Invisible String

Chapter 33 - Shake It Off

They all looked briefly at me as I walked to my seat and sat down. Robin's eyes were glued to mine. He nodded to make sure I was okay, and I briefly nodded back. Then he turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

Papers were being exchanged. Corner-secretary-lady was gone from the room, and the lawyers were circling items back and forth, sending the document across the table like notes being passed in class.

It was much quieter in the room because everything needing to be said was being written. After a while, the secretary came back into the room, papers in hand. She handed them to Robin, who looked them over, then set them down between the two parties in the middle of the table.

"It looks like we've come to an agreement," Victor said, the female lawyer with him, Winnie, was her name I believe, nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it seems as though we have," Michael, Beth's lawyer, said.

"Good, then I'll have Cassie go finish these papers up, and then we can sign them and all be on our way," Robin smiled to both parties and gave the papers back to the secretary, Cassie.

She came back just a few minutes later and returned the papers to Robin. He looked them over carefully, nodding and mumbling 'yes's' and 'uh-huh's' to himself. Finally, he looked up, set the papers on the table, marked on it where the two groups needed to sign and initial, then passed them back and forth between them.

In the meantime, I sat at the end of the table, twiddling my goddamn thumbs like a child.

When it was all signed and ready, Robin brought the papers down to me. He handed me the pen and told me where to sign. My hand hesitated over the line, the pen in my hand.

"What exactly am I signing on to?" I asked him in a hushed voice, the eyes in the room on me.

He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "Your future."

I shuddered and looked up at him. "What exactly does that entail?" I said, not so quiet this time.

He smiled at the other people in the room and then leaned in close to me again and whispered, "A multi-million dollar book deal, Hannah. And your choice of books."

My eyes widened as he pulled back and continued to force his flawless smile on the rest of us. "Now sign it, please," he said, also louder this time.

My fingers pressed the pen against the stack of papers over and over, different pages, initials here and there, full John Hancock on others. After what felt like an hour, I finished and stood. I walked around to Beth and shook her hand.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me," I said politely.

"Yes, and thank you." She smiled a rather fake smile and walked around me, her lawyer following close behind, completely snubbing me.

I faced Robin and the people from Royal Tribute. Harper was smiling wide, as was the older gentleman, Paul. Victor was staring at me, with a look of disapproval or disagreement in his eyes, but I couldn't tell which it was.

"Congratulations, Hannah!" Robin said.

I smiled wide and hugged him, and went and shook Harper and Paul's hands.

"We're glad to have you on board with us. I'm sure we'll benefit each other greatly," Harper smiled.

Paul looked down at his watch and exclaimed, "Good golly!" He looked up at me, "Kiddo, we've got a reservation at seven to celebrate, we gotta get going."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and Robin led us out of the room. We left the building, jumped into a limo, then drove down the road a bit and got out. I scrambled out of the vehicle, staring wide-eyed as the rest of the group, including Victor and Robin, got out behind me.