I’d like, now, to get to know people who know me for me – not for who I used to be. Who won’t expect me to step back into a role that I don’t quite fit into any more. Who won’t see me as a project, to be worked on … but will see me as whole, fully formed.
Last week, when we concluded our latest case at the firm, I decided to go for a rare drink (elderflower for me) with my colleagues. They actually aren’t all that bad – they might even be normal people when they’re not inside the fetid air of the office, hamster-wheeling their way through contracts. There is one guy, Tom, from the litigation team, who doesn’t actually look all that bad without his crumpled suit jacket, glasses, and the fear of God in his eyes.
Perhaps it’s time to make some new friends.
Acknowledgements
To Al – for taking me to the spot that first inspired the book, and for those long walks in the snow plotting and evenings reading … Twenty percent definitely earned!
To my dear Hoge – thank you for all your time and wise editorial input. This book would not be the same without you!
To my fabulous agents, Cath Summerhayes and Alexandra Machinist, who were highly supportive of this move to the dark side! And huge thanks to Luke Speed, Melissa Pimentel and Irene Magrelli.
To Kim Young, editor extraordinaire, and her fantastic team at HarperCollins – thank you for all the passion and imagination you are bringing to publishing this book: Charlotte Brabbin, Emilie Chambeyron, Jaime Frost, Ann Bissell, Abbie Salter, Eloisa Clegg.
To Katherine Nintzel, and her William Morrow Stateside dream team: Vedika Khanna, Liate Stehlik, Lynn Grady, Nyamekye Waliyaya, Stephanie Vallejo, Aryana Hendrawan, Eliza Rosenberry, Katherine Turro.
To Jamie Laurenson and Patrick Walters at See-Saw – I’m so excited by your vision for bringing the book to life on-screen!