Sunday Snippet: Off the Hook

Long week with a zillion phone calls to settle everything on getting a new vehicle to replace our totaled one. Happy to say as of Friday it's all taken care of. Yay!

Not a bad week with work projects and a solid week of good television. Started out with Street Legal and I'm ending with another episode of the same. Starting to really enjoy this show.

Caught another episode of the Ready Room and thoroughly enjoyed Evan Evagoria's interview. Such a great character he played. And he's a huge fan of the franchise and that came through so much.

Also watched another episode of Chicago Med and enjoyed the three threads playing out during the episode.

Enjoyed another episode of No Offence. This show … man, it's so good. Not sure if there will be more episodes, but I'm so glad I found this one.

Caught the second part of Silent Witness's two part episode. Yeah, they're all two part episodes, I know. This was a really great one and I liked how everything came together by the end.

Watched another arc of Classic Who. They're still on the trail of the time key components and this episode ended up being more fun than I originally thought it would be.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers and it's got some drama, which seems to be woven in more than usual. Great episode so far.

Caught another episode of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. This one focused around UFOs and US presidents. Actually pretty interesting viewing.

Watched two more episodes of The Muppet Show. Dom Deluise and Bernadette Peters were the guest stars. I'm still nostalgic for the first season, which is probably my favorite.

The Hardy Boys had a great episode. The tall dude is finally—maybe—done for. Liked getting a little more information on Laura's past and I'm trying to decide if I want the grandmother to be super bad or a red herring of goodness.

I viewed another Master Class with David Carson on graphic design. This one had another lesson about color and I found it fascinating.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is going to some interesting places. I can't decide if I want Sabrina to really twist everything on its ass or if she needs something to blow up in her face. I'll find out by the next episode if that happens.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Off the Hook, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Esti Warf's relationship with Wyatt Corben is tested when she agrees to give his younger brother a chance to pass basic flight. Wyatt knows in his gut his brother doesn't have the chops, but he can't get Esti to budge on her decision, especially when his old man pressured her into accepting Wilton as a cadet. Both are on the hook, trying to keep peace in the family and still maintain their bond as a couple.

And a sneaky peek…

"Hey, bro. Dad pulled rank and got me into Esti's class."

Wyatt Corben gripped the phone tighter in his hand. "He what?" What's the old man thinking?

 Stupid question. Wharton Corben wanted both sons to follow in his footsteps. No matter what.

Wyatt had a few doubts about his brother's ability to handle a five-ton craft in the darkness of space. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Frankly, the idea made Wyatt's stomach drop to his toes.

Wilton had keen intelligence, but he rarely did well on written tests, hence the reason he failed to get into flight school in the first place. "You know I'll back you if you want to study something else."

Wilton hemmed a little. "Eh … I don't know."

Wyatt grasped at the first thing that popped into his head. "What about the corps of engineers? They've got a fantastic program."

Wilton snorted. "Duh. I don't test well, remember. You know how hard that exam is."

Solid point, but Wyatt had a trump card. "True. But your practical knowledge is off the charts. Half the test grade is applied knowledge."

Wilton didn't respond. Probably not because he didn't want to, but the easy road had already been laid out for him.

Wyatt tried one more option. "What about intelligence? The way you manage to keep details straight in your head and your skill with blending in would make you a good fit."

For someone who didn't manage to do well on exams, Wilton had an almost counterintuitive ability to forget nothing. For some reason, something got lost between his brain and filling in the answers on a test. Wyatt often envied the way Wilton adapted to situations and fit in easily. Every time they moved to a new base, Wilt made friends within the first few days.

Wilton sighed. "I'll keep those ideas in mind, Wy, but I gotta give flying a go. You know the old man won't accept anything else."

The door opened behind Wyatt and Esti entered their quarters. Maybe he could talk some sense into her before his old man dropped the bomb.

Wyatt closed his eyes. "Yeah, I know. Just consider everything, okay?" He ended the call and slipped his phone into his pocket.

Esti sank down on the sofa and Wyatt shook his head. How the hell did he approach this with her? She wouldn't appreciate him sticking his nose in but, dammit, his brother's life could be on the line.

Esti glanced up, her face unreadable.

"My dad pulled rank and wants Wilton in your class."

"Your dad stopped by and asked me to enroll Wilton in my class."

They spoke in unison.

His gaze met hers. Her mouth snapped shut and she folded her arms across her chest. Shit. He might be too late.

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly. "What did you do?" Too much to hope she told his dad to take a flying leap off a cliff.

She lifted her chin. "I said yes."

Well, fuck.

I love writing the family dynamics in this one. I'm hoping no one comes off as a bad guy and I think I'm getting the vibe I want on the page.

 

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

ML Skye