Sunday Snippet: Night Watch

Ohio weather is tripping on some kind of psychedelic drug right now. We're in our third winter at the moment, so hopefully actual spring will happen in about two weeks. Of course, we'll have to give or take a month because who knows how long the state will be under the influence.

Had a crazy week of work, a mom crisis mode occurrence, and of course the weird weather, which wreaks havoc on my sinuses.

I didn't get much television watched this week. Too many things going on to really pay attention to my shows.

I did get an episode of Death in Paradise watched and enjoyed it. I hadn't seen any of this one and ended up really liking the mystery.

I also started an episode of Elementary and should finish it up today. I love the fun dynamic of Holmes and Watson after last week's near miss with Watson's life.

Other than that, I might be back on track this week, but I won't hold my breath. My brain is doing weird things and having a very hard time staying focused on more than one thing at a time. It's driving me batshit.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Night Watch, a novella that explores the dynamic between a couple that keeps their relationship of the QT.

Here's the miniblurb:

Aisley Diehl and Thad Saunders pull a shift of night watch on the hangar deck. They're tasked with keeping their junior pilots from being drunk and disorderly when they'd much rather be spending the evening doing something more enjoyable—under the covers.

And a sneaky peek…

Aisley didn't look up from the comp panel when Thad returned. "Sorry for bailing on you." She marked her place in the news article on the screen then set the unit aside. "Did Hambone give you any trouble?" She hoped not because sticking Thad with the drunk pilot kind of sucked.

Not that Thad couldn't handle an inebriated soldier. Hell, he'd had his share of dealing with her too many times to count.

Thad dropped down beside her. "Nope. But a word to the wise … he'd totally be down to hit on you if he thought he had half a chance." His lips twitched.

Aisley groaned. "Tell me you didn't encourage him." She did not want to deal with a puppy-dog pilot prancing around to get her attention.

Thad laughed. "Well, it depends on how you look at it. When he asked if I thought you'd ever go for him, I basically said he'd be lucky if you didn't shoot him, so who knows?" He leaned back, propping his elbows on the workstation surface behind them.

Aisley chuckled. "If I'm lucky, he won't remember the conversation at all." And if Thad kept his mouth shut, she'd never have to worry about Hampton making a play.

The guy would be sorely disappointed. She only went for one pilot, even if no one else knew about her preference. Except the flyboy himself.

Thad nudged her shoulder. "Not like you have experience there or anything." His lips turned upward taking the sting out of the words.

She shrugged. "Yeah, okay. I kind of do." She slid her gaze toward him. "But I remember the important stuff." Like how they were supposed to get together tonight instead of babysitting. "And if I forget, you always remind me." He had her back when it counted.

Unlike her … when she'd left him hanging earlier.

She didn't really want to think about why. But she always got touchy when anyone started making noise about her chemistry with Thad. Mainly because she didn't have that level of anything with anyone else … and the thought freaked her out sometimes.

Thad straightened then leaned his forearms on his thighs. "Look … about the bullshit couple question … you know that's the drunk talking, right?" He tilted his head giving her a side-eye. "As in, he'd never have the balls to ask or even think about asking that specific question if he hadn't been three sheets to the wind." He huffed out a laugh.

Aisley rolled her eyes. "More like ninety-seven sheets, but who's counting?" She sighed. "I shouldn't get so twitchy about lame stuff, but I like what we have and really want to keep our…" She trailed off a moment. "Whatever this is on the down-low." Did that sound as stupid as she thought?

Thad's lips twisted in a wry grin. "Yeah, I get it. Once we start defining this thing, or if we acknowledge it to anyone, the whole dynamic changes, right?" He met her gaze. "Why mess with a good thing?"

Aisley gave a quick nod. "Right. No one else gets to slap a label on us until we're ready…" She glanced away. "If we ever are." She would never push for more because being official would complicate things.

Thad sat up again. "Do you want to be? Ready, I mean?"

Aisley had no idea how to answer. "Can I get back to you on that?"

Thad narrowed his eyes. "You could. But we've got a long night ahead of us. What'll it hurt if we run through some future plans?"

Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. But she owed him for taking Hambone on alone.

Exhaling slowly, she turned to face him. "Okay. Where do you see us in six months?"

I'm kind of excited to see where this story goes. I have a very loose outline of story beats and so far, the characters are filling in all the blanks.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Night Watch

Geez, half of May is gone and I have no idea where it went. At least the weather has somewhat improved and feels more like spring heading into summer.

Had a fairly decent week of work and television viewing. Finished up a project and completed another one.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and got about halfway through. So far, it's an interesting one.

I caught the penultimate episode of No Offence. I have a feeling the finale is going to be a doozy. I'm looking forward to starting the third series.

I finished up the second part of Silent Witness. I should be ready to move on to season eleven in the near future. I think I have one more two-parter to watch.

Watched another arc of Classic Who. Once again, I got a little annoyed with Four. There's something about his arrogance that rubs me wrong. Pretty decent four-part series of episodes leading up to the six-part finale, which I'm looking forward to.

Caught another episode of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. This one focused on pilots and astronauts that had experiences seeing unidentified flying objects.

Watched a couple of The Muppet Show episodes. Don Knotts and Zero Mostel were the guests. I'd forgotten they had a new opening for the second season. I'm kind of partial to the first season's opener.

Caught another episode of The Hardy Boys. I like this show. For me, there's a lot of nostalgia because it harkens back to phones with cords, unorganized or unstructured days, eight-bit video games, and hanging out with friends. The mystery and dangerous stuff is icing on the cake.

Also started another episode of Peak Practice. Jack's in Africa and Beth and Will are trying to manage the practice while they wait on a replacement doctor. I have a feeling this episode might end up being a sad one.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Night Watch, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Aisley Diehl and Thad Saunders pull a shift of night watch on the hangar deck. They're tasked with keeping their junior pilots from being drunk and disorderly when they'd much rather be spending the evening doing something more enjoyable—under the covers.

And a sneaky peek…

Aisley Diehl wiped the sweat from her face. "Great workout, Callie." The other woman put Aisley through a difficult series of maneuvers.

Callie grinned. "You're fun to spar with. You give me a run for my money." The engineer took a long swallow of water.

A petty officer popped his head into the gym. "Lieutenant Diehl, the CO wants to see you in his quarters. ASAP." He ducked back out, probably to avoid getting grilled for information.

Aisley frowned. "Pretty sure I haven't done anything to piss him off this week. Wonder why he wants to see me." She grabbed her shirt and yanked it over her head.

Callie rolled a shoulder. "No clue. But I suggest a shower before you meet with him. I can smell you from over here." She cackled before turning toward the heavy bag.

Aisley smirked. "Ha-ha. But, yeah, think I'll make myself presentable before heading to his quarters." She draped the towel around her neck and started for the head next to the gym.

Callie tossed off a wave then went back to punching the bag.

Aisley stripped quickly and stepped under the misty spray even though the water hadn't warmed up yet. "ASAP gives me a little leeway, but don't want to keep him waiting." If the petty officer had said RFN—right fucking now—she'd have skipped the shower altogether.

Ten minutes later, she had a uniform on and strolled down the corridor to the commanding officer's quarters. Her hair still dripped a little, but he wouldn't care. At least she didn't think he would.

Drawing closer to the CO's space, she found Thad Saunders waiting outside and her curiosity kicked up a notch. Surely the CO hadn't heard anything about her clandestine relationship with Thad? They didn't speak of it for a reason.

Nah. That would have warranted an RFN summons.

Thad lifted his chin when he noticed her. "You too?" He jerked his head toward the hatch.

She nodded. "Yep. Ordered to report ASAP. How long have you been here?" And why hadn't he gone in already?

Thad shrugged. "Just got here. Took a moment to run through everything I've done this week to figure out why he wants to see me. Didn't know I'd have company." His lips twitched.

She grinned and lowered her voice. "Speaking of company … plans for later?" She didn't get specific—they could decide the where and when after the meeting.

Thad gave her a heated look. "Definitely." He raised his hand and knocked on the hatch.

This is a fun little story that should be angst-free. Thad and Aisley pulled the short straw with their extra duty but they'll find a way to make it interesting.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Night Watch

I hope 2018 is off to a great start for everyone. For myself, it's like an arctic tundra in Ohio but that gives me time to write, edit, and catch up on lots of television. Unless it's three a.m. and the dog has to pee… then it takes fifteen minutes to bundle up to go outside so we don't end up coming back in as popsicles. LOL

As mentioned, I watched Passionflix's The Trouble with Mistletoe last week and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Honestly, the adaption hit all the right emotional notes. There were moments that felt a little rushed, but I have to give props for being able to convey small story beats so masterfully.

Also got caught up on Riverdale. The winter finale tied up the black hood storyline… I think. That new janitor dude is very sketchy-looking so, yeah, not sure. I am looking forward to new episodes to see what new fresh hell Hiram has planned for Riverdale.

I'm almost halfway through season two of Chicago Fire. I'm still not wholly down with the entire McLeod arc. The resolution, while satisfying—watching Isabella shut Gail down was a thing of beauty—didn't exactly make up for not knowing why she had it in for station fifty-one. Her bonus notwithstanding, I didn't quite buy the whole vindictive nature.

I'm looking forward to the return of my regular network fare in the next two weeks, especially Arrow.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Night Watch, a novella that started with a two-word prompt of "jump off".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Aisley Diehl and Thad Saunders pull a shift of night watch on the hangar deck. They're tasked with keeping their junior pilots from being drunk and disorderly when they'd much rather be spending the evening doing something more enjoyable—under the covers.

And a sneaky peek…

Thad heaved a sigh. "C'mon, Hamp. Let's get you into a cold shower then pour you into your rack." He dragged the staggering pilot out of the hangar deck and down the corridor.

He'd definitely get Aisley back for this one. Sticking him with full babysitting detail counted as a total bitch move. Not her usual SOP.

Hampton followed along, his head craning around looking at the causeway lights. "Hey, hey, um, captain… you got something going on with the lieutenant?" He stumbled closer, leaning and pitching his voice low. "'Cause I gotta tell ya, I'd totally hit that." His lips twisted in a drunken leer.

Thad bit back a harsh retort. What he had with Aisley stayed between them. They didn't share publicly… with anyone. The urge to punch Hamp would subside—probably as soon as Thad shoved the other guy into a shower.

Hampton nudged Thad. "You think she'd go for me?"

Thad rolled his eyes. "Right now? I think she'd cheerfully shoot you." He guided Hamp around a corner then directed him toward the head. "If I were you, I'd stay the hell out of her way for a while."

Hampton stopped outside the hatch. "Why? What did I do?"

Ha. He asked the one question guaranteed to send Aisley running. The dreaded "are you two an item" one. Thad didn't like to put labels on their relationship either, but Aisley freaked out when anyone tried to pin her down.

Thad clapped Hampton on the back. "Buddy, let's just say she's had about enough of pilots needing babysitters. You'll get your chance to play Mom and Pop one of these days." Thad reached into a stall and turned on the cold water. "Until then, make this your one and done and she'll eventually forgive you." He shoved Hampton under the spray, clothes and all.

"God damn! That's freezing." Hamp shivered under the deluge.

Thad cracked a grin. "Let it be a lesson, Hambone."

Hampton wiped the water from his face. "How long do I have to under here, Sir?"

Thad lifted a shoulder. "Until you learn to stay away from the hangar deck when you're drunk."

He'd give the pilot another two minutes then pour him into his rack.

Then he'd head back to the hangar deck. He had no doubt Aisley would be there, keeping a vigilant watch.

Thad's definitely going to have a story to tell Aisley when he gets back to the hangar deck.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Night Watch

Well, hello, March. Thank you for dumping like seven inches of snow on me. :D

Seriously, I have to remember I was wearing flip flops and shorts in October so I don't get all crazy about having snow in March. LOL

Some great TV this week. I'm rather sad I have to wait almost a whole month for new The Flash and Arrow episodes. Oh well, teaches me the value of patience, right? Banshee and Bitten had great episodes. So happy for a satisfying end to one of the characters on Banshee, which tied in nicely with the satisfying end to one of the characters on Bitten last week. Yes, I have a bloodthirsty streak sometimes. :D

To counter the death toll, let's see if The Walking Dead manages to keep everyone alive again this week. LOL

Tonight's post is from Night Watch, a novella where my main characters pull babysitting detail… and aren't happy about it.

Here's the tagline:

Aisley Diehl and Thad Saunders pull a shift of night watch on the hangar deck. They're tasked with keeping their junior pilots from being drunk and disorderly when they'd much rather be spending the evening doing something more enjoyable—under the covers.

And the sneaky peek…

Aisley grumbled. "Why do you and I have to stand night watch on the hangar deck?" She had so many better things to do. Like sleep. Or have sex. With Thad.

Thad snorted. "You know why, Aisley. Too many pilots getting drunk and being disorderly." He made the turn ahead of her and started down the corridor to the hangar.

Aisley sighed. "Why do the stupid morons always come down here when they've got three gyms, two rec rooms, or hell, the obs deck?"

Thad glanced over his shoulder. "You're joking, right? I know for a fact, you've had your fair share of tipsy tirades on a hangar deck. I mean, seriously? I was there for at least two of them."

Aisley flushed, hating how accurately Thad called her on her bullshit. "Yeah, well, who knew I'd start a trend." Her lips twitched. "And you weren't just there, you participated."

Thad smirked. "You have absolutely zero proof I ever partook in any of your shenanigans." Of course she didn't. The man never got busted for anything.

Thad crossed the threshold into the hangar area and stopped short. "Would you look at this." He jerked his head toward the row of neatly aligned space crafts. "Hambone never fails to take an opportunity to show his lack of intelligence."

Aisley's lips curved. Hampton Bonais aka Hambone teetered on the nose of his bird. He blinked when he caught sight of his superior officers, probably trying to focus enough to see less than two each of them.

Aisley brushed past Thad and crossed her arms over her chest. "Dammit, Hambone. If you're determined to be an ass, why not prove it. Jump off."

Thad strode forward and elbowed her. "Shut up, Aisley. You're not helping."

She snorted, planting her hands on her hips. "No. I'm not gonna shut up." She got a little nasty. "If our pilots want to be stupid and get some down time, they can have it in sickbay instead of in hack." She lifted a shoulder. "The brig should be reserved for people who actually deserve it and respect the reasons for wanting to be there." She shot Thad a sideways glance, daring him to counter her statement.

Thad sighed. "I'd really like to argue your logic… but I can't." He waited a beat. "Especially since you spend a good amount of time in hack."

Aisley smirked. "Thought you'd see things my way."

A loud clearing of a throat sounded from the end of the bird.

Aisley and Thad each snapped. "What?"

Hambone tilted his head sideways made a random observation. "Um, well, it's fascinating really… you two fight and argue like a married couple… except you're not married." He paused and narrowed his eyes. "You're not, are you?" He weaved sideways. "Um… that jumping off thing… might not be a bad idea." His arms shot out, tilting back and forth to keep his balance. "The hangar deck isn't spinning, is it?"

Aisley huffed out a frustrated breath and she grabbed a set of stairs, rolling them to the end of the plane. "Get your sorry ass down off that bird, Hambone."

Thad helped keep the steps steady when Hampton started his descent. He missed the last two, slipping off the edge and landing in a heap on the deck. He bent over, his mouth open, a hand on his stomach.

Aisley stooped down, grabbing the junior pilot by the shoulders. "I swear to whatever is holy in your universe, if you heave on the chief's nice, clean hangar deck, I'll make sure you do nothing but maintenance shifts for a month."

Hambone's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No, no. I'm okay. Just landed a little hard, that's all."

Aisley backed off, but grinned. Threatening a pilot with deck detail always worked. Thad grabbed Hampton by the forearm and helped him get to his feet.

Hambone nodded. "Thanks." He cocked his head to one side. "You never answered. You're not married, are you?"

Aisley made a low growling sound. "Thad, make sure he gets back to quarters. If I don't leave now, I'll end up in the brig again." Spinning around, she left Thad to deal with the inebriated pilot.

This one is so much fun. I love Aisley. :D

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

ML Skye