Into the Flames Excerpt 4: The Dinner

 I had almost forgotten that Onyx and I were supposed to fight and we were halfway through dinner. This was going to be amusing, because I was the only one that knew the fight was a set up.

I decided I would get up to get more tea when it was time, so I picked up the glass and finished it off. I looked up to watch Onyx and find something to fight with him about. I noticed his elbows were on the table. That was about the only thing I could see that wouldn’t be completely out there.

“Do your elbows really need to be on the table?” I said to Onyx with a glare.

He looked momentarily shocked, then he looked down.

“I didn’t realize they were on the table.”

I lowered my voice to almost a whisper since he was right next to me, but I made sure it was still loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I bring you over here so you can get to know my parents and then you disrespect them in their house.”

“Harley, dear, it's ok. It looks like it was just an accident,” my mother said looking confused.

“No,” I said, “It’s not. I thought he had better manners than that.” I stood up abruptly and grabbed my glass. “I think I need more tea.”

Everyone else was too busy looking anywhere, but at Onyx and I, they didn’t see me wink at him. A glimmer of question flipped across his eyes, but he didn’t say anything.

All excerpts are taken from a lightly edited first draft. The contents here may or may not make in to the final product as written here.

Into the Flames Excerpt 3: Beginnings

 At that moment we pulled up to the parking lot Onyx’s car was in, and I was speechless. Without another word he got out of the car and started to walk over to his. I put the car in gear, rolled down the window, and pulled up next to him.

“Onyx?”

He turned around and bent down to my window. I quickly wrapped my arm around his neck and kissed him the same way he kissed me in the garage. I pulled away, smiled, and took my foot off the break. The look on his face as I drove away was priceless.

Again, for some unknown reason, I felt like I had known him my whole life. I had never been so comfortable with someone before. I couldn’t wait to see him again tomorrow.

Right at that moment my phone went off. At the next light I pulled it out of my pocket, a text from Onyx.

Pick you up at your house at 3:00 tomorrow.

I didn’t know why he needed to pick me up. We were supposed to have dinner at my house at 6:30. So I responded:

Dinner is at 6:30.

He responded pretty quickly, but the light changed, so I had to wait until the next one before I could read it, and of course all the rest of the lights were green. As soon as I pulled into the garage I pulled my phone out.

I know.

That was all he said… I had to smile.

Okay, as long as we’re back in time.

Don’t worry we will be.

Are you always so vague?

Maybe :)

Are you going to tell me where you are taking me, Mr. Fielding?

Nope, you will just have to wait and see. So what are your plans for the evening Ms. Jennings?

Nothing really, just relaxing. How about you?

Same thing. Have a good night, darling.

You too.

All excerpts are taking from a lightly edited draft. The contents may or may not make it into the final product as written here.