Eliza David's Blog, page 22
December 28, 2015
My Faves of 2015: An Introspective ;)
Happy New Year from Jayne Mansfield and I.
2015 was pretty good for me. About an eight. I wrote six books and survived. That was key. I also learned a lot about myself. Like…I’m not going to write six books in a year again. Pace is important.
Another 2015 observation of note was that I gained roughly fifteen pounds. The 15 in ’15. Yikes. Again, pace will be a personal target for me in 2016.
But you know how that goes: I promise myself I’ll write less and work out more and I will – for approximately two weeks. Then, it’s back to the bullshit. But I want to be different this year, positive in myself that I can keep these two promises. Thankfully, one of my 2015 favorites, which I use to kick off the list below, will assist in that endeavor…
FAVE Book of 2015: Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
Like most women (I hopefully assume), I am amazed by super-producer Shonda Rhimes. She owns a night of the week – OWNS, y’all. Thursday is all about TGIT and All Things Shondaland. When I saw she released a book, I preordered it and devoured it from the minute it hit my Kindle. You can click HERE for my GoodReads review but in short, I fell in love with the book. Fell in love – there are so many life lesson and laughs to be gained from reading Year Of Yes, a half-memoir/half self care debut from Rhimes. Weight loss, mommy wars, speaking your truth – everything is covered. I Kindle-highlighted 32 passages. My fave quote: “No is a complete sentence.”
FAVE Movie of 2015: Knock Knock
Keanu Reeves? Meh. I mean, I liked his movies from the 90s. I grew up on his movies but I’ve never been gaga over the guy. However, I kinda dug him in this flick. Now, I’ll warn you: there were several other movies that came out this year that were better in plot and quality than my selection. I’m positive of this, but I’m different. This film intrigued me at a purely uncouth level. It’s the story of a fortysomething man who, left alone in his house for the weekend, allows two twentysomething women in for hot sex and, oh, a side of torture and murder. Def a throwback to the Sharon Stone/Michael Douglas-esque sexual thrillers that were popular during which Keanu’s exclamation of “EXCELLENT!” summed up every movie he’s starred in during that cinematic era.
FAVE TV Show of 2015: The Affair (Showtime)
If I had made a favorites list last year, this would have been my pick then as well. The Showtime drama finished up its second season last week and it left me with my jaw on the floor. If you enjoy a little spice with your crime mystery, you should be inhaling this show. Between the multi-layered plot and the fantastic cast (hello, Joshua Jackson – he ain’t Pacey no more!), The Affair has a rich narrative that will keep your attention.
FAVE Album of 2015: D’Angelo and The Vanguard, Black Messiah
This was a tough decision, as anyone who had ears and good taste will contend that K. Dot’s To Pimp A Butterfly was the best album of the year. If it doesn’t get showered with Grammy noms and even a few trophies in February, it would be a crime. What nudged D’Angelo to the top spot for me is a mix of nostalgia and hunger for real R&B. Twelve tracks of mellow music excellence, that’s the best way to describe Black Messiah. D’Angelo, a veteran of soul music for my generation of late Gen Xers, reminds you from the first track as to why he is an indelible figure of R&B music. Our generation’s Bobby Womack (yeah, I wrote it), D’Angelo made me believe that real rhythm and blues was still around, bubbling under the surface of whatever it is that goes by as music these days.
FAVE Person I Don’t Know In Real Life of 2015: Taraji P. Henson
Taraji’s not new to me, of course. Her is long, in case one of your few experiences with her include just Empire. I think that what makes Taraji stand out for me this year (besides her awesomesauce portrayal of Cookie on the top-rated FOX series) is her complete unabashed embrace of 100% pure girl power. The woman celebrated herself and her peers effortlessly – from applauding her competitors in award nom announcements to The Hug between she and fellow uber-talented megawoman Viola Davis when the latter won Best Actress at the Emmys this year. She’s fierce, talented, and, uh…hello, gorgeous! Even if she didn’t get the Emmy, Taraji won in 2015 and I am looking forward to more from her next year.
Who were your 2015 faves?
December 25, 2015
HAPPY HOLIDAZE: 99¢ Books + Cover Reveal + NEW BrewGirl Excerpt
From my family to yours: Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and all of that good stuff!
Speaking of good stuff, from now until New Year’s Day 2016, all of my books (including BrewGirl, which you totally need to add to your GoodReads WTR list!) are only 99 PENNIES EACH!!
Click HERE to grab your copies of them all RIGHT NOW!
Also, a COVER REVEAL for BrewGirl is set for Saturday, January 16th, starting at 3pm CT. Click HERE to RSVP for the Facebook Event!
Okay, time for my Christmas present to you: Another short but sexy sweet excerpt from BrewGirl. To set the scene, Zoe and Nick are having a drink after their first day working together:
They found an empty booth in the back, next to the wait stand. The table was dusted with food crumbs and had wet rings in three places. Zoe began to look around for a hostess. “Table’s dirty. We need to flag down—”
“Nonsense,” Nick interrupted as he grabbed a damp bar rag from the wait station and wiped down the table himself. His swooping motions with the towel almost made him seem like he worked there. Zoe’s eyes trailed down to his perfectly round ass and the slip of tanned skin on his back that peeked out of his polo shirt whenever he wiped the table with an upstroke.
Nick stood upright and tossed the towel back to the wait station. He swept his arm across the table. “Voila! All clean and you didn’t have to bother a poor hostess during an extremely busy Happy Hour.”
They eased into opposite sides of the booth as Zoe gave him a strange look. “Who knew you were such a helper?”
Nick shrugged as he grabbed a laminated menu wedged between bottles of ketchup and mustard. “What can I say? Being a bartender at one of the noisiest gay bars in L.A. gave me some compassion for working stiffs in the restaurant industry.”
Zoe folded her arms on the table and leaned in. “Repeat that? You were a bartender at a gay bar? But you’re straight…right?”
Be straight, not bi, Zoe silently prayed to herself.
“Straight as 9:15,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. “But a job’s a job. The owner said I could keep it as long as I was never seen flirting with a girl on the premises. He told me I had a ‘twink’ look: doe-shaped green eyes, pouty lips, my hair was longer and blonder back in my college days.”
“Which was what, five years ago?” Zoe said with a smirk.
Nick flipped the menu over. “About. I’m twenty-eight. You?”
“God, you’re rude!” Zoe scoffed, giving a small laugh despite herself.
“Because I asked you how old you are? Jeez. Your poor boyfriend must walk on eggshells around you.”
Zoe tilted her head. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“That’s not surprising. You have too many rules to ever have one,” Nick said with zero sarcasm as he raised his hand to attract a waiter.
December 19, 2015
BREWGIRL EXCERPT: When Zoe Met Nick
I’m pretty sure the holidays have officially started for anyone lucky enough to be off of work until 2016 hits, but there’s no rest for the weary (aka everyone else, myself included). No worries – I have something for both the working and the relaxing: an exclusive sneak peek at the first book from the upcoming BrewGirl series, BrewGirl (now available HERE for preorder!).
As most of my readers may recall, BrewGirl was my NaNoWriMo project this past November (I might have blogged about it a few times…). I’m really excited about rolling out these new characters to you because BrewGirl is so different from the Cougarette series, yet it has that same sexy flavor you love. Much like her fabulous predecessor CeeCee Banks, BrewGirl‘s Zoe Taylor is as smart as a whip and likes the occasional adult beverage. She also gets way too wrapped up in a certain young man…but, like Jay was for Cee, is Nick Webster really The One for Zoe?
So stop what you’re doing and get into the moment when thirtysomething beer marketing exec Zoe meets twentysomething sales ingénue Nick for the very first time (this is a draft version, which means it is subject to change!):
After working on the campaign draft for hours, Zoe decided to sneak off to Guapo’s at three. Ben was off but she needed to wash the taste of BrewGirl IPA off of her tongue. She pulled up to the bar and greeted Ramon, one of the bartenders.
“Pint of the chocolate lager, please,” she said, handing her card to Ramon.
He shook his head. “You know your money’s no good here, Miss Taylor. Mr. Ramirez would kill me.”
She winked with a smile, sliding her card back into her billfold. “That boy’s gonna go broke feeding me free beer. I’ll still hit you with a monster tip, as always.”
As Ramon returned the wink and walked to get Zoe’s draft, she heard a voice to her right say, “Did someone say ‘free beer’?”
Zoe’s gaze was down as she stuffed her wallet into her purse. “Yeah, I got it like that.”
“Not surprised,” the stranger replied. “I bet a girl with a rack like yours can get anything she wants.”
Instantly annoyed and prepared to tell him off, Zoe spun her head to face the rude and untoward stranger. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt hypnotized by the green pools that posed as the beautiful stranger’s eyes. As her gaze danced across his lean muscular frame, she noted that he looked nothing like the typical stuffed suit happy hour patron that pulled up to Guapo’s bar. Her attention was brought to his lusciously pouty lips as he gave them a quick swipe with his tongue. She felt herself clench as he continued.
“I’m sorry. Please forgive my inappropriate reply, Miss…” He stuck out his hand to her.
Zoe snapped out of her hypnosis and shook his hand. “Taylor. Zoe Taylor.”
The man raised his eyebrows. “The Zoe Taylor? Of Windy City Brew?
“That’s me, live and direct. And you are?”
He dropped her hand and took a sip of his own chocolate lager, toasting the pint glass in her direction. “Me? I’m Nick Webster.”
“The Nick Webster?”
He gave an eyebrow wiggle, turning Zoe on even more. “Live and direct.”
Zoe stared at him, still in disbelief. “So what happened to you this morning?”
“I was sick,” Nick said before taking a sip and glancing at the Bulls-Knicks basketball game on the elevated television behind the bar.
Zoe watched him as he set the beer back on the bar. “Sick, but well enough to drink beer, I see.”
He looked at her as he pointed to the pint. “Hair of the dog.”
“So you were hungover – not sick.”
He nodded. “Same thing.”
“Except not,” Zoe replied.
He straightened his back, his pecs pressing through his thin white t-shirt. “Why’re you so concerned with my absence? Did you miss me?”
Zoe shook her head with a haughty laugh as she reached for the beer Ramon set before her. “I don’t even know you.”
“Oh, you know me,” Nick said with a smirk. “Your reaction said it all.”
Click HERE to preorder today – drops in your readers on February 20th!
December 15, 2015
November 21, 2015
The NaNo Diaries – Day Twenty-One: Time, Jay-Z, and Other Writing Challenges
Word Count: 35,200/50,000
Insanity Level: 7 – *repeats the mantra “I can make it pretty later…I can make it pretty later…I can make it pretty later…”*
What I Like: The development of Nick Webster. He’s starting to feel like a real person to me. A real douchebag, but a real person nonetheless.
What I Hate: The dreaded saggy middle. My current conflict ain’t dramatic enough. Think I need a little more Alexis Carrington in my narrative…
Nine days remain in this crazy NaNoWriMo season. This time last year, The Cougarette was roughly 45K down. I am about ten thousand words shy of that number this year with BrewGirl and it’s needling me.
Not bugging me. Not annoying me. Needling me.
I can’t trip too much about it, though. Cougarette was my first book and I was really excited to write it. The narrative spilled out of me and while I’m sure I had my roadblocks, it was an exciting experience participating in my first NaNo.
This time around, however, I have a few things going against me:
Time, as in there just ain’t enough of it. I work at a dayjob that requires full flair attention, an equally-exhausted husband, two little people with an amazing amount of energy at night, and a TBR booklist that is never going to get finished.
I’m still not really done thinking about my last book series. I liken it to one of my favorite entertainers: Shawn Corey Carter aka multi-gazillion-dollar mogul Jay-Z. Remember when he said THIS was going to be his last album…but then THIS was going to be his last album…but really (for real this time!) THIS is the final fucking Jay-Z album ever, goddammit! (Even though he released a soundtrack before this album and…wait for it…ANOTHER ALBUM thereafter)? Yeah, that’s my brain on Cougarette right now and I need to snap out of it and focus.
The thing about NaNo is that thirty days doesn’t give you enough time to delve into the layers of your story. NaNo’s about getting the words on the page and figuring out the rest later. It reminds me of that montage in the movie …About Last Night (the original, folks – not the post-racial remake): Sheena Easton’s So Far, So Good plays in the background as we watch Danny and Debbie falling in love, having sex in a bathtub, going to a Cubs game, and all other types of 1986 young love shenanigans. But in the end – just like with your finished NaNo draft – the real work begins. You clean up the mess you made and ignored when you were traipsing around Northside Chicago with your one-night-stand. You have to put the pieces of the puzzle back together and that’s hard when I have Numbers 1 and 2 to contend with.
So now is the time I buckle down and trudge through with my goal. I will hit 50K but it won’t be easy. Maybe I’ll pull a Jay-Z and crank out another Cougarette book once November ends so it can get the fuck out of my head. Maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll fall in love with my main character – I hope I do, at least. For now, I will just keep going, keep banging the keys until I hit (and surpass) the fifty.
Only 14,800 words to go…
November 10, 2015
The NaNo Diaries – Day Ten: Beyond The Cougarette
Word Count: 22,613/50,000
Insanity Level: 3 – I have two pretty sweet scenes all plotted out so writing should (?) be a breeze tomorrow morning!
What I Like: I have a title! DANCE OF JOY!
What I Hate: Not being able to hit 2K a day this week. I’ve been CRAZY busy (but what else is new?)
One thing that has weighed on my mind since I began prepping for NaNo this year was trying to make this project (entitled BrewGirl) different from The Cougarette. It was challenging. After all, I spent a year crafting the world of CeeCee Banks and Jay Weston. My readers loved them and were sad to see the series end on November 1st when The Cougarette’s Secret dropped.
Honestly, I was happy to put Those Two to bed (no pun intended…well, a little bit of a pun intended) because BrewGirl excited me. The concept of my main character Zoe – a thirtysomething quasi-feminist working for a sexist beer company – intrigued me. Giving her two male counterparts (her BFF Ben and her office crush Nick) upped the sexual ante for me as well. My aim was to make this project its own beast and to keep it as separate from the world of CeeCee and Company as possible.
Now, to be honest, there WILL be some connections between the two stories. For example, Zoe was raised in Hampton Estates (CeeCee’s neighborhood before she moved to the Big Apple) and Ben shares a last name with a memorable character from the Cougarette series. That’s just a little treat for my readers because I love them! But, all in all, BrewGirl is its own animal and this week, I finally feel like Zoe and Nick are their own duo – a couple completely different from CeeCee and Jay.
How different? Well, I won’t go into extensive detail but I came up with a method of comparison that will give you some insight into how the four main characters differ.*
(*NOTE: The following comparisons are subject to change as BrewGirl evolves…)
CeeCee vs. Zoe
Imagine a very crowded superstore. While CeeCee would no doubt be on her Blutooth in the checkout line, telling Laney about her latest blowup with Jay, Zoe would be buying tampons and Funyons at a faulty self-checkout machine – frustrated and annoyed.
Jay vs. Nick
There’s an evening business function. Among this sea of stuffed suits, you’d find Jay having a cognac on the rocks and networking with a group of likewise impressive-looking men in a circle…while Nick, tie untied and top buttons unfastened, is slamming shots with a fellow sales guy in his twenties and discussing just which version of Kim Kardashian’s face was hotter.
I keep both of these visuals with me as I write this month. It’s important that Zoe and Nick have their moments, their opportunity to engage my readers. Let’s face it: there will never be another Cee and Jay…and this bodes well for Zoe and Nick because they have a shitload of drama all their own. Stay tuned, friends!
November 5, 2015
The NaNo Diaries – Day Five: Control Issues
Word Count: 14,826/50,000
Insanity Level (1-10): 6. “I could be a trip but I choose not to…” — Pebbles
What I Like: My characters are developing personalities.
What I Hate: MY CHARACTERS ARE DEVELOPING PERSONALITIES.
I’ll explain…
So, I’m about eight and a half chapters deep into my first draft and I think I have a pretty good grasp on my main three characters:
I understand that Zoe, my MC, is abrasive, says ‘fuck’ a lot, and has some intense issues with men (specifically her freshly-married ex).
I understand that Ben, her BFF, loves women almost as much as he loves making money and has doubts about Zoe’s emotional stability.
I understand that Nick, the Ken Doll object of Zoe’s affections, doesn’t show his hand and has a ball engaging in the timeless Battle of the Sexes.
And because I understand all of these aspects of these three distinct characters, they’ve taken advantage of me and are running free on the page. WHOA!
Without going into any inappropriate detail (NOTE: My idea of ‘inappropriate’ will likely differ from yours.), I have control issues in many sectors of my life. My schedule at my day job is color-coded in order of importance. Unlike my husband, I need to delete shows I’ve watched off of the DVR. I am a devout planner and could never imagine going into a first draft without a six-part outline. I put a lot of thought into my plot sequence during NaNo Prep but one thing I always forget when I’m in The Zone is that no matter what you have planned for a character…they do whatever the hell they want.
I know I’m not the only writer who loves/hates when their characters go rogue. If you wish to be brave, tell me how you herd the cats back into your plot so that your story can pop!
October 31, 2015
The NaNo Diaries 2015 – #1: Last Minute Advice
WORD COUNT: 0/50,000
SANITY LEVEL (1-10): 7 – I’m pretty anxious about midnight kickoff
Coffees Consumed: 2
Project Complaints: My title SUCKS!
…it’s almost here. Hours away.
Are you ready for NaNoWriMo 2015 to kick off? Do you have a plan for the first day? The first week?
This is my second NaNo and I have six pieces of advice to offer as we begin this journey into literary craziness!
…this schedule is merely a suggestion…
1) Start at Midnight – Maybe you aren’t a night owl but if you are attempting to write 50,000 words in 30 days, you need to take advantage of all of the hours you can get. Besides, the added bonus is that Daylight Savings Time kicks in for some of us and gives you an extra hour back!
2) Tell Your Family and Friends – Even if you’ve already told them in passing that…“Hey, I’m gonna be trying to write a book thingee in November. No big deal.” Except that it’s a VERY big deal and your time with them will be sacrificed in some way, shape, or form. Be very clear with them about the level of commitment NaNo will require if you want to win. Let them know that even when you’re not writing, you’ll be thinking about writing. Warn them that this book is about to become your central focus unless one of them dies (and there better be WiFi at the funeral for your Scrivener app).
3) Get Into Your MCs Skin – Depending on the POV you write in, you will need to innately understand the nuances and idiosyncrasies as your main character (MC) develops in the narrative. Don’t be afraid to go there – if they have a favorite artist, listen to that artist’s music when you write. Make a vision board (like mine on Pinterest) with descriptors of their personality. You are going to be writing about this person/figure/creature for an entire month. Better get to know them!
4) Bank Your Words – In order to hit the 50K mark, you have to write a minimum of 1,667 words (or roughly five pages) a day. A DAY! Since you aren’t a machine, there will be days (like Thanksgiving and the day after) you won’t feel like writing so it’s important to bank your words. Dedicate a Saturday to nothing but writing way beyond the 1667 daily goal. If you work a day job, try to take at least two days off in November as purely writing days. I’ll be off on Monday the 3rd and I am doing nothing – NOTHING – but writing. No internet, no phone calls, no reading anything except words related to the words I type on the screen. Bank the words and ease the stress of reaching goal!
5) Make It Pretty Later – Don’t worry about building a cohesive story right out of the gate. Even out of the scope of NaNo, writing a shitty first draft is a huge part of any writer’s life. Just get the words on the page and worry about making it pretty after December first. (In fact, I need to keep this rule in mind about my title woes!)
6) Enjoy The Madness – Listen, NaNo is going to drive you bananas, no question. During Thanksgiving dinner, people will ask you…“How’s that whole book thingee of yours coming along?” and you’ll want to stab them in the eye with a fork. I’m already a little batty and it hasn’t even started yet! But know that at the core of the crazy is a rumble – a creative rumble. You are writing something SOMEONE out there needs and wants to read. Stay motivated by making friends with fellow NaNoers. A good resource is the NaNoWriMo site. It’s an awesome community of writers that are also trying to reach that elusive 50K goal.
All right – make sure your laptops are fully charged, refill your favorite caffeinated beverage, and get these outlines and pregame notes out. Make shit happen and hit that goal! Good luck…and may the odds be ever in your favor!
October 30, 2015
RELEASE WEEK UPDATES: The NaNo Diaries + Weekend Takeovers + 99 Cent Books + NEW Excerpt from TCS
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Ghouls and Goblins!
I don’t usually do holidays but Halloween is special for me. It’s the eve of the craziest writing event of the year: NaNoWriMo. The Cougarette was born during my first NaNo last year so I am really hyped to start my newest series during NaNo this year. The working title is The Craft of Casual Sex (I’m not married to it, but I’m working with it until the REAL title comes to me). During the month of November, my blog will become a journal of sorts to document my NaNo experience. So whether you are going on the NaNo journey, too, or are somewhat interested in watching me kill myself little by little throughout the month of November (masochist!), keep an eye out for my entries as you peruse your social media feeds!
RELEASE WEEK is still in full effect! I have another takeover on Saturday before my own release party on Sunday. Be sure to RSVP for both below:
SATURDAY 10/31 – One Way Out – RSVP HERE
SUNDAY 11/1 – The Cougarette’s Secret – RSVP HERE
DON’T FORGET – The 99 Cent Sale is only on tap for three more days! Be sure to share this link with your Bookworm Buddies (or click it yourself to grab the Cougarette Series!)
CLICK ME!
Okay. I’mma be nice to you, my lovely readers…here’s a FINAL excerpt from TCS until the book drops on the first. (Still time to preorder – click the pic of the book to reserve your copy!):
CeeCee had had enough. “Come on, Jay,” she pleaded. “It’s been a month. Can’t we go back to being nice to one another?”
“I left my woman at my crib to come over here in the middle of the night. I am being nice.”
CeeCee bristled inside when he referred to her as ‘my woman’. “Yeah, to Bri. Not to me,” she replied in a huff.
“What do you want from me, Cee?” Jay asked in annoyance. “What else can I give? I fucked you the way you wanted for a month. I let you break my heart – again.”
CeeCee sighed. “And I apologized. Clearly, there was a miscommunication about what was going on between us. I thought we were just, you know…having a fling.”
He leaned his forearm against the wall, closing in on CeeCee. “A fling, huh? So all those nights you moaned in my ear about how much you loved me while I was bangin’ it out – that meant nothing?”
“Of course it meant something,” CeeCee swooned. “I told you this before you walked out on me that night: I loved you…and the sex. It’s still true and I’m not ashamed of that.”
Jay smirked. “You shouldn’t be. I just think you loved the sex more.”
She nodded once. “At times, yes. I mean, sex with you is magical.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. Doesn’t Sophie enjoy herself or is she as frigid in bed as she is out of it?”
(c) Eliza David
October 28, 2015
TCS RELEASE WEEK: Takeover Thursday + 99 Cent Books + Your Favorite CiTC Moment
RELEASE WEEK!
Wow – feels like November 1st will be here before we know it! TCS is almost here (and you still have time to PREORDER) and I’ll be popping up in two Facebook takeovers on Thursday 10/29 (this’ll give all you #TGIT watchers something to do while you watch Meredith, Annalise and Olivia!):
Bitter by the lovely Kaden Matthews – RSVP HERE
The Art of Romance’s 5K Likes Celebration – RSVP HERE
CLICK THE BANNER to cop the series!
99 CENT BOOKS!
Thanks to those of you who have been retweeting and reposting the sale on the Cougarette Series. Continue to do so and I will be forever in your debt…okay, maybe not but if you tag me on the retweet/repost, I’ll totally like it and say Thank You like a good Catholic girl! You can click the banner above to get to my Amazon page or click HERE (I make things so easy for you! LOL!)
Your Favorite CiTC Moment
In my last post, I asked you for your favorite moment from Book #1. This time, it’s all about Cougarette in the Country. I have to say that this book (second only to the soon-to-be-released TCS) is my absolute FAVORITE of the series. It was fun to write about CeeCee as a teenager and to have a glimpse into her family. It also gave me a break from the CeeCee/Jay drama (although as my readers will tell you, there was still plenty of that in CiTC). Below is my favorite moment – one of the 1988 flashbacks, an exchange between 16-year-old CeeCee and her older & wiser cousin Bobbi:
“Bobbi, we gotta get this stain out before Auntie gets home!” CeeCee was in a panic. The dirt on Bobbi’s white cotton blouse that she had borrowed looked as if it would never come out.
Bobbi scrubbed away with a hand towel soaked in bleach. “What were y’all doing out in the patch? Play fightin’? It’s dirt all down the back of—”
She looked up at CeeCee. “You let Jim’Lee do it to you, didn’t you?”
CeeCee broke down in tears as she laid her arms and head on top of the washer. Bobbi put the towel down and hugged her.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. He ain’t force you, did he? If he did, I’ll skin his ass!”
CeeCee shook her head through the tears. “No, no. I…I wanted to do it.”
“Did y’all use a rubber?”
“Yes!” CeeCee cried harder.
Bobbi chuckled. “Well, that’s good. Girl, sex ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of. Listen…”
She lifted up CeeCee’s quivering chin. “You a woman now, CeeCee. Jim’Lee is a nice boy. Known him all my life. There’s a lot worse boys out there you could give your flower to, trust me. I wish I would have given my flower to someone other than my first.”
CeeCee wiped her face with a hand towel Bobbi gave her from the clean laundry basket. “Didn’t you give it to Jesse?” she asked.
Bobbi laughed as she continued scrubbing the blouse. “Girl, hell naw. He was just the first fool to get me pregnant. I love Jesse now, but I had two other boys before him.”
CeeCee’s jaw dropped. “You’ve had sex with three people?”
Bobbi shrugged as threw the blouse and bleached towel into the washer. “I believe that if you are of a certain age – at least 15 – and you wanna have sex with someone you like or love, then so be it,”
She started the machine and shook soap flakes into the tub. “Now granted, you shouldn’t be giving your candy to every boy you meet but…you like Jim’Lee, don’t you? He shole like you.”
CeeCee smiled. “I do. I love him.”
Bobbi rolled her eyes as she closed the lid. “Oh Lord. Now you in trouble!”
What’s your favorite moment of CiTC? Tell me about it in the comments below!
