Free A Perfect Day by Richard Paul Evans

pleasure, Robert. You are just as genuine as your book.”
    “We’ve had a good time. I know it probably seems dumb to you, but it’s a big deal for us having you here. A real book agent.”
    “It’s a big deal for me too. I’ll talk to you Thursday.”

Chapter 16
    I took Thursday afternoon off to wait for Camille’s call. It was nearly five—seven New York time—when it came. “Is Allyson with you?” Camille asked.
    “I can get her.”
    “You’ll want to hear this together.”
    Allyson was upstairs starting dinner when I called for her to get on the phone. She came downstairs and I put the phone on speaker. “We’re both here.”
    “Hi, Camille,” Allyson said.
    “Hi, Ally. I’ve got some good news for the Harlan family. Arcadia Publishing has just agreed to publish A Perfect Day .”
    We erupted in celebration. I yelled; Allyson clapped. Even Carson was screaming, though she didn’t know why. I couldn’t imagine being happier if I had just won the Super Bowl. In fact all that was missing was someone pouring an ice cooler of Gatorade over my head.
    All the pain and self-doubt of the last few months were swept away in this moment. I had read about successful authors boasting about their rejection letters, even framing them. Now I understood why. I was now glad for all the rejections, as they made this moment of triumph that much sweeter—like one of those lemon candies that are bitter on the outside and sweet in the middle.
    After we had settled down some, Camille continued. “Arcadia would also like to purchase the rights to Robert’s next book. Seems someone over there thinks Robert has talent.”
    “This just keeps getting better,” I said. Though the truth is I would have given my book away just to see it on a bookstore shelf, I wondered how much they had offered for it and if it would be enough to quit my day job.
    “So let’s talk money,” I said crassly. “How much?”
    “A hundred and twenty-five thousand. Not bad for a first novel.”
    I was breathless. “Not bad? Do you have any idea how many sprinklers that is?”
    “I’m so proud of you, Rob,” Allyson said. “Thank you, Camille.”
    “Thank yourselves. You deserve it. Now go out to dinner and celebrate.”
    “We will,” I said.
    “I started making a casserole,” Allyson said.
    “It will keep,” I said. “Let’s go out.”
    “Then I better get upstairs. Bye, Camille.”
    “Bye, honey.” As Allyson started upstairs, Camille asked, “Are you still there, Rob?”
    “Still here.”
    “Take me off the speaker. I need to talk with you in private.”
    “Carson, would you go up with Mommy?”
    “Okay.”
    I lifted the headset. “Go ahead.”
    “I talked with Sandra this afternoon. She’s your new publisher. They want to release your book the second week of October. They’re planning on a fairly extensive book tour. Are you okay with that?”
    “What do you mean by extensive?”
    “You could be on the road for as long as four weeks.”
    I was so giddy they could have asked me to sell the book door-to-door and I would have agreed. “Whatever it takes.”
    “In the next week or so you’ll be hearing from a woman named Heather Welch. She’s in charge of publicity over at Arcadia. She’ll be planning your book tour.”
    “Okay. Anything else?”
    “Actually there’s something I want to get off my chest.”
    “What’s that?”
    “I’ve been thinking a lot about you and Allyson. I’m a little worried.”
    “About us?”
    “I know this might sound a little dramatic, but if your book becomes as big as I think it will, you’re going to find yourself in a new world.”
    “I can imagine.”
    “Maybe more than you can imagine,” Camille said. “What you and Allyson have—your relationship—is a rare thing. It’s like a private garden. It’s delicate and balanced and you’re about to let a million people trample through it.”
    “You’re making this sound awful.”
    Camille’s voice lightened