Yes, it’s that time of year. Cupid is dusting off his bow,
loading his quiver with an ample supply of love-inducing arrows. The
chocolatiers are displaying their wares and the card shops are overflowing with
what they hope will be the perfect way to express your feelings to your true
love. Or something like.
I know what you’re thinking. “C’mon, man, your last name is Love.
That’s gotta mean something. And you have written some steamy passages in
several novels. So despite the grumpy exterior, you must possess the soul of a
romantic.” Well, maybe so.
Having been in a relationship for a long time, I have a
different take on it. Love isn’t reserved just for one day. You see it in the little things as well as
the big gestures. It’s in catching her eye across the room in a crowd of people
and sharing a look and a wink. It’s leaving a note on your way to work while
she’s still sleeping, knowing she’ll see it in an hour or two. It’s preparing a
nice meal. Talking a quiet walk together.
Sharing a laugh. Watching a favorite old movie that you’ve both seen a
dozen times before. It’s coming home from a grueling day at work to a hug and a
kiss and a great dinner. It’s all of that and so much more.
So I won’t be buying more jewelry, boxes of candy or
bouquets of roses to celebrate the day. I’ll
get a few little things. And that will be just fine.
As to the steamy scenes I’ve written, here’s an excerpt from
“Vanishing Act” that might fit the bill.
In this scene, Jamie’s best friend Linda is revealing her feelings for
the new guy in her life. Someone Jamie fixed her up with.
It was a Thursday, a couple of weeks after
we first started working out. Linda suggested we stop for a coffee and a pastry
on our way home. I was looking forward to a Creole dish Malone made, but I knew
she wanted to talk about something. During our class I noticed that her smile
was even brighter than normal. Apparently something had been going on.
So we pulled into a coffee shop that she
likes to frequent. I got a slice of iced lemon loaf and a cup of tea. Linda got
a vanilla coffee and a raspberry muffin. I waited until we were seated at a
little table far from the doorway or anyone else.
“So are you going to tell me what’s going on?
You’ve been beaming a thousand watt smile since you picked me up.”
I saw the color radiate on her cheeks. She
lowered her eyes and took a sip of her coffee. I waited. Finally, she drew a
deep breath and raised her face.
“I think I’m in love,” she said quietly.
I sat back in amazement. This was the same
woman, who, not three weeks ago, had sworn that they were just getting to know
each other, just going to take it slow. Suddenly she was talking love. Before I
could respond, she waved a hand at me.
“Just be quiet and listen, Jamie. I know
that’s difficult for you, but please just hear me out.”
I tore a corner off the pastry and popped it
into my mouth, then closed my eyes to savor the lemony sweetness and let it
dissolve on my tongue. I imagined this was how a sunbeam would taste. When it
was gone, I opened my eyes and gazed at her. I extended my right hand and just
looked at her.
“Vince came over last night. I wanted to
cook for him, so I made shrimp with angel hair pasta. You know the way I do it,
with mushrooms, red peppers and fresh parmesan cheese.”
My
stomach growled. It’s one of her signature dishes. I started to comment but
Linda waved me quiet.
“So we had some good Italian wine, a white
one that really went well with the pasta. The stereo was on, something soft
like Diana Krall and Van Morrison. After dinner, we moved to the sofa. The fire
was lit and one light was on low. I had been in a bit of rush to get dinner
ready when I came home from work, so I hadn’t bother to change.”
She paused to sip her coffee. I couldn’t
keep quiet. “What were you wearing?”
“You know that turquoise sweater with the
cowl neck?”
I nodded. It does magical things for her
eyes.
“That and a black wool skirt, some stockings
and those black leather boots that come up to mid-calf.”
Linda loves boots. She has several pairs and
usually likes the ones with a two-inch heel. I knew exactly the outfit she was
describing. It could stop traffic any time of the day or night. Like she
couldn’t do that already! I waited for her to continue. She took another taste
of her coffee and then started talking quietly again.
“So we’re on the sofa, sitting there, just
listening to the music. He had an arm draped over my shoulders. And I mentioned
that I had to get out of my boots. My feet were starting to cramp. That’s when
things got…different.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear this, but
there was no stopping her now. “What do you mean, different?” I asked.
“Vince told me to move to the other end of
the sofa. Then he slowly unzipped my boots and pulled them off me. My legs were
in his lap. He started to massage my feet, chasing away the aches and pains.
Then he moved up to my ankles. And the whole time, he just kept talking,
keeping his voice very low and soft.”
“What did he say?”
Linda shuddered with the memory. “He told me
all of the things he was going to do to me, all the ways he wanted to please
me.”
I pulled back the sleeve of her jacket. Her
arm was covered in goose bumps. “Do you really want to tell me this, Linda?”
“I’ve got to tell you, because I still can’t
believe it happened. It was like I was hypnotized. He was in total control of
me. I couldn’t even move.”
Somehow no words found their way out of my
mouth. I just stared at her so she kept talking.
“I swear he touched on every fantasy, no
matter how dark, I have ever considered. And the whole time, he just kept
talking softly, massaging my legs. I thought I was melting from his charms on
New Year’s Eve. That was nothing compared to last night. By the time he finally
undressed me, I was so far over the edge, I didn’t think I’d ever make it
back.”
I would have never believed my good and
kindly doctor would be capable of fulfilling all her fantasies. And even if I
had, I could never have imagined how dark these fantasies would turn out to be.
Sounds promising, doesn't it? Well, I couldn't resist to add this little musical piece that's perfect for my take on the big day. Enjoy!
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