A sneak peek at WAIT FOR ME

Good morning, everybody!  Maybe you noticed I haven't posted any new episodes of CHARMING DECEPTION lately.  That's because I submitted it for publication.  I should hear back from them very soon.  But in the meantime, I offer you this morning a sneak peek at WAIT FOR ME, a Time After Novel in progress.  Remember the Time After Time novels follow a pair of lovers, Nicole and Richard, in their lifetimes together in different places at different times, sometimes on different planets.  In this one, he finds her in Ohio.  

“WHAT?  You’ re married?  NO!  You… you didn’t wait for me?  Why?  You KNEW I was coming for you!  You heard me calling and calling to you, telling you to come to me, to find me.  America is a big place!  I got to New York and didn’t know where to go next, I didn’t know where to find you!  Compared to this, London is… compact. 

I love you.  I’ve always loved you.  You know it.  You feel it.  And yet you married HIM?” pointing to the man in the wedding picture on the wall.  “Well, guess what!  I’m not going anywhere,” he said folding his arms and sticking his chin out.  “I’m staying right here with you.  I’m not letting you out of my sight.  YOU will have to tell him to get lost.  You don’t want me to talk to him, do you?  Hmm?  Because I’ll tell him!  I’ll tell him the whole unbridled truth, the whole, long, convoluted story of how we simply cannot be kept apart.  How many countless others have tried?  But we always find our way back to each other, back together.  I’ll tell him we belong together.  We’ve been together before, time after time.  We are lovers in a cosmic sense.  We have this undeniable… connection.  And nothing, no one can ever come between us.”

“Calm down, Honey.  I’ll make you a reservation at the Hilton.  I’ll come to you in the morning as soon as Steve leaves, or, more likely, zones out on the couch.  And we’ll discuss this like civilized human beings.”

“No!  I’ve traveled thousands of miles across the ocean to find you and I’m staying right here.  When it comes to you, I’m not a civilized human being.  I’m nothing but a love-crazed maniac.  Make HIM a reservation at the Hilton!”  He calmed down a bit and softened.  “Or, better yet,” he smiled at her, “come to the Hilton with me.  I will not be without you tonight.  Here.  There.  Anywhere.  I don’t care.”

“Please be reasonable, you gorgeous love-crazed maniac, you,” she giggled.  “Give me some time to think this through and figure out what the hell we’re going to do next.”

“Oh, yes!  Just look how well you’ve done on your own without me so far at being reasonable and thinking things through!  No.”

“Richard, please!  He’ll never understand.  He’ll think I’ve lost my mind.”

“The only way I’m leaving here is if you come with me.  I don’t care where we go.  And I don’t care if he thinks we’re crazy.  Could care less.”

“Okay, okay.  We’ll go to the Hilton.  I’ll pack a quick overnight bag.” 

She went to the closet in the bedroom.  Richard followed her.   She retrieved her red leather bag from the top shelf and began throwing clothing and bottles into the bag.  A robe, jeans, cologne, tee-shirt, underwear, just enough to get through the night and tomorrow.  Deodorant, moisturizer, make up bag, comb, toothbrush, dental floss, toothpaste.  Mmmm.  Massage lotion. 

“Love, you won’t regret it.  You KNOW we belong together.  You know it, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know it, My Darling.”

“Do you love this…  short man, Steve?  More than you love me?” He almost pouted.

“Oh, of course not!”  she laughed.

“Then come here and give me a proper welcome.”  He reached for her and pulled her to him.  He held her in his arms, on the verge of tears.  It felt so good to him to just be able to hold her this close again.   They were both lost in the moment, in a warm, beautiful, hypnotic embrace, remembering each other, and their wonderful connection.  Remembering long-dormant sensations so intense and familiar.  Yes, an undeniable connection.

The door opened.  Richard turned to face the door.  There was a flash.  A shot was fired.  Misha screamed.
   "Steve!  What the hell did you just do?  You shot him!"