4

A new day began as Levi left the apartment early for an early shift. With a light breakfast, I got into my car to go to the editor's house.

On the way, I reviewed the pending tasks I had, but I was suddenly reminded of the bitter memory of having a meeting with Zeke later in the day, the person I least wanted to see at that moment. I wondered if he would dare to mention anything about what happened that day, or if he would really take action against me. However, I knew that nothing I anticipated would compare to what actually happened.

"What do you mean, they don't need me at the meeting?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"That's what they told me," the agent of the next writer I had scheduled for a manuscript review told me. "Another editor will handle the review and publication, so there is no need for you to be at the meeting."

Doubts swirled in my mind. Was this woman so jealous of her client? There have always been rumors that writers' agents are wary of the people they are involved with, but to request a change of editor seemed insane. Besides, I have never behaved inappropriately with writers, nor have I ever given any reason to think that anything was going on between me and him. I have even turned down business dinners for that reason, preferring that the meetings always take place at the publisher's house to avoid misunderstandings.

"Very well," I replied without objection. "I just hope the new editor sticks to the schedule." Without adding anything else, I left for my office.

Upon arrival, I found that all the meetings I had scheduled had been rescheduled with other editors, and I literally had nothing to do. If I were to take my next vacation, I would be very happy, but knowing that I rarely take vacations and that I hardly ever get sick, I find this worrisome.

"Mr. Zeke asked to reschedule all your meetings," my assistant Adeline commented. "This hasn't happened since that year you took the editor of the year award from him. What did you do this time?" She didn't mince words.

"The usual," I answered honestly, knowing that she and the entire publishing house were aware of the history between me and my boss. "I refused to sleep with him."

"Apparently, this time he didn't take your refusal well," she replied. "And you can't complain about harassment because he has bought off the HR people."

I sat in front of my desk and sighed as I closed my eyes. I started to doubt if this was really all worth it. I knew Zeke would do something, but I didn't know it would affect all my work. On top of that, I had to think about Leon's proposal. I put my arm over my face as if this would help me escape from this reality.

"Adeline," I called out to her, knowing that she was currently organizing the few papers I had on my desk. "What should I do?"

"You, asking me for advice?" she asked, stunned. "It's almost always the other way around."

I remained quiet for a moment, contemplating whether to tell her about the predicament I found myself in. Adeline was not only my assistant but also my confidant, just as I was hers. I knew that the situation with Zeke could escalate and further affect my career and reputation. However, Leon's offer was still on my mind, though I didn't feel confident that I was the person they needed for a role as important as being their lyricist.

"What would you think if I told you I quit?" I asked her after a few minutes of silence.

"I'd say it's the best decision you could make," she answered sincerely. "You've done a lot for this company, but when you need them, they just turn their backs on you. But that means you're considering another opportunity."

Should I or shouldn't I?

"It's not with another publisher," I commented to him after a moment's thought. "But it's something completely new and strange to me."

"It will be a new challenge," she replied to me as I stopped listening to her move papers around. "Something I know you like."

"But this challenge is something out of my experience!" I emphasized, sitting up in a better position and unintentionally hitting the table with force.

"Who are you and what have you done with Erin?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The Erin I know is not a person who is afraid of something new and unknown," Adeline said, staring at me. "Erin is a person who is not afraid of challenges but faces them with courage and overcomes them by always giving her best."

Damn, she knows how to hit me in the ego and pride. She has always been like that, knowing what words to say to wake me up from my vicious circle called anxiety. Without answering her, I simply turned on my computer, typed something quickly, printed it out, and started gathering my things in a box I had in storage. Here is my answer.

It's not something I usually do, quitting a job without communicating it beforehand and preparing for my replacement. But knowing that Zeke has cleared my schedule and that I will go a good while without being assigned to another writer, this could be the move to something new.

Adeline, seeing that I was simply gathering my things, left my office to give me a moment alone. It wasn't an easy thing to do, after years of dedication to this company and something I love. But I wouldn't let them sabotage my career and reputation over something as ridiculous as refusing to mess with my boss. As I gathered my things, I knew I was doing the right thing, but I still wasn't ready to accept Leon's idea. At least this time away from work would do me some good. Adeline returned to the office and asked me for my car keys, holding out her hand. I handed them to her, and she took the box with her. She knew I wouldn't want to make a fuss and have it escalate. I took the freshly printed sheet and left my office on my way to HR.

Because the meeting I was supposed to be present at was not over yet, the HR office was practically empty on my way there. Could it be a divine sign? Even the HR office was empty, so at least I didn't have to see the faces of those vultures, Bruno and Alicia. But I ran into Hahn, who was picking up some documents.

"Good morning, Erin," he said kindly. "What brings you here?"

"Just dropping off this paper," I replied, leaving my resignation letter on Bruno's keyboard.

"You're leaving?" he asked me in surprise.

"It's time to follow new paths," I told him, simply shrugging my shoulders.

He looked at me questioningly. Besides Adeline, he was the only one who truly knew about my history with Zeke and even tried to make sure I didn't spend too much time alone with him. I didn't know how he did it. Maybe Adeline let him know when that guy came in just to annoy me.

"I won't humor Zeke," I told him, and then I left the office.

As I closed the door behind me, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and I could breathe again. That feeling of relief, I hadn't felt in years. I had made the right decision. I returned to my office only to find that all my belongings had been moved. I didn't know how I managed to meet an angel like Adeline. I removed the keys from my key ring and contemplated one last time the place that had brought me as much joy as sadness, the place that for years had sheltered me and gave birth to very good and recognized writers. I could not prevent a tear from escaping me. I sighed lightly and left the keys on the desk, took my backpack, and left with my head held high.

Arriving at Adeline's desk to say goodbye to her, I watched as she simply grabbed her purse and coat and stood in front of me.

"Do you think I'll stick around to be Zeke's next victim?" she said to me with a slight smile.

"You had it planned..." I accused her, placing a hand on my waist. She simply shrugged and walked past me.

"Oh well..." I smiled to myself. I knew I wouldn't be able to persuade her to do otherwise, and we both walked out of the publishing house without anyone stopping us.

"What do you plan to do?" Adeline asked me as we walked down the street.

"For the moment, organize my mind," I told her sincerely. "And think if the new project will be worth it."

"What is it about?"

I contemplated whether to tell her or not. It's not that I had been explicitly told it had to be a secret and that I couldn't tell anyone, but she had been a person who, on more than one occasion, had enlightened me when the path was not clear.

"Let's go for a coffee and I'll tell you, but no one else must know," I told her seriously.

"Is it that bad?" she asked me, surprised.

"You'll see why there is so much secrecy," I told her, and we agreed to go to a cafe near the publishing house.

The cafe was a nice and pleasant place. Many would think it was noisy, but it was quite the opposite. It was a place where everyone was in their own world: writers finishing manuscripts, college students meeting off-campus for a change of scenery, potential couples having their first date, or simply people wanting a quiet moment away from daily stress.

Upon arrival, we saw that it was relatively empty, which was normal for the time we arrived. We ordered our usual coffee and found a secluded corner where no one could easily overhear us. While we waited for our coffee, I tried to organize in my mind how to tell her that a famous band needed me as a lyricist despite having zero experience in the field. As a thousand and one thoughts invaded my mind, the unmistakable aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled my nostrils. God, I loved caramel lattes.

"Well, just say it straight out," Adeline said after the first sip of her espresso. "What trouble are you in now?"

I took a breath and let it out as a sigh.

"Where do I start?" I asked nervously.

"From the beginning," she said incredulously.

"Well then...Do you remember I was invited to a concert a couple of days ago?" I asked, to which she nodded. "Well, that's where the project comes from."

Adeline waved her hand for me to continue.

"When we were leaving the concert, we ran into Zeke, who invited us to an after-party," I explained. She arched an eyebrow in disbelief but didn't interrupt me. "Well, there Zeke insisted on the usual, but it's irrelevant..."

I was already babbling, and I noticed it. It's something I usually do when I'm nervous. Adeline noticed it too, and she just put her hand on mine. I knew she wouldn't judge me for being in such a predicament, so her touch calmed me. I took a deep breath and continued telling her about my misadventure.

"Well, to make a long story short, they found out that the lyrics to a song they used in the concert were something I wrote, and now they want me to be their lyricist," I said, avoiding the situation with Eckard. I didn't think it was something I should be sharing.

Adeline was silent for a moment, which made me nervous. I didn't know if she would say something good or start making a drama in the middle of the coffee. I just watched her take another sip of her coffee.

"I didn't know you wrote lyrics," she said, breaking the silence.

"That's it?" I asked incredulously.

"You know I don't like to make a drama out of something that I know has a logical explanation," she said with a shrug. The audacity! And here I was, dying of worry, thinking she was going to criticize me. "If you're all nervous, it means you haven't given them an answer yet," she added, to which I simply shook my head.

And it was true. I hadn't thought about what answer to give them, and time was running out. I had to give them an answer today.

"What's bothering you?" Adeline asked me, taking another sip of her coffee.

I just stared at mine, which was slowly going cold. To be honest, it was a lot of things, and each one seemed worse than the other.

"The first thing that worries me is if I will really be able to meet what they need," I told her honestly. "I mean, I have no experience as a lyricist. Those lyrics I wrote were pure luck."

And it really was, right at this very table, a few months ago, that I wrote those lyrics. I remember having a bad day, Zeke with his usual pushiness, and I had fought with Levi over something insignificant to me but very serious to him. I needed something to keep me from going crazy, so I came to this cafe to clear my mind, and I was successful. As I was about to return to the editorial office, a beautiful melody started to play in the whole cafe. It was a soft melody, with a certain impression of shyness that, little by little, changed into something strong and bold. I don't know at what moment I was captivated, and I started to write. It was as if I was in my own world where I only heard that melody over and over again. That was how those lyrics were born, but that same day I lost my creation because the notebook where I had written them disappeared.

When I finished telling her this, Adeline looked at me incredulously, holding her coffee. It was an expression I had never seen on her before.

"What?" I asked.

"Where has this passionate woman been?" she asked me. "I haven't seen you like this in years, not even with the launch of a new book have I seen you this excited."

"Is the difference that big?" I asked again.

"It's a huge difference," she answered. "If the project you are talking about is going to excite you like this, I would say accept it immediately."

"Even if I have no experience?"

"That's the least of it," she told me, convinced. "Experience is something you will pick up over time."

Adeline was right. No one is born with knowledge. Maybe my concerns were more about writing for a band with a ten-year trajectory, a solid fan base both nationally and internationally; expectations were high.

"So tell me, who will you be writing songs for?" I choked on my coffee when she asked me this, the question I really didn't want to hear.

"I'll tell you, but you have to promise that no one else will know about this," I said accusingly, with a spoon in my hand. She raised her right hand in oath. "Schimäre."

Adeline just stared at me in bewilderment, as if I had given her the worst news in the world.

"WHAT!" was the scream that echoed throughout the cafe.

"Keep your voice down!" I said, looking around at the stares from the few customers in the cafe.

"Sorry," she whispered to me, "But how can you not expect a reaction after such news?"

I settled back in my seat, feeling self-conscious that everyone might be listening. Adeline's outburst had nearly given me a heart attack.

"You know," Adeline said after a while, "You should accept. You won't lose anything anyway, but you will gain a lot."

After a few more hours, we decided to leave the cafe. It wasn't even midday, but the truth was I had nothing else to do. Adeline went home without reminding me to tell her about the decision I had made. On the way to my car, which was still in the parking lot of the editorial office, I kept thinking about the pros and cons of Leon's proposal. I got into my car and, before starting the engine, I took out the card I was given that dreadful day at the hotel. It only had a phone number and nothing else, so I wasn't really sure if it was Leon's direct number or not. I quickly registered it in my contacts and wrote him a message, but not before agonizing for a few seconds before pressing the Send key.

It's done. I let out a sigh and started my car. When I got to the apartment, I would have to put all my stuff away and prepare for what's coming. The answer I would give Leon would change the course of my life and those around me.

"It's Erin. I've made my decision."