Annabelle's in her room, her face tensed and filled with confusion. She's currently working on a new story, one that's very important. Her supervisors have given her a very hectic title and storyline, and she has to come up with a convincing outline to impress them.
"Come on!!!!" Annabelle shouts, tearing the piece of paper she was writing on and tossing it to the other piles she has torn out – 30 in total. She takes a deep breath and starts writing again. "How do I go about this?" she says, her pen on her jaw.
As she thinks, she receives a call from Jake, the man who gave her a lift the other day. She smiles and mutters to herself, "Hmmm, he finally called me..." She picks up the call and places it on her left ear, her mind still on the outline she's working on.
"Hey Annabelle, what's up?" Jake asks.
"I'm good, how are you doing?" Annabelle asks.
"Well, I'm doing great, just bored," Jake replies.
"Oh, I see. You waited until you were bored to give me a call, nice," Annabelle teases.
"Come on, don't be like that. I actually had it in mind to call you, but I was too busy to do so, sorry..." Jake explains.
"Don't be... I was only joking," Annabelle says, laughing.
"So, how has your day been?" Jake asks.
"It's been really frustrating," Annabelle replies.
"What's the cause of the frustration?" Jake asks.
"Nothing much, just me working on a story outline and the ideas ain't forthcoming," Annabelle replies.
"Well, that can be frustrating. What's this story about?" Jake asks, curiosity getting the better of him.
"It's a mystery thriller, but I'm having trouble developing the outline," Annabelle explains.
"That sounds intriguing. Want to bounce some ideas off me?" Jake offers.
"Sure, why not? Maybe a fresh perspective will help," Annabelle says.
As they talked, Annabelle shared her ideas, and Jake listened intently, offering occasional suggestions and questions. Annabelle found herself laughing and feeling more at ease.
"You know, sometimes talking to someone who doesn't know the story can help clarify things," Annabelle says.
"I've been told I'm a good sounding board," Jake says, grinning.
"And who told you that, your girlfriend?" Annabelle asks jokingly.
Jake chuckles. "I am single."
"Hmmm, why do I find that hard to believe?" Annabelle says.
"Why? Can't I be single?" Jake asks.
"I mean, you're cute and nice. Why won't you have a girlfriend?" Annabelle says.
"So you think I'm cute... I'm flattered," Jake says.
"Don't let it get over your head," Annabelle says, and they both laugh.
"Okay then, let's proceed with your story ideas. You're really inspiring me," Annabelle says.
"Okay," Jake replies.
Their conversation flowed easily, and Annabelle enjoyed Jake's company. She told him about her protagonist, a detective trying to solve a series of murders.
"That sounds like a great starting point," Jake says. "But what's the twist? What makes this story unique?"
Annabelle thinks for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure yet. I want it to be surprising, but not too outlandish."
"Well, sometimes the best twists are the ones that make sense in hindsight," Jake suggests. "Maybe you could introduce a subtle clue early on that doesn't seem important until later."
Annabelle's eyes light up. "That's a great idea! I think I can work with that."
As they continued talking, Annabelle found herself feeling more inspired. Jake's suggestions were helpful, and his enthusiasm was infectious.
"Thanks, Jake. You're a great help," Annabelle says, smiling.
"No problem, happy to assist. Maybe next time, I'll even get to read the finished story," Jake jokes.
Annabelle laughs. "Maybe. If it's any good, I'll definitely let you know."
The conversation went on, with Jake and Annabelle discussing everything from books to music to their shared interests. Annabelle found herself feeling more and more comfortable around Jake.
"I have to say, I'm impressed," Annabelle says. "You're good."
"Thanks," Jake replies.
"Thanks for chatting with me, Jake," Annabelle says. "I feel like I can think more clearly now."
"No problem, happy to help," Jake replies. "Maybe we can do it again sometime?"
Annabelle smiles. "Hmmm, don't be too forward,
"Mr...." "No, I am not; it's your choice," Jake said. "I'd like that," Annabelle said, her voice filled with happiness.
"Okay then, anytime you're free, maybe we can head out for coffee or lunch, your choice," Jake suggested.
"Okay, I will let you know," Annabelle replied.
"Okay then, goodbye," Jake said.
"Goodbye, thanks for your help," Annabelle said.
Rose stepped out of the hotel, her feet carrying her forward on autopilot as her mind wandered. Thoughts swirled in her head like a vortex, making it hard to focus on the present moment. She walked down the street, crossing into the highway without noticing the oncoming traffic. Just as a car was about to hit her, a strong hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back onto the sidewalk.
Rose's heart skipped a beat, realizing the unplanned incident that was about to take place. "Vicky, I'm so glad you saved me," she said, hugging the man in front of her.
The man who saved her was tall, with piercing blue eyes and dark hair. He looked at her with a mix of concern and confusion. "Excuse me, are you okay?" he asked.
Realizing what was going on, Rose snapped herself back to her senses and took a careful look at the man she was hugging, noticing he was a stranger. She released her tender grip from his body.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else," Rose said.
"So, you planned the accident?" the man inquired.
"What accident? I mean, no, I did no such thing," Rose said in a confused state.
"Then... you know what? Never mind. Are you okay?" the man asked.
"Yes, thank you," Rose said, leaving the man's company.
"That's really strange," the man said.
"What's wrong with me?" Rose thought, walking back on the sidewalk. "It's clear that Vicky has moved on in his life, with that lady, and I have no chance of winning him back. Why did I even come here? What was I thinking? That Vicky would just run back into my arms and forgive me for my past mistakes? Was it that simple?"
Rose stopped thinking for a while and then continued. "But I can't give up. I want to have Vicky by my side once again. I want to feel the warmth of his embrace, I want to experience his love and his smile. I want to hear him call my name like he used to before – 'Rosy'. Yes, I want him back, and for me to win him over, I must move closer to him and be by his side at all times. I want to show him that I have changed and I am the Rose he once loved and cherished."
But this wasn't possible. She didn't know where he lived, and she couldn't possibly work in his office with him... unless...
She stopped thinking again and turned back, heading towards the hotel. She rushed in and entered her room, picked up her phone, and checked the Journals profile again. She dialed the contact number and placed the phone on her ear.
"Hello," Lucy replied.
"Hello, how may I help you?" Lucy asked.
"Erm, good morning. I am on with the Journals company," Rose said.
"Yes, you are. I am Lucy. How may I help you?" Lucy asked.
"Well, I was hoping I could get employment in your company. I mean, is there any job vacancy?" Rose asked.
"No, there aren't any vacancies," Lucy replied.
"Oh, I see. But please, if there's any vacancy, any post whatsoever, please let me know. By the way, my name's Rose, Rose Johnson," Rose said.
"Rose? You came here yesterday, didn't you?" Lucy asked.
"Yes, I did. And I'm sorry for any inconvenience I caused. The thing is, I just wanted to see Vicky, and that's all, but things escalated," Rose explained.
"After all that, you still want to work in the Journals? Aren't you scared?" Lucy asked.
"No, I am not. Please let me know if there's any vacancy," Rose said.
"Yeah, but what really happened between you and Vicky?" Lucy asked with intense curiosity.
"I messed up. That's all you need to know," Rose said.
"But—"
"Please," Rose interrupted. "I will be expecting your call."
"Okay then," Lucy said, ending the call.
"Vicky, in yet a little while, you and I will be back together just the way it was," Rose said.