The Reed Security Relationship Manual: A Reed Security Romance - Giulia Lagomarsino (best book club books of all time TXT) 📗

Giulia: Well, it was funny. And frankly, sex scenes get boring to write. I have to keep things fresh.

Storm: What about Parker and Blake? They had some serious chemistry. Why couldn’t you make me more like that?

Giulia: Well, they had a different relationship. Their sex life was based on their hatred for one another. You were still trying to get Jessica to like you.

Storm: Yeah, but I had zero game. Even at the end…I told her I liked her!

Giulia: Well, it was true to form.

Storm: Yeah, but what happens after this? I mean, we got married. Are we going to have kids? A dog?

Giulia: You could just wait and see.

Storm: But you’re not writing the next series for a few years. Christ, even Parker gets a second book before me. He’s gonna have his whole Montana series, and I’m still gonna be waiting to hear about whether or not I have kids!

Giulia: Just a question, but if you do have kids, what names do you like?

Storm: You mean, I get a say in it?

Giulia: Well, I could just pick the names for myself. Delilah for a girl and Drummond for a boy.

Storm: Drummond? What the fuck kind of name is that?

Giulia: Well, honestly, I’m running out of boys names, and it’s hard to keep coming up with unique names.

Storm: So, because you chose not to give me kids in this series, I’m gonna be stuck with Drummond?

Giulia: It could be worse. I could give you a name like…Albert.

Storm: Albert? Seriously, woman. Do I look like a man that would give my kids such uptight names? I could maybe get on board with Delilah, but what the fuck? My son needs a manly name.

Giulia: Okay, give me a name.

Storm: Off the top of my head? Hawk.

Giulia: Is your son a bird?

Storm: Hey, we’re talking military names. It’s cool. Hawk can be a normal name or a nickname. I saw what you did with Tacos, how you screwed him over. This way, Hawk already has a nickname. No need for you to come up with some crazy name that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Giulia: Unless he was born on the grounds of the asylum.

Storm: No, we’re done with that shit. We demolished that place. The spirits left the building. I saw it with my own eyes.

Giulia: Did you? Or did you just see what I wanted you to see?

Storm: I know what I saw.

Giulia: Okay, I’m not saying you didn’t see ghosts. But, I’m sure you realize that since you freed those ghosts, they probably followed you home.

Storm goes rigid, then shoves up from his chair.

Storm: You know, it was bad enough I had to think about that shit the first time around. Now, I’m going to see that in my dreams for the next twenty years, or until you give my kids a storyline.

He storms away and I call after him.

Giulia: I promise not to give Drummond a storyline with ghosts!

Alec

Alec: Alright, let’s get this over with.

Giulia: You know, everyone’s so happy when they come in here.

Alec: Let’s get to the point so I can get home to Florrie. You want to know what’s going on in my head right now. You want to dig around so you have more tools to play with when our kids have their own books. Am I right?

Giulia: Something like that.

Alec: Let me tell you then. First, the fact that you had me cheat on Florrie is something I’ll never forgive you for. Yes, she was a bitch to me and treated me like shit. Playing that out in the book hurt like hell. But it hurt me even more to cheat on her.

Giulia: That’s why it made it such a good story.

Alec: I hated it. And then you brought in that Jamie whats-his-name. That douchebag never should have been involved.

Giulia: He was very handsome.

Alec: And if I see him again, I’ll throat-punch him.

Giulia: Maybe I could do an older man, younger woman romance. Maybe with your daughter.

Alec: That’s disgusting.

Giulia: Just think about it, it would be like he got a piece of Florrie anyway. And you’d always have to see him at holidays. Think of all the awkward moments I could write about.

Alec: Don’t even think about it.

Giulia: That’s not how your mom used to do that…

Alec: That’s not funny. And Florrie never slept with him.

Giulia: Ah, but she did kiss him. And he will no doubt be pining over Florrie for the rest of his life.

Alec: That’s it. I’m going to get a pine box.

Giulia: For what?

Alec: I have an asshole to put in the ground.

Giulia: Good luck finding him!

Wolf

Craig: Hey, Giulia. Let’s keep this quick. I have to get back to Reese.

Giulia: Do you have plans tonight?

He looks at me funny.

Craig: No.

Giulia: Oh, I just thought you were in a hurry to get back to her for something special.

Craig: Well, I was actually thinking about doing something special for this weekend.

Giulia: What’s this weekend?

Craig: It’s our anniversary.

Giulia: Oh. So, it’s been a couple years since you married her?

Craig: No, since I kidnapped her.

Giulia: I didn’t realize that was something you would celebrate.

Craig: See, that’s what Alec said too, but I was thinking of doing something really cool. Like, maybe I could kidnap her again.

Giulia: Well, you’ve already done that twice. Maybe you should try something different.

Craig: Different. I can do different.

Giulia: Like, take her out to dinner.

Craig: I like the way you think. We could have some wine, a couple of steaks, maybe some candlelight.

Giulia: See? Isn’t that so much better than kidnapping?

Craig: And just when we’re getting the tiramisu, I’ll take her to the dance floor and show her my moves.

Giulia: She’ll love it.

Craig: And then a fire will start in the kitchen, and the whole building will go up in flames. I’ll have to shoot out the windows and toss her out, landing gently in the bushes down below, of course.

Giulia: Uh…

Craig: And then it turns out