Sunday Snippet: Drowning Pull

I can't quite believe half of October is over. Yeesh, time flies in a big way. LOL

My usual television ramblings will get underway after a brief pause to let everyone know I'm still not feeling this season of Doctor Who. The reason behind the 'repeat' face, so far, is beyond lame. I'll have to watch the conclusion to see if I still feel the same way.

I finally watched the last two episodes *ever!* of Strike Back. I can safely say I'm thrilled with how Stonebridge and Scott's story ended. YAY!!! Now I'll have to start a rewatch of the entire series. LOL

Arrow and The Flash are keeping me glued to the screen. I love both shows so much. And Agents of SHIELD isn't doing too bad either. I like where things are going there.

Gotham and Sleepy Hollow are maintaining solid episodes. Looking forward to seeing where Gotham takes the Bruce in Training story. I'm also really excited to see how Gordon keeps all the plates spinning in his life. On a side note, I am a little sick of Barbara but I have a feeling her story might pay off in a big way. I'll keep watching.

Got caught up on Haven. I'm really going to miss this show when it's gone. I love the every quirky thing about it. The same goes with Lost Girl. I'm dying to see how Bo's story ends, but I'm savoring every moment I get to watch.

And that's the TV wrap up this week.

Tonight's post is from Drowning Pull, a novella where my characters need to overcome some issues.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lane Addison drowns his grief over losing his brother in alcohol, until a blonde distraction sits down beside him. Injured and off the circuit, Weslee decides to have a pity party for one until she sees someone deeper in the well than she is. A hot hook-up later, Lane thinks he's found the perfect woman in Weslee, until she mentions her fiancé.

And a snippety peek…

Lane Addison woke up slowly, his head throbbing and his vision fuzzy. The room came into focus—not his. Where the hell had he ended up last night? Thinking made his brain hurt, but he tried to back trace his steps. A vague memory of being in O'Halloran's pub started taking shape. Then a vision of Lori James formed. She wore a clinging black dress and sat across the table, sipping on something, probably a drink that ended in 'tini.

Why on earth would he have been drinking with Lori?

The reason hit him. Hard. And the pounding head and blurry vision got worse. The two sensations battled with the bone-deep ache of loss, striking him full force once more.

Liam's funeral, his life over too soon. Lane's brother wouldn't come strolling through the fire department on Lane's next shift. Killed in the line of duty when a three-alarm fire turned into a five-alarm catastrophe, the department had lost a great man. And Lane didn't want to accept he'd never see his brother again.

A warm body rolled over and snuggled up against Lane. Lori. Vague snatches of the previous day and night flashed through his mind. His divorced parents, being civil to each other for the first time in years, put aside their many differences to mourn the loss of their son. The long line of friends, family, and members of the fire service forming a long line, waiting to offer their condolences. Lane listened to so many stories about his brother from so many people. Nothing brought out the narrative genius than remembering one of the fallen. Lori, slithering into the service, gluing herself to Lane's side, held court, accepting hugs and handshakes like she belonged with the immediate family.

He had a clear picture of her dragging him from Liam's graveside and driving him to O'Halloran's. From there, events went a little fuzzy. Copious amounts of alcohol did nothing to ease the pain of Liam's death. He had no idea when they left the pub, but they'd ended up back at her place. He figured odds were on a night of sex—not that he remembered any of it—and probably expectations of a morning repeat.

His stomach rebelled at the thought.

Or maybe the alcohol gave him the queasy, nauseous feeling.

Lori yawned, stretched, and smoothed her hand down his torso to cup his flaccid dick. The urge to heave got stronger and before she could get any bright ideas of getting him hard, he flung himself out of the bed and made a dash for the bathroom. Emptying the contents of his stomach in the toilet eased the rolling in his belly, but made the headache take a vicious turn for the worse. Easing away from the commode, he leaned against the tub, keeping his eyes closed, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

Puking his guts up made him thirsty and he chanced trying to stand so he could find something to drink. Maybe if he kept his eyes closed he could still make his way to the sink. A cool hand grasped his elbow and Lane blinked to find Lori holding a glass of orange juice, a wet washcloth, and a toothbrush.

She didn't speak, but handed him the scrap of fabric first. The cold cloth felt awesome against his clammy skin. He scrubbed his face and neck, leaving the rag at his nape. He glanced in the mirror and groaned. Shit would look better than he did at the moment. He dropped the washcloth on the side of the sink.

Lori broke her silence. "I know it'll taste terrible, but toothbrush before OJ." She handed him the toothbrush. "Coffee's brewing, but you need some vitamin C and aspirin first."

While he took care of his teeth, she grabbed a bottle of tablets from the medicine cabinet. She shook out four and handed them over with the orange juice.

He didn't argue, scarfing the tablets and orange juice together. After draining the glass, he felt almost human again.

Giving her the cup, he nodded. "Thank you." Making his way through her bedroom, he looked around for his clothes.

The suit pants were by the bedroom door. He slowly bent down and picked them up. Tossing the pants over his shoulder, he spotted his shirt on the back of her couch. He snatched it up and shrugged his arms into the garment, leaving the buttons undone. His jacket lay in a heap by the main entrance. He'd grab it on his way out.

Making his way into the kitchen, he braced his hips on the counter and carefully put his pants on. The coffee finished brewing by the time he zipped and buttoned up. Out of habit, he poured two mugs, adding two sugars to one and cream to the other. Lori came in, a silky robe billowing out behind her. She grabbed the sweetened mug and took a sip. Lane drank his milky brew and tried not to think about Liam or being at his ex's place. He failed on both counts.

Lori popped some bread in her toaster. "You know, the Tinderbox is looking for product managers. You could fill out an application online." She crossed over to the fridge and grabbed butter and jelly. "Or, if you want to stay in the industry, I heard Parma Medical is always looking for sales reps who know the equipment." The toast popped up and she buttered the slices. "Of course, you'll want to take some time, I'm sure, to consider all your options." Spreading jelly on the surface, she shot a look over her shoulder.

Lane blinked, trying to follow the conversation. She sounded like a recruiter, which okay, she would. She worked as the HR director for the local hospital. But what options did he need to consider? The Tinderbox sold woodstoves, fireplaces, and everything to do with both. And yeah, his experience in the fire service would make project management a snap, but no way. Same applied to a sales position. Lane wanted to sell emergency medical equipment like he wanted to jab a fork in his eye. He didn't.

He drained his coffee mug. "I'm not interested in a new job, Lori. I like the one I have perfectly fine." Out of habit, he rinsed his cup out and put it in her dishwasher.

Lori took a bite of toast, chewed, and swallowed. "You're staying with the department? After what happened with Liam?" She put the food down, dusting off her hands. "Are you fucking insane? Of course, you're going to find another job."

Lane exhaled on a slow breath, thankful he barely remembered the sex from the night before, because the memory of why he and Lori broke up smacked him right in the face. His job. He loved being a firefighter and Lori hated it.

Lane shoved his hands in his pockets. "No, I'm not. I'm damned good at what I do and have no plans to quit." He shoved away from the counter and started doing the buttons up on his shirt. "I should go." He wouldn't get back on her crazy 'if you love me, you'll do something else' train. "Thanks for last night, Lori, but we're not together anymore. Don't forget that."

Lori's mouth thinned to a flat line. "That's how you're going to play this, Lane? Get me drunk, sleep with me, then slam out the door?" Her nostrils flared. "You're an ass."

Lane had a brief flash of memory from the previous night. Lori kept the drinks coming, not him. And she suggested they head to her place afterwards.

He tucked his shirt in his pants. "And you're still the queen of manipulating facts to suit your needs." Exiting the kitchen, he made his way to her front door.

Reaching down, he gathered up his coat, happy to find his shoes underneath. Jamming his feet inside the footwear, he yanked the door open.

Turning, he gave her one last comment. "I won't be slamming your door, but I won't be back either." He stepped out into the corridor and gently closed the carved wood behind him.

Gotta say, this one is coming together nicely. I really like the way the characters are interacting.

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin