Yes, fad books are the very blood cells of the circulatory system of the book industry. Without a fad book now and then, the business would wilt. Evita loves fad books and wants to be involved with them.
‘I have told the agents that we are bringing something really exciting to Gothenburg at the end of September. I haven’t said what it’s about, I’ve just told them to book in the largest international publishers for personal presentations with me, Astra and a secret author who has written a book with a considerable international potential.’
‘Gosh, now you’re making me a bundle of nerves,’ says Titus, looking very worried.
‘It’s all right Titus. I know what I’m doing.’
‘Are you sure? I don’t like celebrating victories in advance. I suppose I’m a bit superstitious. Not just a bit – I am terrified by this stuff. You know that I’ve always been drunk when I did that sort of thing before.’
Evita puts her hand on Titus’ arm again. She looks deeply into his eyes.
‘Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll take care of this, Astra and me, we’ll fix it. All you have to do is come along with us to Gothenburg. We are staying at Park Avenue. You’ll go upstairs to bed when the others go to the bar, eat a VIP breakfast in peace and quiet on the top floor, go to a few, important meetings at the International Rights Centre down in the fair hall. What do you think?’
Titus is silent. He looks at the flash card in the middle of the table. A well-developed embryo, a foetus which will soon be born as a baby and have a long and rich life. Should it just lie there? Can’t Astra take care of it straight away? He thinks it looks abandoned, but he doesn’t say anything because he has no wish to give an unnecessarily nervous impression.
From the other side, Astra stretches across and lays her tanned hand on Titus’ arm.
‘It’ll be fine, Titus. This way everything will roll along much faster. We’ll release the book in Sweden just after the February book sale and then it can be published in other countries in the autumn. Nowadays books have about six months in the limelight – we must turn as many spotlights on as we can during that time.’
‘Okay…’
‘Fine,’ says Evita. ‘It’ll be okay, won’t it? Will you finish in time? In that case, we shall prepare a really thorough presentation. Synopsis and author portrait, some decent reader’s reports, we might even translate a few chapters. We shall print a fancy folder a few days before the fair – glossy, the exclusive touch. That will work for Frankfurt, too. Astra and I will be going there a week or so after Gothenburg. And you, Titus, we must take some photos of you too. You look so… good at the moment.’
‘Thanks. Yes, I’ll certainly finish in time. As long as nothing unexpected happens…’
‘Haha, and what might that be?’ laughs Astra, and flashes a big smile at him. ‘Everything’s going perfectly.’
Now Titus smiles too. It does undoubtedly feel tip-top. He was been working like a maniac all summer. Despite this, he feels strong and rested. He knows that the manuscript is good and that it is going to get even better before he is finished with it.
This is the first time for ages that he has felt the frisson of female company. Evita’s hand on his arm has stirred him; every time she touches him, he gets a tickling sensation on his neck and down his back, in a pleasant way. He regards it as yet further proof that he is on the way back to a real life. She isn’t by any means the she-monster that people say, he thinks. She is lovely. Pretty, too, with a sexy appetite for life and not just conventional feminine allure. That said, her feminine attributes tick all the boxes, too: skin and legs and décolletage and red lips wherever you look! She is sort of steaming a little. Simply fabulous. Wonder if she’s got a man at the minute?
The three of them continue chatting a while and discuss the details of the schedule. Titus describes how he is going to create several crises in the story before he ignites the final crescendo. Astra talks of the importance of building up the characters slowly so that the tension is retained throughout the book. Titus agrees with her, that is precisely what he has done. Evita has some anecdotes from the media world, asks whether Titus remembers when they launched Baroque in Their Blood and she fell asleep in the middle of the reading at the release party. He doesn’t remember, but Astra does, and she jokingly puts her hands over her ears and shouts out that she doesn’t want to remember or hear a single word about it. Evita laughs and touches Titus’ arm. Titus shivers with pleasure. Evita eats him with her eyes. Astra smiles with the whole of her face and loves her job.
There is a delightful atmosphere. All three feel that they are important parts of something exciting and great.
Then the doorbell rings.
CHAPTER 26
Come Aboard Amour
The bright yellow silk shirt is unbuttoned almost down to his navel. His taut chest is tanned and freshly shaven. Even his nipples look tanned. Eddie X is leaning against the doorpost, twirling a strand of orange hair around his fingers, when Astra opens the door. His brown eyes smile. His white teeth glow.
‘Astra, beautiful Astra. May I offer you my simple company?’
When Astra sees Eddie standing there she lights up like a sun.
‘Hi, Eddie! Oh dear, we are in the middle of a little meeting.’
That doesn’t stop Eddie. He steps into the hall and looks into the living room.
He smiles at Evita, who radiates happiness. She instinctively pushes her bosom out a little and turns her head to one side without losing eye contact. You look your slimmest like that.
Eddie even smiles at Titus Jensen, who looks as if he has lost his winning lottery ticket… Titus’ chin drops a little, and if you had looked really closely would have noticed that his tongue was resting like a small piece of steak on his lower lip and the bottom row of teeth. It is obvious that Eddie’s entrance affects different people in different ways.
A poet who sells well is unusual, and Evita Winchester is of course not slow to turn on the charm for the new national poet. You always have to keep the door open for new sales possibilities. She is proud to see that Astra has the same attitude and has got to know Eddie so well that he even comes to visit her at home.
‘Come in, Eddie. What a fantastically amusing Summer programme you did! I listened to it when I was out on the island. It seems as if everybody in the country heard it.’
‘Thank you, do you really think so? It cheers me to hear you say that. May I take a seat?’
Eddie doesn’t wait for an answer, but sits down beside Titus. Titus is speechless, and just stares. What is he doing here? What is this all about? What’s happening? A moment ago, he was happy and full of energy. Now he is deflating like a leaking balloon.
At the same time, the room is filled with Eddie’s self-confidence. He puts up both arms on the back of the sofa.
‘Has Astra told you that we’ve started dating?’
Astra blushes behind her tan, and lets out a little giggle.
‘Dating? Now take it easy, Eddie. We have had dinner together on one occasion.’