Sweetly Isolated (The Swallow Barn Cottage Series, Book 1)

Walk In

Tina opened the door and stepped inside. While she was undressing, she heard Holyoake talking to someone on his phone in the lounge. She washed her hands and went to her study. She assumed he'd stop by when his conversation was over. She tried to work for two hours, but neither Holyoake, nor any progress appeared.

She texted Liv, and sat in front of the laptop, her forehead on her desk, until the Skype started trilling.

"What's the matter?" the brunette asked sharply.

"Hello to you too, Liv," Tina mumbled, without lifting her head.

"Tina," Liv said in a demanding one. "What's wrong? You never call, and it's Christmas. Something's wrong."

"I can't write. At all. I think I'm done for. No more Evelyn Cox."

Liv burst into melodic laughter.

"Oh my god, I thought something actually happened. You're so silly, Tina!"

Tina looked up and saw the agent toss her gorgeous black locks over her shoulder. The woman was surreally beautiful, like some Elvish princess or something.

"Oh c'mon now, Tina, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

"I can't write," Tina repeated. "At all. There are no words, no plot. I just sit and stare at the screen." Thinking about licking John Holyoake's neck - but that's beside the point.

"Have you eaten?" Liv asked patiently.

"It's not just today! I wouldn't be calling if I couldn't concentrate for one morning! I'm telling you, Liv, I lost it!"

"Alright, alright." The woman gave Tina a slightly condescending look. "What happened? Has something changed in your life? Is there something new? Did you get upset about something?"

All of the above? Two men happened, and she's upset– about one of them? Both of them? Them not being one man? Them being in her life at all? Who bloody knows.

"I can't– I don't want to talk about it," Tina grumbled. "I just–"

"Tina, you're starting to freak me out! Are you ill?! Has something happened? Did someone hurt you?"

"No, no! Nothing that serious!"

Now she felt stupid. Because nothing even remotely disastrous happened, and she was whinging.

Except she couldn't write!

"Well, there is this bloke–" Tina whispered.

"Oh my god, a man?!" Liv hollered, and Tina shushed her. Which only led to the agent screaming on top of her lungs, "What?! You're shushing me, Tina! Is he– there?! There's a man in your cottage!"

"Shut it, Liv!" Tina hissed again. "Yes, yes, there's a man in my cottage, but that's not what you think! And it has nothing to do with me not writing!"

Maybe. Most likely it actually does. Whom are you joshing, Tina? You can't write because of Holyoake. No matter what's between you two, whether you shag or not, argue or flirt. The man's arsed up your noggin.

"Like hell it doesn't!" Liv barked. "For seven years you write two thousand words a day, and then all of a sudden 'I'm done for' - and I'm supposed to believe it's a coincidence! So, what's the problem?" the brunette said in a business like tone. "C'mon, Tina, I'm used to this. You writers constantly screw up when there's some romance crap going on. Men are so much worse, actually. When Barnett had this whole drama with Richards' wife, I thought that was the end of him. So?" Liv gave Tina a stern look. "What is it? Is he married? C'mon, tell me everything. We'll solve it, and you can go back to normal. I have a great lawyer if he needs divorce. We can send your two to some resort for lots of alone time. Or, is he bad in bed? I know an excellent shrink–"