Sunday Snippet: Mia's Choice

November 19, 2017

The weather in Ohio is truly crazy. We had flooding from rain yesterday and snow today.

Television this week ended up being pretty terrific. The Flash pulled in a bunch of Harrys to help save the day. Legends of Tomorrow had a fun episode with old Hollywood.

Riverdale had an interesting episode with some changing dynamics. I'm still on the fence with Hiram and whether or not I like him. I'm coming down on the not liking side but he gets some interesting snark lines so that pitches him into the fun column.

Arrow remains probably my favorite show. If the team can't be together, I like having two storylines that run along a similar theme. Also very glad John's secret is out in the open. Having Curtis work on a solution is excellent.

Catching up on Gotham today. I'll be glad to see the last of Professor Pyg. It's good to see Bruce again, too. There's never enough Alfred on the screen. LOL

I'm behind on Murdoch Mysteries. Having issues with my laptop and I usually watch via the website on that device. Here's hoping I get it fixed this week.

That's it for television. Tonight's post is from Mia's Choice a novella that reunites a former couple with one character having a lot of baggage to get rid of.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Mia Sinclair finally got her doctorate and embarks on a work trade assignment to a new space station. But when she runs smack into Hal Manning, and her past, she has to face her demons, which isn't easy because she promised she'd never be under any man's control again.

And a sneaky peek…

Mia Sinclair paced back and forth in her small suite of rooms across the corridor from the lab. The three box-shaped areas were almost cell-like, but she appreciated the symmetry, realizing a quick rehab job didn't allow for much in the way of aesthetics. She'd had no idea how she'd be getting to the outpost for Space Station Alpha when she signed on the bottom line for the work exchange program, only that a ship big enough to provide square footage for a lab and experimentation would be commandeered for the joint project.

She also had zero clue whose cruiser she'd end up on. When she found out upon boarding, she wanted to expire on the spot. And if she could have left, she would have.

Not that she minded the trade-off—this expedition would pay for her degree. But the main reason she'd signed on for the job had been to get away from everyone she knew and truly stand on her own. If she'd realized she'd be walking smack dab into her past, she might have looked for another way to repay her debt to the Science Academy.

Of course, Hal Manning hadn't been a commanding officer when she'd applied for the program. But a lot could change in two years. She'd never dreamed how much.

"Damn. Damn. Damn." Mia stopped pacing and faced her reality again.

After everything she'd endured, been subjected to, and fought her way out of, she ended up in a place she didn't want to be. Okay, make that with someone she didn't want to see. She wanted a clean start. It couldn't be too much to ask.

Her parents were dead. The divorce she'd fought so hard for, granted. Her joy over that detail marred only by the amount of time she'd had to spend with Fredrick the Dick in the first place. She could finally claim to no longer be under anyone's thumb—or any other part of their anatomy.

She'd earned her freedom.

She'd prepared for it, worked hard to gain it. Why couldn't fate or destiny or whatever ruled the universe cut her a break?

Just once, it would have been lovely.

No such luck.

She ended up being thrust into the orbit of the only person she ever regretted telling good-bye.

Except she'd never told him.

Not really.

Instead, she'd withdrawn. Descended into a personal hell. And never looked back.

Now she had to face the mistake.

And him.

God, so not fair.

And she couldn't do it. She avoided Hal Manning whenever possible and kept things very professional when not.

As if that would work, or keep her safe from dredging up things she didn't want to deal with.

But hadn't it?

Hal had taken her cue and gave her wide berth. He only spoke to her when duty required it. Or if he couldn't delegate the responsibility to someone else.

She wanted that, right? Needed it?

Anything else would crumble her carefully constructed and rebuilt self.

She had to do things on her own—make a new life, walk away from the past.

And it had been going so well aboard the Queen Amalie… until a random test showed the contaminated containment system. If she'd guessed correctly, they'd be seeing a number of sick people in the near future.

Which meant she'd be receiving a visit from Captain Manning.

Hal.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." She paced again.

The knock on her door… hatch… whatever they called it, didn't surprise her. She walked over and spun the release so she could open it. Stepping back, a fresh-faced petty officer greeted her with a polite smile.

"Doctor Sinclair. Petty Officer Oliver Jones, ma'am. The captain requests your presence in his quarters. I'm here to escort you."

Not what she expected, but why wouldn't Hal want this meeting on his own turf? Mia heaved a sigh. She might as well get it over with. Crossing over to her small desk, she picked up a file and gave the young officer what she hoped to be a pleasant smile.

"By all means, let's not keep the captain waiting." She shrugged into a lab coat, deciding she needed it for armor, and exited her rooms. "I wouldn't want you to get reprimanded."

The young man fell into step beside her. "That's okay, ma'am. The captain isn't a stern taskmaster. And he did say to come at your convenience." He led her down to the next deck.

Mia clicked her tongue thoughtfully. Hal had always been very even-tempered. It appeared that hadn't changed.

"Now is as good a time as any, PO Jones."

The petty officer grinned bashfully. "We're almost there, ma'am." He made a left at the next intersecting corridor.

Mia followed his lead, wondering how the crew didn't get mixed up sometimes. She'd been on the ship for a couple of weeks and still got turned around if she didn't pay attention.

Her guide made a right and stopped halfway down the corridor. He rapped on the outside of the hatch.

Mia waited, a little nervous at her first one on one meeting with the captain since she'd boarded.

The hatch clanged open. "Thank you, Petty Officer. You're dismissed." 

Jones saluted his commander then turned to Mia. "You're all set, ma'am. Have a nice evening."

Mia nodded in his direction, hoping she didn't look as freaked out as she felt. "Thank you." She sucked in a deep breath and acknowledged Hal. "Captain."

I love this story. Mia and Hal are very dear to my heart. Can't wait to finish this one up and put it out there for everyone to read.

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

ML Skye