February 2026: New Serial Fiction...
This story will eventually be part of a MC (Motorcycle Club) Shared World with eight other authors and will be fully edited and published in June of 2027. I'm writing this series based on prompts provided by my monthly writing group. This is January's submission.
Title of book:
DRAKE
(Bracelet image from Talisa®)
Chapter 1: The Meet-cute
The prompt:
The Return Desk: Two strangers meet while standing in a long line to return unwanted holiday gifts.
“Mine then, I guess.” I held up my hand, which already had several leather and silver chain mail bracelets encircling my wrist.
“I see.” He jerked his smooth chin toward the gift bag I held. “What about you? What are you returning?”
I pulled a cashmere scarf and a silk tie from the bag. “Doesn’t quite go with my leather jacket. Not sure what he was thinking, but it doesn’t matter anyway, since we split the day after Christmas.”
“Me too,” he said with a frown as he eyed my items. “Those are nice.” He looked at his bracelet, at my scarf and tie, and then at the line we’d already been standing in for over fifteen minutes.
There was a smile playing at the corners of my mouth as he checked me out and then met my gaze when I asked, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
He rubbed his fingers across his lips. Pretty lips that I wouldn’t mind rubbing with my own. “Maybe.”
I laughed, holding out the gift bag. “Trade you? Then let’s get some coffee and trade names.”
He laughed as we stepped out of line and exchanged items. “Actually,” I said, “why don’t you put it on me?” And as he fastened the bracelet’s clasp around my wrist, I hoped it signaled the start of something good for the new year.
See you next month, but till then I hope you all are keeping warm... It's been a doozy of a winter here in Southern New Jersey. Brrr....
I leaned closer to the pretty man in a navy suit in front of me in the high-end department store’s customer service line, trying to see what he was returning. “What’d you get?”
He turned his head, peering at me for a moment before he turned to show me a leather bracelet nestled in a velvet-lined box.
“Oh, nice,” I said, impressed with the three thinly braided cords with sterling silver beads and clasps. I glanced at the box and realized I’d erred. Those weren’t silver; they were platinum.
He wrinkled his nose. “You think? It’s okay, I guess, just not my style.”“Mine then, I guess.” I held up my hand, which already had several leather and silver chain mail bracelets encircling my wrist.
“I see.” He jerked his smooth chin toward the gift bag I held. “What about you? What are you returning?”
I pulled a cashmere scarf and a silk tie from the bag. “Doesn’t quite go with my leather jacket. Not sure what he was thinking, but it doesn’t matter anyway, since we split the day after Christmas.”
“Me too,” he said with a frown as he eyed my items. “Those are nice.” He looked at his bracelet, at my scarf and tie, and then at the line we’d already been standing in for over fifteen minutes.
There was a smile playing at the corners of my mouth as he checked me out and then met my gaze when I asked, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
He rubbed his fingers across his lips. Pretty lips that I wouldn’t mind rubbing with my own. “Maybe.”
I laughed, holding out the gift bag. “Trade you? Then let’s get some coffee and trade names.”
He laughed as we stepped out of line and exchanged items. “Actually,” I said, “why don’t you put it on me?” And as he fastened the bracelet’s clasp around my wrist, I hoped it signaled the start of something good for the new year.
***
See you next month, but till then I hope you all are keeping warm... It's been a doozy of a winter here in Southern New Jersey. Brrr....
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