May-December romance

Woo hoo! It’s Wednesday again, and that means time for an update of goals and my WIPpet. Forgive me for being a little out of it still. We had a busy weekend, and this whole week has been intense with no sign of letting up. I have one kid getting started with Girl Scout cookie sales and another one with a winter concert and an audition. I’m already fried.

ROW80 Goal Updates:

1. Read 30 minutes/day—yup, easily
2. Write 1 hour/day—Got it done this time!
3. Write 1 blog post/week that isn’t ROW80 or WIPpet—Yep, and wrote a guest post as well.
4. Write 1 flash fiction/month—not yet
5. Walk on the treadmill 5 days/week—eh, made it to 2/5 due to Life Happening.

WIPpet:

Last time, Paul (AKA Mr. Mustache) mentioned his wife in an offhand remark, possibly crushing Ethan’s hopes. No worries, I promise three things: This will work out, Paul’s wife isn’t actually an issue, and there is no cheating going on. Ethan knows none of that, though, so he’s stewing over it and recalling his past loves.

WIPmath: 1/21 = 1 + 2 – 1 = 2 for 2 paragraphs.

The first older man Ethan had fallen for had been married, though Ethan hadn’t known that at the time. Warren’s husband had discovered the affair by walking in on them one afternoon. Warren had said he wasn’t leaving his husband for a kid and kicked Ethan out. He’d stood on the other side of the apartment door, his fly still open and his shirt unbuttoned, listening to them argue and throw things at each other until his emotions caught up with him, and he’d fled down the stairs without caring who saw his semi-dressed state.

Following that disaster, he’d only been with two men, both of whom were closeted. There was Richard, the college trustee he’d met at an academic function, followed by Vint, the construction worker with a taste for Shakespeare. A memory surfaced of the time Ethan had taken Vint to see Othello at a small local theater. It had inexplicably made Vint cry, and he’d turned to Ethan to say, “Shakespeare—he had balls, man. Real balls!”

If you enjoyed that, think how much more you’ll love the other WIPpets. Feel free to add your own by posting a bit of your WIP, doing some mathrobatics with the date, and linking up with us. Thanks to K. L. Schwengel for hosting. Happy writing!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I’m in the throes of mega-editing, trying to finish two short stories and whip my NaNoWriMo novel into better shape. I’ve also gone back to orchestra rehearsals, so that’s put a cramp in my plans. I’m only a week into ROW80, and I’m already in FAIL mode. Gotta get back on track!

ROW80 Goal Updates:

1. Read 30 minutes/day—yup, easily
2. Write 1 hour/day—eh, not quite. Averaged about 30 minutes a day. I need to get on it.
3. Write 1 blog post/week that isn’t ROW80 or WIPpet—Didn’t do one last week, but I have one for this week that just needs polish.
4. Write 1 flash fiction/month—not yet
5. Walk on the treadmill 5 days/week—yep, still going strong.

WIPpet

I’m sticking with my unnamed short story for now, since I’m still editing it. When we last left Ethan, he was swooning over Mr. Mustache.  Let’s see what happens when Ethan gets caught looking.

WIPmath: 14 paragraphs for the 14th.

Ethan tried to hide in the shadows, merely wanting to be a casual observer, but the director turned around. Their eyes met, and the man tilted his head, a question on his face. Ethan cleared his throat and stepped closer.

“Hello,” the director said. “Can I do something for you?”

The warm, rich tone of his voice made Ethan shiver. “Y-yes,” he replied. “I mean, no. That is, a couple of my students invited me to come watch.” He had moved so he was right below the stage, looking up and shielding his eyes.

The other man crouched down and hopped off the stage to stand next to Ethan. “There’s not much to see yet, but you’re welcome to stay anyway.” He extended a hand. “I’m Paul Duncan, head of the music department.”

Ethan grasped his hand, the skin cool and smooth against his own rough fingers. “Ethan Vandenberg.” Heat rose in his cheeks. “I teach chemistry.”

Paul’s blue eyes twinkled. “Oh, you do?” He snapped his fingers. “Right! You’re new this year, yes?”

“Yes. It’s my first full-time assignment. I subbed for a year before the job opened up.”

“Ah.” Paul smirked, causing his mustache to twitch. “If you’re going to stay, you might as well be of use. Know anything about musical theater?”

Ethan raised his eyebrows. “Uh, sure. I used to perform a bit.” Irritated with himself for feeling so off-kilter with Paul, Ethan drew himself up and said, “Actually, that’s an understatement. When I wasn’t in the lab, I practically lived in the drama department. Why?”

“As I said, I’ll let you stay if you work.”

“You’re pretty demanding,” Ethan blurted before he could stop himself.

Paul laughed. “So said my wife, too. Go talk to the crew. They’re working on plans backstage.” He motioned to Erica, who was standing in the middle of the stage, staring at Ethan. “Erica’s mother is one of our volunteers. She’ll fill you in.” He looked Ethan up and down. “If I like your work, maybe I’ll keep you around.”

Shit, Ethan thought, swallowing heavily. He’s got a wife. He’d been certain Paul was flirting with him; clearly his social cue skills needed refining. Out loud, he said, “Sure.”

Paul turned away and gracefully swung himself back onto the stage, giving Ethan an excellent view of his firm ass. Shaking himself, Ethan set off for the stairs just beyond stage right. He needed to be out of the auditorium and away from Paul before his thoughts took a direction he’d rather they didn’t.

If you liked what you read, you’ll love the other amazing WIPpets. You can find them here. Join in by posting a bit of your work, connecting it to the date with Fancy Math, and linking up with us. Don’t forget to show some love to the fabulous K. L. Schwengel for giving us this space to play.

Happy writing!