This snippet is sort of a two-fer deal. Jambrea Jo Jones and I have spent the last few months working on a little story we’re calling Speed Dating. Don’t know if that will be the official title, but it’s the working one. Jambrea is the diligent partner and I’m the slacker! We thought we’d share the part of the story where our couple, Gage (I’m write the hero) and Sunie (Brea writes the heroine) meet in a speed dating club.
“Um, hi. My name is Gage.”
“Hi Gage. It’s wonderful to meet you. I’m Sunday.”
“I’m afraid I’m kinda new at this whole speed dating concept. Is there something we’re supposed to be doing or saying or—” Gage shook his head, well aware of the fact that he sounded like a complete moron. He fully intended to kick Trey’s ass for dragging him into this joint.
“I’m really not sure. This is my first time as well. My friends talked me into this, something about needing to met a new kind of guy after my boyfriend and I broke up, but I guess that’s neither here nor there. I think we’re just supposed to talk and get to know each other a little. They don’t give us much time though, do they?”
“Um no, not really,” Gage wracked his brain to try to remember how long the hostess at the front door said he’d have to sit here and endure the awkward silence with this stranger. He studied the woman’s face, taken aback by her natural beauty. Excessive make-up was a major turn-off for him and it was refreshing to see that this woman—oh hell, what did she say her name was? Gage lost all track of his thoughts as he realized he hadn’t even listened when she’d introduced herself.
Christ, he sucked at this dating scene shit. The whole reason he’d gotten engaged to Bianca was because he wanted to escape all this nonsense. Get married. Have a family.
Name, he thought, what was her name?
“I was named after my dad.” He grimaced at the inane line. He sounded like a fucking fifth grader. “How ‘bout you?”
“I was named after the day I was born, but most people call me Sunie. I think it’s wonderful you were named after your dad. It shows strong tradition in your family and I think that’s very important nowadays. Don’t you?”
“Uh yeah.” He thought it showed a major lack of imagination and caused a heap of confusion at family gatherings, but whatever. At least, he’d remembered to listen this time. Her name was Sunie. He glanced at her face again and realized the name fit her somehow. “So what do you do for a living?”
“I don’t know if you would call it a job, as it’s more like a calling. I have my own practice. I’m a doctor of Natural Health. I’m a firm believer in using nature to help heal us. Being in tune with the world around us is a powerful thing. How about you? What do you do for a living?”
Doctor of Natural Health? What the hell was that? Sounded like some kind of hippie lifestyle. Shit, she probably lived on a commune. “I’m a doctor too—a vet. I run my own animal clinic a couple of blocks from here. So you prescribe like herbs or something?”
“If herbs are needed then I guess you could say I prescribe them. I teach my patients to worship their bodies so their minds and spirits become whole. Not to pollute themselves with unneeded medicines. Sometimes that means looking at what they’re eating, what kinds of stress they may have in their life. I was brought up to respect all life, do no harm and lead my patients to where they need to go. It’s very fulfilling, as I imagine it is for you being a veterinarian. I think that’s a wonderful career. I love animals. I’ve been thinking of getting a dog, but haven’t had a chance to go to the pound. I’m sorry. I’m talking too much, aren’t I?”
Gage grinned. He wasn’t sure he fully understood what it was she did for a living, but a fellow dog lover he could appreciate. “I’ve got two mutts of my own at home. They’d been abused and abandoned. Somebody picked them up and brought them into the clinic. Usually I try to find homes for neglected pets, but for some reason, I couldn’t let those two guys go. If you do pick up a dog, bring it by my clinic. I’ve got a deal worked out with the SPCA on spaying and neutering.”
“Oh, I don’t know if I would go with spaying or neutering. I wouldn’t want to hurt the animal. It’s great that you offer the service though and absolutely wonderful that you take in abused pets. I can’t believe anyone would hurt a creature as loving as a domesticated animal. I’m sorry. I tend to ramble when I’m nervous. Do you love what you do?”
What did she mean she wouldn’t spay or neuter? Gage took a minute to decide whether or not he wanted to call her to task on a subject he felt so strongly about. Then Bianca’s voice rang in his ears, telling him to get off his damn soapbox. The woman had always resented anything he felt passionately about that wasn’t her. He should have seen the writing on their relationship wall years ago. Gage mentally shrugged off Sunie’s comment. “I guess you could say I’m a regular guy. I love to watch sports on TV and I go hiking and kayaking whenever I get the chance. In the summer, I camp a couple times a month. How about—”
He was interrupted by a shrill bell and he watched as all the men in the club stood up. Apparently it was time to switch tables.
To hell with this, Gage thought. He caught Trey’s gaze, then glanced at the front door. He didn’t intend to play this game anymore. His stomach was in knots just trying to talk to Sunie and she was a perfectly, nice normal woman. Clearly he wasn’t ready to reenter the dating scene. He was hitting the pub across the street, watching the hockey game on the big screen TV that hung behind the bar and drinking beer with the guys. No stress, no bells, no women.
“It was nice to meet you Sunie. Have a good night.” Without a backward glance, he made his escape.
So–what do you think?
