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that.”
      Dominic placed his elbows on the table to
steeple his fingers. “I’m venturing a guess here, but you’re probably still,
well, how should I say this? A little miffed, maybe? After you offered
representation to a few writers, they chose to accept my offer instead. Brody
Goodwin, for example. I saw his latest book, Onyx & Snake Eyes , in your tote on the plane.
    Kendra had also read Amethyst & Snake Eyes, Brody’s first novel in the popular
series , when it was an unpublished
manuscript.   Debut novels of that stellar quality
did not cross her desk often so she’d phoned Brody late on a Sunday evening
after savoring the last page and extended a breathless offer to represent him.
He’d requested more time to make his decision. His letter had indicated that a
handful of other agents were also considering the manuscript. However, she’d
prayed her reputation and obvious enthusiasm would win him over, and he’d
accept her offer on the spot.   Wishful thinking when the usual courteous protocol entailed contacting other
agents who had also requested the partial or the full manuscript to let them
know he had an offer of representation.   Kendra was all about following the tacit rules and keeping civility at
the top of her list. She played fair with other agents and expected it in
return, though a few colleagues didn’t reciprocate.
    Kendra did not blame Brody for thoroughly weighing
all options. After two agonizing weeks, he had phoned to say he’d narrowed his
choices down to Kendra and Dominic.   After separate rounds of Q & A’s, hers by phone, Brody had concluded
Dominic and Impact were “the better fit.”  
    Dominic headed a flashier agency with a director
of editorial development, a team of agents (senior and junior), and a slew of
clients. Impact also had its own contract lawyer as well as sub-agents who
specialized in foreign/translation rights, TV/film deals, and licensed
merchandise tie-ins. Porter Literary Agency was a much leaner, or rather,
“boutique-style” business. However, she consulted with several excellent outside
contacts.   Anything Dominic could
do, she could do, but with a more personal touch and less bloat.
    Both had excellent reputations among authors, so
it all came down to preference. Much like the choice between KFC’s Original
Recipe and Extra Crispy, Kendra had often reasoned in an attempt not to take
rejection personally.
    She’d experienced mixed emotions watching Amethyst & Snake Eyes and subsequent
books in Brody’s popular noir series burn up several best-seller lists for
years. Her hunch about his debut’s appeal and viability in the marketplace had
been spot-on, but missing the chance to represent it had been one of her
biggest career disappointments.
    “You win some, you lose some,” Kendra replied with
as much indifference as she could muster and lifted her fork to eat her
salad.   “Try again.”
    “Well, how about this? One of Porter’s former
agents just joined Impact.”
    Anna ? Christopher? Kimberly? News to Kendra.
All three had moved on to different lines of work or so they’d told her.   The turncoat had obviously lied, but she
hid her shock.
    “And some of your former clients moved on to
Impact, too,” he continued.
    “Some? Puh-lease. Two . And they were a married writing duo.   You make it sound as if there was a mass
exodus or something.”   She could
feel her poker face slipping.
    “I’m just noting they left so we can clear the air
and move forward.”
    “They didn’t leave me ,” she said as a cocktail of anger, self-doubt, and defensiveness
churned inside, making her queasy. “Their agent left Porter Literary Agency,
left the business. So the couple decided to start fresh with a new agency.”
    “I understand how disappointing that can be,”
Dominic continued in a patronizing tone. “But clients switch agencies all the
time. And it’s not always because the former agent made a misstep. I’m sure you
and the others at