Free Blind Submission by Debra Ginsberg Page A

Hello?”
    â€œKa.” Crackle, hiss. “Oo.”
    â€œI’m sorry, I can’t hear you. Hello?” There was more crackling and an extended hiss on the line. I was about to hang up when I heard it, faint but clear.
    â€œKaranuk.”
    â€œ
Karanuk?
Yes, please, yes, one moment please, just one moment.”
    I didn’t bother trying to buzz Lucy with the intercom, opting, instead, to run to her office, knock rapidly on the closed door, and open it without waiting for a response. Lucy was seated at her desk, looking as fresh as if she’d just started her day. Craig was kneeling next to her (yes,
kneeling
), holding out papers for her to look at.
    â€œAngel?”
    â€œKaranuk,” I blurted. “Karanuk’s on Line 1 for you.” Lucy lifted one of her boomerang-shaped eyebrows and stared at me, puzzled. “It’s not a very good connection,” I ran on. “He must be calling from Alaska. He’s holding.”
    â€œAngel,” Lucy said, “Karanuk lives in Los Angeles.”
    â€œOh, okay. Um, he’s on Line 1. And I’m going to go home now. Thank you.”
    Lucy shook her head, as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing, and picked up the phone.
    â€œThank you, Angel,” Craig boomed, rising from his position on the floor. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
    I backed out the door, gathered my manuscripts, and ran from the office as if my hair were on fire.
Stupid,
I cursed myself as I got into my car and drove home.
Stupid, stupid, stupid,
I thought as I unlocked my door and sat down on my bed.
Idiot,
I added, as I spread the manuscripts out in front of me and prepared to go through them. Although I’d relived the last five minutes of my day at least twenty times on my way home, I still couldn’t believe that I’d been stupid enough to barge into Lucy’s office, stammering like a fool. There was a dull but insistent ringing in my head. On balance, I thought, I hadn’t given a particularly stellar performance for my first day. I wondered, not for the first time, if I would even last the week. The ringing in my head persisted. I looked up. It was my phone.
    â€œHello, Lu—Um, hello?”
    â€œAngel!” Lucy’s voice slammed through the phone, hitting my brain like a mallet.
    â€œLucy?”
    â€œListen, dear, we hardly had a chance to chat and get acquainted today. You ran out of here so quickly.” She gave a short, coughlike laugh.
    â€œI know, I’m—”
    â€œAnyway, dear, I wanted to welcome you and tell you that I think you have tremendous potential as a team player in our agency. Really,
tremendous.
I’m very pleased with your work on the Italian book and I think this is only the beginning. You’ve got a good eye and this is something we’ve been sorely lacking.”
    â€œThank you,” I said, exhaling the breath I’d been holding.
    â€œAnd because there’s been a lack in that area,” she went on, “I want you to review
all
the submissions very carefully. You know, Anna’s very sweet and she means well, but she clearly doesn’t have your eye. I worry about what we’re missing with her. Do you understand?”
    â€œUm…” I glanced down at the rejected manuscript Anna had given me. Her reader’s report was clipped to the top and started with,
This is a stupid idea. And boring.
    â€œSo just
entre nous,
Angel, keep a close watch on what she’s doing, all right?”
    â€œSure.”
    â€œPerhaps you can come in a little earlier tomorrow morning and we can have a quick meeting before the rest of the staff arrives. Because, frankly, Angel, I really can’t spend this much time on the phone with you. I have dinner reservations.”
    â€œSure, Lucy. No problem.”
    â€œYou’ve brought the Italian book home with you?”
    â€œOh yes, I’ve got