Monday, March 26, 2012

Scorcher - A Blurb

To start off the week, I thought I'd tease you with a snippet of "Scorcher", a contemporary romance I've been working on from time to time. . .And you thought it was going to be something from "Timeless Sojourn"!! Soon, very soon. For now enjoy. . .


It was a hot night in Dallas, Texas, a scorcher, and Savannah Mitchell was getting ready to go out for a night on the two with her girlfriend, Myra King. Friends since childhood, it had been a long time since the two had been able to just go out and have fun. Myra had come to town for a timber convention in her father’s place. Knowing that Savannah was living in Dallas, Myra offered to go, and planned to stay with Savannah while she was there.
Savannah stood in her room, looking in the mirror and thinking about Quinn, the love of her life from whom she had heard from just several days before. She couldn’t believe that he had called her out of the blue, after all that time. Just when she thought she was over him and moving on with her life, he called and tried to stir up old feelings. Quinn was a man who had made Savannah’s life complete. When he left town for another job, they broke up, and Savannah was devastated. She swore that she would never love that truly, or deeply ever again. In fact, she would never allow another man into her heart the way she had allowed Quinn. Now Myra was in town. Wow, this is going to be great fun! Savannah said to herself, as she put on her black Prada high heels and sprayed a light mist of hairspray onto her long, wavy red locks. Savannah had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that tonight was going to be different.
“So tell me about your job. You’re here for the timber convention?” Savannah asked as she sipped her coffee.
“Well, as you know, my father has been in the timber business all his life. When I finished college, I decided I wanted to work for him and learn the business, as my brothers had,” Myra replied, as she finished the last bite of her steak dinner. “At first he didn’t want me to get into the family business, saying it was a man’s job. He soon realized that I wasn’t going to give up, so he gave me a job in sales. I soon proved myself, and now I’m the VP of Human Resources. My father was called away to Montana for a deal on some timber with Stephen. Greg just got married a few weeks ago, and is still on his honeymoon. So my father reluctantly asked me if I could attend for him. I knew you had moved here after you finished law school, so I looked you up, and here I am!”
“I’m glad you did! I miss those days when we used to go out and dance ‘til dawn!”
“That’s what I plan to do tonight!” Myra wiped her mouth and drank the last of her Cabernet. “Where’s the best nightlife in this town?”
“It’s right here at this restaurant! There’s a club on the other side. They have live bands that play every weekend, and a lot of times you can catch a professional football or baseball player in here with their friends as well. So you never know. It’s a fun place to hang out. I come here sometimes with friends, and we always dance until we drop!”

Logan had arrived in Dallas for the timber convention earlier that day. Originally he hadn’t planned on arriving until Tuesday evening, but after he and his father had spent the previous night having words over Heather, he was now looking forward to being away for the entire weekend. Heather Cooper had been Logan’s girlfriend for almost five years. Charles had liked Heather for a good portion of Logan’s relationship with her, but one day when Charles was having a business lunch with his lawyer in a restaurant in Portland, he saw Heather at a nearby table with another man, being quite intimate. Charles didn’t know how to approach the subject with Logan, but felt his son had a right to know.
At first Logan couldn’t believe his father could be so cruel. But when he confronted Heather about what his father had seen, Heather hit him with all the details. She said she didn’t love him anymore. She had wanted out of the relationship for some time, but never knew how to tell him of her dissatisfaction. She was tired of Logan putting her second to his job. She wanted a home, a family, and a marriage in which her husband loved and worshiped her.
Logan loved Heather, but in the five years that they had been together, Logan was always working long hours at the office, and never had time to devote to planning a marriage or family. He always felt there would be time later for that. Heather seemed content with their life in Portland. Logan had purchased a house, and she seemed content to just live together. Charles never approved of them living together, but allowed his son to live his life the way he saw fit.
Things had gotten heated between father and son when Charles continued to badger Logan about Heather, telling him that if he had been more attentive to her needs, this would have never happened.
“Why don’t you stay out of this, Dad?” Logan shouted. “This is between Heather and me. I will handle it the way I see fit.” Logan had turned and faced the window looking out over his front yard, still visibly upset at the whole sordid mess.
“Logan!” Charles threw his hands up in the air. “I am your father and I care about your happiness, son. Why won’t you fight for Heather? Are you just going to throw away five years of your life?”
“Dad!” Logan swiftly turned back around to face his father. His lips were tight, and his eyes were filled with ire at his father’s suggestion that he should fight for Heather after she had denounced their love. “I’m perfectly capable of running the business. I don’t need any outside help. It’s over between Lisa and me. She said she doesn’t love me anymore, and she wants out. Maybe I want out too. There’s nothing left to save, so lay off!”
Logan headed for the door. “I’m heading for Dallas in the morning. Lisa is coming by tomorrow to move her things out and I don’t want to be here when she does. I’m catching the nine o’clock flight. If you need me, you can reach me at the numbers on the itinerary I emailed you. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going out. You can let yourself out.”
“Logan, wait.”
“No, Dad, don’t you get it? I don’t want to discuss this with you. There is nothing left to say. Good night.”
Logan slammed the door behind him, leaving his father standing in the middle of his sons living room. He had never known Logan to give up so easily, but what he didn’t realize was that Logan had also been feeling as if the relationship was coming to an end. He had loved Heather so much, but over the six months they it was noticeable they were growing further and further apart. Their sex life had become almost non-existent. At this revelation, Logan had absorbed himself more and more into his work, trying to find himself and hopefully, back to his relationship with Heather. But it was too late. The damage had been done, and she would be moving out.

As Savannah signed the dinner tab, she looked up at Myra who had a huge smile on her face. “What’s that devil in your eyes all about?”
“I was thinking, we should go into the bar, find a couple of handsome men, and let them buy us drinks all night long! And…” She said with an impish smile on her face.
“Carol! I think we should just go into the bar and have some fun. I’m not in the mood to pick up any men tonight. Besides, I’m glad that you’re here. I just want to enjoy the evening with you, silly. If we should meet some handsome men, dance with them, and if they want to buy us a few drinks, that would be great. But I’m not looking for a one night stand.”
“Savannah, Quinn has a strangle hold on you again. Don’t you know that you need to let him go once and for all?” she said with a concerned look on her face.
“I’m fine, Myra. I still love Quinn, and I don’t know that I will ever be able to find love again. Besides, why is it that we have to pick up men tonight? Can’t we just go have fun and see what the night brings?”
“You’re right. So let’s go knock ‘em dead! I’m ready for a nice stiff Martini.” Myra’s smile stretched from ear to ear, and she still had that devil look in her eye. Savannah knew her friend was going to try her best to take her  mind off Quinn, and she welcomed the attempt. The two friends got up from the table and moved into the club at the front of the restaurant.
The lounge was already crowded. It was nine-thirty, and the pand had just started to play. Savannah knew the band well, as she had seen them many times before in the club and other venues around town. They stopped off at the bar to get a drink before heading closer to the dance floor. Savannah waved at Chris, the lead singer. Chris blew her a kiss as he sang an 80s classic. Savannah blew a kiss back, and they smiled at each other.
“Who is that and how do you know him? He’s really cute!” Myra turned to her friend, amazed that she had not heard about this adorable man playing keyboard and singing on stage.
“Chris? Oh, he’s just a really good friend of mine. I met him about a year ago when they were playing at a club across town, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
“Well, why are you two not hooked up? He seemed very excited to see you,” Myra continued with her quizzical look.
“There are a couple of reasons. Number one, he has a girlfriend, and number two, I just adore him as a friend. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“That adorable, dark, handsome fella is already spoken for?” Myra looked disappointed.
“Yes, one hundred percent. His girlfriend is back in Austin where they live. I’ve met her, and she’s a super nice girl,” Savannah said as she continued to smile at him, and he at her. “Besides, I’m just too busy right now for a relationship even if he was available. And I certainly don’t want to be involved with a lead singer that has women falling all over him all the time. Hmmm, my glass is empty. I guess it’s time for another. Want one?”
“Sure. I think I’ll stand here and study your singer friend. Try to figure him out.”
“Chris is a lot of fun. He never lets on that he’s spoken for, because it would probably break those ladies hearts if they knew,” Savannah said fondly of her friend. “I’ll be right back.”
Savannah headed to the bar, and ordered another round of drinks for her and Myra, and a gold Schlauger shot for Chris. Savannah strolled back to where Myra was standing and now talking to a very tall, handsome gentleman. Myra introduced him as Henry and explained that he was there for the timber convention as well. Myra knew him from the business, and they were talking about upcoming meetings that would start that week.
Savannah handed Myra her drink, and proceeded onto the dance floor to give Chris his shot. He leaned down to give her a kiss and a ‘thank you’ in her ear.
“I’ll see you at the break,” he said into his microphone. Savannah nodded her head in agreement, and pointed over to where she was standing with Myra and Henry.

Logan looked dashing dressed in starched black jeans and a black silk shirt. The top three buttons of the well-fitted shirt were open and his boots had been freshly shined by the service at the hotel. He was ready for a good time, and ready to forget about Heather, and the fight he had with his father the night before. He stopped off at the bar to grab a drink before heading around to check out the scenery in the club. The concierge at the Four Seasons Resort and Spa where he was staying had recommended Cool River Restaurant and Bar to Logan as a happening place where young people liked to hang out. It would also be a focal point for a lot of the attendees of the lumber convention. Many were at Cool River tonight enjoying the fine steaks and nightlife.

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