Page 78 of Between the Lines

“Before you go,” Denise said quickly. “Let’s talk numbers.”

Blaise stopped.

The editor smiled again, this time with a different energy. Calculated. Confident. “We’re prepared to make a strong offer. A really significant advance. Wide distribution is a given, as is a serious amount of publicity support.”

Blaise leaned back in her chair, hands folding loosely in her lap. Money mattered. She wasn’t naive about that. But she also knew the cost of taking it from the wrong place.

“What kind of advance?” she asked.

The editor named a number. It was bigger than what Karey had talked about. Enough to make Blaise’s breath hitch, just slightly.

She did her best to stay cool. “And marketing? Do you have a plan for that?”

“Definitely. It’ll be national,” the editor said. “Morning shows. Features in a few magazines. Ads with a few streaming services. A big social media push. We’re even considering a late-night talk show. We know how to get attention.”

Blaise bet they did. She nodded slowly. “And creative control?”

The editor hesitated. Just a beat too long. “We’d collaborate closely.”

That was answer enough. They wanted control. That’s what it sounded like to her. “And what rights would you hold?”

“With the magnitude of this deal, we would retain all rights. I’m sure you understand. This would be a significant investment on our end.”

“Of course. And I appreciate your transparency,” Blaise said. “I really do. But I’m not willing to trade my privacy or my integrity for exposure. The story you want isn’t the one I’m telling. Meaningful money doesn’t change that.”

The editor’s smile tightened. “You might find other offers less…robust.”

“That might be,” Blaise said calmly. “But when this is all said and done, I still have to be able to live with myself.”

There was a pause, the air between them suddenly cooler.

“Well,” the editor said. “If you change your mind⁠—”

“I won’t,” Blaise said. Not unkindly. Just clearly. “I appreciate your time and your honesty.”

They ended the call a moment later.

Blaise closed her laptop and sat there, the house quiet except for Beau’s soft snoring. Her heart was still beating a little fast, but there was no regret in it.

She hadn’t come this far to sell herself short. Not again. She picked up her phone and called Cece, needing to hear a familiar voice and say a few things out loud while they were still clear in her mind.

Cece answered on the third ring. “Hey. Perfect timing. I just finished setting things up.”

“How are you feeling?” Blaise asked. It was always her first question now.

“Tired, but okay,” Cece said. “Joe should be here any minute. We’re recording his interview today.”

“That’s fantastic,” Blaise said.

“It is,” Cece agreed. “What’s going on with you? Did you have the second call already?”

“I did. And the second publisher is…not what I’d hoped for,” Blaise said, moving to the couch and sitting down. “I suppose it was bound to happen.”

Cece made a soft noise. “Tell me everything.”

“In a nutshell, they want a tell-all,” Blaise said. “They’re interested in my name and who I know. Or knew. They want the messy parts, the public parts, but especially the private parts. The editor, Denise, kept circling back to controversy. To how much attention it would get if I were willing to be…explicit.” She rolled her eyes. “The woman was practically salivating.”

Cece snorted. “Let me guess—she wanted you to name names and share details. No drama spared.”