Me Mondays: The Fun House

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Currently I am editing The Right Choice. It is book II of the Happily Ever After: By Any Means Necessary series. This series is basically about the lives of established couples and how they deal with issues in their relationship.

Today I will give you a sneak peek at The Fun House, a contemporary romance about two friends find them selves slow walked into an alternative lifestyle after not dating for a while. 

Blurb:

Diamond Jones hasn’t had the greatest luck when it came to the opposite sex, so she hasn’t dated for two years. Her best friend, Tia, comes to visit and decides that fun is going to be their top priority for the weekend. To achieve her objective, Tia enlists Kain Williams and his friend Trey. Will the men help or hinder the women in obtaining their ultimate goal? Or will Diamond’s biggest fears in life prevail?

Excerpt:

“So Trey, from these pictures it looks like you guys have been friends a long time,” Diamond said turning toward them.

“Yep. Kain was a freshman and I was a sophomore when we met.” He chuckled. “After all we’ve been through together. Kain is more of a brother than a friend. Is white wine okay or would you like something with a little more kick to it?”

“That‘s fine for me,” Diamond told him.

“I’d like some kick. Do you have any brandy back there?” Tia asked.

Trey’s eyes widened at her request, then he chuckled preparing the drinks.

“Who is the little girl in all the pictures, Trey? She’s beautiful.”

Tia accepted the brandy snifter he offered before he walked to Diamond with a half-filled wine glass.

“Thanks. That’s Starr. She’s my daughter.” He took a drink from his own glass, then smiled. “Ah, here’s Kain. Drink?” he asked extending his in Kain’s direction.

Tia laughed behind her glass as Diamond almost choked on her drink. Her poor friend was staring at Kain like a deer in headlights. She looked between them all and bit back a grin. At five foot eleven she stood almost eyes to eye with Kain, Trey towered over his friend. Diamond’s five-foot-two stature looked childlike against Trey’s wide shoulders, solid torso and tree-like legs. She shook her head watching her friend’s dumbstruck gaze follow Kain as he sat on the couch.

“Yeah, man, whatever you’re drinking is fine,” Kain said, answering his friend.

“So, guys, now that we’re all here, what are we going to do?” Tia asked, joining them at the sofa.

Everyone glanced around at each other.

“Umm, can we just stay here and hang out?” Diamond asked hesitantly. She sent a look across to Tia, then to Kain.

Tia shrugged, then turned to Trey.

“It’s your house, man. I’m cool with it if you are,” he said to Kain.

“That’s fine with me,” Kain said. “We can turn on some music and sit right here getting to know each other better.”

“Cool. Let me get you that drink.” Trey walked to the bar.

“Thanks, man. So what kinds of music do you like, Diamond? I’ve got almost a hundred CDs in this thing.” Kain reached for the stereo remote on the coffee table.

Tia waited for Trey at the bar while he took Kain his drink. “Is that Miles Davis?” she asked, turning her ear upward.

“Yes, Kain is stuck on him at the moment. He has lots of blues and jazz in his player.”

Tia nodded. As she sipped her drink her gaze went to the wall past the fireplace.

“You’ve been staring at those pictures for a while now, Tia. Is there something you want to ask me about Starr?”

Tia looked at him over her glass. “Well, maybe just one question and I’ll never bring it up again, but feel free to offer whatever you like,” she added quickly.

“I’ll keep that in mind. What’s your question?”

“Is Starr’s mother still on the scene?”

Trey finished his drink. “Starr’s mother and I never had a scene. Yeah, we kicked it for a while, but it never really took a turn into serious. We had already gone our separate ways when she told me she was pregnant.” He chuckled, refilling his glass. “I told her I would take care of my baby and she took me literally. After Starr was born, she left the hospital and left Starr there for me to pick up. I haven’t seen her since.”

“Wow. I thought that was a guy thing.”

“So did I until then.”

After a few minutes, she cleared her throat and tapped the counter softly. “Since I said I wouldn’t ask you anything else, this is where you’re supposed to offer information.”

Trey laughed. “I was a freshman in college when Starr was born. When I didn’t hear from Starr’s mother Kain and I brought Starr home from the hospital. With help from him and my mother I raised her myself.” He topped off her drink and continued, “It was rough at times, but we had more good times than bad. I wouldn’t trade the experience, or her, for anything in the world.”

“Where is Starr now?”

Trey’s whole face lit with pride. “Oh, she’s nineteen now. Beautiful, brilliant and a freshman at UCLA. You two may have that in common, I think,” he added and sipped his drink.

“What?”

“Being brilliant and beautiful.”

“How do you know if I’m brilliant? We just met. I could be dumb as a box of rocks for all you know,” Tia said with a chuckle.

His head tilted thoughtfully. “No, I don’t think so. There’s an analytical mind behind that beautiful face of yours. Prove me right. What do you do for a living?”

“Well, you’re right. I’m a lawyer.”

“A lawyer. Really? I would have never guessed that.”

Her brow rose. “Why? You just said I was brilliant. Aren’t lawyers considered brilliant?”

He nodded. “Yes, yes, they are, but I was thinking more on the lines of a nurse or something.”

Tia frowned. “A nurse?”

“Well, yeah, because although lawyers are smart and have to be logical, all the lawyers I know are also…” His face twisted as he searched for the right words.

“What?” Tia urged.

“Well, they’re stiff, stuffed shirts, tight tie-wearing, dull-assed people.” He ogled her openly, then smirked. “And, quite frankly, that ain’t you. The nurse thing came to mind because I saw you as being more helpful to others in some way.”

Tia looked at him over her glass. “Hmm, I think I’m going to take that as a compliment. You’re right, of course. All the lawyers I know are like that, that’s why I’m not. For me it’s a job, not a lifestyle. It’s a full-time job keeping them separate, too.”

“Why a lawyer, then?”

“Well, Diamond and I always said that whatever we ended up doing for a living we wanted it to make a difference. Our job had to have meaning.” She shrugged. “Diamond became a teacher and I became a lawyer.” Tia put her glass down and leaned on the bar. “So that’s my story, Trey, what’s yours? What do you do for a living?”

Trey leaned over his side of the bar until their noses touched. “I own Secret Desires.” His voice was low, husky and sexy.

Her brow furrowed as she sat back on the stool. “What, you mean the lingerie store?”

He nodded before taking a drink.

“Get out of here. You’re not serious, are you?”

Trey nodded again.

“So what are you saying? You’re the secret in Secret Desires?” she asked, her voice unable to hide her surprise.

Trey leaned his head back and roared with laughter. A deep, hearty sound that interrupted Diamond and Kain’s conversation. They turned to look at him.

“It’s nothing, pay us no attention. We’re okay,” Tia explained, waving them away.

Diamond and Kain looked at each other, shrugged, then turned away.

“Okay, it wasn’t that funny.” Tia rolled her eyes and swirled her drink. “Obviously I was wrong in that assumption. Would you care to explain?”

Trey wiped away a tear and took a calming drink. “No, I’m not the secret in Secret Desires. It’s no big secret our store helps others reach their hidden desires, but their secret desire is the only secret,” he explained. “My mother passed the store to me when she retired.  It’s kind of the family business.”

“Oh.”

She caught his eye and they chuckled.

The two couples sat getting to know one another, drinking and dancing the night away. Trey walked Tia to her car while Diamond said goodbye to Kain at the door.

Diamond reached the car just as Tia gave Trey a goodbye kiss.

“Good night, Diamond, it was a pleasure meeting you, too.”

“Thanks, Trey, you, too.”

“You’re going to call me on Monday, right?” he asked, bringing his attention back to Tia.

Tia nodded as two of his large fingers stroked her face and pinched her chin lightly. She shook her head, watching him walk away.

“Girl, whoo! I might have to make more frequent trips back home. I can’t wait until I can rub on that head. I bet it will feel real good between the legs, too,” she added, her voice growing husky as she started the car. “So, how did you like Kain? Did you give him the paper with your numbers on it?”

“Yes, I did and I think he’s great. Nice personality, sense of humor, great body, and he smelled good, too.” She sighed and looked out the window.

“What? What is it?”

“Well, it’s just… I just don’t want him to turn into a freak, like Kendrick did.” She frowned.

“It’s time to shake that off, girl. Tonight we made a good Macon memory.” Tia nudged her. “Right?”

Diamond smiled. “Yes, you’re right. Tonight really was nice.” She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “Home, Jeeves!”

Tia gave a jaunty salute. “Yes, ma’am!”

*************

The Fun House is available now in ebook on Dana's website and coming soon in print!