New Beginnings: A Hessa Story (2)

Chapter 88: Hardin

I wake up the next morning feeling extremely refreshed from that night's rest. Even though it was a chill day, I was still exhausted, and now I have this bullshit event I need to attend on a fucking Sunday that could either make or break my career. I need to find a sponsor for this book. I need to. If I don't, my days as an author are over. What the fuck else would I even do with my life? I don't want to think about it. I'm not like Tessa; I can't just do a complete career change in my late twenties. Speaking of, I didn't even hear Tessa come to bed last night, hell, I don't even know if she did since she's not laying next to me now. What I do know is that someone is cooking breakfast, so I must assume it's my lovely wife.

"Good morning!" I'm greeted with a large, bright smile from the woman I love. She's flipping pancakes and frying bacon in two separate pans. "How did you sleep?"

"Good actually, for once." I take a seat at the bar and plant my elbows on the cold counter top. "What's all this for?"

"What? I'm just making breakfast." She shrugs so innocently, but her tone of voice and the way she's acting shows that there is some other reason why she's making a big breakfast. "Here's some coffee." She slides me over a mug filled with piping hot liquid heaven.

"Thanks." I take a large sip. I'm gonna need a shit ton of coffee for this publishing event. I need to be one hundred percent focused and mentally with it. Coffee helps with that, you know? I don't even know what time this event starts at. For fucks sake, Vance!

I grab my phone out of my pocket to send Vance a rather annoyed text.

H: You never told me what time this event is at.

Thankfully, he responds immediately. Why is he up so early?

V: Sorry, I forgot. 1:30 at Venues NYC in Midtown. Stacy will come pick you up since I paid for a driver for the both of you.

1:30! That's two hours from now! Plus it takes forty five minutes to get there, adding traffic and everything.

"Who are you texting?" Tessa places a fresh stack of pancakes, bacon and fruit in front of me. It smells delicious, but my nerves are not relenting.

"Vance." I huff while running my fingers nervously through my hair. "I'm a little stressed right now."

"What's going on?" She investigates.

"The sponsor for my book dropped out, so now I am extremely fucked. I can't publish this book without a sponsor. There isn't enough assets for Vance to do it alone...."

"That's terrible." She places her hand on my arm and rubs to soothe me.

"...Now I gotta go to this book publishing event in Manhattan to practically beg someone to sponsor it."

"When is this book event? Will it be when Vance is in town?"

"No, it's in two fucking hours. So now I need to go make an ass out of myself on my one day off."

She removes her hand from my arm and crosses it under her other arm. "Today? This event is today?"

"Yeah, on a fucking Sunday. How weird right?" I shake my head in disbelief. "I'm not even hungry to eat this breakfast. I'm just freaking out."

"You have to go to this... today?" She asks once again, emphasizing the last word.

"Yes. This is a huge deal." I stare at the pancakes in front of me, but now the sight of food is making me nauseous. "Look, thank you for the meal but I need to get ready. Stacy will probably be here within the next hour and a half."