Obsessed

111

"Chloe, you can go on in. He's ready for you." Lillian called out after a few minutes of comfortable silence between Colby and I.

I sucked in a deep breath.

"Okay...this is it." I said quietly, standing up.

Colby stood up with me, and hugged me tightly against his chest.

"You'll do great. Don't worry. Plus, if he doesn't do what you deserve, I'll just compel him into it." He whispered.

I rolled my eyes, and chuckled a little, though I wasn't sure if he was kidding or not. Probably not, knowing him. He pulled me back and leaned down to kiss me lightly.

"I love you. He'll be as obsessed with your story as I am with you. Now go." He replied gruffly, patting my hip.

"I love you too." I breathed out, and started walking towards the double doors, just as nervous now as the first time I entered them.

More so even.

I pushed them open, and walked inside. Mr. Roberts looked up from his desk, then stood up to shake my hand. It felt weird, simply because this was my boss, and he was treating me like a client.

"Ms. Daniels, Chloe, glad you could make it in today." He motioned towards the chairs in front of his desk, letting me know to sit.

I did, and pulled my legs back under the seat, crossing my feet. I placed my hands together in my lap and played with my rings again, while I watched him make a few more notes on his computer before shrinking the screen, and turning to me.

"Okay, I want to get this started as soon as possible, with your permission of course. We can have it sent to the editor, and I can bring up the contract, have you go over it, get a lawyer to go over it with you, whatever you want to do. I really think this could be your big break. The idea behind this story is intriguing, and I think it's wonderfully written. So, are you ready to take that next step?" He said all of this in one breath, watching me with quizzical, excited eyes, while mine just grew wider with each word he said.

"Uh...yes?" I replied.

He laughed gently, and opened his desk drawer, pulling out some papers.

"This is the sample contract. I'll have an actual one made up after you read over this. It will be basically the same thing, unless there are things that you would like to have changed. I can have the manuscript sent over to the editor as soon as you get back to me about it."

I nodded, and picked up the stack of papers that he had set in front of me on his desk. For the next hour, I read over it with him, asking him about the parts that I didn't understand, or needed further explanation on. We discussed everything in depth, until my brain actually felt like it couldn't hold any more information.

"When you go over it with someone legally, then call me and I'll get it to the editor asap. Do it today. You don't wanna wait for your dreams." He told me as we both stood up and shook hands again.

I nodded.

"Yes sir. And I'll have the other manuscripts to you by the end of this week."

He grinned and waved me off. "I have a feeling that you won't be working for me much longer Ms. Daniels. Go celebrate."

I smiled widely at him and thanked him again, before rushing out the door with the revised contract. Colby was already walking towards the door to meet me. I threw myself up and into his arms, letting him catch me, squeezing my arms around his neck.

He laughed and spun me around, before kissing my temple and putting me down.

"This is what you deserve. It's gonna be amazing, Love."

We left and went straight to Colby's legal team, for someone to look over the contract. Everything seemed to be in order, no hidden agendas or anything. Of course, I didn't really think that there would be.

Mr. Roberts was a good man. I signed the contract there, and then Colby and I took it back to him. He was standing at the counter speaking with Lillian when we walked back inside.

"Back so soon?" He asked, grinning.

I smiled back and held up the contract.

"It's all signed. You can send my manuscript to the editors. I'm all in."

"Glad to hear it." He replied, holding his arms out to hug me.

It was a quick friendly hug, then he pulled back and held his hand out to Colby.

"She's something special. You're a lucky man." He said as Colby gripped his hand.

Colby looked at me and smiled.

"I know." Was all he replied.

Mr. Roberts clapped his hands together and then took the contract from me.

"I'll get it in the works right away. Congratulations Chloe. You're being published."

I couldn't believe it. After working on this novel for over a year, after never letting anyone see my work...now we were here and I was being published.

We made it back to the house with me being in a daze, running wild in my own head.

"Thank you." I said, looking up at Colby as he held the door open for me to enter the house.

I walked through, then stopped beside him.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me. This wouldn't be happening without you." I told him.

His brow furrowed a little and a small smile crossed his lips.

"What did I do? This was you. Your talent, your initiative. I didn't do this." He replied, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him.

I shook my head.

"Before you, I was stuck. I had an idea but it was stuck inside my head, unable to be formed into the correct words. Before you, I never let anyone read my work because I was afraid that they wouldn't like it, or would make fun of it. Before you, I wanted to believe in magic, but I didn't know that it actually existed. I thought that nothing good was supposed to happen to me."