The second week in August happened to be the week of the annual New Music Seminar, an industry talking shop where every bigwig and smallwig from every record company in America would descend — a great place for getting noticed, and yet a bloody difficult one.

I want it so badly.

...taking a sheet of paper and uncorking the ink-bottle, he began a letter.

The way Tariq was licking her kitty had her clutching the sheets.