+TYPED OUT-

+DRITTEN TAG-

One knew the last day of the fair was crucial by the hardcore air conditioning that filled the aisles in anticipation of the sweat and effort some would put in to seduce. No visitors, just PROFESSIONALS. Whether it was an adaptation one sought, a sister publishing company, an agent, or a printer, it was the moment to fish or be fished.

Masterpieces and tuna sandwiches fought to extend their diffusion on the German Market.

Monday and Kenneth went separate ways once inside after the man deposited a kiss on her cheek. A mere greeting for some, but the two were not adepts of big public demonstrations, which didn't signify the sentiments involved were more profound.

Monday found Dagmar seated and ready for negotiations.

She didn't even need to budge. Publishers and talent scouts queued up like her readers the days before.

For Monday, it was a moment to observe. She had learned a lot a the bookInc, but she somehow felt as though she missed the mark.

Kenneth gave no interviews. He, too, became a sales representative like the rest of his team, and he spoke with distributors.

They had little time; the journalists would be allowed to enter for the prize announcement at five.

"Kenneth, about last night. Are you feeling better?" Meredith asked when she saw the man free. Kenneth hadn't addressed a single word to her since she arrived, only giving directives to everyone else.

"Meredith, this isn't the time nor the place."

Kenneth didn't want to deal with her then. He was still angry and didn't wish to speak out of bounds because of it.

Meredith's guilt trip heightened. The fear of losing her job and being banished made her lose her focus.

Kenneth had his idea on why she acted up, and he wished he was wrong. For almost six years, the woman worked for her single, male boss. He let her into his home without immediate family in New York; the woman played substitutes, nursed, and cared for him when he was sick. Meredith was almost the only woman he met day in and day out.

Meredith had all the attributes of women who caught the man's eye. She persuaded herself Kenneth refrained from approaching her because of her position. It seemed he wasn't the type of man to court his PA, even if she corresponded to his tastes.

The woman wasn't far off; the single man's eyes did fest on the woman's appearance. One could say her beauty was a criterion Kenneth retained when he hired her. Being happy alone didn't mean Kenneth was blind to facial and physical features.

Suddenly, in came this other woman. The opposite of everything the man appreciated: no nails, bright eyes, or straight hair. The woman didn't even know who he was, though, an author, drifting in the identical spheres.

Monday was never supposed to make the man raise an eyebrow in her direction, yet she barged her way into his garden without warning.

At Dagmars' booth, Monday didn't know what to do. Dagmar was busy, and so was Ben.

Monday decided to roam around. Without visitors, the fair resembled a massive job date session. She passed Kenneths' booth, everyone bustled about, and Kenneth seemed extremely occupied by his interlocutor. Bored, she decided it was a good moment for a cigarette break.

Meredith, who saw Monday pass followed. What a tremendous missed opportunity, she thought as she returned to the booth. 

How was she to expose Monday?

As expected, Monday got no message or a visit from Kenneth, who was absorbed in negotiations.

The afternoon came faster than a door knock, and with it, panic as authors finally focused on the prize.

"I'm so stressed. Where's a cigarette when you need one?" Dagmar said.

It was strange to see the authoress usually stoic panic.

"I've got some," Monday replied.

"Oh, you're a lifesaver."

"Go ahead; the announcement is in half an hour. I'll hold the Fort."

In the meantime, Meredith convinced Kenneth to speak to her. They headed outside.

"Kenneth, please tell me what I did wrong."

"What you did, is disturb me at an ungodly hour? What is wrong with you lately? I can't have a moment of rest without you debarking like a parole officer," the man said, grasping the air in front of him as though he wished to strangle it.

"Rob said you had a migraine, and I wanted to help. What's wrong with that? Aiding you is part of my job," the woman said and crossed her arms as she switched on her defensive mode.

"Don't play with the terms, Meredith. We both know you're going overboard."

Meredith spoke, but Kenneths' mind and nostrils were elsewhere. A predominant smell of smoke filled the air.

The man wouldn't have paid attention if it wasn't for the voice he heard.

"Dagmar, the bear is yours. Everyone knows it."

"Kenneth, I'm sorryㅡ," Meredith stopped when the man lifted his hand to a halt.

"Kennㅡ."

"Sshㅡ," the man said and placed a finger on his lips.

Kenneth began to walk to the pillar. The first person he saw was Dagmar with a cigarette in hand. The woman lifted her head to alert the person she was with of his presence.

Monday turned, "Kenneth?"

The man's eyes fluttered shut, he hoped it was a nightmare, but the cigarette was still in her hand when he opened them.

Behind him, Meredith smiled. It seemed some mystical force was on her side. Their presence there was a pure and perfect coincidence.

Monday could have love handles, shave her hair, have a missing toe, maybe not, but smoking was an absolute no-no. There was nothing, perhaps, racism and homophobia that ranked higher than smoking or taking any illegal substances in the man's mind.

Kenneths' mother died of cancer, but the factor that made remission impossible was the nicotine trapped in her lungs. Kenneth could close his eyes to many things, but he could not tolerate someone's smoking habits, especially when the someone happened to be his love interest. Cigarettes were not his pet peeves but an abomination.

Meredith knew this well. The woman remembered how the man insisted during her job interview.

"Do you smoke?"

"No."

"Have you ever smoked?"

"No."

"Have you ever tried to smoke?"

Her friend, who gave Meredith a tip about the job offer, told her not to lie. The man had an internal lie detector.

"I tried when I was sixteen. I realized it wasn't for me. Also, the habit is too expensive in the long run."

Meredith's honesty got rewarded with a contract. The man formally forbade smoking on his office's premises. Everyone who worked for Kenneth was a non-smoker. If Kenneths' collaborators had to pass away, tobacco would not be the cause, at least not while he was around. And yes, for this thing, only the man could discriminate.

Monday stood shocked as the man walked past her. Kenneth acted as though she didn't exist. He strode to the exit, followed by Meredith, who tried to tame her contempt as she reentered the fair.