Well, had a better
week than the last one. Still not completely tip-top but feeling way better
with the worst of the cold finally over. We got more snow this week, but warmer
temperatures are around the corner. At least for a few days.
I got caught up on
my work projects and lined up a potential new one. I'll be starting a new copy edit
on one of my favorite mystery series and continuing my read through on the nonfiction
project.
I'm setting up a
storefront for Tip Jar Shorts. I'm kind of doing things a bit backward, but the
more I thought about it, the more I figured a storefront would lend legitimacy
to this endeavor. I wanted to keep things super simple and offer various methods
of payment and I might still be able to do that, but I also thought it would be
best to have immediate access to a downloadable file instead of waiting on a
delivery to an inbox. We'll see which version works out the best.
Had an okay week of
viewing. I didn't make a full cycle through of my shows, but I did get the back
half watched. And I might be adding one additional show to the roster. I'll let
everyone know if that happens.
Watched another episode
of Elementary and rather enjoyed this one. Sherlock's dynamic with Joan
is different and getting more settled. And Kitty is fitting in with both in
ways I didn't expect.
Also caught an episode
of Batman Beyond. I remembered this one and enjoyed it. I did forget the
interaction with Terry and his brother so that was a nice reminder.
Enjoyed another
new-to-me episode of Classic Rugrats. I sometimes wish Nickelodeon had
continued with the plans for the pre-school show and added more of All Grown
Up. The nostalgia is strong with this franchise. Instead, Spongebob
and other weird stuff took off.
That's pretty much
it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Academic Challenge,
a novella where the characters probably shouldn't try to date but end up doing so.
Here's the
miniblurb:
Holly Patz, the newest TA for Professor Sam Ingali, wants
to enjoy the experience. But when rumors start swirling about her relationship
with the handsome instructor, she has to decide whether to stick around and
become his latest conquest or turn the odds in her favor.
And a snippety peek…
Sam spied Holly enter the
auditorium toward the end of his lecture.
He didn't break his speech even
when his ire sparked. She had his laptop tucked under her arm while she hurried
to the front row, taking a seat at the far end. He barely spared her a glance
and continued speaking to finish his final point.
He ended with a nod toward the
class. "That's it for today. Finish up your assignments and have them uploaded
for grading before our next session." He waited until the students started
for the exit then pinned Holly with a hard glare. "My office. Now."
Not waiting for a response, he left the podium and left through the side door
leading to the corridor.
He gave full rein to his anger. And
let disappointment crowd in also. He couldn't believe she strolled into class
during the last ten minutes.
Unlocking his door, he left it
cracked then crossed to his desk.
Holly entered and set his laptop on
the desk. "What's your problem?" Her eyes were narrowed and her head
tilted to one side.
Sam snarled. "You wander in late—with
my notes—and you're asking me what my problem is?" He flung a hand out.
"Just because we're having sex and you're not a morning person, you can't
just skip the class, especially when you're supposed to have everything ready
to go for me."
Holly arched her brows. "Just
because we're having sex?" She glanced toward the desk and reached out,
snagging his phone from the right side. "If you bothered to check your
voice mail and your texts, you'd know why I couldn't be here to have everything
ready to go." She unlocked his phone, found the voice mail icon, and
played the message she left about the accident she got stuck behind.
Then she showed him the string of
texts she'd sent.
Sam closed his eyes.
"Damn."
Holly shoved the phone at him.
"Why you think I'd pick now to start pulling the sex card, I have no idea.
But … if your opinion of me is really that low, last night can be the final
time we ever hook up." She shook her head. "I won't put up with that
kind of bullshit. I'm a TA, Sam, not a slave." With a last look in his
direction, she exited his office, slamming the door behind her.
Sam's shoulders slumped.
"Fuck. I'm an asshole." He definitely owed her an apology.
And an explanation. Except … he couldn't
say exactly why he'd got so pissed off at her.
Okay, not completely true. He'd
come to rely on her, and she fit so well with him, understanding his quirks and
idiosyncrasies. Almost too much so and sometimes he wondered if they were too
good together to be true.
Snorting, he ran a hand through his
hair. "And now I've gotta figure out how to fix this." Starting with
not acting like a dickhead anymore.
Pulling his chair out, he settled
behind the desk and opened his laptop. She had an art history class for the
next two hours. Time enough for him to get his shit together and hope like hell
she'd let him apologize and explain his asinine behavior.
Which meant hitting pause for a
moment to examine why he jumped to a stupid conclusion. The answer didn't take
long to find. His past mistakes mixing professional and personal with
colleagues manifested in a big way and he took the easy road and blamed Holly.
He closed his eyes. "Shit. This
is a me problem." One he needed to resolve if he wanted a chance with her.
"And I do."
He also had the beginnings of an
idea how he wanted to make amends…
I like how this
story is coming together. Sam is tricky to get a handle on sometimes, but he's
fun to write.
That's it for this
week. Happy reading!
Skylin
No comments:
Post a Comment