Sunday Snippet: Getting Schooled

Geez, August has been a brutal month. The last week in particular. Not sure why, but I struggled hard, couldn't stay focused, and generally feel like I didn't get anything accomplished. Bleh.

Weirdly, the weather has been amazing. We need rain in a big way, but the temperatures were mild, which is a blessing. Actually had to break out a jacket and leggings because it got chilly at night.

Work projects are in a weird state of flux. I have a lot on my plate, and I hopped around multiple projects because of the aforementioned struggle to stay focused. I really hope I can get back on task this week.

I didn't get to watch the season two opener of Reacher, but I did make it through most of my regular shows. The first week of September is a chaos monster so I'm not sure if I'll get to make it through my regular slate of shows. Fingers crossed.

I did start the week with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and enjoyed the rewatch. Always fun when Phryne and company go on trips.

Caught another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. I liked the mystery and my heart broke for Dom and Jean. But Jean was spot on with telling Dom he might not be ready to be a couple.

Watched the opening to season fourteen Death in Paradise. Still not sure if I'm down with the new guy. He might grow on me, and I do like how Naomi and Darlene hold their own with him.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Very fun to see him solve the mystery while not leaving his apartment. And I do think he quite loves to put Hastings in horribly embarrassing positions.

Caught another episode of Elementary. I really like it when Joan and Sherlock team up to help their extended group. Detective Bell's dilemma being resolved ended up being a lot of fun.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond. I didn't fully remember this one, so I enjoyed getting reacquainted with it.

The episode of Lower Decks I watched is hopefully a turning point. Mariner makes me absolutely bonkers, which I'm pretty sure is the whole point. Here's hoping she can dial it back about ten clicks and I can finally settle in and like the character.

I did almost make it through an episode of Peak Practice that I started a couple of weeks ago. Sam is headed for a very bad place, which makes sense since his run is almost finished. Hoping to get the rest of the episode watched this week.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Getting Schooled, a novella that features an enemies-to-lovers flavor.

Here's the miniblurb:

Tamsin and Ike are resident leaders at neighboring summer camps. Tamsin works with upper crust girls and Ike has underprivileged boys. When a grant program director suggests bridging the gap, neither is very excited by the prospect, but once they meet, both get schooled in by how well the kids get along.

And a snippety peek…

"Let me start by thanking both of you for your terrific presentations." The grant director, Allie Mayhew, met Tamsin's gaze then did the same for Ike. "You both put a lot of work into them and because of that … I'd like to offer a suggestion…" She got up and came around the small table she'd been sitting behind and propped her hip on the edge.

Tamsin held back a grimace. A suggestion lacked decisiveness. But Tamsin would listen with an open mind. She could do no less.

Allie folded her hands in front of her. "Why don't I split the funds between both camps?" Her eyebrows arched and a hopeful look crossed her face.

Tamsin bit her tongue to avoid a negative response. She slid Ike a sideways glance. Other than a balled-up fist, he showed no outward sign of thinking this idea sucked.

Tamsin tilted her head to one side. "How do you see your plan working? Will the funds be evenly distributed?" Half would be better than nothing but probably not enough to keep things afloat.

Ike added a query. "And how will the disbursement be handled? Do we submit requisitions or a budget, or will we be free to use the money at our discretion?" He pulled a legal pad out of his bag and flipped to a clean page.

Allie's head wobbled a little. "Well … both are good questions. And the answer is … I don't know yet." She pushed away from the table and walked back and forth. "I literally only thought of this possible solution." She stopped and faced them. "Let's start with pulling a budget together for each camp and assume the funds will be evenly divided between the two." She brightened. "If you can have something to me by the end of the day, I'll make sure to fast-track it on my end. My guess is we'll make a joint account because we can't actually disburse the amount into two separate accounts."

Tamsin stifled a growl of frustration and looked toward Ike. "Can you stick around?" As much as she didn't want to spend more time with Mr. Overgrown Juvenile Delinquent, she'd bite the bullet and get it over with. "Maybe we can hammer out the details and get Allie the information she needs." Not exactly the way Tamsin wanted to spend the rest of the day, but she'd do anything to help the owners.

Ike shrugged. "I'll need to make a quick call, but I can stay." He got his phone and stood, walking to the back of the room.

Tamsin focused on Allie. "We'll work on a budget and get it to you by day's end. Will email be okay?" She opened her laptop and pulled up a spreadsheet.

Allie gave a nod. "That'll be perfect." She leaned forward. "I wish I could do more. And I know this isn't the greatest solution, but hopefully, it'll keep both camps viable for the season."

Tamsin stopped just short of rolling her eyes. "We can definitely hope." Not much else they could do.

Ike returned. "I'm clear all afternoon." He tucked his phone back inside his pocket.

Allie smiled. "Excellent. I'll leave you two to crunch your numbers. Thank you for the amazing presentations." She gathered her purse and phone. "I'll look for your email later today." With a quick wave, she headed for the exit.

Tamsin waited until the door closed before she lobbied her first shot across his bow. "If I didn't promise to do everything I could to save Seneca, I'd be right behind Allie." She huffed out a breath. "But I did promise, and I plan to keep my word." She nodded toward her laptop. "Let's get busy." Not waiting for a response, she sat back down and clicked into her spreadsheet.

Having fun with this one. Ike and Tamsin have major assumptions about each other that aren't true, and the discovery process is a treat!

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin