My Mentor's Secret Baby - His Secret Baby

I wondered if I should talk to him again. How would Alex react to that?

Suddenly Jay looked my way. He spotted me and waved. I waved back.

He walked over and started talking to me. “How come you’re over here by yourself, Hazel? I thought you’d be busy writing since you have so many brilliant ideas?” he asked with a big smile that put me at ease.

I finished my coffee then threw my cup away. “I was just getting ready to take a walk. I need a bit more inspiration before I start writing,” I admitted.

“Do you mind if I join you? You can run your ideas by me again, maybe I can help you narrow down your options so you can get started?” he offered.

I was shocked by Jay’s words but could tell his offer was genuine. “Sure! I’d love that. We can talk about your writing too. I saw you were so into it earlier,” I replied. It was true, he had been writing furiously in his notepad before our conversation.

He laughed as we left the conference room. “That was just a silly scene. I think I dreamed it up. I thought it was pretty cool, so I’m going to start my novel from that scene,” he explained with a shrug.

I was actually impressed. Jay sounded like a really talented writer.

“That is such a unique idea. I’ve never heard of a writer doing things that way before,” I replied, sounding a little in awe of him.

He chuckled softly. “It’s no big deal. I just like to think outside the box. It challenges me and helps me create new ideas and think in different ways.”

We walked in silence for a few minutes as I tried to absorb his words. I liked Jay. He was a nice guy, very friendly and insightful. I thought I could learn from him, and maybe his techniques would help me with my own writing.

My thoughts were interrupted as he asked, “So what problems are you having with your story? Maybe I can help.”

I stopped walking and looked at him, not used to having someone be attentive to my needs. “Actually, I’m not sure where to even begin with my writing. I have a lot of ideas I want to try out, but where do I start?” I asked him.

Jay frowned as we walked. I could sense that he was giving my problems some serious thought. He eventually answered, “Well, that depends on you. Which of your ideas do you like best?”

I blinked in surprise. “Well, they all sound good,” I stammered.

He laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. Let me explain it this way, writing should be about the connection you have with the story. It’s your passion, it’s your project…” He stopped talking. I noticed we stopped walking as well. “Turn around,” he instructed me. I looked at Jay skeptically. “Relax, I’m not up to anything. I’m trying to help you. Trust me?” he asked.

I sighed deeply, then turned around. I could hear Jay talking behind me.

“Forget I’m here, forget about the readers. Tell me the story that’s in your heart,” he instructed.

As I looked out at the trees and the green space, I could suddenly visualize the story I had wanted to tell — the type of book I wanted to write. I could see every scene so clearly in my head like it was a movie.

“A story about a fighter, a warrior. Strong and independent, reluctant to give her heart away, but in the end, finding the love she deserves,” I whispered softly.

Jay chuckled. “Sounds like my work here is done,” he said proudly.

I turned around to thank him, my face smiling with excitement. “Yes! Jay, thank you so much! I couldn’t have done this without your help. I can’t wait to go up and write it right now.”

He smiled and gave me a friendly hug. “Friends help each other. Best of luck with your writing. If you need any more help, I’m always here,” he replied before walking away.

All thoughts of Alex were gone. I raced up to my hotel room, desperate to start writing. I had already picked out which scene I was going to begin with. My first book on my own! I was excited and knew it was going to be great!

I loved how Jay referred to my writing as “my passion and my project.” He was right because you must invest a lot of heart and emotion into whatever you are working on. I was so glad I ran into him. After a while, I tuned out all other thoughts and sat at my desk, writing deep into the night.

Chapter Eight – Alex

After a few days, I started to feel bad. I was spending so much time writing that I rarely saw Hazel. The few times that we did manage to meet up, she seemed distant, like she really didn’t want to be there. I couldn’t lose her again — I had just found her. Yet, it felt like I was losing my connection with her. I needed to do something to draw us back together and fast.