Blurb:
Rebellion is dangerous; you can’t know
where it’s going to end or what damage it’s going to do. Astraea is dangerous
as well—dangerous to Cal Chesterfield's peace of mind. She's been a rebel for
years, delving into things foreign to Cal's more conservative nature, but she
appears to want to change. Unfortunately, she’s been wayward so long, it’s
possible she can’t learn to simply be herself.
Cal wants to change, too. He's too staid,
too conventional, and he's been a failure at making relationships work. It is
time for Cal to step out of the square box he's built for himself and try
something different, someone different. Astraea is a perfect change of pace.
But can Cal really change and loosen up? More importantly, can Astraea calm
down and find a way to love herself so she can love another?
Tag
Line: Rebellious and
seemingly unable to love herself, Astraea must learn from Cal, submitting to
his correction.
Excerpt
(987 words):
After locking his bike up, Cal entered the
coffee shop; the smells of hearty coffee and sweet pastries hit him
immediately, and his stomach growled in response. Caffeine Habit made a killer
gluten-free coconut pie, and Cal wasn't in the mood to resist it.
His usual barista wasn't at the coffee bar
that day. Joe, a friendly sort of fellow, had been replaced for this shift by a
young woman. She was beautiful and exotic, wearing Goth makeup of dark red lips
and heavily kohled eyes. And what blue eyes they were! Crystal clear,
surrounded by heavily mascaraed black eyelashes. Her skin was a nearly
translucent, pale cream and looked smooth as silk. She was tall, too. Cal stood
six feet, three inches, and he estimated that this woman had to be at least five-ten.
She wore the usual Caffeine Habit uniform, dark pants, dark Caffeine Habit
t-shirt and a red apron, but the shirt suited her far more than it ever did
Joe. Her name tag said "Astraea.
Forcing himself back from his admiration of
the young woman, Cal gave her a smile. "Good afternoon, Astraea. I see
Joe's not here today."
She smiled back, though it was a
professional smile, impersonal.
"Joe's off today. What can I get
you?"
"A double dose espresso, and a coconut
cream pie."
"Okay. Have a seat and I'll bring it
to you."
That was nice of her. Normally a customer
waited at the register until the order was up.
But, of course, in the middle of the afternoon, there weren't many other
customers there, so she had some time to wait tables if she wanted to keep
busy.
It took about five minutes, but Cal waited
patiently at the table. He normally chose one with a view out the picture
windows onto the street, but today, he wanted to watch what was inside the
coffee shop: Astraea. When she turned to get his coffee, he got a good look at
the back of her where the apron didn't cover. She had a long, narrow waist and
a butt that was tightly outlined in black yoga pants. It was a perfect butt,
too. He wished he could lift her by it and take her right up against the wall.
That was such an inappropriate thought, he almost blushed. But he was deeply
drawn to her in a curious way. Although he'd seen Goth girls before, this
one…this particular one, was different.
The coffee, pie, and Astraea arrived, and
she gracefully set his order before him. Cal wanted to keep her close, if he
could, so he started to make conversation. A little flirting, maybe, but
nothing too intense.
"So, how long have you been working
here, Astraea?"
"About two days. They're trying me on
different shifts before they decide which one will work best." As she
spoke, Cal watched those gorgeous, red lips form the words. All he could think
of was putting her mouth around his cock.
Up close, he noticed that she had a little
piercing on one side, just to the outside of her upper lip. A small diamond
stud winked at him as she spoke. Damn, that was sexy.
Her hair looked glossy and soft, black,
streaked with cobalt blue. He'd never gone for that kind of style, but on her,
the strands of blue in her shoulder-length hair and bangs were a compliment to
her features. She obviously took care of her looks.
"How do you like working here?"
he asked, trying to keep his mind on the conversation.
She shrugged. "They're nice and the
location is good. I can't complain."
They stared at each other for a long
moment, and then she smiled. It was a sexy, flirtatious smile. Cal returned it
and saw his chance.
"So, do you live around here?"
"Not far. I walk to work. Don't have a
car."
Astraea's hands were slender and
long-fingered, tipped with dark red, short nails. She wore no wedding ring.
Yes!
"I bike over here from the Cross Roads
gym a mile or so away. I'm here almost every day around this time."
"Ah. Maybe we'll see each other
again."
"That would be great."
She looked around, about to walk away, but
no customers were trying to get her attention, and none had entered the shop.
Instead of getting back to her duties, she lingered. "What do you
do?"
"I'm a CEO, and I own a little
nightclub near the mall."
"I club a lot. Which one?"
"Bittersweet on Stevens Creek."
"No shit! It used to be such a dive,
but I heard it got cleaned up. I guess you're the 'new management' that was
behind it?"
"I suppose so. I've owned it for about
nine months."
"Wow, that is so cool." She
grinned again and winked at him. "So you can comp me in some Saturday,
right?"
Cal laughed. "Sure. You and a few
friends, if you like."
"Fuck yeah! Thanks, man. What's your
name?"
"Cal Chesterfield. And I know yours
from your badge."
"Yeah, I go by Astraea. It's my stage
name. I'm a model."
Cal looked around the shop and then raised
his eyebrows at her.
"Well, I'm trying to be a model. It's
a tough gig."
"I understand completely. So, Astraea
the model, what do you do for fun?"
"Clubbing with my homies, mostly. But
I like to read as well. I'm not really into TV."
"Me, either. I mean, I'm not into TV.
I have one, but it's for news and sports, not 'entertainment'."
"Is there a 'Mrs. Cal
Chesterfield'?"
He grinned. "No. And a 'Mr.
Astraea'?"
"Hell no." She sank down on her
haunches at the side of the table, giving him a peek down the front of her
t-shirt. Her breasts were small and round, snuggled in a bright pink lacy bra.
"So, Cal, maybe we could get together sometime? A little fuck date?"
Cal had to blink.
Buy links:
Author bio and contact
info:
Trish
Walters is a newly minted author with a long track record in the writing
business, first as a technical writer, and now as a fiction author. She’s an
American ex-pat, living in Canada.
You can contact Trish at trish.walters.writer@gmail.com.
Please visit her
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/author/trishwalters
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