Welcome back, we're still with Will and Tonya. They're outside the Lynne and Marc's house discussing the possibility of blackmail. The word prompt is dance.



EXCERPT
His right hand curved around her cheek  with his thumb lifting her chin upward. “I wish I could help.” His lips landed on hers slightly firm and with a hint of promise.

The kiss lasted only seconds. It not only warmed her, but also served as a reminder this type of guy wasn’t for her, not until she untangled herself from Clint. God, she prayed she could without everyone in the company finding out that she didn’t have any tan lines.

 Her right hand rose to trace his face with her fingers. “I wish you could too.” She sighed deeply, aware she was being melodramatic. A trait she always hated in her co-worker. Suck it up, girl. “Time for me to pull on my big girl panties and take care of the situation.”

“I’d like to see that. Not the situation, just you in the big girl panties.” He playfully leered at her lightening the moment. Her elbow to the ribs had him backing up. Even aware he was joking, it still struck her wrong.

The car keys jingled in Will’s hand. “Remember, I’m driving. Marc will pick me up.”

That’s right, she forgot. A coyote yipped in the distance. It sounded like some canine commentary to her. Similar to laughter, here she’d used her best departing line, but the man was driving her home.

Marc came out on the stoop to learn their plans. He agreed to pick up Will, but he might be fifteen minutes behind, wink. wink, nudge, nudge. Nothing would happen in that limited time she wanted to say, but didn’t. For once, she kept her mouth shut after she rattled off her address.

The radio played low on her favorite love songs station. She closed her eyes after watching Will competently handle her car. No fears for Natalie, her car.

A lawyer in the car, she should pick his brain. Yawning, she made sure to cover her mouth. “It’s not you. I’m tired. Lynne told you how things were at work. People on edge, it makes it hard to sleep. Everyone is trying to secure their job in this economy and all.”

His calm baritone seemed out of place in her car. “Are you worried?” 

“Hell, yes, you have no idea. Even have someone trying to blackmail me, I think.” Oops, that was more than she wanted to confess. What was it about Will that relaxed her?

“Hmmm.” He turned onto her street. “Blackmail constitutes a threat if you don’t perform a certain action or pay. Does this sound like your situation?”

“Yes, yes, it does. What does a person do about blackmail?” Boy, she let that cat out of the bag. Still, an uninterested third party could help.

 Maybe she could stop Clint. The anxiety lifted making her feel lighter. Even though it was close to nine, energy seeped through her veins waking up parts that wanted to slumber. Not worrying about Clint and his threats made her feel like she could do anything, even dance.

Today's photo prompt is a picturesque  snowy scene. We left Will & Tonya at dinner, but they made it outside on a warm Indian summer night. In contrast to our photo, things are starting to heat up. She's picking his brain about blackmail and her options all in the name of a friend. 



EXCERPT


His lips were almost on hers. Then it happened, a sudden halt to the romantic proceedings due to her half whispered words. “Why don’t people go to the police when they are being blackmailed? You never explained.” Damn multi-tasking brain.

The lips that were millimeters from touching hers pulled back. Instead of kissing her, Will dropped the arm that was embracing her and leaned back against her car with a sigh. “Why are you so intent on knowing about blackmail? Are you writing a mystery?”

It sounded like a good excuse and an easy way to explain why she needed the information. “That’s it. Could you help me?”

His hand shot through his hair, then rubbed his neck. “Okay, I’ll help. I actually know something about blackmail. You’d be surprised how many people who once professed to love and honor the other will resort to blackmail. Sometimes it’s to get something such as a shared possession or even the kids. “

This wasn’t something she'd considered. Were people dissatisfied in love always out to make the other pay? If so, it made the idea of romance a very scary prospect. Yeah, like she hadn’t figured that out already. “What do they use to blackmail each other?”

Will slapped the car lightly with one hand. “Often one is engaged in an affair, the cheating one makes concessions to keep his current squeeze out of the limelight. Maybe one of the partners participated in some unethical business practice. The criminal activity needs to stay hidden. Threats to make plastic surgery or the true parentage of their children public is used as fodder for blackmail.”

 “Do they go to the police about this?” Would the police even caring about such things?

Hello Friends,
I finished my WIP, Exposed, but I'm going to share a few excerpts before pulling it.Our word prompt for the day is raid. Back at the dinner party, Tonya is waiting for Will to explain his situation.





“You’re right. I started seeing Erica because I thought we’d have a relationship. When it didn’t work out, we hung out like two guys. Of course, I never realize how true that comparison was until now. I spent almost eighteen months hanging with Erica. When she decided to go off and do her man thing, I had no one really. Most people thought I was devastated because she left.  I would have still hung out with her, I mean him, but Eric was into this whole new lifestyle . Work filled the emptiness. Plenty of men advised me to get out there and find a new woman. I wasn’t looking for a new woman. I lost my best friend, not a woman. Does that make any sense?”

“It does. Yeah, more than you know. It was odd just cutting you off like that. It’s happened to me before when a friend got married, moved away or  when I changed jobs. It made me wonder if I ever mattered or if our relationship was just convenient. After  switching jobs, I missed my old co-workers and decided to swing by and see them. It had only been a couple of weeks. The frosty reception I got must have been similar to the ones given to Viking raiding parties. Unfortunately, I didn’t score any loot, just hurt feelings."

Will picked up his empty glass and just looked at it. Lynne swooped in with a full water glass and left it causing him to blink before commenting.

“Would you say our hosts are being a bit odd? I know Marc is my friend, but even for him, this is different behavior.” He angled his head to the doorway where the two remained out of sight.

His remark broke the tension causing her to laugh. “Yeah, I think they are concerned about us. Marc about you not dating. As for me, there’s a list.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, he half-heartedly chuckled. “I doubt it could be that bad. As far as dating, it’s not that I don’t want to. I’ve sorta gotten out of the habit. My line of work makes it hard too.”

She tried to remember what he did. “You only work with men?”

“Oh no, I see plenty of women usually angry women who hate men, in general. I am a divorce lawyer. It doesn’t give me much to hope for as far as relationships go. Hurt, angry people sit in my office every day. I'm grateful for invitation from Marc and Lynne to see what a happily married couple looks like.”

A murmur of approval came from the kitchen.

If all he did was deal with angry men grumbling about betrayal, no doubt his view on womankind sucked. Probably wouldn’t be understanding about Clint spreading her photos on the Internet. Nope, he’d probably see it as a natural consequence. Too bad, Will seemed okay. Then again, maybe she was assuming too much.

“Um, do you ever represent women?” If he did, it would give him a chance to see a woman’s view. It would let him see divorce wasn’t always the woman’s fault.

A long whistle greeted her inquiry. “Do I? That’s mainly all I do. I trained for corporate law, but this opening occurred in a big deal firm. My mentor advised me to take it since he knew the senior partners and could give me the bump over the other candidates. I did.”

Crossing her arms, she considered that it must be nice to have people to help you into sweet jobs. “What happened then?”

Rolling his eyes upward, Will pushed back a little from the table finding the same rug resistance, he settled for tilting the chair back on two back legs. “Clifford and Barrows had a real estate division, which was my original goal, but first I had to learn divorce law. It didn’t make sense, but as a newbie the senior partner took me through a harrowing experience of dealing with couples who’d experienced love gone wrong.”

Clifford and Barrows, she recognized the name.  Their provocative billboards with airbrushed models lounging about in various states of undress. The slogan was something about life being too short to endure a bad marriage. There was also some other line about hiring them before your spouse does. 

You may remember Tonya is at a friend's party where she meets Will. Inability to hold her liquor and impertient questions has led to an awkward pause in the conversation. Today's prompt is stuffed. I also included the recipe for Lobster Wellington.
 
Marc strode into the dining room with long, stiff movements. His hand grasped Tonya’s plate the same time she steered her fork to the entrée anticipating stuffing herself with lobster. The metal fork clattered to the table. Will’s surprised expression mirrored her own as Marc stacked everyone’s plate along his arm.  “I will reheat everyone’s plate. It is cold now.”

The reticent chef disappeared into the kitchen. He could be finicky about food, but it was odd that Lynne stayed in the kitchen, unless they were attempting to give them time to talk. Well, that wasn’t working. She could go tell them. The thick Oriental rug gripped the legs of her chair as she pushed away from the table.

“Don’t go, I’ll explain.” Will reached for her hand detaining her and treating her to another electrical shock. Just as well because she wasn’t too sure how steady her walk to the kitchen would be.

“Go ahead, I’m all ears.” She encouraged. His hand left hers leaving it chilled hand on the tablecloth. Awkward. Using both hands, she lifted her chair a bit, as she scooted it back to its original position.

“As you know, I spent major time with Erica.” He reached for his drink and finished it in two swallows. “In the beginning, I thought we might develop a romantic relationship. When that didn’t happen, we were already in the habit of doing everything together. It didn’t leave much time for dating. I even tried a few times. Most women did not accept that I had a gorgeous friend who also happened to be a woman. They were either jealous or suspicious I was a player.”

 “I would be.” She said the words, unaware she verbalized them until Will directed a compelling look at her.

 “It isn’t natural for men and women to be friends outside of a romantic relationship. Those other women knew that. The only reason a man pretends to be your friend is to start a romantic relationship. I can see their reasoning.”

Marc and Lynne chose to peek out of the kitchen, but withdrew their heads as soon as she noticed. It looked like dinner might be a long time coming.


If you missed the recipe link, here it is again.

Today's prompt is this abandoned building.  We left Will and Tonya at the dinner party. Tonya asked why Erica, the former girlfriend, left to be a man.


Today's Excerpt



Lynne followed her husband mumbling something about bread. They were probably in the kitchen making emergency plans for the dinner party that suddenly imploded.

Taking advantage of their absence, Will looked at her. “Erica really wasn’t my fiancée. We never made any plans or anything, but we were best friends. There were times when I thought she considered me a project like a fixer-upper. Turns out, I never became what she needed, but we did everything together. People assumed we were a couple.”

“Um, so , um did you, ahh.” Tonya bit her bottom lip knowing she was drifting back into forbidden territory.

Her discomfort caused Will’s lips to tilt upward. “Did we sleep together?”

A quick head bob confirmed her prurient interest.  She shouldn’t want to know, but part of her did. Was he so bad in bed or lacking in technique that Erica thought she could do better? Not in finding another guy, but literally could perform better.

“No.” He shook his head side to side in case she hadn’t caught the word. “It really wasn’t that kind of relationship. We were both healthy, attractive single adults. Even kissed, but no chemistry.”

“Really?” The surprise in her voice was genuine. “Marc was afraid you were all broken up about not attracting women.”

Marc stood in the doorway with a serving bowl and turned around before Will noticed him.

“Oh.” His voice dropped suddenly. His brow furrowed. He looked down at his plate. Not looking at her, he asked, “Is there anything you don’t know.”

“Don’t feel so bad. You know I can’t hold my liquor and I might lose my job. That’s more than my mother knows.” She tried for her standard work smile, but it felt more like a grimace.

Catching Up: Missed last week because fall break messed up my sense of what day of the week it was. Today's prompt is flower; see if you can find it. We're still in the middle of a dinner party going south in a hurry.



Marc smiled in her direction and continued his recitation. “I have a nice Sauvignon Blanc to go with the fish. A lovely unpretentious wine named after a flower. I discovered it on my last trip to France.”

Lynne caught her eye and mouthed the words, None for you.

That might be best considering she needed to drive home. She didn’t want to be obvious about forgoing the wine. “It sounds wonderful, Marc, but none for me I am boycotting all things French.”

His eyebrows shot up at her comment. “What?” Before Marc could ask why, his wife shook her head stopping the conversation.

Lynne covered the conversational lull. “What’s for dessert?”

Marc worked his way around the table delicately centering a serving of salmon on each plate. “It is your favorite sweet. I brought home Henri’s renown Baked Alaska.”

“Oh Marc, how wonderful.” Her friend gushed more than Tonya thought necessary for a rather retro dessert.

Will’s eyes shifted between the two similar to watching a tennis match. Taking another sip of her drink, she wondered if she were the ball. Taking advantage of Will’s concentration on his hosts, she ogled him thoroughly.

 Definitely, no gargoyle, no extra ears or fingers, and he was even charming, somewhat.The man had a high paying job judging by his car. It made her wonder why his fiancée left him. “So why did your fiancée dump you to get her own penis?”

A collective indrawn gasp filled the room. Tonya was sure she inhaled too. Wait, she was the one who made the remark. Using one finger, she pushed the martini glass away from her. Get away from me Milky Way Martini Devil.

Lynne erupted into a babble of excuses. “Can’t hold her liquor. Ignore her.”

Will sighed. He rubbed one long fingered hand over his face. “There’s been speculation and very little truth.”

Her hands went up in an effort to prevent any  soul baring confessions. “Oh no, don’t explain.  I ask stupid questions. It seems like you have so much going for you that any woman would be crazy to be hooked up with you and…” Her face reddened as she realized she wasn’t making it any better.

Marc covered for her slightly by announcing, “I’m off to get the vegetables.” Not a great announcement, but it saved her saving her from saying anything worse.

Want the recipe. Here's a link.

Summary: Tonya is at a small dinner party at her friend's request. Her job was to cheer up the single Will, make him feel attractive. Instead, she's defensive as opposed to flirty. As a drinking lightweight, two martinis hadn't brought out her best side. Let's join the dinner party in progress.




A glass platter appeared in front of her. “Crab puff?” Lynne inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Tonya took two before her friend would say something a bellyful of booze. “I love it when Marc brings work home.” Her giggle invalidated her claims about holding her liquor. Normally, she stayed with one cocktail considering it a luxury.  She never drank alone afraid she’d become one of those women always finishing a bottle of wine every evening.  

The oven buzzer effected a relocation around the table while Marc went off to retrieve dinner.  Lynne took her usual chair, while Tonya sat across from her. No matter where Will decided to sit, he’d be next to her at the small table. Nodding to the end chair, he waited for Lynne’s acknowledgment before pulling the chair out.

A heavenly aroma redolent with butter and salmon floated into the room. Taking a deep breath, she savored it. Salmon Wellington was one of Marc’s specialties and one of her former favorite meals. When she discovered, the pastry wrapped seafood had about a gad zillion calories per serving, she’d eliminated it from her favorite foods.

She’d have to eat it because it would be rude not to. Yep, she’d even have to eat the flaky calorie rich crust. The group looked up as Marc entered the room with the entrée resting on bed of kale leaves with  roses created out of radishes to add color.

“Tonight, we will dine like kings on Salmon Wellington, roasted red potatoes, and sauteed asparagus tips and shiitake mushrooms.”

Clapping filled the room. Tonya noticed the other two people at the table weren’t clapping. Her eyes focused downward on her hands in the prayer position. Ooh, it was her. Salmon Wellington was worth clapping about. It sure beat nuking a frozen entrée.

 

Today's prompt is letter.  Will and Tonya have just met. Tonya hid in the bathroom to get herself together, but now she has to join the party


The sound of voices caused her to plaster a smile on her face before she entered the room.

 “Hey Marc, hope you made me one of your special drinks.” She grinned in her host’s direction hoping her smile didn’t look too manic.

Marc winked. “Got something new. I bet you’re going to like it. All the women at the restaurant do. It’s called The Milky Way Martini.”

“Sounds good.” She tried to put the right amount of enthusiasm in her voice, while trying not to stare at Will. “What’s in it?”

“It has vanilla vodka, chocolate liqueur, and Irish cream.” He poured the shot glasses into the shaker with a flourish.
“Whoa.” Will’s remark, forced her to look in his direction. Not looking at him would be strange. It’d make him matter more than he did. 

 Marc offered her the brimming martini glass with an eyebrow wiggle. She took it gratefully, and took a sip of the sweet, potent drink. Fortified, she directed a cool stare at her almost date. “Whoa what?”

The man shrugged. “That’s pure alcohol. Despite the name, it’s not a girly drink.”

What was he trying to say? She couldn’t hold her alcohol or what? “Don’t let the ponytail fool you. I am plenty old enough and can hold my liquor.” She leaned toward Will enunciating her words similar to a belligerent drunk determined to prove sobriety.  The man’s face flushed as he put up his hands to protest.

“That’s not what I meant. Really, it was just a random comment.” He put out his hands as if pleading.  “About the drink, I mean, not you.”

Tonya watched the man flounder knowing his comment wasn’t half as bad as hers. She sipped her cocktail feeling the burn through the sweetness. It was probably her turn to say something, but she had nothing. Damn, somehow, she’d ruined the evening and they hadn’t even gotten to eat yet. Could it get any worse?

Lynne came up behind her and plucked the empty glass from her hand, placing it on the counter. “Oh you have to excuse my friend. Tensions are high at work with looming budget cuts.”

Good thing she never mentioned her problems with Clint to her friend. She edged the glass toward Marc and held up two fingers. The first drink just took the edge off. Besides, she could use a second after the day she’d endured. Work was normally demanding, but more so when she did the work for two in tension so thick she could wrap it around her and use it for a blanket.

Marc nodded and poured the ingredients for the second drink into the shaker. He slid the finished product across the bar without glancing at his wife. 

Lynne would probably be pantomiming behind her back. Staggering around or holding her arms in front of her like a mummy to indicate her friend didn’t need a second drink. It might make Will think Lynne had drinking issues.

The man in question moved closer and sat on the next bar stool looking Tonya in the eye as she tilted her second martini up. “I realize job security can be tricky. I never meant you couldn’t hold your liquor. Want me to write you a letter of recommendation as far as your liquor holding abilities go?”
“I’ll pass.” She waved her hand in the air dismissing the matter. His tendency to keep apologizing struck her as odd. Most men she’d encountered never apologized even if they were in the wrong. Jerks. Will was an entirely different type. One she’d never encountered before.

Last week: Tonya met Will , the lawyer, in the driveway of Lynne and Marc's home. Will is holding his hands up when she accuses him of eavesdropping. Today's prompt is short.





His excuse made sense. “Put your hands down. I accept your excuse.”

Lynne merely lifted an eyebrow as she opened the front door. Her friend waited for them both to pass her before speaking.

Their hostess babbled as they reached the door. “Ah, well, we got the awkward introductions out of the way. I forgot to mention to Tonya that Marc invited you until you arrived.” Lynne managed to deliver the words with a straight face, but winked in Tonya’s direction.

She sucked in her lips, controlling her laughter. Unfortunately, her friend would never be a great actress. Her words sounded as stiff as any business owner who attempted to make their own cut-rate commercial.

Tonya excused herself by pointing in the direction of the bathroom, not trusting herself to laugh. Lynne acknowledged her directional signal while guiding Will to the family room where mellow jazz music and glassware tinkling emanated. Marc must already be making his special martinis. The memory of various drinks in brilliant colors with exotic names made her regret her short detour to the bathroom. Shutting the door with a little more energy than needed, she turned on the faucet full blast covering her laughter.

Seriously, did Lynne think she was fooling anyone? Did Will think she showed up on her own with no hint a single lawyer might be the lure?  A quick glance in the mirror revealed a flushed face. It was hard to tell if it was from laughing or playing her part in this farce. Dampening a washcloth, she patted her face. Thank goodness, she hadn’t bothered with full makeup. Her goal was to look like she hadn’t expected to encounter an eligible male. Well, she accomplished that all right with her ponytail and jeans.

 Oh well, nothing she could do about it now. She stuck out her tongue at her mirrored image. Her goal was not to encourage the man and score a free meal.  A small sigh escaped as she turned the doorknob. The man had potential remembering the spark that zipped up her arm when he touched her hand. Try not to think about it. The last thing she needed was the emotional roller coaster that came with dating. She never managed to exit the horror ride called Clint. It was still going whether she wanted to be on it or not. That would be a hard thing to explain in a budding relationship.

God, listen to her. Budding relationship. Get a grip, chick. Michelle pointed out the man must be a mess if his own fiancée abandoned him to become a man. Will would be smart to avoid her because she was a train wreck in the making with a full time stalker and the possibility of unemployment in the near future.


 

 

 

 

 

Today's prompt is pretty. Tonya has arrived at her friend's house for the fix up date, but she's also just received another threatening text from Clint. She's also dressed in worn jeans, old cowboys boots, and a simple sweater. You'll see why this matters later.

EXCERPT

Her fingers posed over the tiny keyboard. You weren’t supposed to reply to stalkers. Still, she needed to buy time. Her fingers flew over the keyboard hating the fact she was replying along with the reason behind needing to reply.

What email? I didn’t get any email.

Her response might buy her some time. She sent the email wondering if Clint, surrounded by a half dozen cronies, used her as an example as he gave instructions on how to make a woman crawl back.

Nope, it wasn’t going to happen. The tap on her window caused her to drop her phone.

Lynne stood outside the car wrapped in an oversized Kiss the Cook apron. Throwing her a forced smile, Tonya lowered the window. “Do you have any real right wearing that apron?”

“None,” her friend admitted with a shrug. “Marc brought dinner home from work as a favor since I scared up the single female.”

“’Yippee,’ said the single female.” Tonya teased her friend, before powering up the window. Grabbing her phone from the car floor, she regarded it the way one would a poisonous snake.

Depressing the car door handle, she waited until her friend backed up before exiting.

Tonya slammed the car door, prepared to follow her friend, but Lynne wasn’t moving. Instead, her friend pursed her lips as she perused her outfit. “You chose that to wear?” Using her tongue to make a clicking noise, she announced her disapproval as if her face hadn’t already.

Balling up her fists, Tonya placed them on her hips. Pushing her chin out at a belligerent angle, she asked, “What’s wrong with what I have on? I happen to like it.”

Before Lynne could reply, a mellow baritone interjected. “I like it too, especially on you. Looks good.”

Whoa. Not Marc’s familiar East Coast accent. Lynne’s open mouth announced that the man in question arrived.

Might as well make polite, they’d have to meet sometime. Placing one boot behind the other, she pivoted expecting to meet some senior partner or steel-jawed legal tiger. The smiling brown haired man standing next to the sports car clutching a wine bottle looked so ordinary, even pleasant.

A quick scan revealed he was in his business attire minus the suit jacket. His loosened tie and undone top button announced he was ready to leave work behind for the day.

He held out his empty hand. “Hi, I am Will. Will Robinson.”

Tonya gave his hand a vigorous shake remembering her business training that a weak handshake always decreased the client’s confidence in your ability. “Hi Will Robinson. Wasn’t your family trying to get to Alpha Centauri?” The quip may have been ill advised, but his name brought up memories of an old science fiction show sometimes featured in black and white reruns. It also help cover her surprise that his simple touch jumpstarted a chemical reaction. One she considered out of commission.

Will kept her hand a tad longer than needed while his eyes twinkled. “Ah, we weren’t that Robinson family. Mine was the one, that hadn’t seen the show and didn’t understand why naming me Will was not a kindness.”

Tonya found herself grinning back at the witty lawyer. “Did the other kids pick on you?”

“Not too much, but there was this one female who gave me a hard time and I didn’t even know her name.” He nodded toward the front door where Lynne stood waiting.

She almost asked him what grade this was until she realized he was referring to her. “Oh, her. The name’s Tonya Smiley.”

Her last name embarrassed her. It was such a pretty name like loving or serene. It sounded contrived like the hostess on a single cruise. To push past the inevitable remarks about having a beautiful smile or even her name suiting her, she went defensive. “Why were you sneaking around eavesdropping on our girl talk?”

Her abrupt question caused Lynne to cough madly. In between coughs, she managed to mutter, “Watch it.”

Will threw his hands up over his head, one still wrapped around the neck of the wine bottle. “You got me, I’m guilty. I snuck out the side door that Marc showed me to retrieve the wine I forgot. The two of you were deep into conversation. I didn’t think it was my place to interrupt, but when I felt your outfit was being criticized I had to say something.”