The Romance Reviews

Monday 10 January 2022

"The Texts Before We Met" - Contemporary Romance by Matilda Swinney


 

Summary

Tilly dreams of becoming an oscar winning actress. She also dreams of something far less family-friendly. She has always longed to be dominated. During an acting course in Brighton, she decides to embrace her desires and makes a risky decision. She agrees to meet the stranger she has been talking to online for a mere few weeks.


As the acting course progresses and Tilly begins to make friends, her texts with her online mystery man accelerate too. She worries whether she has made the right decision. Should she listen to her heart’s desire or pay attention to the warning signs? Is she in over her head?


On the day they are due to meet, she races to the five star London hotel her date has arranged. She's running late, but she's ready to finally find out who he is. Will he live up to her expectations and be the sexy dominating guy she has always wanted?


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Excerpt


I looked up at the polished skateboard sign above my head. It read Happy Hostel. 

The thing was, I wasn’t exactly feeling happy. My fragility could be down to three main reasons.


1.    It was too early in the morning. Seven a.m. was a sickening time to get up.


2.    It was day one of my acting course. I always got nervous when starting something new.


3.    My recent love mission. My new dating venture was highly risky and completely out of my 

comfort zone. It was taking over my mind. I couldn’t think about anything else.


As I washed my spoon and bowl in the industrial hostel kitchen sink, my phone pinged.

I jumped in fright. It was him.


What are you doing today?


I texted back quickly. He didn’t like waiting.


I’m starting my acting course today.


I want to buy you lingerie.


That was intimate. We’d only been texting for a few weeks. Should I tell him not to? 

But I could do with some new knickers. My favourite ones had lost the elastic in them and 

my nude bra’s lining had started coming out. My underwear was in a sorry state.


You don’t have a matching white set, do you?


No. I don’t. Thank you.


My texts felt wooden but I knew he preferred it that way. He liked me to be straight to the point 

and just answer questions rather than talk too much. He had so many rules already.


 Are we still at 97%?


I smiled. We had a secret code already. Ninety-seven meant how much I was thinking about him. 

If it got to one hundred it would mean I was totally consumed and had no other thoughts whatsoever.


Slightly less 96%. I thought I should be truthful. It’s only because of this course. 

Yes. I’m happy about that. It allows me to push you more when I meet you. 

Because my percentage is higher it allows you to push me more?

Yes exactly, I demand 100% for just one moment . . .

He was so intense. He was the only guy who’d felt right online. I’d chosen well. He made me feel

like we were in a film.

Have a good day beautiful.

Thank you.


I breathed out shakily. Why did this feel so scary? I couldn’t get distracted though. 

For now, I had to focus on my acting course. It was only a week long. I wanted to give it 

everything I had so I’d win an Oscar in two years’ time and nudge into the exclusive 

acting circle of Hollywood. I’d talk to Leonardo about dolphins and stand 

next to George silently. He’d appreciate silence. Plus, it would be nice to smell him. 

I bet his scent was intoxicating. I’d probably faint and have to be carried out on a stretcher. 

Hopefully, a famous film director would volunteer to accompany me to the hospital. 

Once I’d regained consciousness, we’d talk about my expressive face and how 

I’d be perfect in his next film.



Matilda Swinney

The Girl Who Jumped

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