Page 4 of A Midnight Romance
I grimace. “Ouch.”
“With your approval, we’d like to send it within the next week.”
“How many of these have we manufactured so far?”
“Twenty,” he tells me.
I examine the clear tube more closely. “Make that nineteen. I’m keeping this one.”
“You always like to use the gadgets first, don’t you,” he quips.
I put the gadget into my pocket. “Perks of being the boss.” I smile, which earns me a chuckle from the other board members.
As the meeting presses on, my eyes grow heavy from the events of the night. I need to head back to Thompson Manor for some sleep.
“If there’s nothing else I have to leave, but you have my approval to move forward.” Before I leave the room, I give the executive board one more friendly smile before turning to our CFO, Becky Hooper. “Will you send me the cost breakdown and the source of the expenses once this is all sorted?”
“Will do,” she replies, taking notes down on one of our branded notepad.
“And keep me updated on the field testing,” I direct toward Felix.
“Goodbye, Mr. Thompson,” says a chorus behind me as I step into the hallway.
Once I’m alone and headed for the elevators, I breathe in a deep inhale—as relief washes over me. I plan to head back to Thompson Manor, catch up on a few hours of sleep, and then continue workingon my next target. The hunger never dulls and it’s only a matter of time before I’ll need to kill again.
Chapter 2
Lux
“How’s your first draft coming along?” my editor asks, checking in on the progress of my current manuscript.
I slide my sunglasses down from the top of my head as the setting sun shines into my eyes the moment I step outside the self-defense studio.
“It’s going,” I say, even though I’m a little behind on this one.
Writing fiction crime books is my passion, but the research process can be emotionally draining. Sure, they’re only fiction but all fiction is based on reality in some way.
“That doesn’t sound good,” she comments. Ellie has been my editor for the books I’ve written and we’ve just settled into a groove. She knows I need time between each release, but she’s always good about keeping me on a timeline. “Do you need me to jump on a call with you?”
Ellie’s great, but I prefer full control over the plotting part of my writing process. Because once I get an idea in my head, it’s hard to change my mind.
“No, I’m good. I just got out of a self-defense class and I’ll be home soon to get back to work.”
“Are you sure?” Ellie asks.
“I’m fine, I promise.” I slide into my car and set my workout bag on the passenger seat. “And besides, aren’t you packing for Hawaii?”
“Don’t remind me. My sister’s wedding is supposed to be fun, but I’ve been so stressed about leaving for that long.”
“How long are you leaving for again?”
“Per her request, everyone will be there for two weeks, but then my husband and I decided to stay an extra week and have our own little vacation. “
“I’m jealous,” I whine, pulling out of the parking garage and heading for home.
“But don’t worry, you can still reach me if you need anything,” she reminds me.
“No, enjoy some time off. Besides, it will give me time to focus on getting it done without having to worry about you checking in on me constantly,” I playfully say.
