Let's celebrate my favorite Leo!

The Literary Loft Newsletter

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Special Edition

Welcome to a special edition of The Literary Loft Newsletter. This month, we’re celebrating Edward Phoenix, whose birthday is on July 26th.

So first, a very happy birthday to my favorite bad-boy ex-boyfriend with a secret heart of gold.

I also have a little secret to share…

We currently have a tentative release date for Edward’s story: July 2028, just in time for his thirty-sixth birthday.

To celebrate, I sat down with Phoenix for an interview, and let’s say…getting inside his head was every bit as entertaining as you’d expect.

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First impressions

What's the biggest misconception people have about you?

I only care about myself.

Are they wrong?

More often than you’d think. I know I don’t show a lot of emotions around people, but I show I care in my own way.

What intimidates people about you?

I’ve been told I’m unapproachable. I guess I have resting bitch face. He laughs.

Young Phoenix

What lesson from your parents still influences you today?

How hard I work. My father used to tell me that, at the end of the day, the only person I can rely on is myself.

Did you always know you wanted to lead?

I didn’t. I was actually happy not leading for a time, but when the opportunity arose, I thought, fuck it.

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Love

What scared you more: loving her or losing her?

Losing her. Loving her is easy.

What does love look like to you?

It’s having hard conversations after long days because your partner needs it. It’s choosing each other every day, even if you don’t like them in that one moment. Growing together and respecting when the other person is growing more rapidly than you are. Being their number one cheerleader. Being willing to do uncomfortable things because they need you to. 

Iris

What's something you've never told her?

I knew she’d matter.

Can you expand on that?

I knew she was different the second I met her. Love took longer to admit—especially when I was still trying to understand where I fit within the polyamorous side of everything.

Leadership

Why is trust so important to you?

Have you ever tried to work with—or be with—someone you didn’t trust? It’s stressful. Life gives us enough curveballs without surrounding ourselves with people when we don’t know whether they have our backs.

What's the hardest decision you've ever made as CEO?

Expanding my company. The employees I have are very close, so adding more people to that dynamic was a difficult decision.

Do you think a good leader should be feared, respected, or loved?

No good leader rules through fear. I’d rather my employees respect me and trust my decisions than fear that I’m not doing what’s best for them.

Have you ever sacrificed your own happiness for your company?

I’ve been lucky enough that I haven’t needed to. The team I’ve built includes some of my best friends, as well as people who share our values and work ethic.

Personal

What's one luxury you can't live without?

My passport. I travel so much, I think it’s attached to me more than my phone is.

What's something you secretly enjoy that no one would guess?

Don’t tell Iris, but I like it when she makes me watch sad movies with her.

What's your comfort food?

Ramen.

What's one thing in your house you'd save in a fire?

I didn’t have anything that I wasn’t able to let go of until I met Iris. Now, I think it’d be the motorcycle we used to ride together.

Do you believe people can truly change?

I do. I have. I wasn’t the same person when Iris met me. I think people who don’t change just haven’t found—or accepted—the right catalyst that forces them to recognize they need to grow.

Rapid Fire

• Coffee or tea? Coffee.

• Favorite whiskey? Hakushu 25 Years Old

• Sunrise or sunset? Sunset

• Suit or leather jacket? Leather jacket

• Mountains or ocean? Mountains

• Motorcycle or sports car? Motorcycle when alone. Sports car with Iris.

• Favorite book? 1984 by George Orwell

• Favorite flower? He blushes, Irises.

• Favorite season? Winter.

• Morning person or night owl? Iris has called me an exhausted pigeon because I fluctuate between the two.

This or That

• Revenge or forgiveness? Forgiveness

• Logic or emotion? Emotion, then logic

• Stability or passion? Passion

• Freedom or responsibility? Responsibility

• Hope or certainty? Hope

• Protect or be protected? Protect

• Control or surrender? Control

• Fight or walk away? Walk away

Just for fun

• Who falls asleep first?

• I always make sure she’s asleep before I drift.

• Who says "I love you" more? She says it more. I show it more.

• Which one steals the blankets? She’ll swear it’s me. She’s wrong.

• If Iris planned the perfect date, what would it be? A trip back to New York, where we first met. The same clubs, the same flirty banter, and ending the night with her in my arms.

• What's one thing she'd tease you about during this interview? She’d say I need to smile more.

• What nickname from Iris secretly became your favorite? Fe Fe. It’s a play on Finn, the nickname my sister gave me.

The Hard Stuff

I saved the hard-hitting questions for last—the ones that made Phoenix pause and question if he was insane for agreeing to this interview.

What do you regret most?

He scratches the back of his neck.

How I treated the girl I was seeing before Iris. She deserved better.

Who have you failed?

He thinks for a long moment.

Myself. Or at least, the youngest version of me failed a few people. I’m lucky enough to have people who loved me enough to give me the chance to become better—to grow beyond the version of myself I’m not proud of.

What's your greatest fear?

That this interview isn’t going to end.

He laughs.

No, I fear that I won’t enjoy life the way it’s meant to be enjoyed. That I’ll miss the important moments—the ones I’ll never get back.

What would break you completely?

Losing Iris. 

Do you mean the two of you breaking up?

He shakes his head.

 No, she travels a lot, and that’s always on my mind. Anything could take her away from me.

Have you ever hated yourself?

He nods. 

After I let Iris walk out of my life. It took me a long time to get my shit together—to become someone capable of loving her, to become someone I believed could be worthy of her.

If you could undo one decision, what would it be?

Haha.

Yes, he said, haha.

See previous answer. I’d go back in time and slap my younger self.

K.M.: Last few questions. I flip to a new sheet.

 Phoenix gives an exasperated sigh of relief.

K.M.:It hasn't been that bad. I laugh as he smiles.

P: It's been...unique.

I shake my head and lean forward.

If Iris were sitting here instead of me, what would you want her to know?

There’s nothing new I’d tell her. I’d remind her that I love her and I’ll choose her for the rest of our lives, even if one day she decides she can’t choose me anymore.

What do you think she loves most about you?

Physically, my eyes. Sometimes she’ll sit on my lap just to stare into them.

If you could spend one final day with someone, who would it be?

I know you’re expecting me to say Iris. She’s the love of my life. But I’d choose my youngest sister. She’s spent her entire life believing in me, even when no one else understood my choices. I couldn’t leave without giving her one final day that belonged only to us.

What’s something Iris changed about you without realizing it?

He runs a hand through his hair before letting out a humorless laugh. I get the impression he’s never considered the answer. 

I used to think surviving was enough. Working in the family business, owning a bachelor pad, and going to my parents’ house every Saturday like clockwork—I thought that was all I needed. Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of what the youngest version of me wanted. Then she came along and taught me there was a difference between surviving and living.

K.M.: That's it! You survived. How do you feel?

Phoenix runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head.

P: Like, if you weren't my creator, this would've never been a thing.

I laugh.

K.M.: Blame Iris; she had to have her story told, and you are a beautiful part of that.

He smiles.

P: I just can't wait to have everyone see it from our beginning.

Thank you for joining me on this deep dive with Phoenix. I hope you enjoyed this special edition and look forward to learning more about the CEO who has given me wildly unrealistic expectations for men.