Sunday Snippet: Inside Out

June 25, 2017

Wow, halfway through 2017. It's crazy how fast time zooms by sometimes. My middle kid made it safely home from Alaska and had an epic adventure with his grandpa. Since it's summer, he had to adjust to it not getting completely dark in Anchorage, which makes for some terrific stories. Getting into San Francisco at around eleven PM, his first words to my dad were, "So, Grandpa, this is what night looks like. I'd forgotten." LOL I love that kid.

My Friday night shows had great episodes. I feel like I need to rewatch the first two seasons of Dark Matter, just for reference points. I love Three, which I honestly didn't think I'd say. There's something very appealing about interactions with the crew and the snark is perfect.

Wynonna Earp is having a great second season. It's not quite as flawless as the first, but I really like the dynamic between the characters. I'm really interested in how they're going to deal with Waverly.

Still need to catch up on Orphan Black. I think because it's the last season and I know it's the final one, I’m reluctant to watch and lose everyone at the end. But I can't not watch. I need to know where everyone ends up.

I'm almost through the first season of Young Justice and I'd forgotten how much I love animated DC shows. Looking forward to seeing how everything ends up playing out.

Next up is trying to find time to read for pleasure instead of work. I miss diving into a good story for the sheer enjoyment of doing so.

And that's it for entertainment this week. Tonight's post is from Inside Out, a sexy short where the prompt of having the characters separated for a long time gave me a good start.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jamie Storm and Shane Castigli are separated by circumstance and each makes an attempt to move on with others. But Shane's got an inside out feeling, something of an intuition about Jaime returning, which doesn't go over well with his current partner.

And a sneaky peek…

Shane stood at the sink, rinsing his razor.

Rosa entered the head and perched on the edge of the toilet seat. "So, this woman who left you, this Jaime Storm… When did she take off?"

Shane didn't want to talk about Jaime, especially the part about her leaving him, but Rosa deserved an explanation. "Happened almost three years ago, right after I gave up my ship and took the station post." More than long enough ago he shouldn't be dreaming about her.

Rosa pursed her lips. "I take it she left on bad terms?" She got up and moved to the sink when he stepped away.

Shane snorted. "No terms at all. She just left." Five months later he found out she'd signed on with Chad Penner, a freighter captain that roamed the galaxy wheeling and dealing for profit.

Rosa spit out toothpaste. "Wow. That's harsh." She cleaned the brush and put it in the holder next to his.

Shane lifted a shoulder. "She's got stardust in her veins and always made it clear she couldn't abide living planetside." Might have been nice if she'd stuck around long enough for his surprise… he'd secured quarters on the station so she could live in space.

Rosa propped her hip against the sink. "So… you never got closure from the relationship? No official breakup?"

Shane huffed out a breath. "I'm pretty sure bugging out on a ship severs any ties there might have been." Seriously, what said "we're through" more than leaving? "Pretty final when a person leaves, don't you think?"

Rosa lifted her chin. "Maybe for the person leaving. But you didn't have a say or a chance to speak your mind, right?"

He shook his head. "What's there to say? The thought of being stuck on a planet scared the hell out of her. She took off. End of story." And if the bitter taste of being burned hadn't gone away, he'd deal with it.

Rosa's lips twisted in a frown. "But you're not stuck on a planet. I have a feeling you moved some pretty big barriers to secure living quarters on the station."

He lifted a shoulder again. "I did, yes. But I like being in the thick of things, not trying to command a smooth-running operation from an office on the planet." The idea never made sense to Shane and he'd argued long and hard to prove his theory that living on station would solve some of the bigger communication issues.

So far, he'd been right.

Rosa nodded. "At least I don't feel like a rebound relationship, considering we've only been together about a year."

He moved forward, cupping her face. "Jaime left a long time ago and I've been over her for a while." So why did he dream so vividly about her?

Rosa curved her lips in a small smile. "I'm not so sure about that, Shane. You've been saying her name in your sleep for weeks now." She patted him on the chest and exited the head.

As far as truth bombs went, Rosa had dropped a nuclear one directly in his lap.

Well, hell.

Shane's voice is strong in my head on this one. Jamie is a little stingier, but she's starting to get more vocal. I'm enjoying writing their story.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye