Sunday Snippet: Missing You

Not a bad week overall. I had time to get some solid organizing completed and I'm happy to make progress on that project. Also got in a good bit of writing, which always makes me happy.

Pretty good week for television viewing. I caught another episode of Picard and, wow, I didn't see one of the deaths coming. Nice to catch up with old friends.

Watched another episode of Chicago Med. It's good to fill in some blanks from previous seasons of the other Chicago shows.

Got another episode of No Offence viewed and, seriously, thoroughly enjoyed it. Viv, Dinah, and Joy are terrific characters.

Started another two-part Silent Witness. This ended being an interesting episode. I'm looking forward to watching the second part.

Caught another arc of Classic Who. I gotta be honest, this season Four is kind of annoying me. He's not quite as fun as the previous seasons.

Watched another episode of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. This one focused on past and present possible visitations. Interesting stuff.

Got two more episodes of The Muppet Show. I'd completely forgotten they let one of the old guys backstage for a while. He's not nearly as fun when he's not with his partner.

Caught an episode of Peak Practice and it had a lot going on but ended up being really good. I'm thinking there will be a sad good-bye in the near future.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers. I'm hoping to get a little more about Rose. I'm still trying to make a connection with that character.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Missing You, a sexy short that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Clara Small, the best undercover operative in military intelligence, tends to burn bridges instead of building them. But when she destroys the one she needs the most, she has to find a way to make amends, which won't be easy because Wes Elliot rarely gives second chances.

And a sneaky peek…

Her choices lately, left a lot to be desired. And the fact Wes called her on them didn't help. He'd been particularly brutal this time around … not that she didn't warrant the treatment.

Heaving a sigh, she closed her eyes, going back two days in her head. Wes found out about her plan to get the intel they needed the same day word got out about who she picked for her pre-op sex romp.

Gaynor Bartleby, Vice Regent.

God, it gave Wes all the more reason to think less of her. No one liked Gaynor. He hadn't been elected to his post. Instead, he slid in as an appointee when the former VR stepped down for health reasons. The guy considered arrogance an art form and used a brush liberally whenever possible.

But Clara could give a hang about asshole behavior. Especially when half the unit got pulled out for a mission. Throw in waaaayyy too much alcohol and Clara stumbled into bed with Gaynor.

Warm body to scratch an itch. Too bad Bartleby hadn't been the body she wanted.

Which led her to Wes.

What the hell? How he figured out she slept with Bartleby, she’d never know. Didn't matter how … his reaction to it did.

He’d been so pissed and judgmental. "Gaynor Bartleby? Geez, Clara. He's low … even for you."

Clara flinched and hoped it stayed internal. Bartleby did scrape the bottom of the barrel, vice regent or not. Not at all the type she normally hooked up with. Wes pegged that one right.

She wouldn't admit it, though. "Hey, you told me to strike your name from the list." She smirked. "And you know how I am before an op. Had to take what I could find."

She realized her mistake as soon as the words left her lips. She'd given Wes the opening he wanted.

Rocking back on his heels, he fired off his first volley. "Speaking of said op." He took aim with both barrels. "You take your lame ass, stupid plan to the XO? A guy, and I quote, 'who sucks up oxygen he doesn't deserve'. Someone you, and I quote again, 'despise with the heat of a thousand suns' and get him to give the okay?" Warmed up, he bluntly asked. "What the hell, Clara?" He turned away. "Do you have any respect for the chain of command?" Angling his head back, he shot one more barb. "Or is it just me you find unworthy?"

Well, shit. She hadn't meant for her bold move to be insulting, but it would come across that way. And Wes had a point. She had a reason for going over his head … because she'd known Wes would say no. They'd lost too many souls recently and her plan had risk written all over it. She did deep cover missions, not down and dirty in and outs. But regardless of what Wes thought, Clara had the right skill set to pull off her plan.

And he knew it. Deep down where he didn't like to own things. She'd been lucky. Only had to deal with Wes two or three times in the year since he'd taken over as the unit commander. A year and two months since the night they'd spent together.

He snorted. "No response? Guess that answers that, then." He started toward the door.

Shit. Stupid lapses down memory lane.

Clara couldn't let him leave. "I'm sorry." She didn't want to head out for a dangerous op with him thinking the absolute worst of her.

Okay, he already thought the worst, but she did respect him. He should know it.

Wes paused and turned slowly, his face working hard to stay neutral. Clara appreciated the effort.

I'm pretty pleased with how this story is coming along. It's at about the halfway mark and I'm hoping to finish it up by the end of the year.

 

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

ML Skye