Tess reads some more

Tess sat alone at her desk, mesmerized by the screen of the computer in front of her as she began to read the manuscript. At first, she had been skeptical - a romance novel? Really? But something about the author's prose had drawn her in, and now she found herself lost in the story. As she turned the pages, Tess couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over her. She remembered reading books like this when she was younger, getting swept up in tales of love and drama. It was all so familiar, yet somehow different too. The characters were flawed and relatable, their motivations messy and human. Tess's eyes scanned the page as she read about the protagonist and the whirwind romance with a mysterious orange-clad stranger. She felt a pang of recognition as she read about the intense attraction and possessiveness that threatened to consume them both. It was a familiar setting to Tess. She consumed any writing she could of substation romances. She paused to sigh, wishing people wrote more substation fanfiction. But Tess was grounded in reality, and knew that the market was infinitemisly small. "Hah, grounded!", Tess thought, as she mentally rewarded herself for her excellent substation pun. As she continued reading, Tess found herself getting lost in the world of the story. She forgot about the demands of her job, the constant pressure to solve cases, and the scrutiny of her colleagues about some of her book choices. But as the hours went by, Tess's thoughts began to wander back to her own life. She was lonely and maybe even ready for love, but not having luck in the book publishing dating scene. "Perhaps I should be in a substation of my own", Tess said softly to herself. Tess opened a drawer, and placed a sheet of white paper in front of her. It was high quality vellum paper, which she used only for special purposes. Tess knew that there was no market for this book. Tess placed a pen on the desk and ruminated on the decision before her.

Tess decides the world is not ready

Tess needs a strong coffee