Girl Obsessed - A Dark Romance (Now available on Amazon Kindle and KU)

Chapter 2

Jude

Thunder crackled overheard and purple lightning forked through the night sky as the tumultuous ocean waves rose and crashed over me, filling up my nose and stinging my eyes. I spluttered, frantically pushing my way to the surface, trying to hold on with every last bit of strength and resolve I possessed. No. The ocean was not going to claim me tonight. Not when I still had so much more to accomplish. So much more to conquer.

Another head broke through the choppy waters a few feet away and screamed at me for help.

"Jude!" she cried, coughing and spitting out sea water. "Jude, are you listening to me? Jude?"

Her voice began to die down, the ocean disappeared in a rush and I was dragged back to the restaurant I was dining at, the roaring sound of my imaginary storm replaced by meaningless chatter, the clinking of forks, knives and glasses and my girlfriend's concerned voice.

"Jude?" she spoke again, a slight frown marring her forehead. "Are you okay?"

My fingers twitched restlessly against my wine glass, aching to reach for my phone so I could jot down the idea I had just had for one of my novels but I made myself look at Jennifer and smile.

"I'm fine," I stated, giving the appearance of a lazy patron just out having dinner with his girl. "I was just...thinking."

She let out a barely perceptible sigh and shook her head before picking up her fork.

"Seriously? You can't leave work behind for just a couple of hours and pay attention to me?" she questioned in a disappointed voice.

It's not work. It's who I am. I couldn't separate that madness from me even if I tried.

Out loud, I said, "I'm sorry. I'm here now. What is it?"

Her berry-pink lips parted and she waved a slim, manicured hand in the air. "I need you to hire someone to take on some of your workload. Baby, you're always distracted when I'm trying to talk to you these days and it just makes me feel...alone and unappreciated."

"I appreciate you," I told her at once because it was true.

Jennifer was awesome. The kind of girlfriend who ticked all the boxes. She was supportive, independent, classy and gorgeous. I appreciated her a lot.

"Listen to me," she continued in a slightly desperate tone. "I understand that your work is demanding..."

Work. There was that word again.

"...but you can't keep handling everything on your own. I was thinking...maybe you could get an assistant to help you out with all the extra tasks."

I frowned at her. "An assistant? Why would I want an assistant? Phillipa is there to take care of things for me."

"Phillipa is your agent and publicist both," Jennifer reminded me. "She has enough on her plate. You tend to do so many things by yourself when you could just delegate. Lots of writers have assistants. P.As. We could just find someone to help you out with things. In your office."

I raised an eyebrow at her when I realised she was completely serious. "You know I don't work well with others," I told her dryly. "And I don't like having anyone in my office. Especially when I'm trying to write."

"Ugh. Fine. We'll give the assistant her own office temporarily until we can set something up. Jude, you need someone." She let out a sigh and regarded me gravely, her blue eyes imploring in the bright lights of the restaurant. "Please, baby," she added in a soft, sensual tone, the one that managed to get me in the mood for sex even when I was too exhausted or distracted. "For me. If you don't like it, we'll fire her. Or him. Whoever it is. Trial basis?"