Rough Draft

Prologue

Her chest hurt, she was pretty sure she was dying. Breathing was a burning agony, her whole everything was covered in sweat. Tina pushed a hand through her chin length hair as she dragged her feet through the door of her house, pulled herself up the stairs and poured herself into the shower - clothes still on as she temped the water.

"I hate this!" She bellowed to the empty house. "I HATE THIS!" she yelled again, moaning heavily as her glasses fogged.

She pulled her wet clothes from her body and showered, changing into her pajamas and moving back downstairs to the living room, flipping the tv on. The first ad was for her new workout regimen. After a frustrating and difficult semester at the Rhode Island college she had sought an outlet for her anger that didn't involve ice cream and chips. The overly chipper Asian man smiled widely as he did a lunge-squat progression. Sweat dusted his body in an attractive way. Tina felt her whole body hurting all over again.

"Noooo." she groaned, falling further into the couch, regretting it as a muscle in her back reminded her of exactly how sore she was.

~*~*~

"Oh hi Shelley, Gerry!" Tina moved towards the girls.

Both smiled as Tina made her way over.

"Hey Tina!" Gerry grinned, slinging an arm over her shoulders, "Did you wanna go out with us tonight?"

"Oh... I uh-" She stopped herself before she could make that indecisive noise she made. "I've got this novel I'm working on right now actually, and-"

"Oh my gosh really?" Shelley took a step forward, her eyes glittering. "My mom's a publishing agent. Well, not her, but she used to be and so she has connections." She waved a manicured hand flippantly. "I can she if she knows anyone? If you don't mind letting me read it?"

Tina felt embarrassment and pride flush through her, "Oh... well... it's an erotic- er, I mean. One of those Harlequin novels..."

"Is it all old timey and outrageous?" Gina asked, clapping as Tina nodded, "Can I read it too?!"

~*~*~

"And thus!" Tina yelled, standing partially on the booth seat and partially on her table. Shot glasses clinked and fell on the table, scattering the drops left within as she downed another vodka. "They lived happily ever after!"

The woman at the table clapped and giggled, shouting congratulations and pretending to swoon.

Tina sank back to her chair as the bartender shouted across the way at her. "Sorry!" She yelled back.

"What?!" He cupped an ear.

Exasperated Tina excused herself, moving to the bar, "Look I said sorry. We're just celebrating."

"I can tell." He replied sarcastically, "What're you celebrating?" He amended at her crestfallen face.

"I've had my first novel published." She smiled.

"Well I'll be damned!" He grinned back at her.

Tina felt her heart speed and stumble. He was handsome. Not like, a character in her book handsome, but in a more bad boy rugged way. And she had always had a thing for bad boys.

"Let me get you a drink, on the house."

"You can get me anything you want." Tina replied, winking.

He paused opening the beer bottle, "You-ah... you doing anything later?"

~*~*~

"I know Mom!" Tina sobbed into the phone.

"Oh honey, I wish I was there- Oh, hold on a minute honey." Tina listen patiently as her mom yelled over her shoulder at Bob. "You know Tina, forget him. Screw him - that's not nice but you know what - neither is he. Oh my little baby, deflowered and ditched! I should be there. BOB GET OVER IT! It's our baby! She's hurting!"

Tina sighed heavily, her tears dried. "It's okay Mom." She sat up off the mess of her bed, reminders of her last night with Nick. "I'm getting the idea for a new novel. I'm going to go write, I'll call you tomorrow okay?"

"Okay baby." Linda replied, obviously not okay with hanging up. "Oh my girl is so strong. You come from a line of strong women Tina. You're doing us proud. Oh we're so proud of you. Our little novelist. Make him have a small ding dong!" Linda cackled, "Maybe not that's mean. Love you!"

"Love you too." Tina responded, ending the call and moving from her bed to her workstation.

The leaves outside were deep green, the trees whispering in the summer breeze. Cicadas screeched in the background.

'It was a cold Fall night when our heroine, Tiffany...'