Whew. What a week. Our high school's homecoming is next weekend and we're in a flurry to get the last-minute accessories for the big event. We usually host about six couples each year and we're getting the menu finalized and nailing down who's bringing what. Like I said. Whew.
Had a semi-productive viewing week for television. The season premiere of The Last Ship didn't disappoint. I loved how much exposition they packed into small moments. I'm so excited for the next episode, even though we lost two of my favorite characters.
I caught the second episode of Birds of Prey. Also caught episodes of Pensacola Wings of Gold and Lexx. I'd forgotten what happened during the most recently watched Lexx. Now I need to see the next episode to see what the fallout was. LOL
Caught a classic movie on DVD, Crazy Love. It's a Myrna Loy / William Powell comedy and it was excellent!
Watched another episode of Strike Back. I'm beginning to like how the team is coming together and it was great to have some references back to the previous incarnation of Section Twenty.
Finally, I watched the next to last episode of season six Chicago Fire. I'll be interested to see what happens in the finale.
That's pretty much it. Caught the usual marathons of Murder, She Wrote and In the Heat of the Night along with a mini-marathon of The Saint.
Tonight's post is from Steamed, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt of having one main character have enough of the other main character's innuendo and do something about it.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Page Wagner and Gannon Bendis pull long range recon duty and Page decides they need to play truth or strip. After several days of sexy banter, Gannon has enough of Page's innuendo and confronts her… in the shower.
And a sneaky peek…
Page Wagner stowed her gear in the duty locker aboard the small cruiser she'd call home for the next week. "Normally, I'd ask who I pissed off to get this temporary assignment." Instead, she said a silent thank-you.
Because… she'd hit the jackpot with partners. Gannon Bendis should be directing their small two-cabin craft to the star system they would be working in right about now. Long-range scan details tended to be boring with lots of charting, recording, and reconnaissance during specific hours and not much of anything else for the duration. She'd gone a full day before being bored to tears—long enough to almost arrive at the location for the scans.
Which meant she could see if any kind of spark existed between her and Gannon. "Not like I don't already have the hots for him." She totally did.
And why wouldn't she?
The man defined the word attractive, at least in her dictionary. About five-ten, with broad shoulders, a defined chest, and arms that made t-shirts look sexy. And his ass? Drool-worthy. Not many people could make fatigues look good, but Gannon absolutely did.
Throw in dark hair and eyes and she might as well tattoo yum on her tongue.
Grabbing a deck of cards, she ducked into the common area and waited for Gannon to secure the cruiser in the specified location. When he entered from the cockpit, she gave him a wide smile. He nodded and made his way to the small food storage area and snagged a quick-heat meal.
Page quirked an eyebrow. "We're all set?" Stupid question, but one to get a conversation rolling.
Gannon gave her a sideways glance. "Would there be a reason we wouldn't be?" He popped the meal into the cooking unit and hit start.
Page's lips curved. "Not particularly. I'm used to flying into an assigned territory instead of flying out." She didn't balk at being relief pilot, but she wouldn't lie either.
Gannon removed the package from the oven and hot-fingered it to the table. "Yeah, we're safe and secure in the first quadrant and I set the modules to record. We'll get an alert if anything pings out there." He peeled the film away from the dinner and the aroma of spicy noodles wafted up from the tray.
Page settled back and shuffled the cards. "And the motion sensors? How far out did you go with the scope?" Mundane topic, but one easily discussed while he ate.
He chewed and swallowed. "Five hundred kilometers in all directions. If we don't get an advance warning with sound, we'll have time to move if we need to." He finished off the entrée and got up to recycle the trash.
Page waited until he sat back down before pouncing with another question. "Care to play some cards?" She shuffled the deck again several times.
Gannon eyes her hands but shook his head back and forth. "Nah. I think I'll grab a book. I brought more than one." He made a move to get up.
Page tsked. "Come on, Gannon. Indulge me." She whipped the cards from one and to the other in slow waterfall. "Let's play truth or strip."
He blinked then frowned. "Such a game doesn't exist." His head cocked to one side. "You're mixing it up, right?"
Page shrugged. "Well, gotta get creative." She shuffled the cards again then set the deck on the table. "Can't do truth or dare because there're only two of us and there's nothing we can dare each other to do." She paused. "Except maybe sending prank messages but, oh, yeah, we're on long-range recon and have to stay radio silent." She flashed a smile.
Gannon nodded. "Okay, point made." He kicked back, folding his arms over his chest.
Page took that a cue to continue. "And strip poker is out of the question." Please take the bait.
Gannon quirked a brow. "Why?"
Page snorted. "Wouldn't be fair."
Gannon reacted by sitting up and placing his forearms on the table. "Why not?"
Page laughed. "You'd end up naked all the time." She paused a moment. "Not that I'd mind. I like eye candy. But I'm nothing if not an equal opportunist." Biting her tongue, she stopped there.
Gannon tilted his head to one side. "You think you're that good?" His tone held plenty of disbelief.
Page tsked. "Not to brag, but, yes. I'm not allowed to sit in at the poker table anymore." She'd been banned within two months of arriving on the Essex.
Gannon settled back in his chair again and kicked his feet out. "Okay, how do you see this equal opportunity nude-fest working?" Clearly, she'd piqued his interest.
Page grabbed the cards again. "Thought you'd never ask." She cut the deck then shuffled. "High card chooses. If you say truth, you have to answer a question honestly. If you don't answer, you have to remove two articles of clothing." Not bad for making something up on the fly.
Gannon considered the rules. "What happens if we decide to pass on answering the question?"
Hmmm. Think fast, Page.
She grinned. "Simple. If either of us passes, we choose which article of clothing the other has to remove."
Score one for the power of creative thinking.
This is a fun little story and I love the dynamic between Page and Gannon. The whole truth or strip trope is something I like to explore as an ice breaker with characters.
That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.
ML Skye
