took away more spaciousness. She was trying to concentrate on opening the day's envelopes and packages as she saw Glen return to his compartment. 'Morning, Glen,' she said and turned her wave into fanning herself. When he looked at best puzzled she said 'Too many of us in a box.'
'Everyone's important here. We all have to get to work. I don't believe anyone else had a problem.'
'I won't again,' Charlotte promised herself more than him. 'I wouldn't mind a bit more elbow room on our way upstairs, though.'
'Not much chance we'll be alone in there,' he said and wheeled his chair over. 'We'd better talk now.' As she turned her chair towards him in the flimsy alcove he murmured 'I'd have called you if I had your number.'
'Shall I give it to you now?'
'You can if you like,' he said and rested a hand on her arm, but only for a moment. 'You may not want to. Let me tell you first of all you've got a knack for pitching projects.'
'Well, thank you.'
'I've seen you do it upstairs but I guess I never appreciated just how good you were.'
'Thank you twice.'
'But I've been thinking over the weekend, I don't believe even you can sell your cousin's book upstairs by yourself.'
'Then it's a good job I won't be trying, yes?'
'You won't.' This was close to a question, and so was 'You've decided to wait till she sends us some rewrites.'
'No, I mean I'm glad I'll have your support up there today.'
Glen inched his chair towards Charlotte. 'What did you say to her?' he said in a low voice. 'You didn't tell her it's bought.'
'I wouldn't before it is.' Charlotte was starting to feel penned in. 'I might have implied that with both of us behind it we shouldn't have much of a problem,' she admitted.
'Yeah, well, that could be one.'
'I don't think I follow.'
Glen clamped his hands to his thighs and leaned so close that Charlotte smelled harsh coffee on his breath. 'Are you trying to make this as hard as you can?'
She didn't retreat, not least since there was very little room. 'No, I'm trying to be pleasant,' she said.
'Hey, me too. OK, let's be professional as well.'
'I thought I was.'
'Maybe I wasn't on Friday, so I apologise.'
'Glen, you've nothing to apologise for. I had a good time and I hope you did.'
'Sure, but remind me never to talk terms after an evening like that. Like I said, you're great at firing people up, but I've had the weekend to think it over. Call me unprofessional, only maybe you were too if you told your cousin she could expect a contract ahead of the pitch.'
'I already said I didn't say that. What are you saying I should have said?'
'You're going to need to tell her to show us some rewrites before we can make a decision.'
'We agreed that wasn't necessary. You can't have changed your mind that much.' Charlotte's voice had begun to sound as boxed in as she felt. 'Is this about Friday night?' she said so quietly that she almost didn't hear herself.
'What about it?'
'Wasn't I as friendly as you wanted? I really did have work to finish. You were saying that's the attitude we need to have. If you think supporting Ellen's book is doing me a favour –'
However she might have continued, Glen cut her off. 'I won't be,' he said. 'That's all that matters here.'
'I won't ask you, then. I'll see if I'm as good at pitching as you say.'
'Let me tell you as a friend, that's not a good idea.'
'Why isn't it?'
'Because if you try I'll block you. I have to look out for my imprint, and that book isn't ready for us.'
'Suppose I can persuade everyone?'
'You won't persuade me, and I'll kill it.' Glen laid one hand on her desk and waved the other beside her, hemming her in. 'Listen, nobody can afford too many failed pitches round here any more. I'm thinking of you. Don't risk your job.'
Just now it was answering him that Charlotte didn't dare to risk. He steered the chair away and glanced at his watch. 'Time we were moving,' he said. 'Let's not be the last to take our seats.'
She had another first novel to propose, by an
'Everyone's important here. We all have to get to work. I don't believe anyone else had a problem.'
'I won't again,' Charlotte promised herself more than him. 'I wouldn't mind a bit more elbow room on our way upstairs, though.'
'Not much chance we'll be alone in there,' he said and wheeled his chair over. 'We'd better talk now.' As she turned her chair towards him in the flimsy alcove he murmured 'I'd have called you if I had your number.'
'Shall I give it to you now?'
'You can if you like,' he said and rested a hand on her arm, but only for a moment. 'You may not want to. Let me tell you first of all you've got a knack for pitching projects.'
'Well, thank you.'
'I've seen you do it upstairs but I guess I never appreciated just how good you were.'
'Thank you twice.'
'But I've been thinking over the weekend, I don't believe even you can sell your cousin's book upstairs by yourself.'
'Then it's a good job I won't be trying, yes?'
'You won't.' This was close to a question, and so was 'You've decided to wait till she sends us some rewrites.'
'No, I mean I'm glad I'll have your support up there today.'
Glen inched his chair towards Charlotte. 'What did you say to her?' he said in a low voice. 'You didn't tell her it's bought.'
'I wouldn't before it is.' Charlotte was starting to feel penned in. 'I might have implied that with both of us behind it we shouldn't have much of a problem,' she admitted.
'Yeah, well, that could be one.'
'I don't think I follow.'
Glen clamped his hands to his thighs and leaned so close that Charlotte smelled harsh coffee on his breath. 'Are you trying to make this as hard as you can?'
She didn't retreat, not least since there was very little room. 'No, I'm trying to be pleasant,' she said.
'Hey, me too. OK, let's be professional as well.'
'I thought I was.'
'Maybe I wasn't on Friday, so I apologise.'
'Glen, you've nothing to apologise for. I had a good time and I hope you did.'
'Sure, but remind me never to talk terms after an evening like that. Like I said, you're great at firing people up, but I've had the weekend to think it over. Call me unprofessional, only maybe you were too if you told your cousin she could expect a contract ahead of the pitch.'
'I already said I didn't say that. What are you saying I should have said?'
'You're going to need to tell her to show us some rewrites before we can make a decision.'
'We agreed that wasn't necessary. You can't have changed your mind that much.' Charlotte's voice had begun to sound as boxed in as she felt. 'Is this about Friday night?' she said so quietly that she almost didn't hear herself.
'What about it?'
'Wasn't I as friendly as you wanted? I really did have work to finish. You were saying that's the attitude we need to have. If you think supporting Ellen's book is doing me a favour –'
However she might have continued, Glen cut her off. 'I won't be,' he said. 'That's all that matters here.'
'I won't ask you, then. I'll see if I'm as good at pitching as you say.'
'Let me tell you as a friend, that's not a good idea.'
'Why isn't it?'
'Because if you try I'll block you. I have to look out for my imprint, and that book isn't ready for us.'
'Suppose I can persuade everyone?'
'You won't persuade me, and I'll kill it.' Glen laid one hand on her desk and waved the other beside her, hemming her in. 'Listen, nobody can afford too many failed pitches round here any more. I'm thinking of you. Don't risk your job.'
Just now it was answering him that Charlotte didn't dare to risk. He steered the chair away and glanced at his watch. 'Time we were moving,' he said. 'Let's not be the last to take our seats.'
She had another first novel to propose, by an
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