Chivalry by Patrick Girondi

Author:Patrick Girondi
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781510778719
Publisher: Skyhorse
Published: 2024-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

Some weeks later in the packed Four Seasons lobby, a billboard reads, Bobby Herman Square Pegs in Circles book signing.

Bob’s seated, unenthusiastically signing books. Koss, Arnie, and Gael are standing behind him.

Arnie whispers to Koss. “Square Pegs in Circles will sell twice as many copies as Standard Deviations.”

Koss smiles snidely. “How nice,” Koss says, really, wishing that the lump that they found in Arnie’s chest would have been malignant.

Bob looks up. His eyes focus on Lucia, who’s in line with a book in her hand.

Bob stands and ignores those ahead of her. “Lucia.”

“Hello, Bobby.”

“I-I . . . I miss you so much,” he says.

Lucia embraces him melodramatically. “I miss you too, Bobby. I miss you too.”

Koss and Arnie stare at the lovely vixen. Bob sits back down and fervently continues signing books. Koss mentally counts the people and estimates the number of books left in the boxes. He smiles broadly.

Finally, there are no more books available. It’s a first for GAM to ever sell out of books at a signing.

Later, arm in arm, Bobby and Lucia walk out of the Four Seasons and duck into Le Bilboquet on Sixtieth Street.

The owner has read both of Bob’s books and notices him. He claps his hands, and a table is brought from the back and placed in front of the restaurant. Everyone stares at the exhibition; most are disgruntled. But when Pierre announces that this is the famous author Bob Herman, the tables fill with smiles and admiration. Each of the patrons will have bragging rights. They ate near the ingenious, famous author.

Bobby and Lucia are holding hands and doing what lovers do when they refind each other. Everything was now perfect and the absence would only make their union stronger . . . right.

“Tony was killed, and I had no one to turn to,” Lucia says.

“How could you have ever been drawn to him?”

“I was desperate for security. I still desperately need security, Bobby.”

“Lucia, I love you, I have since the day we met, but I don’t want to just be a replacement for Tony.”

“Bobby,” Lucia whispers, “who’s Tony?”

Bobby beams and nods his head. “Lucia, my life’s been filled with disappointment, my own disappointment. But not anymore. We’ll both start over,” he winks (strangely enough, he thinks of Koss). “We’ll be unstoppable,” he closes.

They kiss.

The following Monday at GAM, Koss is in his office staring out the window. Gael is in front of him.

“That ungrateful punk.” Koss slams his fist on the desk and stares at Gael. “You know, I never did like him. That leech! He ran off to the Bahamas with his book advance! I’ll never get the three books I need from him to break even. If I could get what I’ve invested, I’d flip him to someone in a heartbeat.” Koss again slams his fist on the desk. “If he doesn’t produce, this firm is in jeopardy. I’m fucked. Doesn’t he get it?”

Gael responds, “I’m not sure what he gets. There are other books. There must be.

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