Reading the Room When You’re . . .
the only one reading
Every romantic suspense novel hinges on one question: Can you trust the person who makes your pulse race?
In fiction, the answer involves corporate espionage, hidden identities, and usually someone with a gun. In real life? The dangers are subtler but just as real. We’re drawn to people who confirm our worst beliefs about ourselves, who recognize our damage and match it with their own.
I spend my writing time obsessing over power dynamics – who has it, who wants it, and what happens when desire scrambles all the signals. My heroines navigate boardrooms where a single misread gesture could expose their investigation.
Where trusting the wrong smile doesn’t just break their heart – it could end their life.
Yet despite all my obsessive research into reading people, I still miss the obvious—on a recent flight from Victoria to Toronto—picture this. . .
Reading the Room: At 30,000 Feet
I left my seat to use the bathroom at the front of the plane. As I push through the curtains, there’s a pilot chatting with two flight attendants. He’s positioned between the cockpit and the bathroom, leaving my path clear.
So what do I do?
Full people-pleasing mode: chin down, meek smile, mumbled “excuse me” and b-lined past everyone into the vacant bathroom.
Two minutes later, I emerge. Pilot’s still there. Flight attendants busy themselves with trays of nuts.
I did the reverse and duck through the curtain again.
As I settled back in my seat, the scene replays in slow motion. The way the pilot looked at me—expectant, waiting. It dawns on me then—He wasn’t just stretching his legs or killing time.
He was about to use the bathroom.
And I, so busy reading my own position in the hierarchy (passenger interrupting crew), missed the sign. I was the one with the power in that moment. I had access to the resource he needed😕
And then there are my characters, whose conundrums keep me up at night.
Dominance Disguised as Desire
This is exactly the kind of misread that gets my heroines in trouble. They’re so focused on traditional power markers – the corner office, the expensive suit, the commanding presence, they miss the assistant who actually runs everything. Or worse, they mistake intensity for passion when it’s really control.
Hero — “I want to talk about what happened.”
Heroine — “Nothing happened. It was just a kiss.”
Hero — Christ, she is beautiful when she blushes. “I meant the hack.”
😬
I’m obsessed with these moments. I enjoy turning the dynamic on its head and showing power where you don’t expect it. My heroines navigate gleaming towers where being sixty floors up might mean you’re isolated, not elevated. Where the person who seems most protective might be the biggest threat.
Permission or Control
In romance, power dynamics shift with every glance. Who reaches out first? Who pulls back? Who’s really in control when desire enters the boardroom or the lab? But unlike in my novels, real-life power plays rarely announce themselves with dramatic music. The person who makes your skin light up might be lighting a fuse. The one who seems to defer to you might be documenting your every weakness.
Would you rather: Have the corner office but need permission for everything. OR Control the calendar and know everyone’s secrets?
Over the next few weeks, I challenge you to watch for the power dynamics you’ve been missing. But here’s the twist – Notice who becomes more attractive when they’re telling you ‘no’.
That discomfort you feel when someone takes the seat you wanted? That flutter when someone refuses to be positioned? That’s your survival instinct talking. The same instinct my heroines ignore at their peril.
Hit reply and send me a “spotted it” note when you catch these dynamics in action. Your observations often inspire ideas for scenes, and who knows, you might help someone else recognize a dangerous pattern.
Remember: the most powerful person in the room knows there’s more than one game being played.
Catch up soon👋🏾 Angela
Until next time . . . . let there be …
P.S.: Still mortified about that pilot. But it taught me something valuable: sometimes the person who looks like they hold all the power is just someone who really needs to pee. There’s probably a life lesson in there somewhere.
P.P.S.: 📚Currently reading: The most intriguing political thriller suspense to grace my shelves of late: The Whistle Blower, by Robert Preston. Man, the hero misreads the most IMPORTANT power dynamic until it was too late. Honestly. I’m taking notes.”
P.P.P.S.:👩🏾💻 Writing Update: I’m leaning into the power shift between heroine, hero and villain. The manuscript is humming.
