Free She's the Boss by Lisa Lim Page B

need to stop.”
    She threw me a saccharine smile. “When has telling me not to do something ever stopped me from wanting to do it?”
    “Maddy!” I sighed with heavy resignation. “Just because I’m alone, it doesn’t mean I’m lonely. Anyway, I like being single. It’s a nice sense of . . . of irresponsibility,” I finished. “Seriously. I’m tired of taking care of my boyfriends.”
    “That’s because you’ve only been dating boys.” She fixed me with a pointed look. “Not men.”
    Truth is, dating was the furthest thing from my mind. My thoughts drifted back to the funeral service I’d attended only days ago. In spite of loss, life continued. I felt lucky to be here, alive at this moment. And for some inexplicable reason, I felt this sudden compulsion to connect with the people I love, not leave anything left unsaid, lest one of them decided to keel on me. And Maddy was on the top of my list for she has always given me a ready ear, unconditional love and infinite wisdom.
    “Maddy . . .” I sat forward, elbows resting on the kitchen table. “Have I ever told you that you’re my bestie in this whole wide world and I love you dearly like a sister?”
    “Not really.”
    “Well I do,” I said meaningfully.
    “I do too, Kars,” she said sappily. “Now can I get back to my work?”
    “Go ahead,” I said with offended dignity. “Don’t stop on my account.”
    While Maddy resumed working on her laptop, Spartacus hopped onto my lap and began to purr raucously. Obligingly, I stroked his fur with one hand. “So how’s your New York Times bestselling novel coming along?”
    Maddy was nose deep in her laptop and spoke without looking up, “I’ll be lucky if it even gets published.”
    “Of course it will,” I said reassuringly. “Are you going to use your real name or a pen name?”
    “Hmmm.” She tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. “I’m not so sure. All these authors seem to be using their initials; it’s all the rage these days.”
    “Really?”
    “Apparently,” Maddy went on, “if I use my initials, I’ll be in good company. J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, R.L. Stine, J.D. Robb, J.R.R. Tolkien, T.S. Elliot, D.H. Lawrence, H.G. Wells, J.D. Salinger, J.M. Barrie, E.B. White—”
    I cut in, “O.J. Simpson! M.C. Hammer! Hah! You’re not in such good company now, are you? Just because they use their initials, it doesn’t mean they’re better than you.”
    “But doesn’t M.M. Lee have a nice ring to it? I think it sounds professional, melodious even.”
    “Sounds pretentious,” I said truthfully. “And it makes me think of M&Ms leaving. Not a good thing. Trust me.”
    “Or,” Maddy carried on brightly, “once I marry Mika, I could be M.M. Harkett.”
    “Nah. Now I have this image of M&Ms being hacked to death.”
    “Fine.” Maddy hung her head and said with heavy resignation, “I guess I’ll stick to my real name.”
    “Have you made any real progress on your book?”
    “Not really.” She sighed deeply. “I’ve been stuck on chapter two for weeks.”
    “I have a solution.” I stood up abruptly and Spartacus gave an indignant yowl. “Sorry, kitty,” I said emphatically before darting back to my apartment, bounding back moments later with a bottle of wine and two glasses. “This will get your juices flowing.” I poured wine into the two glasses and pushed one toward Maddy. “So, what seems to be the hold up?”
    “I’m trying to figure out my hero.” She took a swig and gazed unseeingly toward me. “I’m not sure if I want him to be a beta hero, a chief or a bad boy.”
    My glass stopped halfway to my mouth. “How many male archetypes are there anyway?”
    “Eight, I think.” She began chewing on her bottom lip. “Let’s see if I can remember all of them . . . there’s the chief who is usually a self-made millionaire or some successful investment banker. He’s more interested in leading than communication, which makes him bossy, arrogant and