Aspiring Novelist Pt. 04

As soon as the TV crew cleared up and left the real party was underway just as Patricia and Billie returned from taking Mandy to the airport.

"Why was Mandy jumping and yelling after being on the phone after closing the interview," Natalie asked.

Her mother said, "Mandy told us in the car that was her producer telling Mandy it was her best interview in the four years she'd been with the show."

"Well I thought the staging was excellent and Mandy was really great not sticking to the script and thus allowing the interview to flow naturally," said Natalie, a college-bound drama student.

There was much kissing and crying when Billie left the party at 1:00. She refused to allow anyone to take her to the airport saying she had a cab booked to get her into Corpus Christi in time for the flight at 6 am.

Billie left on the flight to Dallas where she decided to change the next leg of her flight to New York to somewhere else. During the flight she looked at a map intently and couldn't really decide so thought she'd chose a most unlikely place for her to spend summer. Her finger fell on South Dakota and at the airline's desk in Dallas converted her ticket to be flown to Sioux Falls.

CHAPTER 6

Billie had heard of the name Sioux Falls, but that's all. On the flight she learned more about the city from a brochure she'd picked up at a travel desk at Dallas-Fort Worth International.

It proved to be a long day for her. She arrived at the city at 7:30, thirteen and a half hours after leaving Corpus Christi. She booked into a hotel and after eating a hamburger went to bed.

On the third day of looking round the city Billie went bus to Rapid City in the south-west, a journey of interest that took her across much of South Dakota to the famous Black hills. The assistant hotel manager she had dinner with at the hotel on the second night there was from Rapid City and said with Billie wanting to find peace and quiet she was more likely to find it more appealing there than in Sioux Falls.

Billie stayed at a hotel in and next day replied to an advertisement in the Rapid City Journal about a large bedroom with sitting room and bathroom available for rent. Arrangements could be made to eat with the family. She went out by cab with her two bags to the home of a recently retired couple overlooking Arrowhead Country Club and liked what she saw.

"I'll take it. It's just what I hoped to find. You have a beautiful home."

"Well are you sure."

"Yes Mrs Meade. I'll take it now. I have my bags with me."

"Um do you have references?"

"No sorry. I left that stuff at home back in Texas. Perhaps I could call me mom and let you speak to here."

"But Miss Summers I don't know your mother or anything about you."

"I noticed one of my books on the table in your TV room."

"By god, she is THE Billie Summers," Mr Meade laughed. "You best call me Harry young woman."

""Now hold on there," Amelia said suspiciously.

"Mrs Meade, ask me any question you wish about 'Wretched Rachel' and if I'm unable to answer it I shall leave immediately."

"Fetch me the book Harry. The author's photo is on the back cover."

"I have my driver's license to prove who I am."

"No the book Harry."

He returned with the book grinning and said to his wife she'd always wanted a paying guest who was famous."

"Oh my lord, it is you. My dear a thousand apologies."

"It's okay, I realize one can never be too careful about admitting people into their home."

"I'm glad you understand Billie. Please call me Amelia."

Moving to ease the woman's embarrassment Billie said, "You have such a pretty and enduring name."

"I'll get used to Billie," Amelia smiled.

Finalizing terms of occupancy Billie opted to have all means with Harry and Amelia.

"Our daughter Robin is around your age and will be here soon to look you over," Amelia said candidly. "She's twenty-six and our grandson is eight months and Robin is married to Kevin who is an executive in banking but not as senior as our son who is CEO in the company's he's with."

Amelia's rapid tongue was a warning to Billie to be careful what she said to Amelia particularly as she'd already decided to try to have her growing celebrity status ignored in this community. By maintaining a low profile she'd have more time to spend on research and on writing.

Robin arrived with the baby who was very cute and a Mrs Moorhead from next-door came over to see the baby. Billie has left the room by then to find Harry to ask if he could help her choose a vehicle to buy, a pre-used vehicle preferably."

He grinned but didn't share the joke and said he'd grab a jacket and take her somewhere if she was ready to buy.

"Yes please Harry."

Billie went into the living room and Mrs Moorhead looked at her and gasped and said, "Omigod, Billie Summers. Omigod. I watched you on TV the night before last and can't wait to get your new book 'Horsewoman' that I've preordered."

"Oh Billie this is my dear neighbor Mrs Moorhead who is president of the local writer's club. You have 120 members don't you Nancy?"

"Almost 150 Amelia."

"Hi Mrs Moorhead."

Mrs Moorhead insisted Billie called her Nancy and immediately turned the screw to allow her to submit to the club committee to invite Billie to become an honorary club member and to invite her to be a guest speaker."

"Yes I'll speak to your club and pay my membership like everyone else."

"Oh no Billie, a distinguished writer like yourself must be elevated to honorary membership along with our former presidents and patrons. Eleven of our members are published novelists but their books are not marketed nation-wide as yours are."

"But I'm relatively insignificant on the scale of sales nationally."

"Well 'Horsewoman' will change that. I heard on book news on radio this morning that your publisher, Under the Tree Publishing has been swamped by orders for Horsewoman and is handing out contracts to printers on the West Coast and in Chicago and Dallas. She quoted from a press statement put out by your publisher this morning that orders from on-sellers in Texas in particular have gone through the roof and the presenter of the radio program said she'd just finished a pre-lease copy and predicted sales will be in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps exceeding a million."

Billie turned while and collapsed into a chair. "Omigod this is awful. I wanted to begin my new novel here but now my publisher will be lining me up for promotional appearances. I cam here to lie low and still could manage that. It would help Nancy is would could delay saying anything about me but I promise eventually to accept honorary membership and speak to your club, perhaps in three months' time.

Excited conversation followed and then as it was dying Robin asked, "What is you new novel called?"

"I only have the working title and haven't written a word or drafted a story line yet. It was something that began appearing in my mind and I based my title on that. It's called 'Woman on a Swing'."

Amelia and Nancy glanced at one another.

"What, have you read a book with that title?"

"No Billie," said Nancy but our friend Dorothy Manning has a painting in her lounge done by her daughter when she was a senior fine arts student. It's of Dorothy on a swing with a crown of flowers in her hair."

Billie said what a coincidence and added Harry was taking her in to the city to buy a car.

"What a coincidence," Amelia laughed and the others laughed but Billie saw nothing funny in what she'd just said.

Harry stopped opposite the big dealership and pointed at it with pride. "That business was founded by my father, starting with a small yard crammed with a dozen vehicles and a near collapsing caravan was his office. Then I succeeded him and last year my son took over the day to day running of the business."

Harry drove across into the huge yard and parked in a prime space marked Chairman.

"Let's see what best buy I can get you interested in and then we'll see what discount the pre-used department is offering," said the chairman. "What have you been driving?"

"A Jeep Wrangler."

"Good because you'll find 4-wheel drive useful in this territory if you intend moving about in the hills and it's highly recommended if you intend being here over winter."

"That sounds good advice."

"We have a bit of everything here, received a trade-ins, but most of it I'd use caution. I say know the owner and you'll know the vehicle."

"What about that 2006 Jeep Liberty over there, the white one?"

"Oh I say, top choice. Jack Fish has owned that since new. Ignore the price sticker because I can get it for you better than that. So nineteen grand is within your price range?"

"Yes."

"Well since you are living with us and we have a spare space in the garage, I'd like to put a honey like you in a vehicle that reflects your style. Look two down from the Liberty."

"Oh that real cool Infiniti?"

"Yes an ex-demonstrators that had since been owned by our new sales manager's wife. It's a 2006 Infiniti FX all-wheel drive and the ticket will say almost $26,000. What say if I can screw Jacki the pre-used manager to drop the price down to $20,000?"

"Let's take it for a test drive and then I'll make my choice."

An hour later after having kissed Harry in front of the company's giggling sales manager Billie drove him home in her $19,995 Infiniti and was so happy.

After returning back home with Amelia, who'd insisted on being driven around to perimeter of the two golf courses and then declaring it was a great buy, Billie went to her room, turned her phone on and found three messages from the marketing director of Under the Tree Publishing. She called Mrs Morgan who invited Billie to call her Jane.

"We are up to our necks in preorders for your latest book."

"So you want me to go on promotional tour?"

"Hell no, are you crazy? We are already negotiating for five additional printers to output 'Horsewoman'. No this is to talk with you about the media frenzy. I have thirty-one people from the media wishing to interview you including from two top magazines."

"What I suggest you rank them in your preferred order and for the next twenty days I'll be available, day or night to talk to them. But they'll have to come to me."

"Well that's no problem Billie. You're in New York aren't you?"

"No in Rapid City."

"Where on earth is that?" asked the New Yorker.

"In South Dakota in the Black Hills quite near to Wyoming."

"Oh Christ, you can't remain holed up out there."

"I am and I can. I chose where I wish to live, not the media."

Jane sounded close to blowing a head of steam.

"Jane let's try this: if they want me you tell them where to find me and schedule their appointment time to avoid overlaps and advise me. Any time and day you set within that 20-day period beginning from tomorrow will be fine. If none of them want to come here then I'll come to New York for two days but please don't tell them that immediately... save it as a reason to call them back in a few days. If a few of the major publications journalists agree to come here then forget about the minnows. As I say, if they want me they will be told where to find me. Here are my details."

After noting the details Jane said she couldn't see Billie's concept working.

"I say this kindly Jane, you have a commercial brain that suits your marketing role. These journalists will be feature writers and possibly with romantic notions of having to cross most of America to find me holed up and being feted by the local writers club and when I tell them my upcoming novel is likely to be called 'Woman on a Swing' they will view this as so cute and folksy they'll write so sweetly and whimsically that Under the Tree Publishing will think it has a possible idyllic blockbuster coming up."

"You ought to be in marketing Billie."

"I'll leave that to people like you Jane. I'm a lazy romantic who likes to watch butterflies flitter."

"Oh god you sound so incredibly lovely Billie. When we heard that you almost removed your editor's head we all thought you must be such a bitch."

"I'm beginning to think I'm all things to all people Jane. Oh next time you are having sex do it with a flower stalk between your teeth and see where that takes you and your lover."

"Oh god, I must try that Jane. Have you any more great tips for the bedroom?"

"Bye Jane.""

Ending that call Billie thought it seemed incredible that aged twenty-five it appeared she'd just written a top-seller... er... and in the top league seller. And for the second time she'd given much older women advice off the top of her head that appeared to hold them in awe of her. She must stop doing that otherwise people would really expect her to know everything and be invincible. Every author has at least one book that bombs. Would 'Woman on a Swing' bomb."

She went next-door to tell Nancy Whitehead that an author's tour was not being considered and Under the Tree Publishing would be informing journalists wishing to interview her where she was living.

"So feel free to invited me to speak to members of your club any time you wish subject to you checking times and dates with me."

"It will be a luncheon."

"Oh good. People listen better once they've eaten."

"Oh yes I suppose they do. You appear to know an awful lot for one so young Billie."

"I've always been good about what I have been told about looking and listening carefully Nancy."

"Oh yes, I remember my mother and her mother telling me that as a child. I suppose I took some notice of them. Um please stay for a drink. My husband Anthony will be home soon and I'll call Harry and Amelia over. God I live the sleek lines of your new car."

"Yes I see it as being powerfully feminine."

"Oh I suppose I do too."

The next day Billie went into the city to hire a financial adviser to sort out her financial affairs. She believed she had far too much money sitting in her two bank accounts and had several investments. Clutching her larger handbag crammed with documents relating to her finances and investments she walked into the offices of Arthur J. Jones and Associates, business and financial planning consultants.

"Yes miss," said the young receptionist.

"I'd like a sexy consultant to manage me please."

Giggling the twenty-year-old said, "We are business and financial consultants, not one of those sex places."

"Oh darling, you have lovely humor. You choose a consultant for me, er one who is available."

The receptionist whispered, "Doug Mann is our only sexy consultant in my opinion."

"Then whistle him up please."

The receptionist made a call to Mr Mann about a possible new client wanting to see him."

Billie strained and heard him say, "Invite her to make an appointment to see me."

"She looks very sexy."

"I'll be right out."

A door down the corridor opened and a thirty-year-old with broad shoulders and messy brown hair strode out, looked at Billie and gaped... "Miss Billie Summers I presume?"

"Yes so you read my books?"

"No but my mother does. I have often looked at your picture on the back cover and had wild thoughts about you. Most female authors appear to shave."

"Oh most of us shave Mr Mann but I leave my face unshaven."

Mr Mann swung his reddening face at the giggling receptionist and then apologized in a mumble, "Apologies for somehow becoming rather too personal."

"Excuse me I didn't quite hear what you were saying; you mumbled."

"Come through Miss Summers and I'll repeat my apology as it's quieter in my office."

Billie winked at the receptionist and followed her new consultant.

"Well what do you think Doug?"

He removed his reading glasses, belched rudely and said, "To be frank I agree with you. You have money, a rather large amount in fact, here there and everywhere. As you said it's a bit of a mess."

"And"

"I cannot give you advice until you sign on. It's office protocol."

"Be a rebel Doug. Use the f-word about protocol and give me a piece of advice to convince me to hire you as my consultant."

"You appoint professional people; you don't hire them."

"Are we to quibble over wording?" Billie said easily and Doug grinned.

"I can see why my mother likes your writing. You have quite a way with you. Okay, my thinking is sell your oil shares will oil is sky oil. They will fall and probably very heavily at the next downturn and the last sector in oil to recover will be the value of prospecting stock."

"Oh that's very impressive advice I think. At least I understand your logic. Where do I sign to hire you... on your shirt front?"

"I'll make out the form now for you to sign."

"And prepare the authority that allows you to buy and sell stock on my behalf but with my written instructions that may be emailed to you?"

Doing some of the paperwork Doug said, "Yes and what do we do with this money from the sale of the oil stock?"

"We do nothing until you present me with a proposal."

"Excellent thinking although I could not have moved on your behave without having done that."

"Do you date?"

The pen froze and Doug said, "Excuse me."

"Do you date?"

"I'm married and take my wife out if that's what you mean."

"Um yes, that's what I did mean."

When the meeting ended Billie said goodbye but more or less slunk out of the office, having difficulty to believe she could have fouled up on such a basic. Her married consultant had said he'd call her when he had a about a consolidated investment proposal to present to here. That was likely to occur within two days.

Returning home Billie booted her laptop and found two interviews had been booked for the day after tomorrow and three the following day.

Jane wrote: 'It's unbelievable that so far only one publication has refused to send its journalist to you. The others appear to think the expense and time involved is worth it because you are hot. Good luck.'

Billie told Harry and Amelia during dinner about the interviews and Amelia said it would be fine for Billie to use their lounge for that or to use the garden but Billie said no it would be fine. If it were wet or windy she'd go to their hotel or to a restaurant if the visiting journalist was making a flying visit. Could you two take me into the city tomorrow and show my parks and other places of interest where I could be interviewed and photographed.

"Oh sure," Harry said. "There are some great places in the business district and you would have seen street benches and if you wish to be interviewed in any of the galleries or tourist stores just say the word and I'll pave the way for you and most of the store owners and gallery owners and profession people know me because I've been in business here since dad appointed me manager of vehicle spare parts when I was seventeen years of age."

The first interview was with a feature writer and photographer from a New York daily newspaper and the afternoon interview was with a writer and photographer from a national women's magazine. Billie found it so easy because she'd decided not to attempt to give a fresh interview each time but leave it to the journalists to attempt to be individually slanted to extract information that suited the style of their publication. It was easy for here to answer questions and she did work to be lively, thoughtful and refreshing. It appeared to work.

Doug had called early afternoon and she went to his office by appointment at 5:00 after completion of the second interview.

Billie sighed the authority for Doug to arrange the sale of her oil stock and then discussed the options on the investment schedule he'd proposed and she then settled on the options she would follow. With that done she agreed his future involvement would be limited to a six monthly review unless her financial circumstances or wider economic stability changed dramatically. She left the office feeling not only more financially secure but more fiscally responsible through now having her growing wealth under management. She then chose a local attorney and a local accountant from the short list of names Doug had recommended.