Excerpt from The Glass of Cappuccino

“What about Benjamin?” Paul asked suddenly, obviously jumping back to his question.  Benjamin, another co-worker, had recently asked Linda out.  She thought that he was okay, but it bothered her when he talked about sex as if that would actually interest her.  She’d never given him a direct answer because it seemed silly to turn men down just because she had feelings for Paul.

“Eh,” she said flatly.  “I might go out with him this Friday.  I haven’t decided yet.”

“He’s a nice guy,” Paul said.

“I know.”  The waitress walked by again, so Linda asked her for some cream cheese.  The couple sat in silence until the cream cheese was delivered.  Linda fiercely smeared her bagel with it, singing eerie movie music and muttering about space ships.  This earned a hearty laugh from Paul.  Mission accomplished, Linda took another bite from her bagel.

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The Glass of Cappuccino can be found in There’s Nothing Romantic About Washing the Dishes.

Trait of Honor Excerpt 5

The girl’s eyes flashed and she crossed her arms.  “Fine,” she growled softly.  “But I’m not sleeping with you.”

“It’s only in the same damn tent, for crying out loud!”

“That’s what they all say.”

He could feel it, his patience, going.  With a last desperate grab to maintain control, he said, “Look.  I had to tell that man you were my wife-“

“Your wife?” the girl blurted.

Yes, his patience was definitely slipping.  Juvinich tried again. “He wanted to buy—“

“You were going to sell me?!!”

Slip, slipping…

“But I told him you were pregnant-“

“You said what?!”