Trifecta

ACT II: Chapter Six - Temple of Thought (November, 2004)

Author's Note: NSFW Warning

I tapped my desk in anticipation, waiting for Ernie's call. He told me three thirty. It was now three forty-five. I eyed the Royal sitting next to my PC with a thoughtful hum and my fingers stopped their dull taps across the wood of my desk.

Since Tanya had given me the Royal back, I had completely discarded using my PC for any recreational writing. I even rewrote my secret Achanon manuscript on the old typewriter before I took the story any further. I had no reasonable explanation for it, but I was sure there was magic in those ancient keys, and they were letting me tap into something special.

That's why this book is gonna be big. I've got magic back in my fingers. Just like one of the Grand Ministers of Xorbine. I touched the Royal's shiny black case with a light chuckle to myself. Maybe not as corrupt as they are though.

As I stared at my typewriter, weighing out the pros and cons of pulling it out while I waited, Ernie finally called, setting off a string of annoying high pitched chimes on my computer. I sighed and turned away from the Royal to grab my mouse and navigate my cursor over the green button which would accept Ernie's call. I hesitated, hating that we always had to have these conferences face to face, so to speak. There was nothing that I despised more than having to act engaged in a conversation when all I wanted was to duck out and be by myself.

I pressed the accept button, thankful to make that annoying fucking chime stop, and put on a fake smile for Ernie's sake. A second later, Ernie's face and torso appeared in a box that took up half the screen. He blinked a few times and then the picture adjusted and he threw up his hands with a loud, joyful cry.

"Hey there, Superstar!" Ernie said with all the chipper vitality I had come to expect from him over the years.

I raised a hand in greeting. "Hey," I said flatly and then tensed up unconsciously as I waited for the onslaught of words to hit me.

Ernie did not disappoint.

"So, I just got off the phone with Sven. We were supposed to have dinner last night to talk through a deal, but you know how things come up? Shame too, we were supposed to go to Orion's. Have you been to Orion's yet, Marley? Their steak is to die for. Anyways, talking to Sven and he was blown away with your finished script. Couldn't say enough good things about it. He thinks it's perfect. Absolutely perfect."

I exhaled the breath I didn't know I was holding and allowed myself an authentic smile. "That's...good," I said with a bit of uncertainty, before I paused to think it over and be sure. "It's a win in a medium that I'm not comfortable with at all. There's that at least."

"I don't think anyone would ever know you were no good at this, kid. You did an amazing job with the script," Ernie told me with a big, beaming smile that made him look like a proud father.

It only made me blush a light pink and shuffle my bare feet against the carpet sheepishly as a flush of strange embarrassment filled me. That's because you've never had a father. A little voice inside my head reminded me. Not a real one. And definitely not one that was ever proud. I looked back at Ernie. Every now and again he acts like a dad should though. And that's kinda nice.

"Well, um," I muttered and rubbed the back of my neck with a shy little chuckle. "I have been hit with some new inspiration lately. Maybe that rubbed off on my revisions some."

"New inspiration, eh?" Ernie raised a curious brow while a sly smile unfurled on his lips. "Something cooking over there? 'Cause it smells like a novel's in the air."

And then there's my agent. I thought sarcastically as a frown pulled at my features. Couldn't just let me have my moment of feeling good, could he... No matter. Just play it cool.