish I had a dollar for every manuscript I thought would be a best seller, but it’s good that you’re passionate about it.”

  “So, were you serious about hiring me or has the situation changed?”

  “Yes, I was serious. I loved the way you dug into our slush pile when you worked here as an intern. We actually placed a couple of your discoveries.”

  “Did you? That’s great.”

  “But you realize I can’t pay you but minimum wage plus your commissions. It wouldn’t be much until you placed some business.”

  “I understand. My boyfriend is going to support me until I get established.”

  “Okay. That’s wonderful. He must be quite a guy.”

  “He is. He’s not crazy about my career choice, but he wants me to be happy.”

  “Sounds like a keeper. I’m anxious to meet him.”

  “Yes. I’ve told him all about you, and he’s anxious to meet you, too.”

  “So, when will you be available?”

  “I’m available right now and I’m anxious to show you this manuscript.”

  Brenda laughed again. “Okay, I’ve got some time around three this afternoon. We’re still in the same offices.”

  “Thank you, Brenda! I’m so excited.”

  “Me, too. See you soon, honey. Looking forward to it.”

  Amanda closed the connection and smiled broadly. She knew everything would work out. She could feel success in her bones. But as much as she tried to ignore them, negative thoughts began to creep into her mind. What if Rich is adamant about not publishing the novel? What if Erica is the problem? Maybe digging up all of those memories would be too much for her to handle. She sighed with worry.

  When Amanda got to Kinko’s she decided to make two copies of the manuscript. She’d give one to Ryan and one to Brenda and keep the original in a safe place. At lunch Amanda dropped off the manuscript to Ryan. She didn’t stay to eat as she wanted Ryan to read the manuscript and not talk to her. After she left Ryan she went to Barnes & Noble to kill time until her meeting with Brenda. Once she was there she realized she could use the time to study the true crime that was currently being published. She’d need to know this if she was to going to be negotiating with editors in the future.

  When she got to the Colson Agency at three p.m., memories of her internship came rushing back. She wondered which manuscripts had been placed. She had been amazed at how many good writers there were out there trying to get published and how few actually made it. The competition was brutal. She began to wonder if Richard Coleman’s novel was as good as she thought. Perhaps in her excitement to start her new career she hadn’t been terribly objective. She was afraid Brenda would think it was crap and question her decision to hire her.

  The receptionist took her back to Brenda’s office right away, which she saw as a good sign. Maybe Brenda really thinks I do have a future as a literary agent. But it could just be because of Mom. Who knows. Brenda welcomed her and told her to sit down. There was a stack of papers in front of her.

  “Well, this was an unexpected surprise,” Brenda said. “Your timing was good; I was just about to rent out our empty office.”

  “You weren’t going to hire anyone?”

  “No. The way the market is with publishers concentrating on their A-list authors and letting significant numbers of their midlist go, it didn’t make sense to take on the overhead.”

  “So, why are you showing pity on me?” Amanda asked.

  Brenda smiled wryly. “Because you already have a best-selling manuscript. How could I turn that down?”

  Amanda rolled her eyes. “You’re mocking me! You don’t believe me.”

  “No, I’m just teasing you. Where did you find this manuscript, and what makes you think it has best-seller potential?”

  “It’s true crime and it comes with an incredible love story. It’s called The Pact, but I’m not sure about the title. We might be able to come up with something better.”

  “Who’s the author?” Brenda asked.

  “My boyfriend’s father, Richard Coleman.”

  Brenda’s eyes lit up. “This isn’t the story of Erica Fox’s murder trial, is it?”

  “Yes. It is.”

  “I didn’t know Richard had written a book about it.”

  “He wrote it while they were sailing i
n the Caribbean just after it all happened. He is a very good writer.”

  She looked at the box Amanda had in her lap. “Is that it? Can I read it?”

  “Yes, but I haven’t gotten a contract yet. I’ve got to convince him to let me represent him. If you like it and think the odds are good that someone will pick it up, then Ryan and I should be able to convince him to sign a contract.”

  “So, I may be wasting my time,” Brenda mused.

  “Possibly, but with Ryan’s help I think I should be able to convince him.”

  “All right. Leave it on my desk,” Brenda instructed as she stood up. “Let me show you your new office and while I’m reading this you can attack the slush pile.”

  Amanda stood up and smiled. “Sounds good.”

  Her new office was only eight by ten feet but it had a small desk and several bookcases. In one corner hundreds of manuscripts were stacked up nearly to the ceiling. Amanda looked at the stack warily.

  “Sorry about that. We’re a little behind. I was considering just returning them since I’ll never have time to tackle all of them.”

  “It’s a good thing you didn’t. There may be some good stuff in there.”

  Brenda handed her a file. “You’ll need to fill out the employment application and all the government and insurance forms in here.”

  Amanda took the file and put it on her desk. Brenda left and Amanda started to straighten up her new home. She was excited about her new job and, after completing all the employment forms, picked up the manuscript on top of the slush pile with alacrity. It was a political thriller that the author promised would shake up Washington. She laughed at such naïveté but immediately got engrossed in the book. She was half-finished with Force of Freedom when Brenda stuck her head in her office.

  “You were right about Richard Coleman’s novel. It’s good and it’s been long enough that most people will have forgotten the story. I’m not sure it will be a best seller, but I think one of the New York publishers will pick it up. It will be a good start for you.”

  “Thank you,” Amanda said, a little disappointed with Brenda’s assessment of the prospects for the book. But she was glad that Brenda thought it was good enough to place.

  Amanda looked at her watch and saw it was time to leave for her bar review class. She stood up and began packing up her backpack. As she was about to leave Brenda’s secretary, Julie, walked in and handed her a manila envelope.

  “What’s this?” Amanda asked.

  “It’s a contract for Richard Coleman. Congratulations!”

  Amanda nodded. “Don’t congratulate me yet. Wait until I get him to sign it.”

  Julie smiled. “Good luck, then, and welcome aboard. It was getting a little too quiet around here. It will be nice to have someone to talk to when Brenda’s in New York.”

  “Thank you, Julie. I appreciate that.”

  Julie left and Amanda made a quick exit. She had a thirty-minute drive to her apartment and wanted to be there when Ryan stopped to pick her up. Ryan was walking up to her door when she drove in the parking spot in front of her apartment. She got out quickly and retrieved her backpack.

  “Where have you been?” Ryan asked as she caught up with him.

  “Brenda hired me. I’ve already started working.”

  Ryan smiled. “That’s awesome. I didn’t even know you had an interview.”

  “I told you I had a job there if I wanted,” Amanda said as she unlocked the door. She pushed it open and walked inside with Ryan on her heels.

  “And you weren’t kidding,” Ryan said, relieving her of her backpack and setting it aside. They embraced.

  “Did you have a chance to read any of your father’s manuscript?” Amanda asked, looking up into Ryan’s face.

  “I read the first chapter, but that’s all the time I had.”

  “What did you think?”

  He nodded. “It’s good so far.”

  “Well, Brenda liked it. She wants me to sign your father.”

  “Seriously? She read it already?”

  “She’s a fast reader. She reads two or three books a day. She had it finished in the time it took me to read half of the book I was working on.”

  “Wow! That’s impressive.”

  “So, can you read the rest of it tonight? I’d like to go visit your mom and dad Friday night. We don’t have bar review on Friday.”

  “Hmm. I’m a slow reader. It will take me a couple of days to read it.”

  Amanda let out a long breath. “How could you be a slow reader? You’ve got a doctorate degree.”

  “I have lazy eye, so my eyes fight with each other while I read. It’s really annoying.”

  Amanda laughed. “That should be interesting to watch.”

  Ryan shrugged. “I doubt it. They fight very quietly.”

  Amanda shook her head and rolled her eyes. “We’ll get takeout tonight so you’ll have more time. I brought a manuscript of my own to finish so we can have a reading party.”

  Ryan grimaced. “Okay, but let’s not make a habit of it. Reading isn’t my idea of a party.”

  “Well, the party starts when you’ve finished the book. We’ll break out the booze and get naked.”

  Ryan’s face brightened. “Okay. Now you’re talking.”

  After bar review they stopped at Panda Express and got Chinese takeout. Amanda marveled at how quiet her apartment was with both of them reading. Usually it was quite noisy with the TV blaring and both of them talking. She liked the library-like silence. At midnight she was done with her manuscript, but Ryan still had a third of his book to finish. He yawned.

  “Almost done, big boy?” she teased.

  “Yeah, well, I’m going to be too tired to party when I’m done.”

  “Oh, I doubt that. What do you think so far?”

  He shrugged. “Well, since it’s my mother and father all the sex is a little hard to take, but it’s definitely a good story.”

  “Any reason why your father would object to it being published?”

  “I can’t think of anything. Mom’s more likely to be the obstacle. She might not like her suicide pact or claim of insanity to be public knowledge.”

  “You’ve got to help me convince her to let it be published. I already have a contract ready for your father to sign.”

  “Boy, you’re a fast worker. How did you manage that?”

  “Brenda tried to downplay the book’s potential a bit, but the fact that I have a contract in my backpack leads me to think she likes it more than she is letting on.”

  “How much will he make if it sells?”

  Amanda shrugged. “It could be as little as $5,000 and as much as a million. It just depends on how good the publisher thinks it is and if there is competition.”

  “How would there be competition?”

  “If we really thought it was an extraordinary book we could send it to several editors and tell them we were having an auction and that the contract would go to the highest bidder. If that happened, then the sky’s the limit.”

  “All right. I’ll keep reading.”

  When Ryan was done two hours later Amanda made good on her promise to get naked and, remarkably, Ryan’s exhaustion seemed to disappear as they made love for over an hour. When they were spent and Ryan finally turned over to go to sleep, he wondered what had gotten into Amanda. She had never been so full of fire and passion. He hoped it was her new career because he wanted as much of that action as he could get!

  On Friday Amanda had the jitters. She wanted to sign Rich so badly she could scream, but she feared one misstep and all would be lost. Ryan had called his mother and told her they wanted to come over, so Erica invited them for dinner. She said she’d boil lobsters, which was Ryan’s favorite. When they arrived at around six thirty, Rich was in the living room watching the evening news. He shut off the TV as they walked in and sat down.

  “So, how’s the bar review coming?” Rich asked.

  “Good,” Ryan said. “It’s a bit
tedious but it’s been a good review.”

  “So, you’ll be ready for the bar exam coming up?”

  “As ready as ever, I guess.”

  “So, Amanda. Ryan tells me you want to be a literary agent?”

  Amanda nodded. “Yes. I know it probably sounds stupid since I’ll soon be licensed to practice law, but I never intended to practice. I just wanted the degree. It puts me a notch above the average literary agent. In fact, I got hired this week by the Colson Agency.”

  “Congratulations!” Rich said. “That was fast work.”

  “Yes. Brenda Colson is a family friend and told me many times to come see her when I graduated. So, I guess she wasn’t kidding.”

  “She’s a good judge of talent, obviously. And it helps to know the right people.”

  “Yes. That’s right. And, in that regard, today is your lucky day.”

  “Huh?” Rich said, looking a bit confused.

  “When I told Ryan I had decided to become a literary agent he told me about your manuscript. Of course, I insisted upon seeing it immediately, so when I was up in the attic the other day with Ryan he showed it to me.”

  Rich stiffened and looked at Ryan. “He did?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid I took a peek at it. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Ah—”

  “It’s really good, you know. And since now you have a literary agent in the family, I could help you get it published. Have you tried to get it published yet?”

  “No . . . So, you’ve read the entire manuscript?”

  Amanda nodded. “Yes. Don’t blame Ryan. There is no stopping a determined woman.”

  Rich looked at Ryan irritably, then laughed. He knew the truth of Amanda’s statement. He lived with a determined woman. He sighed. “I don’t know. It was a difficult time in our lives and I’m not sure it would be a good idea to dig up all those memories.”

  Erica walked in and smiled. “What memories?” she asked.

  “Oh. Amanda has read my manuscript and wants to represent me.”

  Erica’s face went pale. “Really? How—”

  “I told her about it,” Ryan said, “and she was curious, so I took her up to the attic. The bottom line is, the story is a real page-turner and Dad should publish it. It’s not like there are any secrets in there.”

  “You’ve read it, too?” Rich asked.

  “Yeah. I really liked it. You’re a good writer, Dad.”

  Erica swallowed hard. “You should have asked permission.”

  “If you didn’t want us to read it why did you leave it lying around?” Ryan asked. “In fact, why in hell did you write it if you weren’t going to publish it?”

  Rich looked at Erica and shrugged. “You’re right. At one time I wanted to publish it, but—”

  “We decided against it,” Erica interjected. “I’m not particularly proud of being declared temporarily insane.”

  “Ms. Colson really loves it. She thinks one of the major New York publishers will pick it up. If so, there would be an significant advance.”

  “Brenda Colson has read it?” Rich asked.

  “Yes, and she loves it.”

  Erica gasped. “Rich. What is wrong with you?”

  Rich ignored her. “How significant an advance?” Rich asked.

  “It’s hard to say, but maybe six figures.”

  Rich looked at Erica. “Maybe we should help Amanda out.”

  Erica raised her eyebrows then turned to Amanda. “You just read the manuscript, not my revisions?”

  “Right. Were there revisions?”

  Amanda remembered picking up an envelope marked Revisions. She racked her brain trying to figure out what had happened to it. She remembered taking it but didn’t remember seeing it after she’d gotten home. She detected a bit of concern about the revisions. She wondered what was in them that had them upset.

  “No. I just did a little critique, but the manuscript is fine the way it is.”

  “Would I have final approval over the content?” Rich asked.

  “Of course. It’s your book.”

  “So, we’d see a final galley before it was published.”

  Amanda nodded. “You’d have about fourteen days to make any final corrections before it went to print.”

  After exchanging a look with Rich, Erica said, “Well, I guess if you want to do it. Just don’t make any commitments for me. I don’t want to be interviewed.”

  “You won’t have to,” Amanda said. “Rich will have to do a book tour and a few TV interviews, but I’ll make sure you’re not dragged into it.”

  “Good. I don’t think I could handle it.”

  Amanda smiled broadly. “Thank you so much. You don’t know what it means to me to have this opportunity. I’m going to work very hard on this project and make us some serious money.”

  Rich laughed. “That sounds good to me.”

  Amanda couldn’t concentrate while they ate dinner. All she could think about was how she’d market Rich’s book. She’d get Brenda’s input and use her contacts, of course, but she wanted to do it herself. She didn’t want Brenda stealing her first client and taking the credit for placing his book.

  The revisions that Erica had made bothered her, too. It seemed there was agreement that the revisions should not be made. This made Amanda wonder why. What was in the revisions that was so secret? She didn’t want this one issue to torpedo the deal, though. She’d have to find the revisions and somehow get them back into the attic in case Rich or Erica went looking for them.

  She racked her brain for an excuse to come back the next day. She had a contract all ready for Rich to sign, but she had thought it a little premature to give it to him then. She decided delivering the contract would be her excuse. After dinner she broached the subject.

  “We’ll drop by tomorrow afternoon with a contract. Around two p.m. maybe? I can’t start marketing the manuscript until it’s signed. I can fax you a draft in the morning, and if you have any questions you can give me a call. Hopefully we’ll have ironed everything out and you can sign it tomorrow night. Of course, if you need more time that’s fine, too.”

  “No,” Rich replied. “I’ll be in the office tomorrow until noon. Your plan should work.”

  Amanda smiled. “Excellent. Thanks again for giving me this opportunity.”

  Rich nodded. “Well, I just hope you find some editors who like the manuscript as well as you do. I’ve heard it’s not easy to get a publishing contract from one of the majors.”

  “It’s not, but I’ve got a good feeling about this book.”

  When Amanda got back to her apartment she retraced her steps and found the envelope under the sofa. She let out a sigh of relief when she found it. Then she wondered if she should open it and see why Rich and Erica were concerned about the revisions. They didn’t want the revisions made to the book, so she didn’t need to open it. But her curiosity got the best of her, and she opened it and began reading.

  She gasped midway through the revised story line. She couldn’t believe what she was reading. Was Rich’s manuscript a lie? Was Erica’s version the real story of how Aunt Martha was murdered? Her heart began pounding. The revised story would be worth ten times the original version. Could it be true? Had Rich Coleman gotten away with murder?