Book Excerpt

Erin Andersen fidgeted in the pin-striped chair. The “two-minute” wait promised by the receptionist stretched into ten minutes. She glanced again at the magazines spread on the side table. The titles were unfamiliar. Some scholarly, some technical, none very interesting. She pushed them aside until she found a new copy of “Them” magazine, a slick tabloid that specialized in reporting the latest scandals and love interests of the stars.

The cover featured its typical fare of dazzling people. In one photograph, a tropical locale, a man and woman ducked their heads to avoid the paparazzi. The beautiful woman looked familiar. An actress, maybe? She wore a pink bikini top and a black sarong. The man wore sunglasses, an unbuttoned island-print shirt, and a pair of board shorts. Hmmm, nice abs, she thought.
Erin glanced out the large window at Washington, D.C.’s overcast skyline and shivered. Smog and low clouds obscured the Capitol dome.
She flipped through the magazine. The first dozen pages or so were filled with advertisements. Then she came to the cover feature: The island couple. There were more photographs of the handsome man with a variety of stunning women. In one, he was standing at the wheel of speed boat, shirtless, his sun-streaked wavy hair whipping in the wind. In another, he was strumming a guitar at a beach bonfire.

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Unnoticed, Patricia McDowell glided into the room. A veteran of the publishing trenches for more than thirty years, the regal, older woman intimidated most people, Erin included.
“Like what you see?”
Erin dropped the magazine and stood up.
“Patricia. How are you?”
“Fine. Sit down, Erin.”
Patricia slid behind her massive desk and studied her appointment book. Erin waited patiently. She knew the routine having worked at McDowell Publishing for the past three years. She began as an intern at McDowell Publishing while earning her master’s degree and upon graduation, was hired as an editorial assistant.
The company churned out quality non-fiction that often made university professors’ reading lists and always made the New York Times bestselling list. Her diamond-hard veneer and keen business sense aside, Patricia was the patron saint of artists, musicians, and historians who needed help writing books.
Erin helped senior staff move manuscripts through the system, from the author’s pen to the production department’s printer. It was her combination of charm and persistence, however, that Patricia valued most. She discovered that Erin could succeed, often through guile and wile, when experienced editors failed. Her easy-going personality put many shy and introverted scholars at ease and she helped them complete their books on time.
Patricia couldn’t care less if the girl recognized a split infinitive or a dangling participle. She had plenty of grammarians on staff. She wanted results and Erin delivered.
“Nice-looking man, isn’t he?” Patricia nodded towards the tabloid Erin tossed on the stack.
“George? Yes, he’s still gorgeous.”
“No. The man on the cover.”
“I didn’t really notice,” Erin said. She picked up the magazine, thumbing through the pages until she found the photo spread. “He’s okay, I guess. Who wouldn’t be with that kind of money? How much do you think that speedboat cost?”
“I’m not sure, but the sailboat cost at least $500,000. I know. I bought it for him.”
“What? You’re kidding me! You know this man?”
“That, my dear, is your next assignment. The boat was an advance on his forthcoming book.”
She smiled at Erin’s disbelief. “Yes; it’s that important. That’s why I need you. He’s already missed three deadlines. I’m afraid he’s a bit lazy. His first chapter was due last month.” Patricia leaned back into her leather chair and arched a silver eyebrow. “That’s unacceptable.”
“Is he local?” Erin flipped back through the magazine to the feature article and this time looked closer at the photographs.
“No. I hope you don’t mind, you’ll have to travel for this one. He lives in North Carolina, just a few hours away,” Patricia added, noting Erin’s frown.
Erin chewed her lip. She preferred to work with D.C. writers, primarily retired professors. She kept an apartment in Dupont Circle, near the fashionable northwest. Still, living in the capital was expensive and she could not afford to turn down a job. She nodded.
“Can you leave right away?”
Erin fumbled through her jacket pocket and pulled out her mobile phone. Flipping through its digital calendar, she scanned the months of April and May. Nothing she couldn’t reschedule. “Yes. Do you have a bio on this man? What does he do?”
Patricia paused. “I’m sorry, no bio unless you count the ‘Sexiest Man in America’ feature in ‘Them.’ He’s an artist and for some reason he’s popular in L.A. You won’t believe what they’re paying for his paintings. Anyway, your job is to make sure he finishes this book. Hell, I need you to make sure he begins it. I envision a book that can be used in a university setting by art students, and still entertain the layperson. It’s important we publish his book right away while he’s on top. He’s an exciting talent, and a richly illustrated, very personal book about Stephen Spence would be extremely marketable.”
“What’s his name? Stephen Spence?” Erin echoed distractedly.
“Have you heard of him?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll have to do some research. I guess these kinds of magazines would be the best place to begin,” Erin said, dropping the tabloid on the table. “The paparazzi apparently like to follow him. Who are the women?”
“Who knows? You seldom see him with the same one twice. He doesn’t appear to be lonely, does he?”
Erin heaved a sigh. “Men like him seldom are.”
She wasn’t sure how long the project would last, so Erin over packed. She decided to keep her appearance professional and maintain a dressy-casual style for work. To her traditional “librarian garb,” she added a new cocktail dress. She also packed a few cotton tops and shorts since spring came earlier in the Carolinas. Stephen Spence lived by the Atlantic, so she could beachcomb, maybe swim during her free time. She tossed an assortment of undergarments, stockings and her bathing suit into the mix.
She didn’t keep a toiletry bag packed so she went through the medicine cabinet and the shower and dumped products into a water-proof tote.
Aidan leaned against the bathroom door, eating a protein bar. “Hey, what’s going on?”
Aidan Carter was Erin’s ex-husband and a full-time student, still working on his doctoral degree. Their marriage ended a year ago after she discovered his affair with another student. It was a bitter breakup. After their divorce, Erin discovered it hurt more to lose her childhood friend so they remained close and, temporarily, roommates.
Sometimes, though, Aidan forgot they were “roommates.” Sometimes, she did too.
“I have an assignment. I’ll be gone for at least a month, I imagine,” Erin said.
“What’s the assignment?”
“I’m going to North Carolina. Patricia has a client who can’t meet his deadlines. I have to go down there and crack the whip.”
Aidan nodded. “Who is this client and how old is he?”
“Jealous?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, don’t be. I’ll be working,” Erin said, relieved she hadn’t brought home the magazine with photos of Stephen Spence. “Besides, you have your life and I have mine. Remember?”
It wasn’t exactly the truth, but Erin refused to admit it. During the past four months that Aidan had been back, they ended up in bed together a few times. It wasn’t that odd, really, she rationalized. He was gorgeous, with dark hair, steady gray eyes, and chiseled features. He also was a brilliant scientist, or would be when he finished his doctorate. Sex with Aidan was safe, she told herself.
“I remember, but I worry about you. You know I care,” he said, stepping into her bedroom. He cupped her chin and gently kissed her lips. Then he glanced into her suitcase and noticed the mass of frilly underwear and her bathing suit.
“Looks more like a vacation to me.”
Erin closed her suitcase and zipped the flap, suppressing a grin at the thought that she would be spending the next few weeks at the beach with a handsome and rich playboy.
“Well, it’s not.”

Distracted'Distracted' by Madeline Sloane (Buy this PDF ebook through PayPal and begin reading immediately)

Product Details
Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (January 18, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1456559567
ISBN-13: 978-1456559564
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.4 inchesPrice: $0.99

Madeline Sloane is a contemporary romance writer. Her novel, Distracted, is available as an ebook on Kindle, iPad, Nook.