Page 131 of Whisper Sweet Nothings
Archie
Did you land, beautiful?
Yes. I’m here and heading to the bookstore.
Archie
Okay, be safe. I’m watching your rank online and cheering you on.
Sorry we were so rushed with our goodbye.
Archie
Don’t worry about it. Airports are always a little stressful.
Really? You think?
Try telling a man you love him and have a whistle blown in your ear.
“You ready for this tonight?” Laney asked as we drove toward the bookstore that was hosting the release day signing.
“Yes. I’m so excited to meet Ashlan Thomas. I can’t believe she’s doing the signing with me.”
Ashlan Thomas was one of the most well-known romance authors out there right now, and we were with the same publisher, so they’d asked her to join me for a discussion before we signed.
Once we arrived at the store, everything was a blur. I met my editor, Daisy, whom I worked with at the publishing house, as she’d flown in for the event as well. We’d had many Zoom calls, but it was my first time meeting her in person, and it meant so much to me that she was here.
And then I turned to see the gorgeous woman beside her.
“Hi, Winnie, it’s so lovely to meet you. Thanks for letting me celebrate with you tonight. I’m Ashlan.” She extended her hand.
“Oh my gosh, I, er, I’m a huge fan.” I stumbled over my words and just decided to hug her, which made her laugh.
We were quickly ushered onto the stage, where we chatted about our writing process, and how we’d chosen this profession, and I was just completely in awe of her. Our conversation was easy, and we laughed and had a great time.
When we finished our chat onstage, we spent the next two hours meeting readers and signing books. To say that it was emotional would be a massive understatement.
I must have pinched myself a dozen times before we said our goodbyes at the bookstore, and Ashlan, Daisy, Laney, and I climbed into a car to head to dinner.
I sent Archer a text with a photo from the signing, and he responded with the same sentiment as earlier.
Archie
So proud of you. Be safe and have a good time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. You want me to have a good time.
We made it to the restaurant and ordered dinner and drinks, and we chatted about how incredible the signing was.
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe this,” Ashlan said as she looked down at her phone when it vibrated.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Yes. My husband Jace just texted me. Apparently, we have mutual friends, Winnie. We’re practically family.”
“What?” I gasped, because I felt like I’d known her my entire life after the signing, so I was thrilled that we had mutual friends.
“Umm… does the name Beefcake ring a bell?”
