Page 11 of A Billion Dollar Romance

“I’d rather not discuss it,” I said, primly.

“If you don’t want to kiss and tell, I suppose that is your right. But…” She leaned in toward me, such as she could nestled into a huge stack of throw pillows. “Was ittranscendent, or justmind-blowing?” I glared. “Fine, but know that I’m assuming it was awful, and you just don’t want to tell me he had a tiny penis and a hairy back.”

“Do your students know you talk like this?”

“What, ‘penis’?” she said. “Sure, we have an elementary education health unit. I’d be happy to give you a refresher if you’ve forgotten any of the finer points of reproductive health–”

“No, no thank you,” I said, shoving her again. Flora was a fifth-grade teacher, and she looked the part–brightly colored cardigans, bouncy red hair, a broad smile–but she was also an absolutemenace.See also:you aren’t his student anymore, Edie, whynothave a one-night stand with your boss-to-be?

“Your loss. I’m highly qualified. But back to your sexy professor. What do you think he’s doing here? Last I heard he was living in a cabin in like, Minnesota or something, writing the next Great American Novel.” Why was everyone obsessed with American novels today?

I deflected: “Maine.”

“Apparently not. Did he say? Is he in town for a book signing or something?”

I hesitated.

“What?” Flora asked, eyes narrowing.

She’d find out eventually.

“His grandfather died,” I started, and her eyes widened comically.

“You were afuneralhookup?”

“No!” I yelped. “No, I mean… His grandfather died a year ago, and he inherited the family business. He’s back in the city for good. Or at least, for the foreseeable future.”

Flora cooed. “Oh, do you think you might try to–”

“No.” I shook my head.

“He does have a hairy back, doesn’t he?” She tsked. “Sad, really.”

“No, that’s not it,” I said. “His family business… His grandfather founded Verity Publishing.”

Flora’s jaw dropped, and she was silent for a good forty-five seconds longer than I’d ever known her to be silent in our acquaintance.

“He’s yourboss,” she said at last, and I nodded.

“More like my boss’s boss’s boss. He’s the CEO,” I said, stabbing a piece of tofu.

“Edie.”

“Flora.”

“Edie. I can not believe this. It’s like a romance novel.Sleeping with the CEO.Seducing My Boss, the Sexy Professor.”

“The last one sounds less romance, more…adult film,” I grimaced.

“Don’t change the subject.”

I cast around desperately for a subject to change to.

“Speaking of romance,” I said, talking over Flora’s hisseddon’t think you’re getting out of this discussion, “apparently Verity’s looking for someone to debut a new romance novel,” I said. “But not in the normal way, with an agent and everything. Apparently they’re trying to keep it in-house, get one of the ghostwriters to do it.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “Some of the other editors think it’s something to do with finances, but I don’t know.”