I watched from the sidelines as Jude walked onto the platform, and it hurt seeing just how beautiful he looked tonight, glowing with accomplishment and praise, the adoration of millions of people. Sometimes I couldn’t believe I got to bask in that glory a little as well now. I was his trusted assistant (even if I wasn’t quite trustworthy) and that meant something to me after thinking he was unreachable and unattainable when I had first discovered his books.
The thing was, all this time I had been obsessed with him because of the way his words affected me, because of the gift of writing he possessed. But slowly, I was getting to know the man as a human being, and sometimes I saw him without his talent, his success and he still seemed admirable. Remarkable. I wished so badly that I could tell him that.
For about forty minutes, the interview progressed while I sat in a comfortable chair side stage and observed. I could have been in the audience, in the front row with Jennifer but I hadn’t wanted that. Despite my changed appearance, I was so afraid that my face would have flashed across God knows how many screens and the police would have descended upon me before this show was even over. I wanted to study him away from all the noise and people surrounding me, in the privacy of the curtains even though he was sitting opposite me and we could see each other clearly. Jude did glance at me from time to time as he spoke to the host, Elias, and answered questions from the viewers, charming his way through the whole show.
He mentioned his new book as well but refused to explain what the story was about, only that he was writing it and people would know about it soon enough.
“Tight-lipped, as usual, Mr. Knight,” Elias commented and Jude shrugged, looking all poised and mysterious.
“Eric wants to know what the inspiration was behind your new story,” Elias asked him as he went through some questions displayed on the huge screen behind them.
I widened my eyes a little as Jude looked at me for a fraction of a second and replied, “One of my biggest fans.”
That was it. He didn’t elaborate even when Elias probed about who this fan was.
“Does this fan get to know that he inspired the next story of one of the most successful novelists in the world?” his host finally queried in one final attempt to satisfy everyone’s curiosity.
“She’ll know when I mention it in the dedication,” Jude revealed and some people in the audience glanced at Jennifer while I sat there, feeling overwhelmed by the information.
Was he talking about me? But he was writing a ‘stalker’ story, a suspense thriller. Why would I be the inspiration behind that? He didn’t know who I was or how I felt about him.
Did he?
I didn’t have time to dwell on that because the interview was wrapping up and people were clapping while the back stage crew rushed around, preparing for the next program. I was the last one to get up before finally exiting the studio to approach the waiting car outside.
Again, Jude had insisted on giving me a ride tonight but instead of taking me home first, he decided to make a stop at his favourite restaurant in the city. It made sense since it was time for dinner but after what he had said during the show and the charged atmosphere of this evening, I’d just felt like taking an Uber and heading straight home.
Home. I almost laughed at the word. I had no home. I supposed it would be a good idea to look for somewhere to rent now that I had a job but I still didn’t feel safe enough to set up base anywhere. Without a permanent address, I could still run, still move at the drop of a hat. If I got a place of my own, it’d make me feel like an easy target, knowing that the cops could rush through my door at any second and I’d have no way to escape. No. It was better not to put up roots for now.
The restaurant we went to was the kind I preferred. Low lighting and cozy seating which afforded heaps of privacy. It was the kind of place where high-profile people took their lovers to on romantic dinner dates so as not to be disturbed.
I snuck a peek at Jude as we were shown to our table, wondering if he even realized that. There were three of us seated at a table for two and one of us should not be here. I cast a sour look at Jennifer who wouldn't stop talking about how much great content she had for her next article.
"You were so awesome tonight, babe," Jennifer gushed, briefly touching his arm. "I'm so proud of you."
I wanted to roll my eyes. She wasn't so thrilled when he had gone for the church appearance. Now that had been awesome.
"Shall we order? I already know what I want," Jude said. "Same thing I always want whenever I come here. What about you?"
Jennifer shrugged, not bothering to pick up the menu. "Sure." She cast a sidelong glance at me then. "We should let her decide first though. Do you need help with that? How about a salad?"
God. It was all I could do not to snarl at her. She was so damn snobbish and insulting. Skinny as bitch.
We were interrupted by the appearance of a man next to our table who called Jude’s name before smiling and shaking his hand.
"Fancy running into you here," he expressed and looked down at us, speaking a few words to Jennifer before regarding me curiously. "And who is this little butterfly?"
His choice of words and the casual way he uttered them made me frown in response.
"Riley," Jude said to him, his lips thinning slightly. "She's my writing assistant. Riley, this is William. We were in Yale together."
William let out a bark of laughter and replied, "Man, you make me sound like a stranger." He turned to grin at me and held out his hand, "Hello, Riley. I was a class below Jude in law school but we became good friends and it's only recently that we've gotten too busy with our respective careers."
I didn't want to shake his hand. And I hesitated for just a second before finally doing it. Something flickered in his eyes, as though he sensed my wariness.
"Now I'm feeling kind of pathetic because you all have each other for company," William sighed and glanced towards an empty table which I assumed he had booked for dinner.
We all realized he was fishing for an invitation and Jude offered it, of course. We had to make a few adjustments but a minute later, William was seated between me and Jude, his cologne cloying and his thigh and arm brushing against mine. I pressed my legs together as much as possible but he only seemed to widen his stance as the food came and conversation started.
I wanted to go home again. Why did every dinner with Jude's friends have to turn out this way? For once, I wished I could enjoy myself when he asked me to accompany him somewhere. And I also wished it could be just the two of us.
I was busy imagining that scenario when William reached for the wine bottle to pour himself another glass and his elbow brushed against the side of my breast. I threw him a sharp glance, biting the retort on my tongue only for Jude's sake. A little personal space would be really good right about now. I let it go but then he moved his thigh again and this time, I was pretty sure it wasn't an accident. He deliberately grazed it along the side of mine under the table and I pulled away abruptly, getting to my feet in a swift motion and rattling some of the dishes.
"Jesus, Riley," Jennifer said with a frown. "If you need us to get you another table-"
"I don't," I snapped at her and she blinked at me, taking in my angry tone and expression. "I don't need that much space, Jennifer. I'm a human being, not a hippo."
Turning around, I walked away from the table towards the bathroom, ignoring the looks being thrown my way by other patrons who had overheard my outburst. My cheeks burned with humiliation and my eyes glistened with unshed tears.
I was a size ten with a few chubby bits here and there and she made it sound like I was overweight or something. I hated to think how she treated people who were thicker than me.
In the bathroom, I splashed some water over my face, shutting out the discomfort and fear I had felt when William had touched me against my will, trying to make it look like an accident. It took me back to my life in Wisconsin with Joshua. Blinking back tears, I took deep breaths to compose myself.<
br />
If Jennifer or Jude decided to fire me after this, I was going to be fine with that. My entire being protested at the thought of not being around Jude anymore but I could find other ways to get my fix of him now that I knew his routine.
There was no way I was putting up with this much disrespect from his girlfriend and friends just to be close to him. Jude lived in me. He lived in me every minute I was awake and I took his dreams to bed with me every night. That was never going to change even if I had to physically distance myself from him.
With a new resolve, I wrenched open the bathroom door and came face to face with William. He cocked his head to the side and studied me while I plotted ways to get rid of that smug face. When I moved past him, he moved with me and blocked my path. The passage in front of the bathrooms was well-lit but empty for now, sounds from the restaurant muted. The place wasn’t fully occupied and I wasn't sure how long it would be until someone came this way so I bared my teeth at him to warn him off despite feeling scared.
William just grinned at me, his own teeth sparkling unnaturally. "Riley," he spoke my name with a relish before lowering his voice. "I am so sorry if I offended you with all that touching. I get a little too excited when someone plays hard to get. When did Jude hire a busty thing like you, anyway? That lucky bastard."
I glared at him as he continued speaking and flinched when he lifted a hand to place it on the wall next to me.
"Curvy girls with glasses are my absolute weakness," he told me.
A roaring filled my head then, Joshua's words and reference to my body pelting across my brain. Why couldn't men simply understand the word 'no'? William didn't look stupid. He knew I wasn't interested in him and that was exactly why he wanted to push me.
"William."
It was Jude's voice that carried through the quiet passage and I turned my head to see him standing there looking at us. William pushed off the wall quickly and gave his friend a nonchalant glance before walking away as though he hadn't just tried to accost me
"I was just making sure she was okay," he lied when he passed Jude and retreated into the restaurant.
I made myself appear nonchalant as well, even though I was consumed with the urge to go and stab that man with a fork and walk out while he sat there howling in pain. Maybe I should give him a taste of what I had given Joshua.
No, Wynnie. You're not that girl anymore. Don't be stupid.
"Hey." Jude hadn't moved from the spot and stopped me when I tried to walk past him as well. "Did he touch you?"
His question was unexpected. I thought he was going to ask me why I had snapped at his girlfriend earlier but he was frowning at me in concern. I couldn't tell him anything. This was his night. Everything had been so good until William had showed up. I didn't want any drama or to call attention to myself.
"No," I lied, making sure to keep my tone neutral. "He was just checking on me. Listen, I'm sorry about how I spoke-"
"Don't be," Jude cut me off firmly, his eyes piercingly bright as we stood close together in the passageway, barely out of sight of the other patrons. "She's the one who needs to apologize to you and I already told her that."
I dropped my gaze to the floor then, not sure what to say to that. I really didn't care if Jennifer apologized to me or not. If she did, she wouldn't mean it. And if she didn't, it wouldn't make any difference to me.
"I'm going home, Jude," I informed him. "I'll take a cab, don't worry. Thanks for dinner and enjoy the rest of your evening."
"Riley-"
"Please don't call me that," I said without thinking and then felt ridiculous.
Ridiculous because I missed being called Wynter or Wynnie. I missed that so much. Riley Benson was a name I had randomly picked but it wasn't who I was. How could he know that, though?
"What do you want me to call you, then?"
I looked up at him and he genuinely seemed to desire an answer, his gaze so serious and expression rueful.
"Nothing," I replied. "If you don't want me to come to work tomorrow-"
"I didn't say that. You're good at your job and I need you. Please come to work tomorrow."
I let out a sigh and nodded unsmilingly, deciding to think about it once I was out of here and back in my motel room.
"Good night," I mumbled and braved the walk back to the main area of the restaurant, endured the glances and few, random chuckles when I went to my table to pick up my purse, ignored Jen's heated face and William's leering, and exited the place with the intention of never stepping inside it again.
While I tried to hail a cab in the busy streets, William came out of the restaurant as well, followed by Jennifer and Jude. I turned away and hoped Jude wouldn't offer me a ride back. I couldn't stand to be around his girlfriend anymore.
"Do you need me to drop you home, Riley?" I heard a man's voice ask in my ear and cringed away from him.
"No. Fuck off," I bit out but William just chuckled and then...he put a hand on my back.
"Come on. I'm dying to take you for a spin." That hand drifted lower, just inches from my ass and I stiffened. "In my car, I mean. What do you-?"
He was wrenched away from me the next second and I let out a gasp when Jude punched him in the face. Hard. Just once but it was effective enough to split the man's lip and William, enraged, pinned his friend with a fierce look while Jennifer cried out Jude's name, looking shocked.
"What the fuck, man?!" William shot at him angrily, clutching his jaw as the people around us paused or slowed their walk to witness the drama.
Jude ignored him, turned to me with irises like twin blue flames and asked tightly, "Did he touch you now, Riley?"
I swallowed, unable to catch my breath for a few seconds when I absorbed what he had done for me.
"Hey! I didn't-"
"Shut the fuck up, William," Jude gritted out, glowering at him. "And take your sorry ass home before I punch you again." He whistled loudly then and a cab pulled over a moment later.
Jude held the door open for me, his gaze intent on my face. I moved hurriedly, again with my cheeks burning because people were staring and I also saw a few cameras flashing which made me panic so much. I didn't even thank Jude before ducking my head inside the cab. He shut the door without a word and then I was off, my arms folded tightly against my chest as I forced myself not to turn around and look at him while he faded away.
I couldn't believe he had done that. Publicly punched someone, a friend, to protect me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get that scene out of my head for the rest of the night. Men have only ever wanted to take advantage of my helplessness and there he was...standing up for me even though I hadn't really needed it.
I couldn't stop myself from messaging him later because I had words to say and I couldn't say them to my boss. I could say them to Jude though. The real Jude. The Jude he kept hidden from the rest of the world.
Chapter 12
Jude
The car ride back to my place was filled with a tense and heavy silence but Jennifer exploded the minute we walked inside the house.
"I don't believe you, Jude! Do you even realize how rashly you behaved tonight? We just got back from having you feature in one of the best talk shows in the nation and getting you all that awesome publicity and then you went and punched somebody. Your friend of all people!"
I ignored her raging and went inside the kitchen to get myself an ice-pack to put over my knuckles because they were starting to swell.
"What the hell came over you, for God's sake?" Jennifer demanded, throwing her purse on the counter and following me. "I've never seen you lay a finger on anyone before."
She was right about that. I had never hit anyone in my life. Never wanted to as much as I'd wanted to hit William tonight. I hadn't bothered to turn on the kitchen light because the light emanating from the living room was enough and that was good because I didn't want Jen to see my expression. How shaken I felt inside for losing control like that in public.
"Oh and don't you eve
r talk to me like that again," she warned me, her tone cold and angry. "I do not want to hear my boyfriend scolding me in a public restaurant over some other girl. I am not Ella, okay?"
Raising my head, I frowned at her when I felt my blood boiling again at her words.
She didn't notice and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "God, how am I going to write that article now and wax lyrical about you after you decided to ruin all of tonight's work by going and acting like a savage animal? I already received a few notifications on Twitter that someone dubbed you as such."
Savage animal. Wow. It was one punch. And he had deserved it. I stalked past her to head upstairs without a word, not interested in getting into this argument with her. My girlfriend was mean and a bully. I'd only ever seen her around Ella, my mother and Phillipa so I had no idea that this was how she treated women she thought were beneath her or something.
She followed me there too, still going on about my 'savage' behaviour so I went inside the bathroom and slammed the door in her face. My hand was throbbing like crazy and in the light on top of the vanity mirror, I studied the bruised and swollen flesh, trying to flex my fingers but realizing I couldn't without wincing in pain.
"Shit," I whispered and rubbed my other hand over my face, taking a minute to calm down. I hated violence of any kind. I wrote about it all the time but to actually physically assault someone left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
Jennifer banged on the door suddenly, startling me. “I need to use the bathroom and get some of my things.”
I strolled over to open the door and paused at the mutinous look on her face as she narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m moving out for a few days,” she announced. “Until all this drama dies down and you finally think it’s important to apologize to me for insulting me in front of William like that. Over your assistant.”
“Fine,” I clipped and walked into the bedroom, trying to unbutton my shirt with my left hand. It took longer than usual.
“Jude, what the hell!”
Girl Obsessed: A Dark Romance Page 8
