Part 29 (1/2)
”It is professional-looking,” Evie said. ”And very diverse.”
”Thank you. I'm doing this all for Wyatt. Now I have another mouth to feed. With Ma Nature's Milk, of course.”
”Anton's wife is in charge of PR,” Evie's aunt added nonchalantly. ”We're going with a strictly social media campaign.”
”Wait, wait, wait. Anton-you're married? Your wife doesn't mind your, um, friends.h.i.+p with Susan?”
”Not a bit,” he said.
”Rain's my best friend. She loves that I keep Anton off her back,” Susan said with a wink, reaching into Evie's cupboards. ”Do you have spelt? I need to feed Wyatt.”
Evie must have looked incredulous because Susan sat down and put a hand on her knee.
”Evie, honey, there is no one set path. Life is much better with complication. Trust me,” Susan said, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with conviction. Her words echoed what Jack had said on the phone months earlier.
What a crock.
She only wished Edward was with her at that very moment to exchange an intimate eye roll. She'd tell him later, once they were tucked cozily into their shared bed after an ordered-in dinner and an Antiques Roadshow marathon.
The bulbous, fleshy b.o.o.b of an unfamiliar Asian woman was the first thing Evie and Edward saw when they returned hand in hand to her apartment late the following afternoon, light-headed from a day of choosing wines for the reception. Susan, Anton, and Wyatt were supposed to have relocated to the Holiday Inn on Fifty-Seventh Street by now.
”I'm Angela,” the topless woman said from her perch on Evie's beloved sectional. At her feet were three babies, including Wyatt, chewing on various of Evie's treasured objects-an expensive cashmere throw, the cover of an out-of-print Chanel coffee-table book, and most catastrophic of all, her new fuzzy slippers.
The dining room table, where she had her spread out her books and sketches from design cla.s.s, was now covered with enough electronic equipment to service a Kinkos.
Around the table sat several other strangers. Susan and Anton were nowhere to be seen.
”Hi,” Evie said tentatively, when no one in the room offered any explanation for their presence.
”Are you here for the shoot?” a bald man sitting at the table asked her. He had a pack of cigarettes poking out of his breast pocket. Evie would kill him if she found out he had smoked in her apartment.
”The shoot?” Evie asked.
”Yeah, for Nature's Best Milk.”
”It's called Ma Nature's Milk,” a gaunt woman with blue hair, also seated at Evie's table, corrected and returned to crocheting.
”Okay, everyone, sorry about that. We're back,” Susan announced, entering the apartment. ”Oh good, Evie, Edward, you're both here. You can give us input.” Anton followed behind Susan, carrying a camera with a ten-inch lens.
”Aunt Susan, what the h.e.l.l is going on here?” Evie demanded, gesturing toward the naked woman on her couch.
”Don't worry about a thing, Evie. Everyone will clear out in just a few minutes. Anton left our PowerPoint presentation for the investors at home, so we had to quickly scramble to put something together here. I hope you don't mind. We just need to shoot a few pictures, and then your apartment will be back to normal.”
”How did you get all these people here on such short notice?”
”Craigslist.”
Of course.
”Susan,” Edward spoke up. ”Evie is really stressed about the wedding. She has school projects to do. I think you've got to find another place to work.”
”We're almost done. I promise,” Susan said. ”By the way, I'd love your input on our model, since you are the breast expert. Do you think her chest will photograph well?”
”Evie,” Edward said, pulling his fiancee back out the door. ”I have to go. Like right now.” He looked dangerously close to hyperventilating.
”I know, I know. But I need to stay until these people clear out. Our response cards are here. My dress is hanging in the closet. I can't leave with these crazies milling about.”
”Five minutes tops, Evie. I promise,” Susan said, completely unoffended.
”Angela,” she directed. ”It's go time. Let's use Wyatt in this shot. Put him to your breast and hold the apple with your other hand. And don't forget to smile.”
”Okay everybody,” Anton called out. He lifted the camera to his face. ”SAAAAYYYY FACEBOOK!”
”That's it,” Edward said, wrapping his arms around Evie. ”I'm quitting the Internet too.”
”I don't think you'll be alone after this.”
”Forget the response cards, Evie. I just want to leave this apartment, take you to my place, kiss you, and celebrate how normal we are. Can you live with that?”
”Forever.”
Acknowledgments.
It takes a village to write and publish a book and I am deeply indebted to the many people who helped make Love and Miss Communication a reality.
The team at William Morrow couldn't have been better. Thank you to my brilliant and quick-witted editor, Lucia Macro, for responding so enthusiastically to the novel and embracing Evie wholeheartedly. Major grat.i.tude is owed to the marketing team, specifically Jennifer Hart and Molly Birckhead, and to my publicist, Katie Steinberg, for helping this book reach so many diverse readers. Sh.e.l.ly Perron did an excellent and precise job of copyediting, no doubt a tireless task. Jeanie Lee was a wonderful production editor. Julia Gang, who designed the cover, totally nailed it on the first try and for that I am so grateful. Nicole Fischer, you were so on top of everything, I really appreciate it. Finally, thank you to Liate Stehlik, the publisher at William Morrow, for taking a chance on this first-time novelist. I'm so proud to be a part of the William Morrow family.
My agent, Linda Chester, who has more publis.h.i.+ng experience in her thumb than I do in my entire body, did an amazing job bringing this book to market. Thank you for supporting my efforts, believing so strongly in the importance of good books, and encouraging my career so pa.s.sionately.
Tanya Farrell of Wunderkind PR did an amazing job of spreading the word about this book and organizing so many special appearances for me.
Anika Steitfeld Luskin: Where do I start? Only you know how helpful you were to me. You not only made Love and Miss Communication a much better book, you also made my life so much richer through your friends.h.i.+p.