Happy Wednesday! I’ve been working on my Advent story, which you can read the first part of here. The overall plot (a whole bunch of people stuck at a random hotel in Worcester, MA) is probably a little contrived. Okay, a lot contrived. But it’s the holiday season, and this is my gift to readers.
Meanwhile, it’s also #QueerBlogWed, which applies to pretty much all my WIPs. I’m struggling to pull things together right now. I have significant chunks written on several projects, but I need to sharpen my focus. Today I’m posting from Drumbeat. This is the next part in my Notes from Boston series, this time about Jamie. This is the opening scene. Just to warn anyone who prefers not reading such things, there’s a direct reference to the “adult activities” Jamie walks in on in the apartment he shares with two other guys. There’s also a vague reference to Jamie’s previous employment.
WIPmath: 12/7/16 = 7 – (1 + 2) = 4 paragraphs.
Jamie Cosgrove yawned as he slid his key into the lock on his apartment door. It had been a long night, and all he wanted was sleep. He’d endured a table full of drunk women, one of whom grabbed his crotch. Despite being blitzed, the woman had recognized him, and not from the band. She had taken it as license to feel him up and check whether it was “real.” When he backed up and asked her politely to keep her hands to herself, her friend threatened to tell the manager he’d sexually harassed them. Not one of them left him a tip. He did succeed in talking to his supervisor before any of them had a chance to complain, and fortunately, she was on his side. Still, the end result was the same—he was out the money from their tip.
When he turned the key, the lock was already popped. One of Jamie’s roommates was home. He was surprised. Nate spent at least a few nights a week at his fiancé’s place, and Mack supposedly had a date and wouldn’t be home. Jamie didn’t really care, as long as neither of them wanted to have an in-depth conversation about anything. He opened the door quietly.
He stopped dead in his tracks, the door still ajar. Greeting him was the sight of Mack’s naked butt, rising and falling rhythmically. Jamie couldn’t see who was under Mack on the living room floor, and he didn’t need to. It was probably his friend-with-benefits, Amelia, but it could have been someone else. They weren’t exclusive. It was out of the ordinary, though, since Mack almost never brought anyone but her to the apartment.
As quietly as possible, Jamie shut the door. Neither Mack nor whoever he was screwing noticed. Jamie tiptoed past them to the bedroom, glancing down long enough to see that Mack’s partner was a slender blond man. Their grunts followed Jamie down the hall, mostly muffled once he had the door shut.
Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Witt for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!
Oh, haha! That’s a situation. I wonder if Jamie’s going to admit he saw them doing it? I’m not sure I would.
Mack knows—Jamie might not have been as quiet as he thought. Whether or not Mack is sorry remains to be seen. Jamie’s former profession desensitized him enough that he’s annoyed but not embarrassed to have walked in on them.
And he still kept humping away? 😉 I love Jamie. I’m very excited to read more about him.
Mack can be very…focused. Or just unconcerned.
I do like writing about Jamie. 🙂
Well that’s incredibly awkward to walk in on! I confess, I probably would have left and come back in an hour or so – so Jamie handled it far better than I would’ve.
Jamie’s used to both Mack and certain environments. I doubt I’d have tried to sneak past. I think I’d have yelled in surprise and taken off.
Oh my, not something you really want to walk in on after a crappy night at work.
Your first paragraph made me feel cranky. I hate the way certain contexts/professions mean that people feel entitled to others’ bodies. :\
Oh my gosh, I cannot stand the way people in any kind of service industry are treated. I’ve seen people treat young male servers like this. Obviously young women too, but I think people let the harassment slide with guys because they think men can “take care of themselves.” I remember being out with friends once when I was in college, and I had to tell my friends to shut up because they were being extremely rude to our server. Like, you are not entitled to grab someone’s body or make fun of them just because they’re bringing you food. Ugh.
Poor Jamie! It sounds like he’s having a really bad day.
It wasn’t his best day, no. 🙁
Well, that was awkward. I don’t know if I would have been able to sneak quietly past. Great snippet, though. Can’t wait to read more of this.
Wait till Jamie finds out *why* Mack didn’t go somewhere else, LOL. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t have sneaked past quietly either.