Bookish Read Free Page B

hooked on reading until you discovered the cover models,” I said and laughed.
    “You’re right, and the people. I mean the community this book world has is amazing. I really want to be part of it.”
    She meant she wanted to be part of it without trying. I built my blog from the ground up, I’d put countless hours and ever spare dollar I had into it over the last three years. I had over thirty thousand followers on Facebook and almost seventy five thousand on my newsletter list. She had no clue how much work I’d done building my little empire.
    “I know you do,” I said, “and I’ve had reviewers before. It’s cool.”
    “I don’t want to just be a reviewer,” she replied, “I want to be a part of the blog. Like a co-blogger or part owner or something.”
    “Oh, I don’t know about that,” I said, “Let’s start out small, have you do a couple more reviews. Then we’ll see about the rest, okay?”
    She pouted, sipped her obnoxiously long coffee drink and finally said, “Fine, but I want to review the new Rebecca Hawk book. Okay?”
    I sighed and brushed hair out of my face. I should have put it in a bun or something, but Chloe flipped out when I suggested it. It was my best feature, according to her, and I should work it. “Okay, it’s a deal. I’ll email her PA and make sure I’m authorized to give it to you and you can get it done for next Friday.”
    “You’re such a narc,” she giggled, “you need to loosen up. I’m sure they wouldn’t give two shits if you sent it my way. And see what making me a partner will do? It will free up so much time. People will know that it will be you or me reviewing, no questions asked.”
    “I guess you have a point, but for now I have to get permission.”
    “Sure thing, officer,” she laughed and sipped her drink again. Loudly. Slurp slurp. I felt bad, hating on Chloe sometimes, but let’s face it, she could be really annoying.
    “Did you get anything else autographed?” I asked, wanting to change the subject. I wasn’t comfortable sharing my blog with her, but I felt like she’d already hitched me to her train and was going to drag me wherever she wanted, like it or not. I longed for the good old days when the book thing was nerdy and she paid no attention to it.
    “Nope,” she replied, “I totally forgot to give him my postcard. Just my boobs.” She snickered and fell into some private memory. I wish I had given him my Kindle cover before he’d gone, but there was no way I could face Isaac James after my tumble to the floor right in front of him.
    “Well, we should probably pack it up pretty soon,” I said, “it’s almost five and I have to finish up a couple books tonight.”
    “What?” she asked and whipped around in her chair to face me, “you’re not going to the Mix and Mingle at seven?”
    “Why would I? I never have before.”
    “I thought that was the whole point, to meet new people, network, and get drunk.”
    “I don’t really drink, you know that.”
    “But I do,” she said with a sly grin, “come on Aubrey, we haven’t been out together since college. Let’s get this shit packed up and go to the after party. Come on.”
    I hesitated and thought about it. On one hand there was my cozy bedroom and soft bed waiting, a cup of hot cocoa and a thrilling new book to dive into. On the other hand there was appeasing Chloe so she’d leave me alone for another few months and stop endlessly pestering me about ‘hitting the clubs’ with her.
    Bed, cozy, book. Chloe endlessly begging. Damn, this was a tough choice.
    “Isaac James is supposed to be there,” she said, “he told me when I got my boobs signed. You have to come with me, I need to see if what I felt was real.”
    I sighed again, as I often did in Chloe’s presence. “Fine,” I said, not wanting to see Isaac again, but also on some level kinda hoping he’d be there.
    “Yay!” she said and stood up, leaving her take out coffee cup on the table. “I’m