Sunday Snippet: A Day in the Life

Happy Halloween Eve! Our small town always has its annual trick or treat several days before the actual holiday. On Thursday, it was brisk and chilly, but we had a whole host of costumed kiddos strolling the streets. So much fun!

On the television front, Gotham had another great episode. I'm happy with how things are going on that show. Here's hoping the consistency holds through the end of the season.

The Flash and Agents of SHIELD pulled out some surprises. The new director guy on AoS is actually kind of fun and hopefully not evil. LOL I'm not gonna hold my breath on that score.

Arrow keeps making me happy. Diggle is out of prison, but who knows what'll happen next with him. The new team suffered some shake-ups. We'll see how that all shakes out.

Legends of Tomorrow delivered again. I like the new guy. And Mick is fast becoming another favorite. Brutal honesty goes a long way with this group and he's definitely not afraid to embrace the truth. LOL

MacGyver's episode might have been the set up for introducing Murdoc. I guess we'll see if the ghost pops back up again.

The Walking Dead… I skipped the premiere and watched The Talking Dead instead. I honestly couldn't see the point in watching when I couldn't bear watching any of my favorites die. I'll be watching tonight's episode… I think. LOL

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from A Day in the Life, a tie-in, free read for my Furlough 99 story, Shyler: Finding Home.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Alphie is a kick ass droid who assists Inspector Shyler Lumen. He's also not afraid to offer unwarranted advice.

And a sneaky peek…

Several hours later, Alphie had some quiet time. He got started on a scan of ISP personnel logged on transport flights to Furlough. He wanted to know the inspector's name.

Bingo! Shyler Lumen, Inspector, first grade. He scanned for everything he could find on her. She had a long list of collars for Mars Planetary Police and now with the InterStellar Police. Looked like the inspector almost always got her man.

And what was this? Girl volunteered all over the place. With BAWs—battered and abused women, food distribution shelters, and two different half-way houses.

When did the woman sleep?

Ah… another interesting fact. Shyler had no romantic connections. No past marriages or multiple living occupancy requests on file. The inspector appeared to be a loner.

She was either very careful or had been burned in the past. He dug a little deeper. Nothing on file so she was careful. Smart woman.

More than a match for Marshton Gray. Alphie had a feeling he'd see more of both.

His circuits almost singed at the potential for fun.

Alphie went into quick shut down mode and transmitted data to the Guild. The group of bounty hunters ran a tight ship on Furlough and Spider Smith, their very talented hacker, made sure he received any and all pertinent information. An ISP inspector counted as very pertinent.

Transfer completed, Alphie blinked several times, bringing himself back online. He remotely connected to the security camera closest to the Den and set a facial recog program to ping him when Inspector Lumen entered the bar. Alphie wanted to keep track of her progress.

I'm looking forward to finally putting the finishing touches on this one and getting it out there for a free download. Fingers crossed that happens soon.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Dance with Destiny

October 23, 2016

What a great week in television for writing inspiration. I love to do my weekly roundup of viewing fare because it always gets my creative juices flowing. Sundays tend to be great writing days. LOL

Gotham might be having its best season yet. Truly, I love everything about it so far. I'm hoping the momentum continues and the show doesn't crash and go off the rails.

The Flash remains excellent. Loved seeing Jessie and Wells again. Also like the slow reveal of Caitlyn's issues. I'll leave it there for folks who aren't caught up yet.

Agents of SHIELD had a great episode. Everyone is finally back in the fold and it's time to move the story along.

Once again, Arrow proved to be awesome. Overall, it's still my favorite show. I love how they worked Quentin into the storyline and the way it went down. He makes so much sense for the new role he's taking on. Looking forward to the next episode to see how things go with Diggle.

Legends of Tomorrow also brought a great episode to my screen. I'm enjoying how hard the team is finding being an actual team. Very interested in seeing what happens with the new guy. Between Gideon and the two resident geniuses, I think he'll be alright.

MacGyver stayed fun. I have a fondness for train hijinks and the show delivered a terrific episode with a last minute save. Can't ask for more.

As usual, Van Helsing left me a little "meh". It's probably time to drop the updates since I'm not completely into the show. Sadly.

And that's it for television this week. I'll have some feelings about Murdoch Mysteries in the next post. YAY!

Tonight's post is from Dance with Destiny, a novella that continues the story in An Answer to Fate.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A prophecy discovered leads to a dance with destiny. Quillan and Jeb have to find their way back to each other and might just tempt fate to do it.

And a sneaky peek…

Another zing. "Damned good thing I haven't seen him." A surge of anger hit. "Thirty years, Quill. Every one of them a lie. How's the old man holding up?"

Quillan didn't know how to answer. She carefully kept the full force of her feelings tamped down. The elder Paldino had stoic down to a fine art. Drawn so taut she feared he'd snap. But the man wouldn't break.

Ever.

She wished he had a little more room to bend.

"Quillan? How's my dad?"

She answered plainly. "He's your old man, Jeb. He moves forward. No matter how much baggage he has to drag along behind him."

His sigh came through, loud and clear. "You need to tell him, Quill. It'll help if he knows I'm alive."

She snorted. "Exactly how should I pull that one off?" She didn't feel his presence as strongly. "Jeb? Help me out here." Just a few more moments… please, Universe.

"Quill? Did you get that?" Jeb's garbled voice finally cut through.

She focused on the sound of his voice. "No. Say it again, Jeb. I can't hear you."

Instead of words, she received a vivid image of Jeb—maybe at age ten—sitting at a table, blood streaking down one side of his face. His mom stood behind him—wearing a look of abject horror—a broken wine bottle clutched in her hand. Jonah Paldino stepped between mom and son, pure rage marring his face.

Quillan gasped and her heart lurched for the men. But another image washed over the first. The replacement showed Jonah stitching up his son's wound.

With a tender hand, he tied off the thread. "She meant that bottle for me, son. You got caught in the crossfire."

Stoic Jeb sighed. "It's not the first time she's smashed an empty bottle, Dad. You're usually not around when she does it."

Jonah snarled. "It's the last time she'll do it." He cut through the string and stooped down, looking Jeb in the eye. "What's my bond?"

Jeb pressed his lips together, holding back a tremulous smile. "Your word, Dad."

"You have it, Jeb." Jonah cupped a hand on Jeb's cheek, rubbing his thumb over the dried blood. "I'm taking your mom to Holly Bend. They'll help her there." Handing Jeb a wet cloth, he ordered. "Get cleaned up. You'll stay on base tonight. Safe and secure. I'll have Ty make a pass for you."

Jeb packed a rucksack and followed his dad to the truck. He didn't ask any questions and probably didn't want answers. He slept curled up under the huge desk in the major's office.

Quillan sucked in a harsh breath. "Geez, Jeb. I had no idea."

His voice echoed softly in her head. "No one did. And they still don't."

A new set of images played in her mind.

Jonah shook his son awake, checking the wound on his head. "You all right?"

Jeb nodded, folding up his bedroll. "Head hurts, but I'm okay."

Jonah directed his son to the overstuffed leather chair. "Son, your mom and I had a long, overdue discussion last night." He settled down in the matching chair set offside from Jeb's. "She's not coming with us to Bannock." The new station orbiting Tular.

Jeb frowned but nodded.

Jonah grasped his hand. "It's not your fault. She and I need you to know it. You're a bright, smart kid. You understand she's angry with me, don't you?"

Jeb answered, solemnly. "Yes, Sir."

Jonah slid off the chair, kneeling in front of Jeb. "Your mom asked for one thing. She doesn't want anyone to know why she's not coming. At least not the real reason." He met and held his son's gaze. "It's a big burden to put on you, keeping her secret. But I'm asking if you can do it." His voice broke. "It's okay if you can't."

Jeb didn't hesitate. "I can do it, Dad. I won't tell anyone about Mom."

Jonah questioned. "Are you certain? It's a big thing to ask."

Jeb nodded. "I'm sure. My bond is my word, Dad."

Jonah reached out and hauled Jeb close. "You're more than I deserve, Jeb."

The picture faded and Quillan dashed tears from her eyes.

"I never told anyone about my mom, Quill. Until now. You share this with my father. He'll believe you."

Quillan snorted. "Bullshit. He'll think I’m nuts."

Jeb chuckled. "Quill, he already thinks you're insane. Tell him. It's the only thing I have that he knows, knows, I've never told anyone."

Quillan smiled. Jonah did consider her slightly crazy, but he appreciated her offbeat humor. Especially since Jeb's death—disappearance.

She cracked a wide grin. "You're not dead." Jonah would flip his shit when he found out.

Jeb sighed. "I thought we established that already, Quillan."

She laughed. "We did. But your dad doesn't know yet." Scooting around, she swung her legs over the edge of her bunk. "I'd better go tell him before I convince myself you're a figment of my imagination." Warmth infused her along with a shot of lustful yearning. "Dammit, Jeb, don't start something you can't possibly finish."

Jeb whispered, "I miss you, Quill. And I don't know when I'll be able to contact you again."

She tried to project everything she felt for him through their connection. "I miss you, too. And something tells me the hybot will make sure you get through again."

Jeb started to fade. "I hope so. Love you. Always."

A sense of emptiness filled her when the contact ended. "I love you, too, Jeb."

A little longer than usual for the preview. I liked how this scene turned out.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Damn the Torpedo Flu

October 16, 2016

Whew. Crazy busy weekend with my daughter's first high school homecoming. Very glad to have a day to recover. LOL

In television this week, Gotham keeps pulling out the stops and taking twists I'm not expecting. I like that. Keep bringing the crazy, please.

Caught up on Agents of SHIELD. The season feels a little choppy so far, but I'll keep watching to see if the flow smooths out a little. I'll honestly say I'm slightly tired of the whole constantly being betrayed by someone on the inside scenarios. Here's hoping that isn't what's going on.

The Flash is doing a pretty decent job of explaining the reset of the timeline and how it's bled over into the other verses. A little tripped up over the gender swap on Arrow. I'll say nothing else in case folks are behind.

I kind of like Oliver having to train a new team on Arrow. Really not sure about the whole Felicity thing. Reserving judgment until more of the season plays out. Diggle's in dire straits again, which, eh, could get old fast.

Legends of Tomorrow rocked!! I rather miss Snart not being with the team and Rip is hopefully not completely lost. Mick is a total riot and I'm kind of liking how he's meshing with the team.

MacGyver had another good episode. It's a fun Friday night show and the cast works well together. A little disappointed with the Penny character, but it's her introduction so we'll see how things play out there.

Van Helsing still isn't quite doing anything for me. Maybe this is a show I need to binge watch to really sink into the storyline. We'll see what happens.

The Walking Dead returns next week. I'm still "meh" about the premiere. That could change in a week. LOL

And that's it for TV this week. Tonight's post is from Damn the Torpedo Flu, a sexy short about finding hot romance in the middle of a crisis.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When the torpedo flu hits the space station, Paisley and Dale are practically the last ones standing. Working through the crisis will bring them closer together, if they don't kill each other first.

And a sneaky peek…

::Pass the word. All passes to the recreation and commerce sectors of Riva Anchorage are hereby revoked or on hold. Attention. Pass the word. An outbreak of the torpedo flu is confirmed and spreading like wildfire::

Paisley Groves stopped midstride and let out a groan. Glancing up, she shot a middle finger at the speaker. "Damned miners. Figures they'd bring some horrid virus back."

::The mining and military sectors are under quarantine until the virus runs its course. Mining operations are suspended until the source is discovered and eradicated::

Paisley snorted. "Oh, sure. The miners get a break. But what about the rest of us?" She started toward the head again. "Not bloody likely."

Undogging the hatch, she swung the door out and almost ran into her CAG, Dale Helmsworth.

He caught her by the shoulders. "I take it you heard the announcement." Stepping back, he followed her into the unisex bathroom.

Paisley slid a sideways glance his way. "Be hard not to." Yanking her locker open, she rifled through to find her shower kit. "What the hell is torpedo flu?" No doubt something vile and debilitating.

Dale propped a shoulder on the metal enclosure next to hers. "From what I've heard, it's like regular influenza on stims. And there's no warning period. That's why they call it the torpedo flu. Sneaks up all stealthy like and hits fast." He shuddered.

Paisley swallowed hard. "How fast?"

Dale met her gaze and held it. "Dropping like flies fast."

Oh, yeah. Definitely vile.

She gathered her kit and a large towel. "Geez. That sucks." Slamming the door closed, she started for the shower stalls. "What are the symptoms?" Not that she'd go anywhere near a sick person. No way.

Dale trailed behind her. "The usual. Fatigue, head and body aches. But instead of cold symptoms like coughing and sneezing, the chills and fever are worse and dehydration is a big problem." He stopped outside the cubicle she chose, drawing the curtain closed behind her.

Stripping off her clothes, she handed them through the opening into Dale's waiting hands. "Ugh. Guess I'll be drinking buttloads of water then." She turned the water on and waited for it to warm up. "Are there any preventative measures? A vaccine or something?" Considering she'd never heard of torpedo flu before today, she had doubts.

Dale confirmed her fears. "Nope. It's not common enough to be in our standard yearly boosters." He popped the cap on her shower gel and loaded the washcloth she stuck out.

Scrubbing down, Paisley faced the ugly truth. "Dammit. This is going to suck. How long before we start seeing the effects?" She rinsed the suds and held her hand out for shampoo.

Dale squirted a dollop in her palm. "Already are. We're down two pilots already."

Paisley lathered her hair. "Shit. Seriously, just shit, shit, shit." Her brain already started reworking the flight roster.

Dale stopped her progress. "I've rescheduled the next two days, so we're covered for now." He had her towel ready when the water turned off.

Taking the terry cloth, Paisley quickly patted dry then wrapped the fabric around her torso. "Okay, maybe we should put out a recommendation for the squadrons to steer clear of the miners." She flashed a quick smile. "Thanks for the assist, as always."

Usually they'd be sharing a stall, but he'd no doubt been busy with briefings and redoing the flight roster.

Dale grinned. "Least I can do. We're going to have our work cut out for us." He gathered her dirty clothes and settled on a bench after tossing them in the laundry bin. "We can ask the pilots to stay in our quadrant, but it's probably a moot point."

Paisley grimaced. "Yeah, yeah. There's way too much fraternizing between the two groups." Not that she had room to talk.

Dale's lips twisted in a smirk. "Yeah, well, we don't set the best example." He reached into her locker and pulled out a fresh pair of warm-ups, a soft t-shirt, and underthings.

Paisley sighed. "Maybe I'll hole up in a supply locker until the contagious period is over." She seriously considered the idea.

Being sick rated right above getting shot on her list of things to avoid. Actually, getting the flu might be worse than taking a bullet.

Dale quirked a brow. "You know there's not enough room for two in those lockers, right?" His palm glided over her calf.

Paisley paused, her t-shirt halfway over her head. "Damn. You're right." She finished putting her top on then grabbed her pants and stepped into them. "Okay, no supply locker." Straddling his lap, she met his gaze. "For now. I reserve the right to call first dibs when everything goes totally sideways."

Dale wrapped his arms around her. "Deal."

I love having fun with my characters. Dale and Paisley provide lots of enjoyment.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Cupid's Folly

Gotham continues to intrigue me. I'm a little lost when it comes to Leigh and what's going on with her, but I'm in for the ride. The double Bruce's are definitely interesting so here's hoping that story pays off in a good way.

Still behind on Agents of SHIELD. Gotta try and catch up before the new episode.

The Flash kicked butt. I'll be disappointed if the whole resetting of the timeline keeps happening though. That said, it seems like there are some solid repercussions, which I'm totally down with.

Arrow also rocked. I'm thrilled to have the Russian storyline for the flashbacks. According to the scuttlebutt, this is the last year for flashbacks so I plan to enjoy. Moving forward, I'll be interested to see how things play out. Maybe they'll do futurescapes or something.

In all honesty, Van Helsing isn't quite doing it for me. I'll give it the rest of the season to see if the storyline improves. I'd really like to fall for this show.

MacGyver is seriously not bad. I do love the callbacks to the original but also the updated vibe of the new. I'm interested in the whole father thing, because the impression is Mac's is still living. That should be a fun twist.

Not sure I'm looking forward to The Walking Dead's premiere. I may skip the opener and watch The Talking Dead instead. I've got the same feeling I had during season two, which I ended up skipping.

Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow are up next. We've had football airing on our local CW channel so I might be playing catch up again.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Cupid's Folly, a novella came about from brainstorming holiday stories.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jinx Jersey just signed on as the XO of the Cupid's Folly, captained by Alrick Cates and he's given her fair warning she picked the worst time to start her new post and develop an attraction for him. The pleasure ship is booked solid for the Valentine holiday and they don't have time for romance.

And a sneaky peek…

Jinx Jersey rushed to unlock her door and dashed to the buzzing comm unit. "Jersey." She dropped her groceries to the floor and flipped the video unit on.

The commodore of the interstellar admiralty greeted her. "Jersey, I'm glad I caught you. I was afraid you'd gone off to parts unknown like many of your classmates." He sat straight and tall behind his desk, a frown marring his stately features.

Melville Stern had a no-nonsense attitude that matched his name.

Jinx bit back a smirk. She'd had more than enough of parts unknown recently. She welcomed a little less excitement and more steady work. She planned to celebrate her graduation with a home-cooked meal and a bottle of wine.

She gave her former instructor a wide smile. "Not me, sir. The grocery store is exotic enough for the moment." Waving a hand, she indicated the bags at her feet.

He chuckled. "Well, good news for me. And you, too. I have a spot available for you on the Cupid's Folly, if you're interested." He keyed information into his console, which showed up on her viewscreen, pushing his image to the bottom left corner. "She's docked in Mayweather Station and I can arrange transport if you accept the post." He quirked an eyebrow.

Jinx quickly scanned the ship schematics on her monitor. Holy shit. A pleasure cruiser. A major step up from the heavy freighters she'd most recently flown on. And a nice gig for a newly commissioned employee of the interstellar flight corps.

The commodore cleared his throat. "Look, Jersey, if you'd rather wait—"

Jinx cut in. "No! No, please, I'll take it." She saved the schematics to her palm device. "I'm surprised. Figured I'd be lower on the call list and have to wait a while." Most graduates were warned it could at least a month, sometimes two, before placement would begin.

Stern leaned forward. "Your previous experience moved you up to the third spot. And your grades nudged you even higher." A note of pride crept into his voice.

A flash of regret speared through Jinx at the mention of her former line of work. She'd left the enforcement corps for good reasons, none of which her military family appreciated.

But she'd gained a wealth of knowledge about ships—freighters, pleasure cruisers, and the armada of frigates, destroyers, and carriers. Having a leg up proved to be an advantage for landing a job.

Jinx acknowledged his praise. "Thank you, sir. When do I report?" She slid a glance toward the groceries she'd purchased, hoping she'd have time to use some.

The commodore entered the details and transferred them. "I found a transport to Mayweather the day after tomorrow. This trip departs from there and ends at Babylon with stops at Hannaker, Tomika, and Concorde." He swiped his finger over the files and sent them to her monitor.

Holy shit. She landed a long cruise right out of the gate. A victory dance would happen as soon as this call ended.

Stern folded his hands on the desk and added one final detail. "And Jersey? You're signing on as the acting XO. The regular executive officer is down for surgery and can't make the trip. I'm confident you can handle the job."

Acting XO?

Jinx scraped her jaw off the floor. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down." She resisted the urge to fist-pump the air.

The commodore gave her a nod. "See that you don't, Jersey." The screen went blank.

Jinx stood still for one moment then sashayed and spun all around her small apartment.

She couldn't wait to get aboard the Cupid's Folly and prove her mettle.

I'm hoping to have this one ready to go by Valentine's Day. I'm looking forward to seeing it release.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Crash and Burn

Okay, Gotham, you have my attention. I'm now very interested in Bruce Wayne and what's going on with him. Also loved the whole Fish / Penguin interaction. Not sure how I feel about the reporter, Vanessa Vale, yet. I'm not really down with a major triangle but I might be jumping the gun. The whole Ivy thing is also in the I'm-not-sure-about-this corner. Looking forward to Monday!

Agents of SHIELD didn't have a bad premiere. I'm still a week behind. Ended up with a nasty cold / respiratory ick and missed the episode Tuesday.

Van Helsing is still kind of "meh". I'll see if the next few episodes get better and bring the various threads together.

MacGyver is still not too bad. I'll keep watching and see if ends up going too cheesy for my tastes.

Rewatch fare remained with Miss Fisher. I started a fandom bullet journal and hope to jot down my favorite moments from the series. I've been using it to help keep track of what I like and don't like about all my shows.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Crash and Burn, a novella with a possible Star Chaser tie-in. It's one of my meet the wrong brother first kink stories.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Pepper Strand met the wrong brother first and when her personal feelings get in the way, she takes the easy way out. When it leads to the death of Bax's sibling, she drowns her guilt with alcohol and Bax decides to make her crawl out of the bottle and into his arms.

And a sneaky peek…

Pepper Strand elbowed her way into the Flaming Lips entertainment facility and fought her way to the bar. She grabbed an empty stool and waved to Preble, the super-hot bartender.

He gave her a sexy smirk, reached behind him, and snagged a bottle of lumenici, a crazy good, very potent form of liquor. In a pinch, Pepper had no doubt the alcohol could fuel the sked cycles she raced on the circuit.

Pepper waggled her eyebrows and nodded. "Hell, yeah. Gimme some of that." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and flashed a big smile.

Preble poured a healthy amount into a rocks tumbler and slid it her way. "What's up tonight, Pepper? You're not hitting on all cylinders right now." He ambled down and propped his forearms on the bar.

Pepper's shoulders slumped. Figured Preb would notice. The guy had an uncanny ability to read people.

She downed a gulp of the lumenici. "Eh, had a major spat with Brad. Stormed out and came here to clear my head." She finished off the liquor. "Or get totally drunk. Haven't decided which, yet." Setting the glass down, she tapped the rim, indicating she wanted another round.

Preble did the honors, filling the tumbler up this time. "So, what did you and boy wonderful argue about this time?" He dribbled a little liquid into a shot glass. "Or should I say what did the little prick do to piss you off?" No love lost between the bartender and Brad Loman.

Of course, if Brad would stop picking fights and trying to outdo everyone all the time, he might not get thrown out of Flaming Lips all the time.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "It's not always Brad's fault. I can be a raving bitch sometimes." But not tonight.

Preb brought the lumenici to his lips. "Right. But not without cause. When you get your bitch on, you've always got a reason." Sipping the liquid down, he waved for her to continue.

Pepper sighed. "Yeah, well, that's true. And I left before I could go into full-on mode tonight." She downed half the contents in her cup.

Preble smirked. "Probably a good thing. So… spill, Pepper. What happened?"

She drained the rest of her glass. "Brad thinks he's ready for the big time and wants to skip out on the rest of his qualifications." She risked censure if she let him slide. "And he invoked his old man's name, thinking to sway my big, fat no into a yes."

Preble sputtered. "Are you serious? He knows you could lose not only your job, but your ranking, right?" He flung a towel over his shoulder and started straightening the bar.

Yeah, Brad totally knew what she could lose. And apparently didn't care. He thought she'd cave when he mentioned his dad. Legend Loman expected his boys to carry on the family tradition and match or exceed his status on the circuit. The man had a ton of influence with the racing board and the sponsors.

Pepper shrugged. "Yeah, apparently it's not a big deal to Brad. He should be out there making a name for himself, even if it means riding on Legend's fumes instead of earning it for himself." The burning sting of anger reared up again. "Not gonna happen." She wouldn't put her job on the line, not even for the man she loved.

Preble nodded. "Damn straight, sweet thing. You gotta take care of you." His lips curved in a grin. "And, hey, if it means the little shit has to wait for his shot, so much the better."

The slap at Brad didn't faze Pepper like it normally would. Her edgy anger still simmered below the surface. Brad could be a charming guy and usually treated her well. But lately… well, he didn't have a lot of patience.

Preble propped his forearms on the bar and leaned in. "You know what you need, Pepper?" He waited a beat. "Aside from a new boyfriend, I mean…" He barked out a laugh.

Pepper quirked a brow. "I'm pretty sure you're gonna tell me, right?"

Preble slid her a sideways glance. "Hell, yeah. You need to blow off some steam. And I've got just the thing." His head jerked toward the squared-off sparring space in the center of the bar floor. "You should hit the ring, babe. Work off some of that aggression you're feeling." He leaned closer. "As an added bonus, boy wonderful's big brother, Bax, is the man to beat tonight." Grabbing the towel from his shoulder, he waggled his eyebrows.

Pepper tilted her head to one side, considering the idea. She had yet to meet Baxter, but his reputation more than preceded him. He'd been tearing up the circuit, placing in the top three spots for over a year. No doubt, doing Legend proud in the process.

Which probably explained why Brad wanted to jumpstart his career.

Sliding off the stool, she gave Preble a wide smile. "Put me on the dance card, Preb. I'm gonna go have some fun."

I'm loving the potential with this story. The sages need to get their act together and give me more fodder.

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

ML Skye