Book Blast: Money or Men by David Burnett

Please welcome author David Burnett to Full Moon Dreaming! He is here to tell us about his new release, Money or Men. David will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on the tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

Money or Men

by David Burnett

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Love or loot?

Erin must choose between the money of which she has long dreamed and the man who she has loved. Eight years ago, she chose “loot” when Chris, her former husband, competed for her hand against the god of money. Now, with a promotion within reach, she is poised to take her place among the elite of Wall Street. She will soon be working twenty-four-seven to reorganize a failing company, and she has been ordered to find someone to care for her children.

She has few options, and she reluctantly concludes she must beg Chris for help. She has not talked with Chris, written, texted, friended, private messaged, or tweeted Chris since leaving him, but if he will not keep their children for the summer, she will lose her promotion, and her dream of wealth will vanish.

Opposites had attracted when they had fallen in love. Erin remembers a Chris who was laid-back, satisfied, and, worst of all, unambitious. He seems not to have changed. He lives on a small island with no home mail delivery. He had been an author, but Erin can find nothing he has published since their split.

But Chris’s photo is the one personal item on Erin’s desk, and she still dreams of him when she sleeps. She fears if she asks Chris to care for their children for the summer, she will be drawn back into his world. She will choose Chris over money, “love over loot,” lose her drive to succeed and everything for which she has worked. Her promotion will be denied – and lightning will not strike a second time. How can she send their children to live with him without becoming entangled herself?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

Why was her former husband invading her dreams? They had parted ways eight years ago, had laid eyes on each other exactly once since then. They had nothing at all in common. He was a stranger to her now. If her unconscious was insisting she still cared one whit for Chris Stephens then her unconscious needed serious help, because it was distorting her thoughts, urges, and wishes totally beyond recognition.

Why were her father’s sermons echoing in her mind? She had renounced his religion long ago. Beyond that, why was what she was doing so very wrong? She didn’t sleep around. She’d used sex to obtain information, yes. She had gone to bed with men for a good time, as she had tonight, yes. But no one, neither she nor the men involved, had any illusions about love or caring. She didn’t destroy marriages. She didn’t break hearts. No one was hurt. She was more chaste than almost any unmarried woman she knew and more so than a third of those who had husbands.

Her eyes narrowed. Neither of those men would control her, and she knew one sure way to drive them out of her thoughts.

She retraced her steps and stood beside the bed. Their clothes lay discarded on the floor where Tim had tossed them several hours earlier. He lay on his back, asleep, a white sheet covering the lower half of his body, his breathing low and regular, the hint of a smile on his face.

Earlier, Tim had played the hunter, while she had been cast as his prey. Nothing wrong with that game, but if she wanted to control the men in her mind, she must also control the one in her bed.

She would change the rules.

Careful not to wake him, Erin sat on the bed beside Tim and placed her hand on his chest. It felt hard and sculpted, the chest of a body-builder. He had bragged he could lift her weight with a single hand and bench-press three hundred pounds.

With one finger, she traced the outline of his muscles, “pecs,” they were called, pectoral muscles, round, hard muscles that covered the upper part of his body.

Her hand crept lower, slipping across his flat stomach. As the muscles tightened under her touch, Tim’s eyes opened. He placed one hand on Erin’s right arm and raised his shoulders as if he wanted to sit.

Erin gently pushed him back onto the bed. A woman in charge. He would have at least one thing in common with the data analyst.

“I thought you were leaving,” he whispered.

“Just a bad dream. And I’m thinking that if my dreams are going to be bad, then I should find something better to do with my time.”

He smirked. “My thoughts, exactly.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

We recently moved to our new home near Charleston, South Carolina. Four of my books are set in Charleston, and I’ve always enjoyed the Carolina beaches. I now have the opportunity to walk on the beach almost every day and to photography the ocean, the sea birds, and the marshes that I love.

I love photography, and I have photographed subjects as varied as prehistoric ruins on the islands of Scotland, star trails, sea gulls, and a Native American powwow. My wife and I have traveled widely in the United States and the United Kingdom. During trips to Scotland, we visited Crathes Castle, the ancestral home of the Burnett family near Aberdeen, and Kismul Castle on Barra, the home of my McNeil ancestors.

I went to school for much longer than I want to admit, and I have degrees in psychology and education. In an “earlier life” I was director of research for our state’s education department.

Links

Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/Money-Men-David-Burnett-ebook/dp/B07N58KL52/

Website

http://davidburnett.yolasite.com

Twitter

https://twitter.com/DavdBurnett

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/DavidBurnett.Author

Amazon Author Page

http://amazon.com/author/davidburnett

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6579272.David_Burnett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday Briefs: In Pieces #47 (12.1)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Last time, Salvation was in Houma, playing in an underground club, and Abby's erstwhile boyfriend Brandon decided to show up. He didn't make a good impression on Ryan, and Ben and Aiden don't seem particularly fond of him either. But it's another day, another show. See what's up in this week's chapter of In Pieces. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them!  Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

In Pieces #47 (12.1)

Ben’s eyelids began to flutter open, accompanied by a soft sound that could have been a moan or a sigh. As he focused his eyes, his crystal blue gaze fell on Ryan, sitting on the edge of the bed, and a luminous smile spread across his face. “You’re up early.” Ryan found Ben’s sleep-hoarse voice sexy.

“A little,” Ryan admitted. “I wanted to surprise you this morning.”

“Surprise me?” Ben struggled into a sitting position. He ran one hand through his bed-tousled hair.

“I made breakfast.” Ryan indicated the table between their beds. Poking about in the kitchen for something to serve Ben breakfast in bed, he’d been lucky enough to find a lap tray in the pantry, as well as a silver cloche. The cover effectively concealed what lay beneath.

“You’re too good to me,” Ben said. “I can’t believe you went to all that trouble… just for me…”

“No trouble,” Ryan assured him. “Not when it comes to you.” That produced another warm smile from Ben.

“I warn you, it’s nothing fancy. I just went with what I could find in the fridge and pantry. I toasted some English muffins, and buttered them. I couldn’t find any eggs, but there was still some of that fruit we had. Strawberries and grapes. Plus I squeezed some orange juice.”

Ben made no immediate reply. Had he done something wrong? But then Ben swiped at one eye and sniffled slightly. “It all sounds wonderful,” he said softly. “But before I get to that, there’s something I want a lot more.”

“What is it? Anything you want, I’ll get it for you.”

Ben crooked his finger and beckoned to Ryan. “I want you,” he said. “I want to taste your lips.” His own lips parted in mute expectation.

Ryan leaned toward Ben even as Ben moved toward him, their lips meeting gloriously in the middle. Ryan was in heaven. This was how he wanted to start every day, with Ben’s touch.

Ben insisted they share the breakfast Ryan had made. They took turns feeding each other, teasing the succulent strawberries and plump grapes between their lips, kissing each another in between bites. Licking and sucking buttery finger tips. When they were done, they set the dishes aside, slid between the sheets and made love again.

The sound of running water and laughter woke Ryan. Momentarily confused, he quickly realized what he was hearing was Keanu and Deacon, carrying on in the bathroom the two bedrooms shared. Damn, he and Ben must have fallen asleep. He rolled over and grabbed his cell phone from the bedside table. Almost one o’clock. Where had the day gone?

He tried to remember what was on Salvation’s schedule. He knew Sunday was open, but weren’t they playing tonight? Some place in New Orleans?

“Sounds like someone’s having a good time.”

Ryan glanced back at Ben, who was obviously awake and very much amused at what he was hearing. Ryan was less impressed. He’d hoped to jump in the shower, and he was sure Ben would want one too, some time before the show.

“Is it wrong to hope they’re almost done?” Ryan asked.

Ben scooted closer to Ryan. He threw one leg across Ryan’s, bringing their crotches into closer proximity. “We could always use Cameron’s bathroom, since he isn’t here.”

Ryan didn’t like that idea, but for no reason he could put a finger on. He just didn’t trust the man, and maybe it was the idea of being inside his personal space that was so distasteful. Luckily for him, the sound of falling water suddenly ceased. Moments afterward, he heard footsteps. Then the door into Keanu and Deacon’s bedroom slammed shut, followed by silence.

“Looks like it’s our turn after all,” Ben said. He rubbed himself seductively against Ryan, as if he intended to dry hump him. Ryan couldn’t help but moan. He couldn’t resist Ben’s siren call, no matter how many times they made love, or how recently.

“Don’t you have a show tonight?” Ryan tried to steer his lover’s mind toward business, but he suspected that was a losing battle.

“Sure do,” Ben said. “But that’s later. This is here and now.”  He reached between him and grasped Ryan’s semi-hard cock. God, Ben made saying no impossible.

“C’mon, let’s see how much hot water’s left.” He abruptly rolled off Ryan and sashayed his way toward the bathroom. What else could Ryan do but follow him?

to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Alan Veerkamp

Carol Pedroso

Julie Lynn Hayes

What I'm Watching - 04.08.19

Good morning and Happy Monday to all!

I want to talk today about some of the shows I've been watching, at least a couple. The first one that comes to mind isn't even new, but I seem to have ignored its existence until my daughter Sarah said she was surprised I didn't watch it since James Spader is in it. That caught my attention? He is? Guess I have to check it out, then.

The show in question is Boston Legal. I'm not even sure why I missed watching it before. All I can say is I'm making up for lost time now and have already watched the first season. Boston Legal is about a law firm and it might come as no surprise that it takes place in Boston. It's composed of an ensemble cast, and originally aired from 2004 to 2008. The law firm is Crane, Poole, and Schmidt.

 In the first episode we meet Edwin Poole, who arrives late for a staff meeting, sans trousers. He is inimitably played by Larry Miller, whom I think is an underrated actor. We don't meet Schmidt right away, but Crane is Denny Crane, played by everyone's favorite Star Trek captain, William Shatner. The man who I chose to watch the series for, James Spader, plays attorney Alan Shore. Mark Valley, of Keen Eddie, is the uptight Brad Chase, and Rene Auberjonois, also an actor with Star Trek experience (in his case, as Odo of Deep Space Nine), is Paul Lewiston, who has to keep all these characters in line, a thankless task indeed.

Let's start with my undoubtedly favorite character (and is anyone surprised?) Alan Shore. Alan is a brilliant attorney, very attractive, charismatic, intelligent, unconventional, as well as a thorough womanizer.







 He even makes overtures to Shirley Schmidt, when she enters the picture , played by veteran 

Candice Bergen. The sexual banter between them is great! I think the only woman he doesn't come on to is the one who eventually becomes his assistant, Betty White. She's fabulous as Catherine Piper, a very feisty outspoken woman who has no trouble with speaking what's on her mind.









Alan can be smug, annoying, and insensitive. He is thoroughly candid about the way he sexually harasses women. And he flits from woman to woman like any bee. But underneath all that, he has his own code of honor, and a certain vulnerability which draws me to him. I think he pushed women away before he can get hurt, and I'd love to know what his backstory is, what made him this way. The relationship between Alan and Denny Crane is amazing. Despite being pretty much total opposites, they are alike in some fundamental ways, irresistibly drawn to one another as friends. ****SPOILERS AHEAD****  When Alan is being held at gunpoint by the unhappy husband of a client, it's Denny who comes to his rescue and shoots the gunman in the shoulder (although I have to mention that before he becomes aware of the situation, he thinks the two female lawyers hiding in his office are there fore sex). Alan and Denny have each other's backs, and they can talk to one another as to no one else. The closing segment of the pilot episode, "Head Cases." became a staple part of the series - Alan and Denny sitting together on the firm's patio, smoking cigars and drinking alcohol as they discuss what's been going on.  Iconic. In the picture below, you see them each with a cigar in their ear. Watch the episode to find out way. (Look carefully for the cigars, they're hard to see).

Boston Legal tackles issues from the headlines, but also issues that haven't made the headlines yet, whether controversial or not. There are lots of laugh out loud moments but also some that make you feel, or make you weep. In the last episode of season one, Alan is asked to help out on a case in Texas, a last appeal for a man who is about to be executed and maybe innocent. Despite all his best efforts, at the end of the episode, Alan is forced to watch helplessly as the man is strapped onto a gurney, struggling, and given the lethal injection. The look on Alan's face .... well, see for yourself. I'm looking forward to starting season 2 soon.

I am still watching The Magicians, on SyFy, which is currently airing season 4. I have to say that this show never gets old for me, and each episode ends too quickly, leaving me going already? At the end of last season  *****SPOILERS AHEAD****, our magicians were hidden away behind false faces and false identities in order to protect them but that ended this season, and as usual they have issues to deal with. This time it's The Library, the controlling body which is limiting the use of magic. Add to that, Elliot's body has been taken over by a very selfish, childish and powerful god, the original Penny is lost in limbo somewhere, and Alice and Quentin are still estranged... well, there's a whole lot going on here. Julia wants to become a god again, Margo wants to save Elliot and Fillory, everyone wants to stop the library.

This photo is not actually from this season, but is from one of my favorite scenes, which you can find on Youtube, in which the cast do an ensemble singing of David Bowie's Under Pressure. I've watched it multiple times and never get tired of it. This season, there was a second musical episode, which very much featured the vocal talents of Hale Appleman, as Elliot. I have to say Elliot is my favorite character, and Margo has grown on me. She is one woman who really has balls. I would back her in a fight any time.

One of my favorite episodes of the entire series is "One Life in the Day", and is an Elliot and Quentin story which is very touching and beautiful. I won't tell you what happens, so you can enjoy it for yourself, but it's well worth watching.

And in other news, I just found out that Restaurant Impossible is coming back with new episodes on April 20th! I will be watching for sure!

All for now, more later. Have a great day!

Book Review: Ten Count Vol 2 by Rihito Takarai

Ten Count, Vol 2    

Author: Rihito Takarai

Publisher: SuBLime Manga

American release date: November 8, 2016

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/manga/glbt/184 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Shirotani is devastated after Kurose tells him they won’t be seeing each other any more. He curls up on his bed, and ceases to function, to the point where his boss and his co-worker/friend, Mikami, become concerned. He isn’t answering his phone. Mikami mentions to their boss that the only other friend he knows of is Kurose. The president gives him Kurose’s number and Mikami explains what is going on. Kurose texts as well, but receives no response. When Shirotani finally rouses himself, he realizes his phone battery is dead. After charging it, he discovers a number of messages, including one from Kurose telling him to meet him at the café on Saturday at 2 pm, and he’ll wait as long as it takes. But it’s already 7 pm! Surely Kurose isn’t still there? Shirotani can’t help but go to find out, expecting everything but what he sees—Kurose is there, waiting for him. Shirotani explodes at Kurose, in public no less, then rushes off, forgetting his train pass and his wallet in his hurry. Unable to do anything or go anywhere, he sits in the rain and despairs… until Kurose finds him.

Kurose envelops Shirotani in his warmth and explains why he thought he needed to put distance between them—because he realized he was falling in love with Shirotani, and he finds it harder and harder to resist the urge to touch him. They discuss the situation and Shirotani reveals that he wants to keep seeing Kurose.

Shirotani arrives at their next scheduled meeting only to discover Kurose not there. He receives a text from him explaining he had to cover for someone at the clinic, and he didn’t know when he can get away. So Shirotani goes to the clinic instead. Alone in the clinic, Kurose, as he has warned Shirotani, cannot resist touching him, kissing his hands… and more. Shirotani is both disgusted and turned on by what is being done to him. They finally decide to meet for the dinner that never was, although Shirotani, as usual, doesn’t eat, but does drink some champagne. Perhaps it’s the influence of the champagne that loosens his tongue when he admits that he’s been thinking all day about Kurose touching him. Kurose tells him to come with him, he wants to take him somewhere he can do even more unpleasant things to him.

There is so much going on this volume. It’s obvious that Shirotani is both attracted and repelled by Kurose. The chemistry between these two men is palpable. The one thing that bugs me about Kurose, though, is that as a trained therapist, he has made no attempt to get to the root of Shirotani’s problems. It’s obvious to me that Shirotani has been abused, and he’s never dealt with what happened, which has led to his disgust with and inability to be touched. So far, Kurose is just treating the symptoms, not the disease. I’m worried that at some point, something he does is going to trigger something in Shirotani that might make him worse.

I’m sure Kurose has his own backstory, and I look forward to knowing more about both of them. This is not your typical m/m romance, and yet it is very romantic and sexy. I especially appreciate the artwork, and that the graphic scenes have not been erased in any way, as is the case with most yaoi manga. Four more volumes to go, can’t wait!

If you like men who are real and not perfect, and real romance, this maybe the manga for you!

Book Review: Soul Eater, Vol 2 by Atsushi Ohkubo

Soul Eater, Vol 2      

Author: Atsushi Ohkubo

Publisher: Yen Press

American release date: May 6, 2014

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/manga/paranormal/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

Shinigama-sama has given Maka, Soul, Black Star, and Tsubaki a remedial lesson – they must take the soul of one Dr. Stein. Watching from a distance, Death the Kid tells his father this is much too difficult a task for a remedial lesson. Dr. Stein is an unusual man,  stitched-together and more than a little clumsy. Dr. Stein tells Maka and Soul that their soul wavelengths are unstable, because she is a serious, hardworking person and he is a rebellious and cynical soul. Looking at Black Star and Tsubaki, Stein observes that Black Star has one of the most self-centered souls he’s ever seen, and that Tsubaki is highly cooperative and very accepting of people.

Meanwhile, Maka’s dad, Death Scythe, is having a good old time at the Cabaret Club Chupacabra’s. But his high spirits take a nosedive every time he thinks about his recent divorce, and the daughter who doesn’t love him.

Dr. Stein asks Maka if she is Spirit-senpai’s daughter, which was her dad’s name before he became Death Scythe. Apparently Dr. Stein was once his partner. According to Death Scythe, Stein experimented on him in his sleep, for five whole years! Stein tells Maka how much he would enjoy dissecting her, thinking of all the things he would do to her! Death the Kid tell his father he is going to go help them and when his father argues that he is not a student at DWMA, Kid instructs his father to add him to the Student Register, takes his guns and goes even as the students battle Dr. Stein for their lives!

Death the Kid has decided to go to school. But promptness is apparently not his forte, as he is already three hours late on his first day! Maka and Tsubaki are in class, where they belong, but Black Star is lying in wait for the shinigami’s son to arrive, because he can’t stand the idea of someone getting more attention than him, and Soul is just hanging out with him to skip class.

Death Scythe has been replaced as their teacher by none other than Dr. Stein, much to their chagrin. Maka says that for the first time she’d rather see her dad!  Death the Kid arrives, along with Patty and Liz, and Soul and Black Star are on it! Kid isn’t too concerned, until one of them spoils the symmetry of the school, then all bets are off! When the class becomes aware of the fight going on, Maka informs Stein that he is required to go out there, which he is less than willing to do, so he takes Maka and Tsubaki with him. Since Maka has learned to see souls, Stein gives her an extra assignment, to look at the wavelength between each meister and his weapon(s) and evaluate their resonance.

In Florence, a witch overs over the Santa Mario Novella Basilica. Inside is a demon sword master, Crona, and his demon sword, Ragnarok. Meanwhile, Maka and Soul are on assignment, devouring souls, when Maka hears strange noises coming from the Basilica. She senses a meister inside, along with fifty or sixty human souls. As they draw nearer, suddenly she can’t sense the souls anymore. It’s probably not a good idea but she’s determined to find out what’s going on….

I like the character development that is taking place in this series. You never know when someone you think is bad will turn out to be good, after all. Relatively speaking. For example, there is Dr. Stein, who is certainly eccentric but also brilliant.  I loved the scene where Death Scythe shows up at the school to see Maka but detours to the nurse’s office first for some TLC and runs right into his old meister, Stein, who is not hesitant to mess with him again. Death Scythe is easy to intimidate. He’s a lover, not a fighter. But later on, in the basilica, we see the fighter side of him, which is impressive.

Soul and Black Star teaming up to go against Death the Kid is hilarious. It’s no surprise to discover that their souls do not resonate.   The story of the encounter with the kishin in the Basilica is a good one, and the entire volume ends with an unexpected twist.

I’m enjoying the series and looking forward to the next volume.

Book Blast: Mimadamos: The Eden of Choice by Chadi B. Ghaith

Good morning!  Please welcome author Chadi B Ghaith to Full Moon Dreaming! She is here to talk to us about her new book, Mimadamos. Chadi will be awarding a copy of her book to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour via Rafflecopter. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning! Go here to find the other dates for her tour! Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

Mimadamos: The Eden of Choice

by Chadi Ghaith

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GENRE: Fantasy, Fiction

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BLURB:

Lebanese author Chadi B. Ghaith brings beliefs that were held in secrecy for a thousand years to awareness in Mimadamos: The Eden of Choice (Fifthscience Inc., July 5, 2017). Ghaith’s book revolves around an ancient triangle of the most significant characters on earth, paralleled by three of the most significant forces in life, and their combined story in space and time. Journey through this fable and explore the ideas that have mystified mankind for centuries: good and evil, heaven and hell, the beginning and end of the world.

Did the ending precede the beginning? Are we only here on earth to comprehend its machinations? Is there room for choice to shape our destiny in the wake of fate and its brutal logic? Mimadamos is a unique, philosophically-rich fantasy which journeys through the depths of conflict and harmony that we understand as the spirit. It decodes the magic of the most ancient scripts known to man, the symbolic fall from Eden and the long anticipated armageddon, revealing a logic so unique that it brings history to its conclusive end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

She had all the power in the world—could turn sand into gold if she so desired—but she

had refrained from using it. What was the point of using magic? It was like playing a video game

in which one was granted unlimited lives regardless of performance. Instead, Destiny had agreed to play the game of reality with all its inherent rules and unpleasantness.

So, although she had the ability to think herself into any place she liked, she preferred to

travel there with sunshine, good food, the company of beloved souls, and unexpected adventures along the way. For it was in the journey, not the destination, that she took the most pleasure.

A person cannot wield unlimited magic, she thought. If one became all-powerful, one

could create his own reality at will, which would make the person his own creator. But no one

could stand being both the Creator and the Created in the same world, for that would engender

unbearable solitude.

Just then, the women started to ululate, pulling Destiny from her musings. The truth was,

even without their celebratory wailing, she would have known that her groom was nearby; she

could sense him.

It’s all been preordained, she thought as she steeled herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

CHADI B. GHAITH has spent many years introducing an ancient mind science called Fifthscience to the public; Mimadamos is his first attempt at translating the magic of Fifthscience into a modern narrative. He is a native of Lebanon; however, he acquired his high school and university levels in Texas. Ghaith studied Arts and Film at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He now lives in Beirut with his wife and three children.

You can connect with him at https://www.mimadamos.com/.

https://facebook.com/chadighaith

https://twitter.com/mimadamos

Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/Mimadamos-Choice-Chadi-B-Ghaith-ebook/dp/B073SFYFQQ/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday Briefs: In Pieces #46 (11.5)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Brandon is not making a great first impression on Ryan, the more he sees of him. It's obvious that Aiden and Ben are less than impressed themselves. Ryan wonders what Abby sees in the guy. See what's happening in this week's chapter of In Pieces. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them! Their links follow my tale! Emjoy!

In Pieces #46 (11.5)

Before Ben had a chance to reply, Aiden arrived at the table, carefully balancing three frosty mugs of beer.  Ryan started to reach for one, thinking to relieve Aiden of some of his burden, but Aiden managed to set all three on the table without spilling a drop before he turned toward Brandon.

“Where’s Abby?” he asked, almost belligerently.

“In the little girls’ room,” Brandon replied.  “Powdering her nose, or whatever females do in such situations.” He grinned at Aiden, a smile which Ryan found rather predatory. Aiden didn’t return the smile. He made no move to take a seat, either. Ryan got the distinct impression he was willing Brandon to leave, or if he didn’t go, he intended to take his beer and put some distance between himself and Abby’s boyfriend.

An awkward silence encompassed the four men, one Ryan didn’t feel entitled to break, as the newcomer to the group. He wondered if Brandon created this kind of tension wherever he went, or was it just with the members of Salvation? Brandon  was drumming his fingers across the tabletop, as if he hadn’t a care in the world, Aiden was glancing around the club, as if searching for his missing twin, while Ben openly glared at Brandon. Not quite how Ryan had envisioned spending the break between sets with Ben.  The Guinness sat, untouched, on the table.

The seconds ticked by, the noises from the other people in the club a mere background noise around them. Just when Ryan thought he couldn’t stand it any longer, he heard a sharp ding. Brandon pulled out his phone and glanced at it. “Ah, there’s my lady love now,” he said. He quickly typed a reply and replaced the phone in his pocket. He unfolded himself from his seat with no sign of any immediate urgency.  “Sorry to leave such riveting company, but she requests my presence outside. What else can I do but obey? Catch you all later.” He winked, then began to amble in the direction of the back of the club but turned at the last moment, as if a sudden thought had struck him.

“By the way, Aid, don’t wait up for Abby tonight. I’ve got a motel room here in town, we’ll be spending the night there.” He didn’t wait for a reply, but spun on his heel and slouched away.

“Motherfucker,” Aiden mumbled.

“Yeah,” Ben agreed. All three men reached for their beer at once and took a good, long drink.

Aiden replaced his mug then pulled out his phone and began to furiously text. Ryan could just imagine who he was texting. He received a reply moments later and scowled at the screen before putting up the phone.

“Something wrong?” Ryan inquired.

“She told me to behave. He’s the one she should be telling that to.” He glanced in the direction in which Brandon had disappeared into the crowd. Ryan could just feel his inner debate—should he go out there or not, try to talk some sense into Abby. Apparently he decided against it, probably realizing he’d see her again when they started the next set. Confrontation postponed.

Ryan reached for Ben’s hand and squeezed it.  “Don’t let him get to you, he’s not worth it.” He felt Ben release a long sigh, before he returned Ryan’s squeeze.

“I know you’re right, but I see how he is. I mean, he was hitting on you, with Abby right there and everything.  She deserves better than that.”

“I totally agree,” Aiden spoke up. “She deserves some happiness in her life, not to be chased after by sleazes like him and Cameron.”

“Aiden, I promise you this,” Ben said solemnly. “When we no longer need his support, we’re done with him. And with anyone else like him. Then maybe Abby will tell Brandon to go fuck himself, she doesn’t have to take his shit.”

“I think she would dump him now but she lacks self-confidence in herself. As a person, and as a woman.” He shrugged. “Having your twin brother tell you how great you are doesn’t make quite the same impact, I get that.”

“Yeah, but you’re not going to quit telling her that, are you?” Ben said.

“Hell no. She’s my sister. I’d do anything for her.”

“So would I,” Ben said, and Ryan echoed his sentiments.

 Aiden smiled at them both.  “You guys are great. I appreciate your support, more than I can ever tell you.”

“Support? What kind of support?”

At the sound of a familiar voice, Ryan looked up to find Deacon and Keanu standing beside them. They held almost empty glasses in their hands, and they seemed to be in high spirits, faces flushed. Ryan could almost imagine what they might have been up to. Not that he blamed them. Given the choice with Ben, he’d have gone for it too. There was always later.

“Hey, do I need to knock somebody out? Somebody causing trouble?” Keanu raised a clenched fist, as if to demonstrate his willingness to leap into the fray for his friends’ sake.

Laughter broke the pent-up tension rather effectively.

“Not tonight, slugger,” Aiden said. “But I’ll keep you posted.”

“And on that note, I think we should get ready for the next set,” Ben said. “Want to text Abby to come in?”

“Yeah, sure.” Aiden pulled out his phone, as they all stood.

“You going to take more pics?” Ben asked Ryan. He shook his head.

“I think I have more than enough,” he said.

 Ben smiled. “Good. Stand by the stage, where I can see you?”

“You got it,” Ryan said. He raised three fingers and swiped them across his chest. “On my honor.” It felt silly to say scout’s honor, as he’d never been a Boy Scout, considering their stance on homosexuals. He’d never felt the loss.

“Then let’s do this.” Ben pulled him close for a last lingering kiss before they headed toward the stage once more.

to be continued

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Cia Nordwell

J Alan Veerkamp