The Final Date Disaster

image from DepositPhotos.com

image from DepositPhotos.com

 

Enjoy the following short. This would be the last blind date of my heroine’s life. Her date disaster!

~ Fiona

I didn’t want to be there. Especially two days before Valentine’s Day. Kimberly had talked me into this blind date, and I knew it was a mistake from the start. The restaurant was slow and dim and supposed to be romantic and one of the hottest new places to dine in the city. Kimberly always pushed until she had her way. I couldn’t go through with the online dating again not after the last time. I deleted my online profile forever. What a nightmare that last guy turned out to be. Not only was he a compulsive liar but for a second I believed him when he said he was an undercover agent for an undisclosed government group. Yeah, the Get in Her Pants club. He was really good and gave an academy award performance. So, I sat here like an idiot seeing if it was going to happen again. I guess I have a gullible nature.

Kimberly wouldn’t tell me a damned thing about the guy. Said he wanted us both to have a genuine reaction to each other. What did that mean? I didn’t have a name or description. He would only know who I was because I wore my purple stripped Henley, and I placed a single purple rose in the center of the table.

I shouldn’t have agreed to this nonsense. Not knowing who I’m meeting screamed serial killer. Right? When someone wouldn’t identify themselves weren’t they up to no good? I trusted Kimberly despite extreme blind dating being her method of operation. Who in the hell went on blind dates in this day and age? Me. So, Mr. Secretive was already ten minutes late. I decided to only give him another five and the I was out.

A hand touched my shoulder and spread across my back. “I’m so sorry I’m late. There was a traffic jam on the loop.”

Right. That’s all I can think. Nice save.

I squirmed in my seat shaking off his hand, not because it creeped me out but because it had the opposite effect. Hi, Mr. Seductive. He sat as I reached for my ice water to cool my heated body down and immediately noticed his warm and friendly brown eyes, sexy stubble, and the bulge in his jacket. Kimberly never said he was a cop. I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not considering my last encounter with “law enforcement”.

The waiter came and took our order. I already knew what I wanted (he had been late) and wasted no time. I wondered if my date would be annoyed at me for rushing him. My confidence didn’t phase him. He ordered without looking at the menu. A regular?

“Our mutual friend didn’t do you justice.”

I lowered my head to ask for clarification and before I could say anything.

“You’re beautiful.”

Holy Cow! My blush further heated my body and even in the darkness of the restaurant I wasn’t able to hide it. “She wasn’t supposed to say anything because she was zipped tighter than a pencil skirt on her fat days.”

I shocked him, but his immediate laughter let me know he liked my sass. Good. The last guy had issues with my mouthy attitude. He stood slightly and reached across the table. His extended hand knocked the vase over, and cold water rushed from the center of the table to the center of my body. I jumped from my chair and knocked it back into the table behind us which upset all of the water glasses waiting for the next patrons.

“So sorry. I got this.” His napkin, and of course his hand, brushed against my legs before I knew what was happening. My body couldn’t decide if it rather have the heat of his fingers between my thighs or the freezing sensation of the water to snap me out of this spell he wove over me.

The waiter and the hostess trotted over with additional towels and napkins. At the hostess’s gasp I looked down and the red fabric of the napkins apparently didn’t like the white of my skirt and there were red streaks along the front. Mixed with the wetness and pressing of the towels, my white panties (I wasn’t a complete idiot back then, just a partial one) showed and also all the tiny little hearts and lace edge. On a dry skirt these were NOT noticeable.

“Don’t tell anyone, but I’m wearing the same underwear,” Mr. Seductive whispered in my ear.

I burst out laughing.

The server from the back came over with our meals but in all the commotion of me trying to hide my underwear with a napkin and at the same time get closer to Mr. Seductive’s smoldering stare my elbow hit the server in such a way that the entire tray of food slid off in slow motion. It landed on my date. 

I’ve never seen a mouth gape so wide. He wiped some of it off with the same napkin he used on me and the same red streaks appear on his jacket. He held back a smile and winked. “Don’t worry. The same thing happened to me the other day on a sting.”

I started laughing and really didn’t think I would be able to talk but finally I said. “Kim has a really funny sense of humor.”

He eyebrows quirked in a funny movement. “Who’s Kim?”

Apparently we didn’t have a mutual friend, and the fates somehow brought us together in a somewhat unconventional fashion. The rest is history. Married ten years now this fall to the love of my life.

Another Love

image from DepositPhotos.com

image from DepositPhotos.com

I hope you enjoy this short flash fiction of Sophia and Martin. ~ Fiona

Sophia savored the scent of peppermint and coffee on his breath. Martin drew closer to her and she couldn’t resist brushing her lips against his.

His arms encircled her waist and caressed her lower back. Being with him had been unlike anything she had ever experienced.

A soft glow illuminated his face. The light came from under her lashes and dread filled her at the unwelcome presence of her traveler’s power. She thought it might stay away this time. In minutes she’d leave this world and be forced to enter another.

Sophia smiled and caressed Martin’s cheek. “I love you.” Martin’s laughter generated a vibration of warmth in her stomach.

“You’re an easy morning date. Muffins and fresh squeezed OJ equals you wrapped around my finger.”

Oh, how she would miss his laugh. “I love you without the muffin.” She wrapped her arms around him hoping the earlier flash had been an illusion.

Martin pulled her close. Vertigo slammed into her. She stumbled against him.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?”

She wished for just one last kiss before the vortex sucked her away into another body, another life, another love she could never have. She stroked her lips against his generating a soft liquid heat.

Martin pulled back and cupped her cheeks sensing something was wrong.

His furrowed brow sent the knife deeper into her heart. Martin would forget her. The darkness descended.

“I love you, too,” he whispered. 

The transition overcame her. 

“Whoa. I’ve got you.” Martin’s solid arms caught her. 

Martin’s warm lips and strong arms disappeared, and the cool floor chilled her back. Sophia had transitioned successfully. Her summer in paradise quickly turned to a bitter winter. She coughed. Who was she now and who would she be with? Awakening in a new world always brought her confusion and terror.

“It’s okay. I’ve called 911. You fell unconscious and stopped breathing. I performed CPR.” 

Sophia blinked her eyes open. She didn’t know what CPR meant. Each world was different enough that she would stumble over terminology for a while. Martin stood over her. She laughed. It was going to be okay. “Oh, my love, my knight. You are a sight for sad eyes.” 

He pulled back an unfamiliar scowl on his face.  “Is there someone I can call for you?”

“Martin, you came with me.” She sat up on a city sidewalk. All the sights and sounds unknown to her. “Give me a few moments to situate myself and I’ll tell you everything.” 

A woman rushed over and evaluated Sophia. A doctor she guessed.

Martin stepped back with narrowed eyes. Other medical personnel or some sort of officials stopped and questioned him.

The doctor opened up a bag beside her and took out various instruments and what could only be bandages. “You’re one lucky woman. My fiancé and I were having breakfast and he saw you collapse while I was still inside. I’d like to take credit, but Jackson is the one who saved your life.”

Sophia would have to thank the mysterious Jackson.

Martin stopped his conversation and came back over to them. “I think she hit her head pretty bad. She could have a concussion.” He hesitated then said, “she thought she knew me.”      

Sophia’s hands went cold.

The doctor stood as a vehicle drove up to the curb with flashing lights. “You’re quick thinking saved her, Jackson. Got to go. I’ll see you at home.” She brushed her lips against Martin’s before hurrying over to the vehicle.

Depression washed over Sophia. Her hellish life of becoming someone else just transformed into torture. Martin was now Jackson. In this world she’d have to watch the love of her life love another.

October 16 2018 Romance Writers Weekly

#LoveChatWrite

#LoveChatWrite

If you haven’t already, visit Leslie Hachtel’s blog for some of her favorite fall happenings!

This week’s Romance Writers Weekly Blog Post is from me Fiona Riplee.

Pumpkin Spice is in full swing right about now. It’s a crazy fall phenomenon that I look forward to every year. What other crazy autumn activities do you look forward to?  

 

My pumpkin spice obsession. Pumpkin Spice everything.

I love it. It’s a romance of a different sort!

I love it. It’s a romance of a different sort!

 

ohhhh.

ohhhh.

Last year I found pumpkin spice English muffins. I went to town on that one.

 

Occasionally, I have the random thought that one day I’ll be over that craze, but it hasn’t happened, yet. I feel like Bubba on Forrest Gump listing all the ways to make something that is pumpkin spice.

 

One of my favorite desserts to make is my double layer pumpkin cheesecake. I make it at least once every year. I know others aren’t as crazy about it as me, but I can’t resist. I must have a pumpkin gene that gets activated every autumn. I have to get my pumpkin spice donut, latte, cookies, muffin and bread. Of course, there are the scented candles that make the entire house smell like I should eat it. Now you know my secret eating problem.

 

Confess… tell me your fall obsession.

Hop over to Brenda Margriet to see what she enjoys this time of year.