Shea McGee's Blog, page 6

Shorty: Bitter Steel, Cold Heart

Welcome back to the blogosphere!

I may be done with my second book, but that doesn’t mean my writing is done.

I still have so much to share with you all, and I just hope that I can deliver something real, and something good for you to enjoy. Which is why I am still creating short stories, yay!

I like short stories because they give me a chance to keep practicing. Writing is never, ever done, not for someone who actually enjoys it (which I do). If anything, it’s hard to not write. I said i would take a break but I guess I lied. I’m taking a break from book two (Whispers of the Flesh, coming at the end of this month so look out for it), but a break entirely? No. I can’t.

So I’d like to introduce a little quick story I just sort of thought of out of nowhere for no good reason one day. I was on the way to work when the idea hit me. I immediately put down a note for it in my newly minted WIP file, and then set to working on it. Honestly, it only took me about an hour or two combined to do it. I started then stopped so that’s why it was an hour or two. I can’t really say exactly how much now, I forget.

Anyway, this story is about a woman scorned, naturally. I say naturally because this is a deadly story, one where the murderer faces a bloody end and rightfully so. I don’t want to draw it out any longer so without anymore chit chat from me, here it is:

Bitter Steel, Cold Heart

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Misery sure loves company. I unfortunately had become its unwilling partner, but with very good reason.

Women. We’re unruly creatures, and have been since the dawn of time. If the Bible tells it we’ve been disobeying rules ever since then, and have been damned to pain and dissension from the fruits of happiness and joy because of this. While man gets to spread his seed around freely and gayly. I guess that’s the price we must pay for being the ones to take on the almighty.

I can admit, women can be…difficult, but so can men. In fact, men are the deaths of women most often times. And oh, do they ever kill us? So swiftly. Kill us when we want them, kill us especially if we don’t want them. Murder us for being beautiful. Murder us for being “ugly”. Discard us when we no longer serve a use for them. And the worst thing aside from killing us for any reason they deemed necessary is the way they cast us aside for another, so we can live to see their joy with that someone else. To watch them give to another what they once gave to you, or never gave to you at all.

To watch the light in their big, beautiful brown eyes grow upon seeing the one they adore; the same way they use to look at you. The way their body reacts to the person, the way they smile, the way their whole face just lights up. For them. Not for you. Never again for you.

My last memory of Slayne was the freezing stare of his eyes as he raised the gun to my forehead, and without a word, pulled that trigger and watching me fall down. A black sheet floated over my vision as I looked up to a blurring Slayne. Darkness swept over me. I felt nothing, I was nothing. My heart was still beating, but was broken and bruised. I loved him so much, and all he brought to me was this endless pit of pain followed by torturous hours of waiting for him. He brought it all to an abrupt end when he pulled that gun out from his waist band. He proved to me once and for all that he never loved me the way I loved him. He never loved me at all if he could do that to me. Slayne, the love of my life was my undoing and my executioner.

The toughness of the healed scar tissue where he shot me was a constant reminder of what I went through. It was a reminder of how far Slayne was willing to go to be rid of me, his partner in life, his partner in blood, his partner in death dealing.

Slayne and I were the top assassins of the Black Tribe, the largest underworld drug lords in the midwest. Chicago was our turf, but we were sometimes commissioned to do work outside of Chicago. National, international, you name it, we did it. Slayne was the one who taught me how to kill without using a gun. He taught me the swift work of a blade, the beauty of moving in silence, and the masterful methods of staying under the radar. Never leave a paper trail. Always to be sure of your surroundings. To know if there’s cameras, ensure that your disguises are top quality, and to never work too closely with someone. He advised me to never leave any witnesses or accomplices alive. Apparently he couldn’t follow his own rules.

He became my confidante and my lover. The attraction was strong from the onset, at least it was for me. He was everything I thought an assassin would be: tall, sure, handsome. He had a quiet confidence about him. The way he moved, the way he spoke, everything was calculated. He left nothing to chance. His dark brown skin was smooth, the wiring of muscles moving underneath were strong, capable of dealing deadly blows. He was lean, long, tall, and dangerously handsome. He always kept his hair short, the lowest cut imaginable for a fade, and always crisp and well-kept.  He never left anything out of place. The way he dressed was a science to him. Every job required a certain look and personality. He was like an actor, and every scene was his to carefully map out. He wasted no opportunity that came to him. He also believed that nothing was luck, it was all a plan, a design. Even death.

I learned and quickly caught on to his ways, the ways of an elite assassin. I think we only became lovers so he could keep me at bay and have a watchful eye over me. He didn’t want me knowing too much or being too capable. Little did he know or even imagine, I caught on to it all, even a flaw that he thought no one would catch onto: his love of women in love. He enjoyed seeing women fall in love with him, to have them swoon and bow to his every whim. It was like an aphrodisiac to him. It turned him on. I knew it was a way to catch him with his pants down (pun intended). Almost too easy.

A blade was all I needed. A blade was all it took for me to bring him to the very knees that he sought to bend for another. Instead, it would be his downfall.

His lady love was easily bought. She was persuaded without too much blood or pain involved. He had planned to propose, a little tidbit I cajoled from a source within our organization. Fool. I used this information to my advantage, waiting in the wings for when he would get on his knee in the middle of their lovely dinner. I knew I had him when I glided into the hotel room they were in, dressed in the chicest black dress I could find that flowed over every inch of my body, hugging me in all of the right places. I let my long thin braids trail down my back in a large fish braid, unafraid of him. I chose my makeup carefully. Pouty lips of red, eyeshadow of ashy charcoal for a subdued smokey eye that accentuated my honey brown eyes. Rosy cheeks to fit my cheekbones. My caramel skin was dewy, sensuous, and glowing by the candles that adorned the floor of the room. My voluptuous figure towered over him as he was frozen in shock. I was death in the flesh just for him. I laid the blade against his throat and tugged with little effort, skin separating to let the blade glide through like butter, releasing a rush of warm blood as it poured over my hand and the knife.

I watched as the light in his eyes slowly faded away, the pupils of a dying man my mirror. I grinned watching as he reached for his neck to stop what was too late to halt. It was happening. Oh, was it ever happening.

His lady love never said a word. She politely stepped aside for me and waited in the corner of the room. Good for her. It wasn’t her fault, so she was safe, for now. I stayed long enough to see his body finally fall to the floor, the blood gushed from the lovely gash. His blood was much like my anger in that precious moment: free.

The deed was done. I caressed the wound in the middle of my forehead that was meant to end me. In some way it did. It killed the part of me that loved him. It killed the softer, gentler part of me. That part was no more. I leaned down and wiped the curved knife on his silken button up shirt. I felt the etching of the date he had put on the blade for me to commemorate our wedding day. Now it was the date that sealed his fate.

I stood up, shaking my head as I looked down on his corpse. “You should’ve made sure I was dead.”

The mess would be cleaned, there was a team for that. My part was done, and I sauntered out of the room and made my way to the back entrance. Misery was no longer my company. It was the coldness of steel that held me closer now.

I love a happy ending, don’t you?

Stage One: Complete

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It’s Friday, it’s morning, and I woke up at 4 AM. Way too early.

Then I fell back to sleep.

It was FANTASTIC!!!!

Now I’m officially awake, and this was the first thing I decided to do (aside from chat with my son who was laughing manically at some YouTube video, loudly). Do you know why? Well, I’ll tell you why.

I have finished the first draft of my second book–the book I’ve been sharing chapters of these past posts. Whispers of the Flesh is an actualized piece of work for me now. It was in the first stage, the hardest level for me and probably many other writers to get through. I poured myself into it, I dedicated myself to completing it, and I meant it. I made the conscious decision to work on it in my free time no matter what. I took it to work with me, I wrote it on the bus on the way to work and from work. I worked on it before my bedtime (sometimes half asleep while doing so, which made for an interesting experience). I gave it a real, honest effort, and it paid off for me.

It was a an immense joy to write though. It was a month and a half of just an idea flowing like a river from my mind. Yes, there were some chapters that were harder than others to get through because my mind just didn’t want to work that day, but I pushed through anyway. I knew there was a mission and I had to complete it.

Once I got to the last chapter, I knew I had to make it lead into something suspenseful, but not too teasing. I did my best to make sure it made sense. I even edited as a I went sometimes, but I know there will be mistakes in there. That’s why it’s a first draft. The next part is editing.

I can’t wait to get to the editing. That’s also where beta readers come in great handy! I’m pretty lucky to have met some incredible people who were willing to help a sista out, and do some of that good ol’ beta reading for me! I didn’t have the chance to do it with the first book, but I knew there was no excuse for not utilizing that option this time, especially since I found out about it. It also helps being active on social media. I have been using my Twitter with an enthusiasm that I didn’t have for it before. I was clearly using it wrong! Now I’m apart of a really cool writing community with some great people that I’ve learned a lot from, and will continue to do so.

I’m super excited for having gotten through the initial process in the writing front for this book. I’m looking forward to the feedback I get from the beta readers, reading it over myself, and getting into the thick of the editing portion. It’s been a pretty lovely ride though, very smooth. I can’t wait to share this book with you guys in its entirety. Whispers of the Flesh will be available on Amazon late July for all!

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Chapter Share Time! Chapter 5

So it’s been a while since I’ve done a chapter share from my upcoming book Whispers of the Flesh. It’s more than halfway done, and I’m very excited about it. Writing it has been somewhat of a joy and a task, but more a joy than task. I’m just very happy with its development so far, even though it’s taking me a shorter time to write it than the predecessor, which is shorter. This work is going to be longer, meatier, and just better all around.

In this chapter, things are getting a little real for Makaela. She can’t control her new ability(ies), and it spills over into a very awkward and intense situation between herself and her boss (also ex). To say he gets a little worried is a gross understatement. Or maybe he had an overreaction? You decide.

Let’s get into chapter 5 of this thing!

Chapter Five

When D was finished with his interview, he called me into his office. When I got to his door, I saw a familiar blonde that I had just as soon would rather forget. Hailey fucking Storm.

Her blonde bob was her signature look. She rarely changed it for anything else. Maybe except for a little color, but that blonde and the bob were mainstays. It was not going anywhere. She was contractually obligated, she said, to keep it the way the studio execs wanted it. She had been in porn for nearly two decades, and it made no sense that she was still under the ball and chain of such a monstrous and lazy industry ran by money grubbing men, but it was her life. Not mine.

She turned and revealed her new set of plump lips set against her smooth, overly tanned face. Her icy blue eyes lit up upon seeing me, but her forehead didn’t move. Her cheeks implants were nearly subtle but not subtle enough since I could tell she had them. Her chin was sharp. The bob framed her square jaw perfectly, so I couldn’t be totally against the choice of hairstyle, it was just odd because she looked extremely professional and nothing like a sexy minx of porn. She almost looked like someone’s soft spoken aunt, but Hailey aka Hannah McMahon was no one’s soft spoken aunt, if memory served me correctly.

She loved wearing red lipstick, so there it was: full, trout pout lips adorned with red. Her nose was straight and narrow like most plastic surgery obsessed women. She was thin, tall, and blonde. Bosom was plentiful but the same couldn’t be said for her derriere. She chose to keep that small and tight. The fuss of more is more in the ass-department didn’t captivate our girl Hailey, and she didn’t need it because her audience was well-served with her being exactly who she was.

She tried to smile but I could tell that it was a task for her as her facial expressions were quite stiff, all thanks to some good old Botox. So a smile she tried for anyway and I just gave her a warm look, I couldn’t quite smile at her. Hailey was actually not a nice person unlike Ana. I didn’t try to spare Hailey’s feelings either.

“Makaela, you look healthy and virile,” Hailey greeted me with her raspy voice, reaching out her hand for me to shake. I did. She gave me a half assed handshake and I hated it. I hated it when I first met her and I hated it now. I always tried to give her a nice, firm shaking of the hands but she wouldn’t hear of it. Just the tip, barely.

“So, what brings you in today?” I asked as I sat in a free chair nearest D’s door to his office. I wanted to be sure I had an immediate exit as soon as the conversation was over.

“She was just saying hello. She’s suppose to be on her way out,” D answered for Hailey instead, his voice reeking of annoyance without meaning to, I think. His face didn’t betray him though. He tried to keep his voice pleasant but I knew what time it was.

Hailey and D had a “quiet” love affair before he started seeing Ana and some time after our almost, kind of, sort of relationship ended. Apparently, it was quite tumultuous. Hailey didn’t know how to respect boundaries and D was not looking to make Hailey his for-real girlfriend. They had plenty of photos of them out and about due to Hailey having some paparazzi on speed dial, and D was not happy about any of it. D was incredibly private, and even more so if he thought he wasn’t going to be serious with that person. Hailey either couldn’t read the signs or chose to ignore them. Either way, it ended and it was a hilarious end. Hailey was very embarrassing and liked to welcome herself to our offices whenever she felt like it. She liked to show up to other places as well unannounced, or so I heard from D. It made for some funny stories to tell when at corporate picnics. D wasn’t having it.

Hailey turned her attention back to D. “Excuse me? We were just having a nice little chat, Dimitri. Don’t go making things rude between us because I deserve a little more respect than this.”

D rolled his eyes and I just looked away, trying to stifle my laugh. I just thought I really shouldn’t be here for any of this. Once again, it got me to thinking about how lucky I was to not be on D’s bad side. Lucky that we were still cordial. Beyond cordial, in fact.

“Hailey, you literally have nothing else to say. We’ve said our hi’s and now it’s time for you to go. Makaela and I have a lot to go over,” D told her as he rolled his chair back from his desk, farther away from her.

Hailey’s blank canvas of a face gave nothing away. “ Well, if that’s how it’s going to be between us, Dimitri, then there’s really nothing left for me to tell you.”

Hailey swiveled the seat around to stand. Her all-white ensemble of a turtle neck and skirt was super sleek. The turtle neck looked soft but her skirt was of thick, stiff material, ruffled with floral appliqués. It was short enough that you got to see that her long legs were toned. Standing there, I forgot how tall she was. It still took me by surprise. Her coat was a cream colored fur trench. She threw it on quickly with a huff and puff, pouting like a child that was just told they couldn’t have the chips in the store, even after their mother already told them don’t ask for anything because she wasn’t getting anything. She was just that hard-headed; difficult.

She planted her nude colored pumps firmly in the carpet of D’s office, giving him the cold stare-down but he wasn’t phased. He picked up some papers off of his black desk, pretending to organize them as he ignored her standing there in front of his desk.

“You’re still such an asshole, you know that? I can’t believe I ever did anal with you,” she spat before she swiftly turned and threw open his door. D’s head snapped up, watching her leave as his face was etched in anger.

I closed the door softly and proceeded to let out the loudest laugh I had in me. D looked at me, the anger softening as I continued to laugh and look back at him.

After my dying of laughter, D couldn’t help but shake his head, a pleasant smile grew on his face. I finally got myself to stop laughing but my stomach was hurting and the thought of what they did and how she stormed out just made it hard to not laugh more, but I fought it.

I sighed and slapped my thigh. “Damn, that was good! I hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. That was great! Oh, D, I can’t. I’m not even going to ask about any of that.”

“Please don’t. I don’t even know why she wanted to talk. She pulled a Hailey and just let herself in my damn office and no one stopped her!”

I sighed again, finally feeling the last of the laughter die inside of me. “I am so sorry.”

He coolly stood up from his chair and went to his windows. His office was much more spacious than mine, and it made sense because he was the guy in charge. It didn’t keep me from wanting his office though.

He was able to surround his office in band regalia like posters, framed guitars, and framed band shirts with signatures from the band members. He had a large painting of a woman on fire but unscathed on the wall behind his desk that took up a good amount of space on it. His office was very neutral toned; gray and black, but the painting stood out. A gorgeous woman engulfed by flames but a look of pure ecstasy was on her face. She was untouched by the hungry licks of fire, but seemed to have the look as if she was enjoying it. The orange, red and blur of white of the flames popped against the stale colors of his office. I wasn’t sure why I never noticed it before but it was gorgeous.

His office was big enough for the large ceiling-to-floor windows looking out towards the city to wrap around one corner of it, and another window looking out into the main floor of operators. His door was to the left of the window looking out into the busy floor. I was sitting in front of that window, the blinds half way open. Barely.

His carpet was a bluish-gray, and his walls were a stark, flat gray. It was all so…D. Clean. Concise. No muss or fuss. No frills. I admired him for it but it wasn’t my thing. The chairs were comfortable though, so I did give him that. They reclined, they rolled, they swiveled, and they warmed to your butt, conformed to your body. My chair was comfortable but not as comfortable as D’s. I could tell by looking at it. I made a mental note to bring that to his attention, try to beg for the same chair he had.

He opened the blinds to look out into the city. Half of his view was that same building I had to look at as well. It was nice to know I wasn’t the only one who didn’t have the office with the envious downtown San Diego view. He didn’t seem to be bothered by it though. I was.

He returned back to his desk, but stood in front of it, leaning against it with his butt to half-sit on it. He folded his arms against his chest, the light blue dress shirt stretching across his elbow a bit, ankles crossed. He looked at me and my chest grew tight. Then that feeling hit me again.

I tried not to meet his eyes because I could “feel” him again, making my body open up. The last thing I wanted to do was do something I’d regret.

“So, what’s up?” I looked down at the palms of my hands as I sat in the chair. I could feel the sweat beads forming on my palms as my body temperature rose.

“I wanted to go over the London stuff with you, see what your thoughts were on it,” I heard him say because I was too busy not looking at him. His voice was gentle, not quite a whisper but it could’ve been. I just kept hearing my blood rushing in my mind, in my ears. It was so loud and distracting.

“I…I don’t have any thoughts about it right now. I’m still trying to digest it so, nothing from me, sheriff.”

I could see from the corner of my eye that he nodded. “Okay. Are you sure? Any questions you have you should let them out right now while I’m in front of you.”

I gave him a quick glance than put my eyes back down. “I’m very sure.”

“Makaela, why won’t you look at me?”

I wanted to ignore him but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Makaela, you have been acting very weird lately, and it’s really worrying me,” D unfurled his arms and proceeded to walk towards me, finally standing in front of me to kneel down. I felt silly so I gave in and looked at him in the eyes because I respected him.

I saw myself in his eyes, and I looked okay. I looked normal, but my body was reacting so intensely to D.

“Hey, we’re friends, you can tell me what’s wrong,” he said and he put his hand on my knee and that’s when something in me reached out to him. He pulled his hand away from my knee quickly, a quizzical look on his face as he looked at me like I had hurt him.

“What the fuck was that?” D stood up and wiped his hand down his leg as if he touched something dirty. I wanted to be offended but I couldn’t because I was enjoying the sudden reaction he was having to me. It was a strong mix of fear and…something else, something like lust. It was sweet to me, savory as well.

I closed my eyes and breathed it in deep, holding it in my lungs as long as I could. The pounding of my pulse was heavy and was all I could hear. I gripped the armrests of the chair, taking it all in. Images of the forest from my dreams flashed in my vision. The white rabbit appeared as it sat in the middle of the dirt path in the forest, sitting as if he was waiting. Then the rabbit evaporated, replaced by D standing in the middle of the forest.

I opened my eyes and D was snapping his fingers in front of my face but I couldn’t hear it. All I could hear was the rhythm of my blood coursing through my veins; fleshy rhythmic pumps and thuds that drowned out everything else. I saw him but couldn’t hear a thing he said. Until the sounds all came rushing at me, crashing into me with force. I gasped and stood up from the chair with a start. The world was flowing and crashing around and into me.

“Hey, what the hell is going on with you?” D grabbed my shoulders, holding them tight. I didn’t shrug him off this time. The touch reopened me. I released a breath I wasn’t aware that I was holding in, raising my hands to touch his arms.

“You should probably…let me go, D,” I told him as I felt my body flushed with heat as it creeped up my spine, feeling it rise to my neck and my face. I bit my lip, staring into D’s eyes. He didn’t let go so I didn’t let go either.

“Makaela…” D breathed against my face. He held onto my shoulders, massaging them, kneading them gently. The look in his eyes said it all as his pupils dilated.

“Please,” I hissed but he didn’t listen. Then a look of confusion passed over his face as his hands fell away from my shoulders and he backed away.

“Your eyes,” he reached out to touch my face then dropped his hand to his side. He shook his head.

The feeling of want died as soon as his hand fell away from me. I felt it cut off like a dam in a river. The heat inside of me began to vanish as I watched his face display disappointment.

“I’m a little…different now.” I took the few steps between D and I to touch his hand. He looked at my hand touching him, then met my eyes. The look in them made me pull my hand away.

“You can go now, Makaela.” He walked back around to his chair at his desk, pulling it out to sit in it.

I was left stunned. I was really confused and unsure what just happened. I stood there for a moment before I mustered up my hurt feelings and walked to his door. I swallowed past the hard lump in my throat as tears welled up in my eyes. He looked so revulsed when he pulled away from me, and I never thought I’d see that look on his face when he looked at me. Then I saw my reflection in the glass of the door and my eyes made goosebumps raise all over my body. They were returning to my normal brown but the hint of a glowing amber color was there. I looked back to see D watching me as I turned the knob and let myself out.

And how did you all like that?

I want feedback! So shout it out to me.

Whispers of the Flesh is still in process, but will be a late summer release. I look forward to sharing it with you all. I’d love to do a give-away so stay tuned and maybe, just maybe, I’ll be giving away 5 books to 5 lucky souls! Until then, stay classy and stuff.

Follow me: @WrittennUndone-Twitter; @WrittenandUndone-Instagram; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WrittenAndUndone/

Personals – SoundCloud

New podcast episode of The Written Life is UP and ready for your easy ears!

I will be posting a new blog post very, very soon! Listen to this episode and you’ll see what’s been up with me

Beta Readers UNITE!!! – SoundCloud

Good Friday morning!!! Got another podcast episode from my podcast The Written Life on SoundCloud ready for you all. In this episode, I touch on beta reders and their importance to your writing process, the editing portion anyway. Please respect your writers and writers, respect your readers, beta ones included!

Listen to Beta Readers UNITE!!! by The Written Life #np on #SoundCloud

Little shorty: Short Story Time!

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Good day all!

Friday is upon us and we should all be so happy! And why not? The weekend is here, and it’s a holiday weekend at that. A holiday weekend that I might be doing some heavy reading and writing on soooo in that respect, I’ll be working (“working”).

Apart from that, I do have something I want to share. I hope you’re up to reading it *enter smiley face*.

It’s a short story I barely finished some time ago. I really thought I was never going to finish it because I was making it more work than it needed to be, and trying different ways to create the story (note-taking, writing pieces of it here and there, etc.). I found that I need to just do things my way and just be accepting of my own process. So I did, and I finished it and it’s just there. Just sitting in the file where I story short stories that I’ve finished or haven’t.

I’m ready to share a piece of it though because it’s the right thing to do and I don’t want to keep it to myself, I have got to let it out!

A short introduction: this story is about a young working woman (Vanessa) who meets a seemingly well put-together young working man (Jay). She’s warned that he may not be good for the type of relationship she wants but she pursues him anyway, ending up in a relationship that’s full of unpleasant surprises and unhealthy choices. It ends in a bit of sadness, but not everything ends with happily ever after.

Without further ado, here is an excerpt of Breaking Down:

Vanessa was feeling high on the waves of a heat that was building, rising from a deepness inside of her. Her body swallowed the warmth as it plunged in where she couldn’t reach, her hips directing it as it did. The energy intensified as she could feel it taking over her senses, slowly but surely. Then finally, almost unexpected, the feeling burst from deep inside of her; out of her mouth in a peaked moan, almost a scream. She was caught in that savory moment before she allowed her body to fall forward, resting on top of Jay’s sweat soaked body. She didn’t feel the sweat forming on her back until a bead rolled down the side of her hip. She absorbed the high from the love session, languidly laying kisses on Jay’s chest as she laid there, tasting the salt on her lips.

“I think I’m in love with you,” Jay sighed, his fingers finding her scalp underneath all of the curls, massaging it. It was his favorite thing to do whenever they laid together, almost like it relaxed him to do it. She allowed it because it felt good, and he didn’t mess up her hair anymore than it already was. He could smell the coconut hibiscus in her hair from her washing it earlier that week. He reveled in that smell.

Vanessa slowly rose her chest up from his body, head turned up to look at him. “You’re hilarious,” she giggled. She knew he couldn’t really mean what he said, even with what Gladys told her about him some time back when they met. ‘He’s a serial monogamist,’ Gladys’s voice repeated over and over in her head. Vanessa wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but she knew she liked him. She originally thought it was just going to be a little friends-with-benefits situation, but it immediately turned into a sleepover-every-weekend deal. She didn’t plan on it, but here they were. She couldn’t lie and say that she didn’t enjoy Jay, because she obviously did, but she knew it could spell trouble if she fell for him and he started shying away. It seemed to be the pattern she was used to and abhorred. She didn’t feel like going through all of that again.

No sooner had those thoughts started taking shape in her mind, she felt her energy shift. She began to pull away from the moment as soon as it came to be, and then physically pulled away from Jay. She slipped off to the side of him, laying beside him, shoulders barely touching. He could feel the change in her mood.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jay touched her arm with his fingertips, trying to reel her back into his space. It didn’t work.

Vanessa just shook her head and forced a little smile. She turned to look at him. “Nothing’s wrong. I just didn’t want to keep laying on you with all this sweat on me, it’s nasty.” She lied. The sweat wasn’t nasty, it actually turned her on. She was starting to feel the tugs of insecurity that she always felt when things were going good, too good. She knew somehow it always went sour. Nothing good ever lasts.

“Do you smoke?” Jay asked Vanessa as he rolled a joint full of marijuana. Vanessa nodded, watching him place the joint in between his dry but full lips, then flicked the lighter—flames coming to life. He touched the flame to the tip of the joint and the tip glowed with the embers of burning weed. He inhaled deeply, holding it for a few beats, then the smoke slowly escaped from his nostrils as he passed it to Vanessa. She was more than well versed in the art of smoking the “ganj,” and it showed. She let the smoke fill her lungs as she took it in deep, exhaling patiently. She passed the joint back to Jay, abiding by the rules of sharing a joint or blunt (puff, puff, pass). They took the moment in silence—puffing and passing between them, no words, only touches of arm and leg here and there. Vanessa welcomed this peacefulness. She felt bad for letting her thoughts get the best of her earlier so she felt like this was needed, to lighten the tenseness she was feeling within herself. It died down but it still remained there, just tucked in the corner of her mind.

As the joint was about to die, Jay took the time to grab Vanessa close to his side of the bed and kissed her gently on her forehead. “I meant what I said earlier. And I don’t think it, I know it,” he spoke into her skin while laying another kiss on her. She didn’t need to reply, just inhaled the good stuff, and exhaled a giddy grin laced with thick smoke.

I’ve actually posted the entire story on Wattpad. You can find it here at https://www.wattpad.com/549872435-breaking-down and please read it if you can. I don’t think you need to be a member to read it, but if so you might as well sign up!

Or maybe I’ll post it piece by little piece here!

I have to get going. Let’s do this again sometime, yeah? See you next week!

Chapter Share!: Chapters Three & Four, “Whispers of the Flesh”

Three is the magic number…

Right?

I think so. I’m not sure. My favorite number is 7 so that may or may not be the magic number for ME, but it sure can be the magic number for someone else. Okay, that’s enough of that, I’m deviating from what I’m actually doing here.

Welcome, welcome, and welcome back! I have new chapters ready for viewing from my upcoming book Whispers of the Flesh coming late summer ’18. That’s right, coming very soon so that must mean I’m just about done, right?

Almost. Almost, my sweets.

I look forward to when it’s complete and I can go into the editing stage, which will be just as tiresome as the actual writing process. BUT, it will work. I’m so sure of it. Anywho!…

Let’s dive right into these two chapters, and they add up to 7. See? MY magic number just happened to pop right up for me. Okay, random, sorry, but let’s get to it.

In these two chapters, my main character (Makaela) is just told that she’s been chosen to help launch the new location of the company she works for aptly named “Whispers Inc.” (*wink wink*) in merry ol’ London! It wasn’t what she had in mind when she thought of moving onto something new, but it was an offer she couldn’t refuse, especially since no one consulted her on it (thanks a lot, Andrei, the CEO of the company and also the wreckless incubus in question). She has to eventually speak to her family and best friend Sandy about it, but she still isn’t too happy about the news herself.

And while we’re all still young here, I present to you, chapitre trois et quatre:

 

Chapter Three

I sat in my office in muted shock after the little bombshell of Andrei getting essentially what he wanted. It was just too good to be true but there it was: me, off to London. When D told me I tried to hold on to my positive side as best as I could, but I was sure I let a little disdain seep through. Allowing Andrei to get his way was just not something I cared to do.

I sat in the quiet stillness and watched the office happenings. I watched Ana at her desk, absentmindedly stroking her nail file back and forth over her nails, her full concentration on that and nothing else. I watched as operators used their entire bodies, acting out whatever they were trying to get their customer to imagine. I took in all of the animated beings at work in the office space and thought of leaving them all behind for a new one.

It was almost like my prayers from earlier that year had been answered.

I did want to move on, and by move on I meant to go to an entirely different profession. I didn’t want to stay in the fantasy sector of business. I had no desire for it, although I did do amazing executing it. I longed for fulfillment elsewhere. I wanted to own my own business, get back into technology. Somehow, I ended up not doing what I had set out to do when I went off to college. It left me feeling like I let myself down.

I thought about how I was going to break the news to my family. I hadn’t spoken to my mother in nearly a month, my sister a week. I got even lower on myself for not being as good a daughter or sister as I once was.

I almost picked up my cell phone when I decided against it. Then Ana knocked on my door.

I looked up to let her know I saw her. “What’s up?”

“I was going to go out for lunch, did you need anything before I go?”

I shook my head. “No thank you, enjoy your lunch.”

“I will. Oh, before I go, just wanted to tell you again that I’m glad you’re back,” then she turned and sauntered away.

I looked on after her and it got me to thinking why did I not like her, like Ana? There was nothing mean-spirited about her, she hadn’t done anything to me so terrible that I shouldn’t be nice to her. It was just something about her that made me not entirely trust her. Something in me was telling me to steer clear of letting her any closer to me, and not to allow her to become more than an associate to me. I doubted I would get to the bottom of why I didn’t want her near me, so I left it alone.

Instead, I picked up my phone and decided now was as good as time as any to warn the fam that I was headed for possibly greener pastures. I prayed my mother would be understanding, and that my sister would be nice and not feel hurt. I was close to my little sister so I knew she would feel a way about me having to leave. Fortunately, I wouldn’t be leaving for quite some time as the building was still not ready and wouldn’t be for another three months. It meant I had time to make things right with my mother and my sister. We were all we had at one point when we moved to San Diego, they deserved better than me being distant and cold.

 

Chapter Four

“So you’re leaving?” Sandy nearly spilled her drink on her chest.

She wasn’t as happy as I thought she would be. It took her by surprise and I didn’t mean it to. I waited until the weekend to spill the beans in front of food and drinks. I thought it was the perfect way to get the news out to her so she wouldn’t be too emotional about it. I was wrong. It made her reaction more severe.

She wiped her chest harshly with her napkin, nearly flaying her smooth, tan skin with it. She swung her freshly auburn dyed hair over her right shoulder to finish wiping what remained of the minor spill. When she was done, her slanted eyes cut me to the bone.

“What the hell kind of news is this? When are you leaving? When will you be back?” She fired her rounds of questions in rapid succession.

I didn’t get why she was so upset. I took a sip of my mimosa, shrugging. “Look, I know as much as you at this point. All I know is that I’m leaving to help with the launching of the office, that’s it. They’re still working on the construction of the building so I have some time before I have to go. Why are you so mad? We’re supposed to be happy for our friends when a major opportunity comes along! I wouldn’t be like this with you.”

Sandy closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She exhaled and inhaled slowly, smoothly, and when she was calm again she opened her eyes and faintly smiled. “I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I thought you’d be leaving like immediately. If you still have time before you have to go, then I’m done being overreactive.”

“Thank you, and apology accepted. No need to worry,” I bit into my BLT sandwich, trying my best not to make the news any bigger than it should’ve been. Then again, it was rather heavy news. I didn’t expect the reaction I got so I walked the fine line of caution.

Sandy giggled. “I’m so sorry I reacted like that, I really am. I just can’t help it though, I can’t believe they’re taking you away from me. Did someone from corporate tell you?”

“Nope,” I drank more of my mimosa. I didn’t want it to go to waste, plus I was feeling like I needed the liquid courage it provided. It was my third glass so I was definitely feeling it. “D told me after our meeting about the expansion. They’re hoping to basically rule the world through sexy sex talk. I guess I’ll be helping them bring this to fruition.”

“I really thought you were trying to get away from all of that though, get back into tech. What’s going on with that?” Sandy finally reached for her bloody Mary, stirring her large celery stick in the large glass of mixture.

“Of course I still want to do that, that hasn’t changed at all. I was so ready to make the change, I just wasn’t expecting this new opportunity either. It literally fell into my lap.” No thanks to Andrei, I thought.

I really felt bad that I couldn’t tell Sandy more of what was really going on with me. It didn’t feel right to keep her out of the loop. She knew so much about me and for all of that, I couldn’t even share the one large secret that was changing my life. She deserved to know what was happening, but I kept it from her. I told myself it was for her own good, to keep her safe. I was partly right. Mostly, it was my own cowardice.

Even with this quick self-reflection, I still couldn’t find it in me to spill that bit of information. I knew it had to wait. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was waiting for—the perfect time, the perfect setting maybe—but I knew it was going to happen. I just needed to wait for it.

Sandy waved my words away. “Look, whatever you decide to do, I’m cool with it. Just please don’t dump this type of news on me at the last minute, dude. I can’t take it, and really consider getting back to what you wanted to do. I know you’re doing great with your job, but you really have to start thinking about what you want, and what you want your future to look like.”

I knew what I wanted, and I knew exactly what I wanted my future to look like. “I know. I’m going to make the changes. It’s all in due time. You’re so damn tough.” I laughed and threw my napkin at her.

She caught the napkin and stuck her tongue out at me. “Somebody has to remind you of who you are. You’ve been so distant, missy. I know we had some good hanging out but you’ve been really intro lately. I don’t want to say it’s like I don’t know you anymore, but it’s almost starting to feel that way and I really don’t like it. This news is just another one of those ways I’m starting to feel like that.”

I hated hearing her voice so sad. I didn’t mean to pull away from her and I didn’t know I had been doing so. I really thought I had shared quite a bit with her, so I couldn’t instantly see it from her side. I just listened to her and tried to reassure her, even if I really wasn’t myself anymore.

“I’m sorry you feel that way and I would never want you to feel like that. You’re like a sister to me,” I gave her my most sincere apologies. I reached out and held her hand over our table. “I promise you if I can tell you more, I will.”

She gripped my hand tighter. “I’m just worried, that’s all. I don’t want anything happening to you. You’re the sister I wish my actual sister was.”

We both laughed because her sister was a mess of a person, so I knew how much of a compliment she was giving me. That, and it was something she had said before in a half-joking manner.

—————————————————————

That night I dreamed and it was so vividly colored. I was chasing a white rabbit through a vast spread of tall trees; high and pregnant with green leaves and brownish-gray trunks that were chipping. Yellow daffodils were sprinkled through the field of luscious grass, but this rabbit was speeding down a beaten dirt path that stretched on and on for what seemed to be forever. I raced after the rabbit, thinking if I just ran full out I’d be able to catch it. It was as if the faster I ran, the faster it was getting away from me but I kept forging ahead.

It zoomed down the path and I could feel my lungs burning yet I kept going. I wasn’t going to let it get away from me. Its fluffy white tail and hind legs were all that I had in my sights. I was dead set on grabbing it up and…doing what? I had no idea why I was so set on getting that rabbit, I just knew that I had to have it.

I ran with my arms nearly outstretched, ready at any moment to snag it but it never came. The fire in my lungs became almost unbearable then something faster than the rabbit—faster than myself—whipped by, taking the rabbit with it. I came to a full stop, dying to catch my breath but also disappointed. I looked around the idyllic landscape but it was nothing more than the green and sunlight peeking through the treetops in the forest. Then slowly the light began to dim. Darkness began to creep up the pathway from where the rabbit and I came, lazily creeping forward and towards me.

I felt in my gut that I didn’t want that darkness to catch up with me, so I began to run. Not as brisk at first, but seeing that the light was beginning to fade, I began to run full out towards the light. But again, the faster I ran, the faster this darkness began to spread behind me.

I had nowhere to go except for this pathway that seemed to go on and on, but I ran for it. I ran until I fell, and fell, and fell. I was falling into a sinking pit where the light was a memory, and the darkness had won. The weightlessness wasn’t frightful, but I wasn’t sure what would happen when I finally reached the bottom. It never came.

I woke up in the middle of the dream soaked in sweat. I could hear the rain beating against the window, the wind howling incessantly. As I sat up I didn’t quite understand why I felt so damn warm, I just knew I was on fire. I hurriedly took off my tank top but relief didn’t come. I threw my covers off of me and immediately pulled my pajama pants off of me. I heard a faint ‘meow’ and looked around for Mr. Chow. He sounded like he was in the living room. I padded through the shadowed bedroom to my door and found Mr. Chow outside of the door.

“What are you doing out here? I thought you were with me, Chow, come here.” I went to pick him up and he dashed away from me. Even in the dark, I could see his outline scamper off behind the love seat. I rubbed my forehead and finally, the sweat had dried. I still felt warmer than I should’ve, especially since it was spring and still raining out of control.

I left Mr. Chow to his own devices as I turned on the light in my living room and finally saw that my front door was ajar. My heart sank to my feet. I felt prickly numbing bumps form over my skin as I saw it was just so open, no light in the hallway. After a moment of a short-lived paralysis, I hurried to it, shutting it so hard that I was sure my neighbors would wake up from my slamming it shut. Or complain to me or the manager in the morning or whenever they saw me, but I didn’t care. Someone had been in my apartment. It scared me but it also angered me. I had felt better being angry than afraid because fear left me feeling out of control, and I certainly didn’t want to feel that way. I preferred being mad so I could think, see through it all. But this time, even my anger was clouded.

I turned on the lights throughout my entire apartment; I wanted every single room lit. I threw open every door, making sure I scanned them all. Mr. Chow stayed out of my way and if he saw me getting close to him, he ran as far from me as he could. It was frustrating me that my own cat was running from me and I knew why, but it didn’t make it any less upsetting.

With everything lit up, I sat on my couch and turned on my TV. I wanted everything on. The clock on my wall read 3:54 AM and I was wide awake. I grabbed my cashmere throw, wrapping it around my very naked body as I laid back on my couch and mindlessly flipped through channels. I finally settled on HBO and a documentary was on.

I laid back on one of my forest green throw pillows, getting nice and comfortable as I felt the adrenaline leak out of me. As I watched the two lovers on the screen who married even though it wasn’t legal at the time, I felt myself slowly start to get back to being sleepy. My body heat felt like it had gone back to normal as I started to feel a little chilly. I cuddled under the softness of the throw cover even more, and suddenly felt a mound of something warm and heavy behind my legs. I looked down and found Mr. Chow had decided to lay near me again. He curled up in the curve where my calves and thighs met as my legs were bent. I watched as he looked right back at me—a soft ‘meow’ parted from his cat mouth before he laid his head down on his paws, closing his eyes as if he finally found his home right there in his favorite spot.

I laid back down as well, joining my cat. I didn’t feel it at first but I realized that my eyelids were feeling ready to close. I didn’t want to go back to sleep, but they felt so heavy, and I just knew it would feel so good to just shut them for a little bit; perhaps take a little nap. That’s all I wanted was a small nap. I deserve it, I thought. Before I could let myself be submerged in sleepy-land, my mind went right back to the white rabbit as I watched it again, running freely in a gorgeous field alive with flowers of bright yellow and white blooming.

I watched it run towards the bright horizon, a hearty sunlight washing over the field in a golden glow. I didn’t chase after it this time. I let it be free.

————————————————————

Back at work, I tried to keep it together. D caught me off guard because he was wearing a very nice suit. I could tell it was tailored to fit him perfectly, and whoever his tailor was they did a fantastic job.

His deep navy suit was perfection; European fit (which meant it looked tight as hell, but it was meant to look snug; well-fit, well-made) and cut with precision. He paired it with a very light blue button-down shirt, a deep burgundy tie, and dark brown oxfords that looked very new. They held a nice sheen and I was incredibly impressed. He even styled his hair a bit, his sides were slicked but some movement was kept in the front. Then I noticed he had some graying at the roots of his sides. His face was youthful (D was nearing his 40’s but still looked as if he could pass for early 30’s, I had to give him credit for that), but his hair was giving him away a little. He was still doing the clean-shaven look, barely any stubble, and his lightly bronzed skin was glowing as if he had just gotten a fresh tan but it was no tan. He was just a deeply olive-skinned man and it was showing. His bright green eyes sparkled with the mischief of a young man as well, and his lips were moisturized and healthy looking; nice and plump, sensual. His “beauty mark” above the left side of his lip was in full display as he smiled at me, the laugh lines deepening which made me take notice of the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes. For all of the lines that came to play on his face, he still could make a girl or two swoon. At the moment, I was one of those girls.

I gave him a smile of my own as I went up to him and playfully slapped his arm. “Look at you! To what do we owe this distinct pleasure today? You’re off to a GQ shoot?”

“Forever the charmer, but I’ll have you know I could’ve done a GQ shoot for real,” he bantered.

I winked. “Oh, I’m so sure of it.” I shook my head and couldn’t hide my grin. “You look good though, where are you off to?”

He pursed his lips, “ Nowhere. Have an interview with a new San Diego magazine called San Diego Business Clips. They’re doing a cover story on our location today and I figured I’d act the part of a dashing businessman. And by your reaction, I’d say I did a hell of a job with this suit today. I got it tailored at the Mens’ Warehouse for a steal!”

“I bet you did, you’re always looking for a thrift, you cheapskate,” I leaned against his arm then remembered it might be inappropriate so I backed up. He didn’t notice, thankfully.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s nothing to laugh at, but there is something really funny that’s going to be taking place that I know you’ll find hilarious,” he stood close to me, leaning into my ear without touching me. It wasn’t intimate, but someone passing by would mistake it for such if they didn’t know any better.

“Hailey is going to be doing her interview in our meeting room as well with San Diego Living. Apparently, she’s going to be doing some interior decorating once she’s done with the adult industry,” D then pulled away and we both had the biggest shit-eating grins on our face.

“I wonder what it’ll be called.”

D shrugged his shoulders, stuffing his hands into his tight ass pockets. “Who’s to say? All I know is she asked to do it here.”

“She’s a little annoying, I don’t know why we can’t find someone else to be the ambassador. Aren’t we about due to switch up or is this an as-long-as-you’re-hot sort of deal with her?” I picked with my hair, bored with talking about the infamous Hailey Storm already. She was working everyone’s nerves, and I knew I was ready to move on from her.

“We signed her for a minimum of six months. It’s only been two months so you better hunker down and buckle up, she’s in here for a few more months,” D laughed and began walking to his office. I didn’t follow.

I began the walk to my own office and saw Ana wasn’t at the desk and her computer was off. I almost felt sad that she wasn’t sitting there to harass me, but I shrugged it off and stepped inside of my office. The light from the sun bouncing off of the windows from the building across from ours temporarily blinded me. I rushed to pull the curtains down enough to have my office still receive some light, but not enough to give me sight issues for the rest of the day.

Before I could sit down, I saw the mailroom clerk make her way to me, holding a package in her hands. “Hey, Ms. Williams, this was sitting in the mailroom for you. It’s been there since Friday, I’m sorry I’m just now giving it to you.”

“You’re fine, Jessie, thank you.” I took the package from her, signing her log that she liked to keep. She was organized and had it down to a science. I was pretty sure she should’ve been the mailroom manager and not the clerk with the way she ran it over there. I thanked her as she left me to look at the package. It was just a regular large bubble mailer, but it had a little weight to it. I hastened to open it, and a stack of papers almost slipped out before I caught them.

I slowly pulled them out, seeing the millions of words and then the letterhead ‘Whispers Inc.’. Good old Andrei had signed the letter as indicated at the bottom. The information for the entire launching was there and ready for me to pick through. My chest felt heavy and I let the papers and the empty bubble mailer sit on my desk.

I wasn’t ready to truly face the music of the upcoming temporary relocating. Not by a long shot, but it looked as if I had no choice in the matter.

 

Flash Fiction: A hindrance or help? – SoundCloud

New episode of my podcast “The Written Life” on SoundCloud is ready for ya!!

Click the link to Listen to Flash Fiction: A hindrance or help? by The Written Life #np on #SoundCloud

Chapter Share: Chapter Deux, “Whispers of the Flesh”

Welcome back to my blogosphere!

Today, I’m sharing the second chapter of my upcoming book and the follow-up to my Makaela Williams series aptly titled Whispers of the Flesh. With this book, we’re going to delve a little more into the succubus life and follow Makaela on this journey.

In this chapter, she is finally returning to work after her hiatus from having become a succubus and she is not taking it on very well, to say the least. The changes are coming on quickly, and she has to learn to control it in due time. But in this chapter, she cannot control herself and what’s happening. I’m sure we can all relate to being at work and having something unexpected happen, except we’re not creatures who are stirred by the energy of others to such an extreme extent.

I’ll stop all my talking and just let you get right to it so here it is, Chapter Two:

 

Chapter Two

 

I walked into the office of my job, prepared to see stares and looks of deep concerns. I hadn’t been in the office for over two weeks due to the fiasco with the change that came over me. Dimitri, who was incredibly caring and supportive, demanded that I took the time off to recover. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I want you better, and you can’t do that working. Take the time off and then bring your best back with you,” he told me when he called to give me the sick days off. I didn’t want to accept it but I did anyway because he was right. I couldn’t work in the condition I was in.

Unbeknownst to him and myself, I started feeling normal the very next day.

The time off gave me exactly what I needed to lounge around and spend some QT with my best friend Sandy, but it also gave me time to research what exactly Andrei was and what that would make me. I did my Googles and didn’t come up with much for incubus outside of the band with the namesake. All I gathered from the search was that incubi were sex demons who preyed on sleeping victims, and I was disappointed. Andrei mentioned he fed from strong emotions, like fear or sensuality, but nothing about sex with sleeping women. I put a mental note to ask him about that when I searched, but when I saw him, it all escaped me. It was unfortunate that he still had that effect on me, but I meant to really have a very deep talk about that with him. As long as I didn’t get into his eyes, I was sure I could do it.

I looked around the office area, looked through all of the cubicles lined up on either side of the clear aisles, and saw pleasant faces. It brought a little genuine smile to my face to be back and see them all. I didn’t particularly want to stay at the job, but I didn’t hate it as much when I walked in. I let my quick steps guide me right to my office and almost forgot that I had an Ana in front of it, sitting patiently at her desk. My smile nearly slipped but I caught myself.

Ana swiveled in her chair, her blue eyes positively dancing. She always looked happy so this was nothing new to me to see her face bright, complexion clean and clear and under control. Her rosy cheeks were glowing, blond hair bouncing when she moved even slightly. Her upturned nose still adorable and her smiling lips were glossy. And I still wasn’t a fan of hers. “Welcome back, Kaela! You look healthy, and your hair is beautiful today. I love it!”

I had to agree with her on the last part, my hair definitely looked good. I did a perm-rod set and the curls came out perfect, surprisingly. I timidly touched my hair and thanked her for her kind words. She stood up from her seat and wrapped her arms around me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hug her back or gently push her away, we weren’t that close for her to be touching me. I was close to pushing her off when I saw D out of the corner of my eye. I slowly turned my head and there he was, standing in front of his office door looking as comfortable as always.

I gave Ana a gentle pat on her back then she slowly let me go. “It’s just been weird without you here so I am not sorry for hugging you. It’s good to have you back. I was kind of worried you weren’t going to.”

She leaned in closer. “I thought you had taken them up on their offer for a corporate position. I wouldn’t have been mad if you did, just sad to see you go though if you had.”

I pursed my lips, feeling my own gloss grow stickier than it had when I first applied it. “Well, I’m here, so no corporate position. Not sure why or how you got that information but I’m here. Did I get any pressing calls while I was out?”

I went to my office door to unlock it as she told me that all of my important calls were sent directly over to D, and that comforted me. I thanked her as my door opened without fuss. I expected to find the roses still inside but they were all cleaned out, and my office was spick and span from top to bottom. My desk was spotless save for the computer and the files, some paperwork, and a few books neatly stacked. Everything was still in its place. My framed paintings, license to work as a sex operator, and my bulletin board was all still there. I wasn’t sure why I thought they would let my office go to ruins while I was out, but the thought was there in the back of my mind. I just assumed no one would’ve given a fuck. I was wrong.

“There she is.” I turned and there he was: D. It took me a great deal of restraint to not rush over and crush him in my arms with the biggest hug I could muster. His smirk warmed my heart. His crystalline green eyes shined with happiness, hands stuffed in the front pockets of his dark denim pants. He was still giving his casual best with his denim, white t-shirt, and blue Chuck Taylors. The whiteness of his shirt made his olive skin pop along with his striking eyes. His face was clean shaven, leaving what I teased as his beauty mark on his upper lip exposed. It was a cute mole, and he hated when I noticed it but it looked like today he didn’t care.

I started feeling like I was drinking him in, everything about him. The hairs on my arms stood stiff, and my eyes had a laser focus on D’s lips. I tried to tear my eyes away to keep from staring at the fullness of his bottom lip that I used to kiss, but it was almost like getting me to not drink water—it wasn’t happening.

My pulse sped up. “Hey D. How has everything been in the office? What did I miss?”

A quizzical look played across his face as he stepped further into my office. “Everything has been pretty good. Are you okay?”

I nodded and scrambled to my desk, turning on my monitor then the modem. “Of course, are you okay?”

“Yeah. Are you sure you’re okay? Because you’re kind of…your eyes are looking a little different. Are you wearing contacts?” He walked closer to my desk and tried to reach out to me.

I shrugged him off before he could fully reach out to touch me and kept my eyes on the monitor, acting more interested in it coming to life than him trying to make a conversation with me. “I’m not wearing any damn contacts. Touching my eyeballs creeps me out.”

“Kaela, why are you acting so weird?” His laugh was light but nervous. Hell, I was nervous, too.

I was devouring him. Whatever he was feeling, I was enjoying it. I felt my body respond in a way it only does when I was aroused. I was stimulated and feeding, just like I had when Ursula was nice enough to share her energy with me. His emotions were so strong and tasted so good. I wanted nothing more than to grab him in a hug and rub my cheek against his neck, let him fill me up. I was starting to understand a little about how Andrei received his feedings. I didn’t want to do that to D, at least not in the office. I was quickly reminded about our hug in the hallway of my apartment when he dropped me off from the hospital. I thought about how it made me feel better, safe, sated. Even then I was feeding from him. I sunk low in my seat at my desk, careful not to meet D’s eyes.

“You’re acting a little strange. I’ll let you get reacquainted with your office. Come by my office when you’re not feeling so out of it, okay?” D lightly patted my back as he departed from my space, and even that was more than it should’ve been.

I released my breath and rushed to my office door to close it. I pressed my body firmly against it, allowing the coolness of it to reach through my dress shirt, bringing me back down from the heat I was living in. I felt a need to get him to come back inside so I could just have whatever he was feeling to enter me. I was aching for it. I hissed through my clenched teeth, closed my eyes and tried to reach out to him. I thought about him, hoping he’d feel me calling out to him. I absently caressed the door with my cheek, my nose, my lips, and hands. I rubbed my body against the door as if in a dance all of my own.

I felt someone outside of my door, felt their energy wafting off of them in a furious beat. I gasped, reaching down to the handle of my door then hurriedly stopped myself. I wanted to grab whoever it was and throw them against the wall, basically sexually harass them.

A knock came to the door and I didn’t even jump. It was almost like my body was expecting it and was ready for it. “Makaela, open up.” It was too perfect. It was Dimitri. It was like he felt my summon and came, but was it willingly?

I banged my head against the door softly, letting my forehead rest against it. No, no, no, no. Go away, I didn’t mean it, I thought. He knocked once again and I ignored it. It was painful, but I ignored him, ignored his presence.

“We have a meeting in an hour. Pull yourself together, okay?” I heard his footsteps retreat.

I slipped down my door, turned to sit on the floor with my back against it. There were sweat beads that developed on my forehead, chest, and neck. I felt it start to cool against my skin and dissipate. I was feeling out of sorts but knew it had worked. Andrei had successfully ruined my humanity and made me “more” for sure. If I had no certainty about it before, I was crystal clear on it now. More than I was earlier.

———————————————

“Makaela! Welcome back! We’re so happy you’re feeling better!” Morissa said as she hugged me so tight, she could’ve cracked my back if she really put more squeeze into it. I felt the other me flare up, trying to suck her emotions in, but I tried my best to keep it at bay. I could tell she was genuinely happy to see me though, so I was okay. Andy gave me a great big hug as well, and Mark for what it was worth gave me a handshake. I didn’t like him and he was very well aware of that. I got nothing from him and was very happy about it. The last person I wanted to feed from was Mark.

“Thank you guys,” I smiled warmly as we all sat at the table. My eyes met D’s and I was immediately ashamed of how I reacted to him earlier. I promptly averted my attention to the window across from me.

I could feel D’s eyes on me but I paid it no attention. “We’re all happy to see you back, Makaela. Back in the office and back at this table. I hope you’re up for it. Are you?”

I gathered myself up and was able to meet his eyes to give him the affirmative. He didn’t break his eyes away so I had to do it. I didn’t want it to become uncomfortable, at least not in front of the other members of the meeting. My body liked his desire and wanted more of it. Then it dawned on me that he was indeed feeling more than friendly love for me. That it was, in fact, desire, and that’s why I was having such a strong reaction to his feelings. I looked at D with new eyes at that moment. He kept his eyes on me. The look in the green oceans of his eyes made my heart race, but he didn’t take his eyes away from mine. I thought we were over that part of our lives, but his gaze and feelings said differently.

I broke from his stare and warmed up to everyone else (except for Mark) at the table. “I’m glad to be back, you guys. Thank you for the nice welcome, what did I miss?”

“We’re expanding! You haven’t been out very long at all, but we got word from corporate that we’re opening up another office overseas,” Andy was literally beaming. He looked like a proud mother who just found out her child was graduating with honors from college.

“We’re opening up a new location in London. Canada, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and of course our little team here are all solid. We’re opening up London early next year with plans to grow in Paris, Milan, China, and Japan. They’re looking to become global within the next five to ten years.”

I could feel my reaction being less than excited, but it was very exciting news. It meant that I was probably going to see less of Andrei, and that left me feeling a bit happy inside. With so many locations opening up in Europe and Asia, he wouldn’t have time to bother me. It also made me a little sad, but I’d live.

“That’s really amazing. How does this affect us?” I asked Andy.

He shrugged. “We’re not entirely sure how it affects us directly, they just sent an email stating that we’ll be expanding. If anything, they’ll probably have D or one of the other major managers go help with getting the offices up and running. Hire operators and the rest of the managing team. That’s all I can think of.”

I looked over at D to see his face. He was looking out of the window, face hard to read. When he finally noticed how quiet we got, he turned his face towards us. “Sorry, what were we talking about?”

“The expansion,” I told him as I watched him.

He nodded. “Yeah, um…yeah, it’s pretty major.”

It was my turn to notice he was being distant and odd. I began to wonder if D was already ahead of us and knew he would be going overseas. I just left that as yet another note in the back of my mind to bring up later, grill him on it.

“Well, if they do need anyone I am more than willing to volunteer as tribute. European women are amazing,” Mark threw in. No one was surprised that he would be gung-ho about being able to go to the new offices. He was, after all, a male whore in every way. His smug smile reached all the way up to his blue eyes. I wanted to gag, but I just breathed deeply and released.

“I’m pretty stoked about that, that’s great news. Great to hear that a lot has actually happened while I’ve been away.” I felt myself let go of some tension I was holding, and allowed myself to fully live in the moment of the meeting.

“That’s right,” Mark began, literally twiddling his thumbs. “I know you didn’t think that a little sickness would stop our show, did you?”

If looks could kill, I would’ve bled Mark on the spot with the way I glared at him. Instead, I casually side-swept his snide remark. “I wouldn’t even think that my being sick would do such a thing. The fact that you say that is really problematic though. Anyway, what else did I happen to miss?”

“Well, since you did ask, our lovely ambassador has been doing her rounds, making her appearances and they’ve kind of helped as far as marketing and promo goes. Kind of,” Andy had an unamused look on his face. Something told me he didn’t think too highly of Hailey.

“Hailey causing you problems?” I grinned.

Andy shook his head but I could tell something was up. “No, no. Not at all. She’s just a little…demanding? If that’s the right word for it?”

Morissa rolled her eyes. “She’s a pain in the ass. Andy just doesn’t want to say anything because he’s being too nice, but she’s extremely unprofessional. Beyond unprofessional at this point, but we’re handling it. Marketing is handling it I should say. Unfortunately, because Andy and I are the point of contact for her regarding getting a hold of anyone in the company, she’s been taking advantage of the situation. She forgets we pay her, not the other way around.”

I shook my head. “No, she’s well aware of that. She just doesn’t care. She’s thinking because we pay her to be the face that she’s, you know, invaluable. She has to be made to know that she’s just another pretty face.” I smiled. Morissa returned it.

“You are right, Kaela. I’m sure marketing will figure something out. So far, she hasn’t done anything damaging to our brand,” Morissa shrugged, her red hair touching her shoulders, barely.

It seemed Morissa had cut her hair shorter from when I last saw her. It was now a blunt cut bob, and it worked for her. She still had her milky skin that was adorned with freckles upon freckles. She wore barely any makeup today, and it didn’t matter. Her complexion was incredibly smooth, her emerald eyes soft and friendly, and her fire-drenched hair was as vibrant as it always had been. I rather enjoyed the full roundness of her face, her soft and plump body. I never noticed it before, but her cheeks were just so naturally rosy. Morissa looked to be glowing. I squinted as a suspicion ran through my mind, but I kept it to myself.

Morissa could see my mind working and immediately her cheeks’ rosy hue deepened. She bit her bottom lip and smirked. I just lifted my brows. She barely nodded but I knew she understood what I was thinking of asking without even having to do it. She confirmed it for me.

A feeling of pure giddiness coursed through me, but I stayed silent on the matter. I just glowed right along with her.

“I’m sure they will work on her, Morissa. I’m sure they will.”

Andy looked at Morissa then back at me, wondering why we were so damn happy all of a sudden. It wasn’t up to me to share so I didn’t. A little woman-to-woman was needed.

“Alright,” D sighed, pressing his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose, “I’m glad we’re done talking about Hailey. The real reason I wanted to have this meeting, aside from numbers, was to discuss how best to get ready for this expansion in case they do need me to head overseas.”

“Why does it have to be you?” Mark was leaning back in his chair, arms behind his head in his black pullover, sleeves pushed up past his elbows. He was sounding pretty ridiculous but we knew better than to entertain his shenanigans.

“Firstly, it would only have to be me because I’m in charge here, and I’ve done a pretty damn good job here, wouldn’t you agree?” D was willing to entertain Mark. I wasn’t. Neither was Morissa or Andy and yet I wasn’t surprised that D did.

Mark was his friend, like real friend outside of work. They shared a lot in common, and it made sense, except D was a great deal more humble and knowledgeable than Mark. Mark was that trust fund baby with a star in the family tree. Old money that made new money. Even with his daily reminder of his being the great-grandson of Margot Rudebaker, he still wasn’t shit. He still relied on someone else to have the type of life he grew up knowing. He didn’t plan on changing, and alas, he was apart of our company thanks to his dad being a chairman of the board. D’s family’s money was much longer, but D was much more in touch with reality and the real world than Mark ever was or could hope to be.

Mark sulked but managed to make it look not as sad as it could’ve been. He smoothed his dark hair back. “I mean why do you think it’s you though? It could be someone else going instead.”

I looked around the table at D, Morissa, and Andy. I saw nothing on their faces that gave me eager or anxious. Mark was the only one who had an issue with it. I was sad to hear that D would possibly be going away, but it was the perfect day to put Mark in his place.

D shook his head. “It wouldn’t be you, Mark, but if you’d like to be transferred to the new location when it opens up, we can get the paperwork started today.”

I raised my brows. Mark shuffled around in his seat, and his expression went cold.

D stared at Mark, waiting for his next response while the rest of us grew uncomfortable. I was in the mix of that and anxious to see what else happened. I hadn’t seen D go at Mark like that before. I began to wonder what was going on while I was out to have D have no patience for Mark and his usual quips.

He finally sat back in his chair. “I think this meeting is done. Mark, we’ll discuss this further in my office after lunch.”

Mark shot D a look that almost made me laugh. He was pissed. Mark stood from his chair, pushing it back with a harshness of his current anger. “No. We won’t be talking about this after lunch. There’s nothing to discuss.” He walked out and we watched. It was probably a good thing the door wasn’t the kind that you could slam as it was on a hydraulic. If he could have, he would’ve slammed it for effect.

We all rose from our seats and began to exit the room. As I was about to follow Andy and Morissa out, D halted me. He let the door close behind them fully before he let go of my arm.

“Hey, I just wanted to apologize for assuming you wouldn’t be able to make it through the meeting, I should know better than that,” he apologized. I didn’t think it was necessary.

“I’m cool, I didn’t think you were even thinking like that,” I touched his arm, trying to comfort him.

He nodded and smiled. “Good.”

His smile quickly turned to seriousness, his eyes glassy. I became worried. I felt like he was going to confirm that he was leaving or some other depressing news. “Okay, what’s up now? Someone die?”

He chuckled briefly. “No. But I’m not going to Europe to help with the new staff.”

My heart caught in my throat then sank to my feet. I had a feeling I already knew what he was going to say next because it was just too good, too perfect. Perfect for Andrei, the guy I almost forgot was the CEO of the damned company and could be the main one to pull this type of stunt.

“I’ll be here, but they asked for you, Makaela.” He reached out his hand to grab my shoulder, squeezing gently. His smile returned. “Congratulations.”

 

 

And there you have it folks, chapter two! Here’s to a complete and edited book by this summer for you all to devour! See you next week for another short story OR chapter share! If you’re wondering about the beginning of all this, check out the book “Voices on the Air” available on Amazon, iTunes iBooks, and Google Play Books.

Short Story: Bertha’s Loving Arms

So hello there! First off…how are you?

Good, good, that’s very good to hear!

I have a little treat for you. I wrote something short and sweet just for you. I hope you like it. It’s from a Flash Challenge that I did a little while ago, and I kept it pretty much saved in a file of other short stories. I was going through it, seeing what I’d like to share and then voilá! I read it and really enjoyed it. It kind of surprised me how gritty I can be if I really, really want to be. So I said why not, let’s share the thing! Please feel free to let me know your thoughts on it because I’m dying to know!

Welcome to the den of demons