I was Heather Reisman

Of all the prestigious invitations issued to authors, at the top of the list is an interview with Heather Reisman. The event takes place every month or so at the flagship Indigo store in mid-town Toronto at Bay and Bloor. Elizabeth Gilbert and Jack Welch are among the five-star authors who have been interviewed by the CEO of Indigo in front of an audience and then stay on to sign books.

I’ve never been invited; that’s how I know it’s prestigious. But today I went one better: I was Heather Reisman. Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts and author of No Apology, was the invitee at today’s 12:30 event. Heather could not be there, so I was asked to introduce the Governor and ask four questions. As a fellow author, I happily complied.

Romney is easy-going and unpretentious, dynamic and intelligent. He wowed the crowd with his gratitude for Canada’s troops in Afghanistan, views on mutually beneficial trade ties, and tales of his summer cottage near Grand Bend, Ont., on Lake Huron.

Romney, who dropped out of the presidential primaries before Super Tuesday in the last go-round, wouldn’t say if he’ll run again in 2012. He would only go so far as to say he’ll wait until after the mid-term elections this November before deciding. With the him at the helm, you get the idea that Canada-U.S. relations would improve. “We are committed to common causes,” he said.

I wore a jacket and tie. Romney had on jeans and a sports shirt. One of us was dressed wrong. I think it was me. But, hey, when you’re standing in for the CEO of the biggest bookstore chain in the country – and your books are on her shelves – you want to do right by her.