Sunday Snippet: Call the Ball

Whew! Welcome to December. I had a crazy week of trying to find a working stove… okay, a stove with a working oven. It's funny. We get a new furnace and literally two days later, our oven takes a flying leap. The good news is, I didn't have to cook for the US Thanksgiving and we found a new stove.

Television took a back seat to both work and shopping for kitchen appliances. I did get the Murdoch Mysteries episode finished up and enjoyed it a lot.

I also caught a binge-watch of the Green Hornet. I love the vibe of that show. The movie vibe? Not so much.

Then… I fell down the Gilmore Girls rabbit hole and got sucked into a marathon that's still going on. I'd forgotten how much I really liked this show… even when the characters sometimes drove me bonkers.

I will say it's a great show to watch when insomnia strikes. And, man, the insomnia has been a right pain in my ass this past week. Actually, it's been longer than the week, but it really kicked in on Monday and hasn't backed off yet.

That's pretty much it for the mundane real-life stuff this week. Tonight's post is from Call the Ball, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Gwen keeps a tightly controlled leash on her feelings for Tag, thinking if she gives up control, she'll get lost in the passion. But when a simple game throws them together, she has to take a chance to see if sparks fly and, if so, how to quench the flame.

And a sneaky peek…

Tag frowned. "Why does she always clam up around me?" Every single time he entered her vicinity, Gwen got quiet and edgy.

Or snarky and snappish.

He huffed out a breath. "Flies like a seasoned veteran though." The woman could make planes dance to her tune.

Turning around, he found an empty table and settled down in one of the seats. He liked Gwen. She had a solid rep among the pilots and she worked her ass off to earn her promotion, which he helped decide. Her skill in the cockpit gave her high marks. But her people skills lacked polish. And he could help her develop those.

He kicked back in the chair. "If I can get a handle on why she gets skittish around me." He wanted her transition to the senior ranks to go smoothly.

Maybe the rec room antics later would loosen her up a little. If not, he'd have to have a discussion with Gwen to find out if she had issues he didn't know about. Earning her trust mattered, especially when the senior officers had to work so closely together. He enjoyed a great rapport with all of his pilots and he wanted to find an inroad with Gwen.

Barlow Biggles stopped by the table. "Is everyone going to be there tonight?"

Tag nodded. "Yeah, just had West confirm. Party of eight at eight."

Barlow's lips kicked up in a grin. "Nice to have new blood. I hope she's down for having a good time with our crazy bunch." He strolled away to dump his tray.

Tag had no idea if Gwen would enjoy the silly and sometimes juvenile games the senior pilots loved to play. But it would be a good test to see how well she'd fit in. And hopefully give him a clue how to get him to open up a little.

This is a fun little story to dive into. I'll see if I can't get it finished up and out into the world.

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

ML Skye