Chapter 3: The dinner
1366 Words
Iris’s POV
I stared at the invitation for a long time, the printed words were still there the gold blackcretz literary foundation logo,the date, the time and the address.
I turned the paper over half expecting another message to appear but no it was nothing. I opened my journal and found the folded note from Camden still tucked between the pages
“You’re right on time”
That was real I knew it was. I had completely forgotten Maeve was still in the phone
“Iris!!”
“Yes I’m here sorry”
“You’re still thinking about it aren’t you”
“Yes”
“Good”
“That’s not helpful”
“It’s honest”
I sat down on the edge of my bed
“What if I don’t belong there?”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’m a first year student”
“So?”
“Those people are probably authors and professors I mean… people who actually know what they are doing “
Maeve laughed softly
“Iris do you know what the foundation looks for”
“No”
“Neither do I but they invited you”
“That’s exactly what scares me”
“You’re going”
I sighed
“I know”
The week passed slowly lectures felt longer than usual I kept finding myself looking at the business card in my wallet I never searched his name I only told myself I would rather find out whatever this was in person, ava noticed I was distracted
“You’ve become weird”
“I’ve always been weird”
“Not this kind of weird”
She was sitting across from me in the library surrounded by books she borrowed and probably would not finish
“What happened"
I hesitated then I handed her the invitation she read it once I watched as her eyes glanced right back up to the top, she read it again, then a third time
“Oh wow so you applied then?”
“No”
She paused
“Then how did you get this?”
“I honestly don’t know”
Ava looked up slowly
“Do you understand what this is?”
“Not really”
“This is not one of their public events this is invitation only.”
“I figured that part out”
“Iris people spend years trying to get noticed by the blackcretz literary foundation”
“I am aware”
“No I mean really noticed, they create careers they fund books they connect writers to publishers and many other things I can’t remember right now”
I looked back at the invitation
“I haven’t written anything worth noticing”
Ava was quiet for a moment then she handed the invitation back
“Go”
“That’s it?”
“Yes” she said smiling
“I hope you remember me when you’re famous and also don’t disappear into a building full of famous writers”
I honestly did not understand what that meant. we hugged and she rushed off somewhere, friday arrived faster than I expected I changed clothes four times maeve watched from the sofa with the expression of someone observing a very confused animal.
“You look fine”
“I look like a student pretending to be an adult”
“I think that’s because you’re a student pretending to be an adult”
“Helpful”
She stood up and walked over to me without saying anything and adjusted the collar of my dress and brushed a piece of dust from my shoulder
“There”
“You’re going to be surrounded by writers editors professors and people who think they are more important than they actually are”
“That’s comforting.”
“Just remember that they all started somewhere”
I nodded
“And if anyone makes you uncomfortable you leave”
“I know”
“No matter who they are”
“Yes boss I know”
She hugged me before I left
“Call me when you’re done”
“I will”
The blackcretz literary foundation building was even more beautiful than I expected, it stood on a quiet street in north London surrounded by old trees and iron gates. the building looked more like a restored manor than an office building, warm lights glowed behind tall windows, people in dark suits and elegant dresses walked up the stone steps with soft music drifted through the open doors so of course naturally I felt underdressed. A woman at the entrance checked my invitation and smiled
“Welcome miss calloway”
She said my name like she already knew it. As I went Inside the air smelled of polished wood and expensive perfume, bookshelves lined the walls, paintings of writers I recognized hung between tall windows, waiters moved quietly through the room carrying glasses of wine and trays of food. I had never been anywhere like this. Groups of people were talking in low voices some where professors from the university some where authors, some where people whose faces I vaguely recognized from newspaper and television. I stood near the entrance for a moment trying to decide where I was going to go
“You must be iris”
I turned, an older man with silver hair and kind eyes was standing in front of me
“I’m sorry?”
“I’m Gabriel ponsah”
He held out his hand
I shook it
“I’ve heard your name”
“You have?” He smiled.
“That’s usually a very good sign or a very bad one so now I’m not sure which”
“Neither am I”
He laughed softly
“You look nervous”
“A little”
“That’s normal most people are nervous the first time they come here”
“The first time?”
He looked at me for a moment
Then he smiled again.
“Come, let me introduce you to a few people”
For the next 20 minutes Gabriel walked me through the room introducing me to professors editors and writers whose books I had seen in the bookstores but never imagined meeting, he was easy to talk to this was nothing like the intimidating literary world I had imagined
“Do you read a lot?” He asked
“I do”
“Good”
“Why?”
“Readers usually to become writers”
We stopped near the back of the room a large stage had been set up at the front rows of chairs faced it people were beginning to sit down
“Something is about to start”
“Yes”
“What is it?”
Gabriel look towards the stage
“The welcome address
“By who?”
He adjusted his jacket
“One of the directors of the foundation or rather THE director”
The lights dimmed slightly conversations faded everyone turned towards the stage and a man walked into the spotlight my heart jumped. The room disappeared,the music disappeared, the voices disappeared it was him.
The man from Camden, I figured he was a big shot or something but this was far beyond my expectations he stepped to the microphone and smiled at the audience
“Good evening everyone and welcome to the blackcretz literary foundation”
Applause filled the room and I couldn’t even move. The stranger who had picked up my books in the rain was standing in a stage in front of hundreds of people I felt foolish for not recognizing him, when the applause died down eric continued speaking about literature and the responsibility of storytelling
He was calm and confident every person in the room listened when he spoke I looked down for a moment trying to steady my breathing when I looked back up he was no longer speaking to the audience he was looking directly at me not generally in my direction and not scanning the room directly at me. He smiled and then in a room full of strangers who had no reason to know my name Eric Belmont said
“Miss Calloway I’ve been expecting you.”
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