Sunday Snippet: Just Do It Already

Ugh. So many small irritants combined to make the week rather challenging. Car problems, house problems, and too many things hitting at once. I'll get through it all, but I'm stressing out, which isn't fun.

The great news is we didn't lose power even with the wild back and forth temperatures. I have a feeling April won't be much better than March when it comes to stabilizing the weather patterns. If only the world could figure out what's causing all the bizarre weather. Yes, that's sarcasm. The world knows what the problem is.

Got a lot of work completed over the week. I have four main projects on my schedule and I'm plugging away at all of them. Finishing up two but have two more waiting in the wings. I also have a couple of backburner projects that I'll be dipping into again.

Had a semi-decent viewing week. Two of my projects involve some tedious cleanup and it's nice to have something on in the background to keep things interesting. I made it through most of my usual shows.

I started with Foyle's War and enjoyed the episode. Kind of sad to see his female counterpart moved to the sidelines again. Lovely to see Sam help her husband get elected as an MP.

Caught another episode of Return to Paradise. I remembered most of this one and enjoyed seeing some familiar faces from other shows I've watched set in Australia.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Really fun to see a couple of very young costars in this one. Also thoroughly enjoyed the mystery.

Elementary had a great episode. I didn't quite make it all the way through because I got distracted, but I enjoyed it.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I'm about two episodes from the end of the series and I need to decide what I'll be watching next. Maybe a Justice League series.

Caught another episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks and very much enjoyed watching Boimler lose his mind. Very fun!

I also had a chance to use my library membership to watch a Stevie Nicks concert via the Kanopy app. I'm going to work hard to make sure I'm taking advantage of everything my local libraries offer. The concert was so good!

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Just Do It Already, a sexy short that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the miniblurb:

On an annual get together with a group of friends, Minnie Roberts gets her chance to test the waters with Reuben Harper who's had a string of bad luck with the dating pool. Reuben is blind to Minnie's interest, and she catches him off guard when she suggests a strings-free weekend with each other.

And a snippety peek…

Reuben put a halt to his brain trying to spin out of control. "Um, yeah. We can go with that." Helping a friend out.

Did she only see him as that. A friend? Of course. What else could she see him as? Except maybe the cranky asshole he'd been lately.

He cocked his head. "Should there be some ground rules?" And what would that look like?

Minnie's lips kicked upward. "I thought you didn't have to overthink things."

Reuben grunted. "Right. I don't. But I also don't want to trash anything either." Friendships were hard to keep.

And he had a solid group right now.

Minnie gave a nod. "Me either. So, let's head back to the condo and see where things go." She met his gaze. "For now, consider us friends with benefits for the duration of our stay here. After that…" She let her voice trail off.

A bridge they could cross when they got there.

He couldn't argue the logic. "Okay. I'm down with that." He got up and held out a hand. "Let's go."

She flashed a quick smile and grasped his fingers. "Yes, let's go." She slid off the chair and fell into step beside him.

He paused by the door. "Should we tell the others?" And what, exactly, would they say to their group? Hey, we're gonna go sex it up. Catch you later.

Minnie shook her head. "They'll be out there until the sun comes up. You know the tradition."

Right. He did. They usually closed the bar down then walked on the beach until the first rays of dawn broke the horizon.

The stroll to the condo passed quickly and without conversation. But their fingers were still laced together. He liked the feel of her hand intertwined with his.

Once inside the rental, they parted and Minnie set her bag on the coffee table then entered the kitchen area. She fussed with the cups they left behind earlier, and he pulled the fridge door open to have something to do then shut it, because, really? Not exactly a smooth transition from friends to lovers.

We're both nervous. Big step to hook up with a friend. Especially one he wanted to keep after whatever happened … happened.

Reuben raked a hand through his hair. "How do we start this?" Stupid question, but he honestly had no idea how to approach hooking up with her.

Minnie stilled after putting the glasses in the sink, but only for a moment.

She hopped up on the island and tugged him closer. "A kiss might be a good idea." Her lips twisted with a wry smile.

Yeah, locking lips could work. And he'd always wondered what hers would feel like against his. Guess I'm about to find out…

He leaned in, his mouth hovering close to hers. She put her hands on his chest and took a shaky breath. Reuben hesitated… Just do it already! He caught her mouth with his, thinking to start small … but as soon as their lips meshed, flames ignited in his bloodstream and his tongue slid past her teeth. Minnie groaned and hauled him closer, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Holy shit. Fireworks went off in his brain and he scooped her off the counter, carrying her toward the nearest comfortable surface … the couch in the living room. He needed to explore every inch of her…

And he didn't have to ask how to do that.

This is a fun one to write. I love friends who become more even if they don't think they will.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin