Sunday Snippet: Indecision

I'm happy to say I managed to pull off a surprise birthday celebration for my husband with the help of our daughter and a few other very good and awesome friends. I held it at the elementary school where he works as a custodian and surprisingly got everything and everyone in to the cafeteria without him finding out. I'm so happy we surprised him!

That party capped off a very busy week between trying to figure out what the weather is going to do from one moment to the next and work projects dropping from the sky to not feeling the greatest because of said weather. We're gearing up for some additional snow so that should be fun.

As mentioned, work projects are piling up and I'm happy to be busy. I have a good mix of genres at the moment and I enjoy the variety. I should have two finished up this week and two more starting. I'm excited and hope this trend continues!

Had an okay week of viewing. I managed to get through my usual schedule of shows and caught a little more of the Olympics. I'm not a rabid fan, but I do enjoy amazing athletes compete for their countries.

Started the week with Midsomer Murders and finished up season 25. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this season. The writing kind of blew me away and the humorous moments made me happy. More of this please!

Caught the premiere episode of Foyle's War season seven and it's one I remembered. I do miss the sergeant and kind of hope he ends up showing up again.

Finished season twenty-eight of Silent Witness and I love ending on the wedding on Jack and Nikki with the hint of where they'll be going in the next season. The new team is amazing, and I'm thrilled they'll be sticking around.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot and loved how Hastings and Poirot were concerned about Miss Lemon but ended up not having to be because of a cat.

Elementary had another great episode. Kind of fun to see Sherlock wake Joan up with a violin. I also think Sherlock nudging Gregson to get married actually made sense. Sherlock's awkwardness always makes me smile.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond and it isn't the last one of the series. I have several more to watch before having to decide which show to pick up next.

Caught another episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks and rather enjoyed the new vibe between the characters. I have to admit, I'm kind of meh about the Ransom character. We'll see if he grows on me the way Beckett did.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Indecision, a new adult novella that explores making new friends and potentially more in college.

Here's the miniblurb:

Shandi Rhobles meets Forrest Cox during her first semester of college. By their second week in, they're flirty friends but Shandi shies away from a relationship. When their semester ends, Forrest is tired of waiting in the wings and Shandi realizes her indecision comes with a price.

And a snippety peek…

Forrest ended up in Finney and found his room without too much trouble. "Number 209." He pushed the door open and discovered it empty. "Wonder if I'll have a roommate?" He'd checked no preference when he'd filled out the living accommodation form.

The two beds and desks along with two dressers suggested he would be sharing.

Dumping his backpack on one of the beds, he nodded. He liked the space. Finney hall had a recent renovation, and the dorm rooms didn't completely look like prison cells. With five stories, he appreciated being on the second level. Based on the welcome packet, this coed hall had single-sex bathrooms with showers on alternating floors … with the exception of the third that had the student lounge equipped with televisions, game tables, and microwave stations.

Glancing at the door, his gaze narrowed. Two index-card sized nameplates were attached to the inside. One had Forrest's name and the other had Benji Sutton.

He nodded. "Guess I do have a roommate." Should he wait until the guy showed up or just pick a side and start unpacking?

He opted to at least get all his stuff and drag it up and into the space.

Of course, everyone else had to do the same thing, which meant utter chaos in the hallways. At least most of his fellow dormmates were in good spirits and cooperating with each other. He made his way down the stairs and jogged out to his car to start on the first load.

An hour later, after three treks up and down the steps, he had the last of his car unloaded and pondered whether he should make one or two trips.

He huffed out a breath. "Ugh. Gonna do it in one. Can't deal with fighting my way up the steps two more times." He thought about taking the elevator, but the line put that idea out of his head.

He grabbed the set of plastic drawers that would fit under his bed and balanced the laundry basket filled with towels and bedding on top. He had two bags filled with toiletries in one and a six pack of soda with snacks in the other. He put the bags over his wrists then picked up the other two items. The basket listed a little to the left and he adjusted his grip and started forward. A horn beeped and he stopped short, the basket sliding precariously close to the edge.

He quickly backed up. "Shit." He moved too fast and started to lose his hold on the drawers.

"Whoa! I got you." Two hands snagged the laundry bin and removed it before it fell. "Oh! Hi again."

Forrest blinked in surprise, happy to see the girl he'd collided with earlier. "Hey … Shandi, right?" He got a better handle on the drawers. "Thanks for the assist. Are you in Finney also?" He fell into step beside her and they crossed the parking lot.

She nodded. "Yeah, fourth floor. Which is a haul today, but the view is actually pretty great. I can see most of the campus from my window." Holding the door open, she waited for him to walk through before following him up the steps.

He gave a low whistle. "Glad to say I'm on the next level up. Did you wait in line for the elevators?" He nudged past another student on their way down the stairs.

Shandi laughed. "No way. I brought the bare essentials up for now. I plan to wait until it's almost dark before I start dragging the rest of my stuff up." Her eyebrows arched. "Which room are you in?"

He tilted his chin toward the left. "Two oh nine. Door should be unlocked." He'd brought his tech stuff—television, laptop, charging station, and minifridge—up on the first trip.

Shandi twisted the knob but paused. "Should I knock? Do you have a roommate?"

Forrest shook his head. "I'm supposed to, but they haven't arrived yet." He guessed Benji could've come while he'd been out, but kind of doubted it.

Shandi pushed the heavy wood slab open and held it for Forrest. He ducked inside the room and quickly set the drawers down and got rid of the bags. He reached for the basket. Shandi handed it over and glanced around the space.

One side looked like a bomb went off and the other still had the pristine shine of being unoccupied.

Shandi's lips curved. "Looks a lot like mine … except I have a single." She met his gaze. "I'm not sure if that means I'm lucky or not."

Forrest shrugged. "I didn't really have a preference. I have siblings so I'm used to sharing space." He wouldn't mind having the solitude but figured anyone aside from his brothers could be fun to have around.

Shandi laughed. "Same. Not sure I'll know what to do with all the quiet time I'll have."

Forrest liked her sense of humor and hoped to get to know her better. She had striking features, something his mom always said when classic beauty didn't fit but the attractiveness level pinged hard. And it wailed like a siren for him right now.

Scrambling around for something to say, an idea popped into his head. "Can you use some help bringing your stuff in later?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh, you don't have to do that."

He grinned. "I know. But stop by if you can use some … or if you just want some company while trekking back and forth."

She tilted her head to one side. "I just might do that." Turning, she headed for the door. "No worries if you're not here, though." Stepping out into the hallway, she gave him a quick wave.

He lifted his chin. "Okay."

He would definitely be around for sure.

This one is in the beginning stages and I'm excited to see where it goes. I love these characters.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin