CATHY JO_20 DAYS OF ROMANCE

Sometimes romance and love comes in the sweetest form. But you know that it's real when it's built on pure respect, and not physical attraction alone. Cathy Jo shares that type of love today, from her novel, No More Expectations, on our 20 Days of Romance post.

There's something to be said for a man who really respects a woman, heart, mind and soul. Especially when she makes a stand for what she believes in, and he has her back through it all.

BLURB:

Two hundred six pounds lighter, Brianya Johnson is ready to get back into the dating scene. One glitch, she's celibate and the three men that she finds herself dating really need to respect that.


EXCERPT:

“Can I ask you something, Ed?” Brianya said as they walked toward her car.
“That depends,” Ed said.
Brianya looked amused. “On what?”
“On whether or not you mind if I choose not to answer.”
Brianya laughed, remembering that’s exactly what she had said to Ed the other night.
“Seriously, I don’t mind.”
Without further preamble she blurted out, “Why me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re a good looking man. You’re educated and smart. You’ve got a good job. Got all your hair and your own teeth.” Ed burst out laughing. “You don’t live in your parents’ basement. And you could have any beautiful non-celibate woman out here. So, why me?” Brianya’s heart beat fast. She didn’t mean to be so forward, but the question was out in the universe now.
Ed appeared to choose his words carefully. “Funny you should ask that, because as we were sitting in the coffee shop and I was telling you about my career choice, I asked myself the same thing. It’s weird how you can be talking about one thing and thinking about another,” he said offhandedly.
To the long list of perfect qualities, Brianya added ‘intellectually stimulating.’ They could have a completely separate conversation on that subject alone, since she had minored in psychology.
“Here’s what I came up with,” Ed continued, “the heart wants what the heart wants. Simple as that. I know that’s oversimplifying the answer, but that’s it in a nutshell.”
They reached Brianya’s car. She asked, “Can you be more precise?”
“You’re not cutting me any slack are you? All right, Miss Johnson, here it is, precisely. When I see you as you are today and I remember you as you were a few years back, I’m in awe of you. Back then, you were a woman who obviously had some issues with food but you still carried yourself with dignity. You always had yourself together; your appearance was impeccable. I’d heard the rumors about how your boyfriend treated you; he made jokes to your face about your weight, that he got some woman pregnant, and he left you for her.” As Ed talked, his eyes never left Brianya’s.
Brianya looked away, old hurts resurfacing.
Ed turned her face back toward him and continued talking. “When I saw the weight start to come off, and I heard the rumors about why and how you were losing it, I knew that none of it was true. A body like yours doesn’t happen over night; that’s something that you had to work at. I was proud of you and I silently rooted for you. As more and more of the weight came off, I noticed how much more confident your stride was when you walked to the elevator every morning. Most women who had been through what you had would’ve given up and given in. But not you. You fought back and you won. I don’t know if you knew how long and hard that road was gonna be, but you stuck it out.”
Brianya smiled a little, thinking about all the times she wanted to give up and how Lonnie wouldn’t let her. At the thought of Lonnie, her expression changed.
Ed looked at her puzzled. “I’m serious, Brianya. Everything I’ve said to you is true. When my wife served me with divorce papers and I knew my marriage was over, I made up my mind that when everything was final, I would approach you. I knew that I wanted a woman like you—a woman with fortitude and determination—in my life.” The words had come out rapid-fire, as if he didn’t get it all out in 30 seconds or less a timer would go off and Brianya wouldn’t believe another word. “Then you tell me that you’re celibate and that ratchets up the respect meter for you a few more notches and it makes you that much more desirable. Now, I’m getting to know your mind and I like what I’m learning. So if you tell me you’re saving yourself for your husband, I can’t do anything except respect that. It makes me want to get to know even more about you.” Ed removed his hand from Brianya’s face and let it drop to his side.
“Wow! Ask and you shall receive,” Brianya said, quoting a familiar scripture. “Thank you for your praise and that beautiful compliment, Ed.”
Ed smiled in reply. He took Brianya’s hands in his and moved in close. “I’ve wanted to do this all night. May I kiss you?”
Brianya stepped back. She shook her head. “No,” she whispered.
“I understand,” Ed’s tone was flat. “How about a hug, then?”
“I think I can handle that.” Her nervousness showed in the quavers in her voice. The embrace was light, but Ed’s arms felt like a fortress. Brianya had thought the hug would be safer than a kiss, but she was wrong. She quickly pulled herself from Ed’s embrace and mashed the unlock button on her key fob.
“Can we get together for lunch next week?” Ed asked, as Brianya got into her car.
“Sounds doable. Just let me know when.” She fastened her seatbelt and looked shyly at Ed. “Thanks for the tea and cheese.”
Ed nodded. “Drive safely.” Brianya watched through the rearview mirror as Ed watched her drive out of sight, and let out a huge sigh. Oh my goodness! What just happened?BUY THE  BOOK:To read the rest of the story, please visit my Web site, Twisted Word Publishing and click on any of the links to purchase the book in hard copy. You may also purchase the book in e format from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords, which carries all e formats. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cathy Jo started out as an orator at the age of 11 and gradually moved to the written word. Some of her fondest memories are of going to the neighborhood library on some Saturdays and perusing the shelves for books with stories that were very different from her life. When not reading, she would often write in the little orange diary that her mother had given her. Among her early writings are plays, songs, poems, and short stories.
With a desire to share her writings with others, Cathy Jo published her first book, Transitions: short stories for a rainy day, in May 2011. When she isn’t writing, she’s busy reading, studying, or ministering to those who want to learn about God and Jesus. Her favorite reading material is first and foremost spiritual—the Bible being right there at the top. Among her favorite fiction genres to read are mystery, women’s fiction, chick lit, and suspense. Other activities Cathy Jo enjoys include traveling, listening to music (all kinds), going to the movies, the theater, and Hulu (online TV). Cathy Jo hails from Cleveland, Ohio, where she’s lived all her life.CONNECT WITH CATHY JO:FACEBOOKTWITTERBLOG: http://www.twistedwordpublishing.comWEBSITE: http://www.twistedwordpublishing.comEMAIL: cathyjo@twistedwordpublishing.comI hope you enjoyed this post. If so, please share it with others by clicking the social media icon below. Thanks for dropping in and as always please leave a comment, because I just love chatting with you. You can link up with me online using the icons above. Until the next time I'm just...WRITING MY DREAMS, CHELLE RAMSEY