Graphic taken from and credit to @_Missing24_Twitter page
I’m not African American, don’t live in the US and don’t know much about the actor who tweeted about it but I applaud the idea behind the #Missing24 initiative.
Kudos to all Americans who participate today by supporting and buying from black-owned businesses to increase the amount of time their money circulates in the African-American community.
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I stumbled across this share-worthy video by Shelly Coco and her slam poetry piece from a few months ago about the recent events on her YouTube channel.
I love it when I see those who may not be directly affected by these issues, especially the younger generation, speaking up…
Disclaimer: I have no copyrights any of the videos, links or graphics above. No copyright infringement intended.
I couldn’t help but stare and prayed that she wouldn’t notice.
“What are you talking about?”
My friend G took his shades off and looked at me. We were both sitting at the pool bar having a drink while the rest of the guys had disappeared to God knows where. I gestured my head in the girl’s direction.
She was getting out of the pool, water dripping from every inch of her black bikini after finishing up some laps. Looking around, it was clear that I wasn’t the only guy staring at her. She was secretly torturing us all and didn’t even realize it. And every time I saw her, my brain filled with uncontrollable thoughts of slowly peeling her clothes off.
“This is a huge island resort and everywhere I turn, she’s right there.”
“Oh yeah, she’s hot…Nothing is wrong with you, man. You’re single now so go talk to her. You’ve got nothing to lose.”
My stomach flipped nervously in response to his words. After what had happened with Viviana, I didn’t have the nerve to approach any girl for the time being and my ass was going to stay glued to my bar stool. I wasn’t going to get shot down twice in the same month. We watched her dry off, throw her towel onto a lounge chair and head in our direction. My heart started to race.
“Here’s your chance Petey boy. You’d better take it.”
The girl leaned against the bar beside us and ordered a Miami Vice. I swallowed hard and nervously looked away. As she waited, she was humming an indistinct tune and then suddenly looked at me.
“Hi,” she said.
When she smiled at us, I think my heart stopped.
“Hi,” G and I said in unison.
“Funny that I keep seeing you everywhere. We must be on the same schedule,” she joked, looking straight at me.
Like a loser I smiled and nodded but didn’t respond. G poked me in the leg to prompt me but it was too late. The bartender handed her the drink and she slowly made her way back to her chair with her lips firmly sucking on its straw.
“You should have said something you dick,” G said shaking his head. “All you’re going to be thinking about now is how much you’d love her lips wrapped around your own …”
My posts over the spring and summer have been flavored with some of what I’ve been up to…
I’m still dealing with remediation renovations;
I escaped it all for a little while; and
Used a lot of that down time simply write, write and write to de-stress.
I’ll try not to complain BUT I can’t wait until I can get my home back to working order!
The question is, “What did YOU do this past summer?”
Some of you:
have and are on the verge of publishing books;
are expecting new bundles of joy; and
looking forward to getting married and looking forward to getting divorced
while some of you are:
going through tougher times; and
dealing with health, family or work-related issues.
I’ve been trying to keep up with you when I can so I know a little bit about what you did last summer.
But go ahead anyways and share what your summer was like with the rest of us. Or if summer wasn’t good to you, what you’re looking forward to this fall?
Fiction inspired by the lyrics of the title post song: “If you lose her, there’ll be a hole in your soul, there’d be no grave deep enough to bury your pain.” You may recognize the sample from Player’s “Baby Come Back.”
Ella’s voice sounded loud in my head. I bolted up from the couch and took a few steps back.
“Uh, thanks but no thanks. I think that I’m going to jet. ”
Ella stood up and placed both of her hands on her hips, looking offended.
“You’re turning me down? Why?”
I barely hesitated. “I love Laney, that’s why.”
The words tumbled from my lips so easily that it took me a minute to realize that I had said it out loud.
Ella raised her eyebrows and studied my face as if trying to determine if I was telling the truth. A slow grin spread across her face. She flopped herself back down on the couch.
“Does she know that?”
“Know what?” My mind was still racing.
“That you love her Tyler.”
“She knows how I feel.”
How were we were having this conversation minutes after what she had just done?
“Really? Did you actually tell her that before she left town?”
I said nothing. Ella frowned and shook her head at me in disgust.
“For a grown ass man, you are fuckin’ stupid! But I do believe you. It’s obvious just from the way I see you looking at her. I was waiting to see how long it would take you to realize it…and stop screwing around.”
I was speechless.
“Wait a minute, if that’s what you thought, why the fuck would you come on to me like that?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized what she had tried to do.
“Yeah, I was just testing you, that’s all. And I’m glad that you did the right thing.”
“Look Ella, you need to help me out. Laney won’t talk to me and so I need for you to talk to her for me.”
“Huh? Hell no, absolutely not! I’m not getting involved in any of this.”
“Come on! How else am I going to get through to Laney?”
Ella led me to the front door and I soon found myself in the hallway, letting me know that she was done with me.
“If you want to talk to Laney, the solution is simple. And if it’s not simple for you, use that brain of yours and prove that you’re more than a pretty face.”
I stood in the hallway, looking at her like she had two heads. I knew what she was suggesting.
“You’re telling me to fly down to Puerto Rico?”
“I’m not telling you to do anything. I’m just saying that when I really want something, I do whatever it takes to get it. And to get what I want, I do what I need. It’s very simple. I thought that you were of the same mind but maybe I was wrong. Maybe I’ve got bigger balls than you.”
Ella went to shut the door and I extended my hand to stop her.
“Laney doesn’t like surprises. What happens if I go all the way down there and she still won’t talk to me?”
“If you love her and if she’s important to you, that’s a chance you’ll just have to take before it’s too late.”
“Before it’s too late? What do you mean by that?”
“Like I said, I’m not getting involved in this mess. But if you lose her Tyler, it will be your own fuckin’ fault.”
With those words, Ella shut the door and I was left to my own devices. I hurried down the hallway, knowing exactly what I needed to do.
Fiction Friends, this is the end of the #TeaserTuesdays related to Ella, Delaney, Tyler and Jake. Now, I’ll be working on these characters offline and filling in the gaps during NaNoWrimo 2016 💕
And don’t forget forget about Isabelle and Peter, the interactive online story I have planned for 2017 that YOU can contribute to. Sign up here to get news when the first installment is posted!
