My manuscript for the second book in the Jen McDowell Series is nearly ready to publish. I want to proofread it one more time. While I’m doing that, I thought I’d post excerpts from it in my blog. Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter. Enjoy. If you want to catch up, purchase the first book in the series (The Throuple Private Eye—Hate Crimes) from Amazon.

MARTY AND NAVADA (Cont’d)


Ten months later…

Jen was working alone when Marty showed up. She opened the door as he walked up the sidewalk. “Hello, Marty. I’m sorry, but Molly isn’t here. She has a doctor’s appointment.”
Marty smiled. “I know. That’s why I came. I need to talk to you privately about something.” Marty followed Jen back to her office.

Jen offered Marty a cup of coffee, but he turned it down. Jen sat behind her desk, while Marty remained standing. Jen was starting to get concerned. “So, what’s up?” She asked.

Marty pulled a small black box out of his pocket. “Here, look at this,” he said as he opened the box.
Jen looked inside at a beautiful engagement ring. She placed her hands over her heart. “Oh my God,” she exclaimed. “For Molly?” Dumb question. Jen was relieved. For moment she thought perhaps Marty found out about her and Nevada.

Marty smiled. “I’m going to pop the question tonight. We have reservations at The Capital Grille Steakhouse.”

“It’s Molly’s favorite,” Jen exclaimed. “She’ll love the ring too.”

“I hope so. I’m hoping she’ll say yes too,” Marty half mumbled.

“Of course, she’ll say yes,” Jen shot back. “She’s head over heels in love with you. Congratulations.” She stood up and hugged Marty.

“Here’s the thing,” Marty started to explain. “The proposal is just between the two of us. I don’t want to put any more pressure on her or embarrass her, but somehow, I want to include our family and friends.” Marty put the ring back into his pocket. “I reserved a room at the VFW post where we first met. I’m inviting you, a few family members, and some close friends to meet us after I propose to help celebrate, assuming she says yes. My parents won’t be there because of the pandemic, of course, but Molly and I can facetime with them later. I also had to limit the number of people.”

“Oh my gosh. What can I do?”

“You can help keep it a surprise,” Marty answered. “I’ve taken care of hors d’ oeuvres
and an open bar. Social distancing will be a challenge.” Marty gave Jen all the details for the after-proposal party and then left. Jen was very excited and happy for Molly, but also envious and a little jealous.

The next weekend…

Marty and Molly arrived at The Capital Grille Steakhouse on time. There were very few people. Marty had reserved a table next to the dance floor. There was no combo band that night, just a DJ. They both ordered the special of the night which was prime rib. After dinner, as they waited for dessert, Marty nodded to the DJ who played the French tune "Le Réveil" which is the Army’s call to reveille.
Molly noticed immediately. “WTF?” she asked. Marty stood up and got down on one knee in front of Molly. Molly took one look and started to cry. “Oh, wow. Oh, wow.”

“Molly Lovelace, would you make my life complete by becoming Mrs. Marty Hennessey?”

Molly was now in a full cry. The few people in the restaurant were waiting to hear her answer. “Yes,”
he shouted. “Hell, yes.” Marty put the ring on Molly’s finger as the dinners applauded. Molly and Marty embraced and kissed to more cheers.

After dessert, Molly leaned forward and whispered, “What now? Do we stay and dance or go to your place and consummate our engagement?”

Marty smiled. “Actually, some of our buddies are waiting at the post. Would you mind if we go there to tell them? We can call my parents from there too.”

“No, I don’t mind. Sounds like fun.”

Marty texted Jen to let her know Molly said ‘yes’ and they were on their way there. Back at the VFW post everything was waiting for Molly and Marty. Two-person tall tables were set up ten feet apart with no chairs. Hand sanitizer stations were posted at the entrances. A volunteer was taking temperatures at the front door. Someone from the PTSD therapy group hung up a banner that said “Congratulations.” Satisfied everything was ready, Jen played lookout. As soon as she saw Marty’s car pull up, she rushed inside to the room Marty had reserved. She pushed everyone to the far end and turned off the lights.
 
The surprise was complete. As Molly and Marty walked in, Jen turned on the lights, and everyone shouted “Congratulations.” Molly started to cry again. Then everyone lined up to congratulate the couple. As things slowed down, Jen walked over to congratulate her best friend. They hugged and kissed. Molly was so excited she could hardly speak. She took a deep breath and managed to blurt out, “Jen, I want you to be my Maid of Honor.”

Marty walked over with his cellphone so he and Molly could facetime with his parents. Jen took the opportunity to refresh her drink at the open bar. While she was waiting for the bartender to take her order, someone walked over next to her and tapped her shoulder. Jen turned and recognized the man even with a facemask on. It was Navada Lucas. She would recognize him anywhere, mask or no mask, because he had those beautiful, piercing blue eyes and long eyelashes.

“I understand you’re the Maid of Honor.” Navada said.

Jen smiled. “Yes, as of a few moments ago.”

“Well, I’m the Best Man,” Navada said as he offered to shake hands. Jen refused his hand but extended her elbow. They bumped elbows and laughed. Jen hoped it was the last physical contact she would have with him. She dreaded going through the wedding with Nevada as Best Man.
​
To be continued.

For e-books by me, visit http://smashwords.com/profile/view/monteranderson or Amazon.com. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/monteranderson
Follow my blog at http://monteranderson-author.com.

My manuscript for the second book in the Jen McDowell Series is nearly ready to publish. I want to proofread it one more time. While I’m doing that, I thought I’d post excerpts from it in my blog. Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter. Enjoy. If you want to catch up, purchase the first book in the series (The Throuple Private Eye—Hate Crimes) from Amazon.

MARTY AND NAVADA (Cont’d)
​
Doc obviously wasn’t a country line dancing fan. The other three had fun trying to get him to follow all the steps. He did his best but never mastered the basic steps. As Jen was teaching Doc, a voice out of the blue startled her. It was Navada.

“Hey,” he said from behind her. “I saw you earlier. How are you?”

Jen stopped dancing and turned around to face Nevada. “Hey yourself.” As soon as she spoke, she wished she hadn’t. Doc was standing right there. Jen awkwardly made introductions basically telling Doc that Navada was Marty’s best friend. She didn’t know what to say next. She looked for a way out. “Excuse me, but I need to use the ladies’ room.” She started in the direction of the restroom. Molly didn’t move.

Halfway to the restroom Jen stopped and looked at Molly. Then she stamped her foot. Molly took the hint. “Excuse me too. I’m going to join Jen.” Molly quickly walked over to Jen and the two of them walked into the restroom. Once the restroom door closed, Molly turned to Jen, “What the fuck is going on?” Molly asked. “You’re as jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof, as they used to say.”

“I’m having a panic attack. Navada triggered it.”

Molly hugged Jen. “It’s okay. I got you. Throw some water on your face.” Jen bent over and splashed some cold water on her face. “Tell what’s going on,” Molly insisted.

Jen looked around to make sure they were alone. She grabbed Molly by the shoulders. “Remember when I asked you to alibi for me?”

“Yeah, I remember. I figured you hooked up with someone.”

“Well, it was Navada.” Jen replied.

“What? You slept with my boyfriend’s best friend. Are you crazy?”

Jen held her face in her hands. “I know. I know. It was stupid. It was just a one-night thing. I won’t do it again.”

“Jen, if push comes to shove, I won’t lie to Marty. It would jeopardize our relationship,” Molly warned Jen.

“I know. I’m not asking you to lie.”

“So, what the fuck are you asking me?” Molly asked.

“Just help me. I don’t know what to do. Nevada makes me nervous, and Doc is right there. Who knows what they’re talking about while we’re here. What should I do?”

“Well, we need to get back to them ASAP before Nevada spills the beans,” Molly answered. “Just make it obvious that Doc is your boyfriend. Nevada should get the hint.”

“How do I do that?”

“Oh, come on. Act like you’re madly in love,” Molly replied. “Show a little PDA. Surely you remember how.”

“Okay. Okay.” Jen and Molly left the restroom and rejoined Doc and Nevada. Jen hooked her arm around Doc’s arm. Doc was surprised but smiled approval. A few minutes later, Jen held hands with Doc. Navada noticed and excused himself to talk with some else. When Doc wasn’t looking, Jen mouthed a “Thank you” to Molly.

A week later…

Jen and Molly worked on their computers quietly for a while. Jen looked up from her computer at Molly. “What’s going on with you?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” Molly asked.

“You usually take two smoke breaks by this time, but today you haven’t taken any.”
“I quit.” Molly shot back.

“Since when?”

“About a week ago,” Molly answered. “Marty asked me to quit, so I quit.

“So, when a handsome hunk comes along and asks you to quit, you just quit?” Jen asked.
Molly laughed. “Well, yes. He asked and I quit.”

“What the hell,” Jen said, somewhat irritated. “I asked you to quit several times. What’s he got that I don’t have?”

Molly just grinned at Jen. “Don’t answer,” Jen said. “Stupid question.”

To be continued.
​
For e-books by me, visit http://smashwords.com/profile/view/monteranderson or Amazon.com. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/monteranderson
Follow my blog at http://monteranderson-author.com.

My manuscript for the second book in the Jen McDowell Series is nearly ready to publish. I want to proofread it one more time. While I’m doing that, I thought I’d post excerpts from it in my blog. Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter. Enjoy. If you want to catch up, purchase the first book in the series (The Throuple Private Eye—Hate Crimes) from Amazon.

MARTY AND NAVADA (Cont’d)

The rest of the night was a blur. Jen was not used to drinking this much. She tried to keep up with Navada. The next thing she remembered was waking up in a strange bed next to Navada. She looked at her watch. It was three in the morning. She sat straight up. “Holy shit,” she yelled.

Navada was startled. “What? What?” he said as he awoke from a dead sleep.

Jen got out of bed and began to dress. “I have to get home. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“Are you sure?” Navada asked. “There’s free breakfast and it’s Saturday.” 

“No, no,” Jen insisted. “I have to be home before …” She almost said Doc and Jonah.  “… Molly gets there.” When she said Molly’s name, it triggered a thought. “She jumped on top of Navada. He started to grin. She pointed a finger in his face. “You cannot say anything to Marty. He’ll tell Molly, and she’ll slip up and tell…” she almost said Doc or Jonah again. “someone.”

Navada stopped grinning. He was wide awake now and in a playful mood. “Oh, I don’t know if I can do that. Marty’s my best friend.”

Jen reached down and grabbed both of Navada’s testicles and squeezed. “You. Can. Not. Tell. Anyone. Especially Marty. Understand. Unless you want to sing soprano.”

“Okay. Okay,” Navada said. “Take it easy on the family jewels. I won’t tell anyone.” Jen walked out in huff but turned around when she remembered Navada had driven. He got the hint and put on his jeans, threw on a shirt and walked out shoeless with Jen. “Can I call you later?” Navada asked.

Jen turned toward Navada. “Listen, Navada. You’re a nice guy and hot, but…”

“Oh, oh,” Navada said. “Is this the ‘It’s not you, it’s me speech?”

Jen chuckled. “I guess so. This was a mistake. I should never had agreed to sleep with you, but this is it. Never again. You must promise never to say anything to anyone; not Marty, not Molly, no one. Understand?”

“Okay, I promise,” Navada agreed and made a motion zipping his lips. “For what it’s worth, I enjoyed going out with you. The sex was great too. I really like you. Call me if you change your mind.”

Navada drove Jen to her car and dropped her off. It was after four in the morning when Jen arrived home. She noticed both Doc’s and Jonah’s cars were in the garage. She opened the front door unobtrusively as possible and noiselessly entered the house, turned off the security alarm, and then reset it again. The boys will know I wasn’t in bed with them last night. I’ll just sleep on the couch and tell them I came in late and slept there so not to wake them, she thought. Then she heard the TV in the living room. Shit. She walked into the living room and saw Doc watching TV. “You’re home early.”

Doc muted the TV and turned toward Jen. “Yeah, those injuries weren’t as severe as everyone thought they would be, mostly cuts and broken bones. They didn’t need me. I got home a few minutes ago. Where did you go?”

“I was with Molly,” Jen answered.

“That reminds me,” Doc said. “Molly called while you were out. She said you weren’t answering your cellphone.”

Shit. “Yeah, my battery died. I caught up with her later, and we got together. Are you coming to bed?”

“You go ahead. I want to watch the rest of this show, and I’ll be up.”

Great. Not only am I a cheating slut, now I’m a lying cheating slut. Jen was disgusted with herself. The next day, Jen told Molly she needed to alibi for her last night. Thank goodness, Molly said okay without asking why.

A week later…

Molly had another date with Marty for dancing at the VFW post. She invited Jen to come along. Jen asked Doc to go along, and he said yes. So, it was a double date—at last. They weren’t there very long when Jen saw Navada sitting at a table with another woman. He seemed to be his charming self once again. What the hell do I care? Jen thought. We’re not dating. Navada saw her but didn’t acknowledge her with a nod or anything. It was as though he looked right through her.
What the hell? Jen thought. Maybe he did look at the other women the other night.

Molly saw Jen glance, so she looked in the direction Jen was looking. “Oh, look. There’s Navada.”
 
Marty saw him too. “Should I go ask him to join us?” he asked.

Jen gave Molly a certain look and she took the hint. “No, let’s just the four of us enjoy the evening,” she suggested.

To be continued.
​
For e-books by me, visit http://smashwords.com/profile/view/monteranderson or Amazon.com. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/monteranderson
Follow my blog at http://monteranderson-author.com or http://monteranderson.wordpress.com

My manuscript for the second book in the Jen McDowell Series is nearly ready to publish. I want to proofread it one more time. While I’m doing that, I thought I’d post excerpts from it in my blog. Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter. Enjoy. If you want to catch up, purchase the first book in the series (The Throuple Private Eye—Hate Crimes) from Amazon.

MARTY AND NAVADA (Cont’d)

Jen realized she screwed up… again. “Sorry, but I was worried about you. You left with a guy you just met and spent the night with him. What else about him?”

Molly sat down. “I don’t know how much you know, but he was born and raised here in Atlanta. He’s enrolled in the graduate program for his master’s in engineering. He’s real smart. He lost his leg in Afghanistan.”

“IED?” Jen asked.

“No, sniper. He doesn’t have much PTSD like we do. His is a mild case.”

Jed and Molly talked about Marty for a few more minutes. Finally, Jen asked, “Will you go out with him again?”

“We’re going out tomorrow night.”

The next day…Jen and Molly were working in the office when Jen’s cellphone rang. She glanced and saw it was Navada calling. She glanced over at Molly who wasn’t paying any attention. “I’ll take this call on the deck.” Jen stepped onto the deck and closed the patio doors behind her. She felt a chill as the fall days started to get cooler in the afternoons. “How did you get my number? Did Marty give you this number?” “Whoa,” Navada shot back. “Why the third degree? I got your number from your web page.” Jen calmed down. “Okay, sorry. I try to protect my privacy. Why did you call me? Are you looking for Marty?”

“No,” Navada answered. “I wanted to talk to you. I’d like to buy you a drink. Maybe just coffee if you prefer.”

Jen felt butterflies in her stomach. She paused for a moment. Finally, she asked, “When?” She began to finger the top button of her blouse.

“Now, if that’s okay.”

“No, I can’t today. Tell you what; I’ll call you when I’m free. Okay?”

“Fine,” Navada said. “I’ll wait for your call.”

The next Friday…

Navada didn’t have to wait long. It was Friday and Jonah was on a stake out that would take most of the night and maybe the weekend. Doc was called into the ER. There was a fight between Black Lives Matter and a right-wing militia that left several people seriously injured. He didn’t expect to return before the next day. Molly had a date with Marty and departed early to get ready. Jen decided to call Navada. They agreed to meet at a popular night spot for drinks. Jen knew if she wasn’t home when Jonah or Doc returned, they would be worried and phone her.

Jen showered quickly and put on her red thong that her boys liked. She figured Navada would like it too. She dabbed a spot of perfume on her wrists and on each carotid artery. As an afterthought, she dabbed another in her cleavage. She then dressed in her favorite jeans; the one that showed off her assets. Last, but not least, she went into the bedroom and removed a condom from the nightstand. She thought for a moment and took out two more. Better safe than sorry, she thought.

When she was ready, she poured herself a shot glass of vodka to calm her nerves. Jen was having second thoughts about sleeping with Navada but wanted to prove to herself she was not a ‘kept woman’, as Molly had pointed out a few too many times. Afterall, she thought, we never said we were exclusive. I don’t recall saying it. Jen decided she would have to drink quite a bit to get the courage to go through with it. She poured herself another shot and drink it quickly.

She drove to the rendezvous night spot and went inside. Navada hadn’t arrived yet, so she order herself a cosmopolitan. Navada arrived ten minutes later. He was also dressed casually: jeans, no boots or cowboy hat. Nevada ordered a beer on tap. They talked for a while and then ordered more drinks. Jen still didn’t know if she could trust Navada, so she kept a close eye on her drinks—all the way from the tap to the table. When she had to use the restroom, she took her drink with her. They talked some more and after they finished their drinks, Jen said, “Let get out of here.”

Where to, my Lady?” Navada asked.

Jen smiled. “Your place. You drive. I’ll leave my car her and pick it up later.”
 
Once inside Navada’s car, they started making out. After a few minutes, Jen could hardly wait to get into bed with him. Nevada was stationed in Savanna, so he was staying in a motel in Atlanta. Jen’s plan was to go to bed with Navada and then go home before her boys came home. They grabbed a nightcap at the motel bar and then went to Navada’s room.

To be continued…
​
For e-books by me, visit http://smashwords.com/profile/view/monteranderson or Amazon.com. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/monteranderson
Follow my blog at http://monteranderson-author.com or http://monteranderson.wordpress.com
​

The Throuple Private Eye—Business is Booming (excerpt)

My manuscript for the second book in the Jen McDowell Series is nearly ready to publish. I want to proofread it one more time. While I’m doing that, I thought I’d post excerpts from it in my blog. Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter. Enjoy. If you want to catch up, purchase the first book in the series (The Throuple Private Eye—Hate Crimes) from Amazon.

MARTY AND NAVADA (Cont’d)

Something else seems a little off to her. She felt the same about Marty. Then it struck her. Navada and Marty were born and raised in Atlanta and yet hardly had an accent. She knew from her experience on the police force, most people in Atlanta don’t have a distinct Southern accent. The accent was more Midland. In these guys’ case, Jen figured after four years of college and a few years in the Army where everyone from all the over country was thrown together, the guys lost most of their accent. They hardly ever dropped a ‘fixing to’ or a ‘y’all’.

Later that night, as Jen was working late in her office, Molly texted her. Attached to her text was a selfie of Molly grinning with Marty in the background removing his artificial leg. The picture wasn’t too clear, but Jen was certain Marty was naked. She was beginning to regret not kissing Navada.
Jen couldn’t sleep, so she decided to do a background check on Marty. It was easy enough to find information on him. He was searching for work, so he had a large social media presence. After a few clicks, Jen found what she was looking for.

Marty earned a BS in engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as Georgia Tech, here in Atlanta. He had a full ROTC scholarship and was commissioned a lieutenant in the Engineers upon graduation. He served one tour in Iraq and was wounded twice. He later volunteered for a tour in Afghanistan where he was seriously wounded and lost his leg. He was awarded the silver star for his actions. Jen was impressed. She decided not to do a background check on Nevada. She wasn’t planning on seeing him again.

Prada crawled over to Jen and whined. “Shit, girl, “Jen said. “I almost forgot about you.” Jen figured she was stuck with feeding Prada and walking her before going to bed. Jonah joined her on the walked but didn’t ask her what she did earlier at night. Doc was watching a football game, actually a rerun because of the pandemic. Jen couldn’t get Navada out of her mind. It was one of those ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda’ situations. She decided if she had sex with Doc and Jonah simultaneously, she’d forget about Navada. It was not the first time she lied to herself.

Prada slept in bed with Jen, squeezed in between her and Doc with Jonah on the other side of Jen. It was a bit crowded, but Jen thought it was sweet of the boys to let Prada share the bed. The next morning, Jen got up early and gave Prada some kibble for breakfast. She then made a cheese omelet with bacon for herself. She left the omelet on the table as she made herself a cup of coffee. When she turned around, the omelet and bacon were gone. She looked at Prada’s bowl. She hadn’t touched the kibble.

“WTF? Young lady,” Jen half shouted at Prada. “Did you eat my omelet?” Prada tried to look innocent, but the bacon and cheese on her lips gave her away. Jen just laughed and made another cheese omelet with bacon.

As she was cooking, Molly came to the office to get Prada. Jen noticed she was wearing the same clothes she wore line dancing last night. “Prada’s good,” Jen said. “We just had omelets and bacon. Prada turned up her nose at the kibble.”

“Damn, Aunt Jen. You’ve spoiled her,” Molly complained half-heartedly. “I have to give her some meds, and I’ll take her home.”

Jen grinned. “So, you stayed all night with Marty? How was it?”

Molly smiled. “It was great.”

Jen chuckled. “Come on girl, I want details. Spill.”

Molly stopped smiling. “When have you ever shared any details about your sex life?”

Jen could see she offended Molly. “That’s different. We’re in a committed relationship.”

Molly put her hands on her hips. “And what am I, your neighborhood hoe?”

Jen walked over to Molly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that at all. I don’t want to fight with you over some guy. You must really like Marty.”

Molly relaxed. “Yeah. Jen, I think he might be the ‘one’.” Molly made air quotes. “We talked all night.”
Jen chuckled. “You mean you didn’t tear each other’s clothes off as soon as you got inside his place and have sex like they do in the movies?”

It was Molly’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, we did, except it takes longer with a prothesis. That was a first for me.”

“Oh?” Jen chuckled again. “I didn’t know you were a virgin.”

Molly shot a rubber band at Jen. “Very funny. I meant I had never had sex with a one-legged man.”
“But you managed somehow.”

“We managed,” Molly answered smiling. “I could get used to it.”

“So, what’s he like?” Jen asked.

“Well, he has an engineering degree from Georgia University…”

“Georgia Tech,” Jen corrected.

“What?”

“His degree is from Georgia Tech, not Georgia University—two different schools.”

“So,” Molly said, a little irritated. “You checked him out already?”

To be continued…
​
For e-books by me, visit http://smashwords.com/profile/view/monteranderson or Amazon.com. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/monteranderson
Follow my blog at http://monteranderson-author.com or http://monteranderson.wordpress.com

My manuscript for, the second in the Jen McDowell Series, is nearly ready to publish. I want to proofread it one more time. While I’m doing that, I thought I’d post excerpts from it in my blog. Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter. Enjoy. If you want to catch up, purchase the first book in the series (The Throuple Private Eye—Hate Crimes) from Amazon.

MARTY AND NAVADA (Cont’d)

Marty and Molly walked over with another young man. Marty made introductions, “Jen, this is Navada Lucas, my best friend. He still has both legs, but he’s okay.” Jen took an instant liking to Navada. She could tell he had a sense of humor. He had drawn a set of lips on his facemask, but they were a woman’s lips—bright red. It made her smile.

“Would you care to dance?” Navada asked Jen. She nodded and stood up. The four of them danced a few more times.

Finally, Jen said, “Folks, I’m not use to this, and my protheses are killing me, so I need to sit down.”
“We’re going to call it a night,” Molly announced. “But first I need to hit the head.” Jen took the hint and followed her to the restroom.

Once inside the ladies’ restroom, Molly said, “Don’t worry about driving me home. Marty said he’d give me a ride. We’re going to his place for a nightcap.

Jen sternly asked, “Molly do your panties fall off every time you meet a good-looking guy?”

Molly smiled. “What panties?”

Jen laughed. “Sorry, for a minute I forgot who I was talking to. Okay, but send me a text or call so I’ll know where to go to claim the body.” Molly just laughed. “I’m not kidding,” Jen yelled as Molly walked out of the restroom.

Before leaving, Molly kissed Jen on the cheek and started to leave holding hands with Marty. On the way out, Molly turned and winked at Jen. Navada then sat down to talk with Jen. Jen thought he was very charming although she felt as if he was just being polite and keeping her company.

As long as they had food or drinks, they could take off their facemasks. Navada got up and returned with a plate full of French fries for them to nibble on. He then when over to the bar a returned with two beers. Jen kept a close watch her drink as the bartender filled the glasses. It was habit she developed on the police force. A girl can’t be too careful.

When they both removed their facemasks, Jen got a good look at Navada. Earlier, she already had noticed his piercing blue eyes. She couldn’t help but noticed his eyelashes. He had beautiful, long eyelashes; the kind a woman would kill to have. He also had a beautiful smile. He explained how he was Marty’s best friend and roommate from Georgia Tech. They took ROTC together. When they were commissioned, Navada was commissioned in the infantry while Marty, with his high GPA was commissioned in the Engineers. Navada was still on active duty, stationed at Fort Stewart, in Savanna, Georgia with the 188th Infantry Brigade. He had driven up from Savanna to spend the weekend with his parents.

Jen couldn’t take her eyes off his eyes. On his part, he held her gaze while talking. Despite herself, she was attracted to him. She decided she should slow down her drinking. She was two beers short of going home with him. She started nursing her beer. As Navada talked, Jen played with her hair—twisting and twirling it. Eventually, she shifted her fingers down to the top button of her blouse and fiddled with it. She fantasized about sleeping with him. He was funny. He made her laugh every few minutes.

Soon she was convinced Navada was flirting with her. She also realized she was flirting with him. On the one hand she felt guilty because she had two live-in boyfriends at home. She felt like she was cheating even though everything was innocent enough. On the other hand, she was excited to find out she could still attract a hot guy like Navada. After she lost her legs, she thought no guy would be interested in her. Doc and Jonah were exceptions.

At one point, Navada lightly touched her hand. He pulled his hand back quickly and apologized. Jen liked it. She had noticed his arms earlier. He obviously exercised and was in good shape. She imagined he had six pack abs.
Finally, the bartender called last call. It was time to go. Jen said good night and started toward the door. Navada followed. Once outside, Jen stopped. “My car is just over there,” she said as she pointed.

“I’ll walk you to your car.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jen answered. Truth was, she didn’t trust herself not to jump into bed with him. “Listen, Navada,” she started to explain. “You’re a nice guy and all, but I’m in a committed relationship.” She decided not to say ‘two’ committed relationships. “Let’s not start something we can’t finish.” It didn’t sound like herself.

“Oh, I see,” Navada said. “I understand—we just met. I was being polite. Can I kiss you goodnight?”
Jen shook her head. “Like I said, let’s not start something.” She turned and walked away. On the drive home, she kept kicking herself. Afterall, she thought. One hook up wouldn’t hurt would it? Jen already knew the answer to her question. She began to review her conversation with Navada. The entire time she talked to him, he never once looked at another woman. Lord knows there were plenty of hot woman there with two good legs, she thought. So, what is he? Is he gay? A trans? A captain in the infantry—not likely. So, what is it? Maybe he’s a sociopath, or a serial killer. Nobody’s perfect.

To be continued...

For e-books by me, visit http://smashwords.com/profile/view/monteranderson or Amazon.com. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/monteranderson
Follow my blog at http://monteranderson-author.com or http://monteranderson.wordpress.com

My manuscript for The Throuple Private Eye—Business is Booming, the second in the Jen McDowell Series, is nearly ready to publish. I want to proofread it one more time. While I’m doing that, I thought I’d post excerpts from it in my blog. Here’s excerpts from the first chapter. Enjoy. If you want to catch up, purchase the first book in the series (The Throuple Private Eye—Hate Crimes) from Amazon.

MARTY AND NAVADA

It was late September on a Friday. Jen and Molly worked all day inside their office, doing research on their cases. Finally, late in the afternoon, Molly stood up and said, “Let’s get out of here. We need to unwind.”

Jen looked up. “Okay, I’ll see if the boys want to come.”

“No. Girls night out. Just you and me.”

“And do what?” Jen asked.

“Well, it’s Friday. My VFW post has an all you can eat fish fry every Friday and also a country band. For an extra $2 you can add shrimp.”

“I don’t know,” Jen replied. “Do you want to hang out with a bunch of old folks?”

“Wait a minute,” Molly cautioned as she placed her hands on hips. “I hang out there. On Fridays, the older vets come for the fish. The young vets come for the band and to dance. Besides, most of the fish is take out.”

“How do they have a dance during the pandemic?” Jen asked.

“Well, they can only allow a certain number of guests inside, something like 25 or 50 percent,” Molly answered. “Then in a large room they placed marks six feet apart in rows. It’s just line dancing, and everyone follows social distancing and wears masks.”

“I haven’t tried dancing in my prothesis yet,” Jen said. “I don’t know if I can.”

“It’s about time you found out. Besides, we don’t have to dance. We can listen to the music and drink beer,” Molly suggested. “We can also watch some of those young guys dance. Some are hot.”

Jen finally relented and volunteered to drive. It was still warm enough not to wear a coat, but the night was cool. The smell of fireplaces burning filled the air. At the VFW post, Molly signed Jen in as her guest, and they found a table near the dance floor. Jen decided Molly was right; some of the guys were hot, the band was good, and the beer was cold. The fish was white fish, but there was plenty of it with fries and coleslaw. Both women opted for the additional shrimp.

Once the JD started playing the line dancing music, Old Town Road, Jen couldn’t help but notice Molly’s hands. She was tapping the table in time with the music and gesturing with her arms. At one point, Molly accidently kicked Jen. Jen looked under the table to find Molly also moving her prothesis to the music. When the DJ played Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex, Molly was fully engaged line dancing while sitting down. Jen scooted over to give her more room.

A young man was watching Molly from a nearby table. When the DJ played Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus, he got up and approached Molly. “Hello, my name is Marty Hennessey. Would you like to dance?” he asked through his facemask. He extended his hand to help Molly get up.
Molly shook her head and pulled up her pant legs to reveal her two protheses. Marty pulled up one pant leg to reveal a major prothesis on his left leg. He tapped the side of his leg to show Molly it was a prothesis extending down from just below his hip.

“Okay,” Molly conceded. “You got me beat, but I haven’t danced since I got these.”

“No problem. I’ll show you how.”

“No, no, no,” protested Molly. “I don’t think so.”

Marty bend down and leaned on the table. “What was your rank when you got discharged from the military?”

Molly was taken back by the question. “Staff sergeant,” she stammered.

Marty straightened up. “Well, I was a captain and I’m giving you a direct order to get your ass out on the dance floor… sergeant.” Reluctantly, Molly stood up. Marty half led and half pulled Molly to the dance floor. It wasn’t crowded. No one objected to them not social distancing since several other couples did the same. Marty stood behind Molly and held her waist to steady her. Molly pulled both his arms tighter around her. All the dances were line dances, and, at first, Molly struggled to keep up. She did stubble a few times, but Marty caught her. Jen was certain the last fall was fake. After a few minutes, Molly mastered the steps without falling. Molly and Marty danced a few more dances.
As another line dance started, Molly and Marty walked and pulled a protesting Jen onto the dance floor. Molly stood on one side holding Jen’s hand while Marty held her other hand. It was awkward at first, but soon Jen was keeping up without falling. Once she got the hang of it, they resumed social distancing. After a few minutes, a guy cut in between Molly and Jen without a word, and everyone adjusted for social distancing. After a few dances, Jen headed back to her table, turning down a couple of offers to dance on the way including one from the guy who had cut in earlier.
​
To be continued…

For e-books by me, visit http://smashwords.com/profile/view/monteranderson or Amazon.com. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/monteranderson
Follow 

You may have read Mitch Albom’s novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven. With a wink and a nod to Mr. Albom, I now present The Five People You Meet in Hell. Sorry, it’s a blog not a novel – maybe later.

Okay, you screwed up and you know it. You are going to hell. No sweat, you say. You have many friends in hell, so you won’t be lonely. True. The company you keep puts you in hell. Here’s a clue; your enemies are there too, and they are waiting for you. Here are the five people who will meet you at the gates of hell when you arrive:

1. Your ex-girlfriend/ boyfriend and/or ex-spouse. Remember how you cheated on your significant other? You cheated. You lied about it. You confessed and promised never to do it again. Then you cheated again and lied again. You thought you got away this last time. Your ex knows what you did and will confront you in hell. What you don’t know is that you caused your ex to have a crisis about his/her sexuality. He/she blamed himself/herself more than you. Your ex went into therapy. Finally, he/she had a sex change operation. Your ex then joined a commune to “find him/herself.” In a freak accident, your ex smoked some loco weed that looked like marijuana. It was fatal. With his/her dying breath, he/she swore revenge on you.

2. Your best friend from high school/college? You remember your best friend? You two vowed to be best friends forever. That was until you stabbed your BF in the back. You stole your BF’s girl/guy. You did it without a thought of how you hurt him/her. What you don’t know is that your BF had trust issue after that. He/she never trusted anyone again. He/she became very bitter and mean. With no friends, your BF sat alone at home watching reruns of Gillian’s Island. It wasn’t cable or satellite, because your BF did not trust the installer to show up at all. In a freak accident, your ex was killed by a flock of pigeons while feeding them.

3. Your old boss. You do remember your old boss? The one that didn’t give you that bonus or promotion. He said you did not achieve the goals he set for you. He said you wasted time playing games on the computer and taking naps in the stockroom. It was all true. What you don’t know is that he didn’t get a bonus or promotion either. Your failure caused him to fail too. Eventually, the company fired him for poor performance. He couldn’t get another job because he couldn’t get a referral. The industry blackballed him. He became homeless and wandered around aimlessly – without goals. In a tragic accident, he was cooked to death due to a malfunction in the heating grate he was sleeping on. Investigators found your name scribbled on the side of his cardboard box with the words, “I’ll see you in hell.”

4. Your old schoolteacher. You must remember your old schoolteacher – the one that you caused to have a nervous breakdown? She was a 30-year veteran but had never met anyone as bad as you. She even told you to your face if you ever go to hell, she will find you and kill you--again. What you may not know is she gave up teaching and joined a street gang. For several years, she committed drive by shootings of students. When her eyesight failed, she retired to a rural area in Montana. A black bear killed her when she tried to spank it after it climbed into her apple tree. She thought it was you. The police found a picture of you with your eyes gouged out in her cabin.

5. Jack Hodges. You remember Jack Hodges? Probably not. Everyone remembers him as One-eyed Jack. Your mom always told you not to throw pencils, but when Jack asked to borrow a pencil, you threw it. Sure enough, he lost an eye. That was bad enough, but what you don’t know was worst. People bullied and teased One-eyed Jack the rest of his life. He finally had enough and chose a life of crime. One day the police caught up with him, and he died in a hail of bullets. The police said that with his dying breath, he said it was all your fault.
 
So, have fun in hell.

“How did you get here, Bog?”

“What?”

“I mean did you drive and park somewhere?”

“No. I took the bus.”

“You mean you took a bus with a gun to rob a bank?”

“Yeah.”

“Well. Obviously, you can go home on the bus now. Let’s talk about how you’re going to get out of here. Do you want a helicopter?”

“No. I’m afraid of flying.”

“So, what then? Limo? Motorcycle? What?”

Bog didn’t answer for several seconds. Finally, he said, “How about a bicycle?”

Shirley wasn’t sure she heard correctly. “So, you want to peddle your way out of here?”

“No, no. A motorized bike. You know, one of those electric bikes.”

“Don’t you think our patrol cars can catch you?” Shirley asked.

“I know a short cut,” Bog laughed.

“Okay, what about the hostages? Do you plan on taking them on your bike?”

“Okay, you got me there. Make it a bus and not a bike.”

“Okay, you got it,” Shirley agreed.

Ten minutes later, a city bus driven by a police officer pulled up on the sidewalk, stopping short of the main entrance to the bank. “Here’s your bus, Bog. Pizzas are on the way, Bog. We gave you what you requested. Now, why don’t you let some of the hostages go as a gesture of good faith?”

“I was going to but the hostages I picked wanted to stay for pizza.”

Dick motioned for Shirley to cover the microphone, so she did. “Is he kidding?” Dick asked.

“I can’t tell.”

Twenty minutes later Dick ran over to the command post where Shirley was working out of and told her the pizzas had arrived. “Give we ten minutes before you tell the suspect so I can plant the microphone,” Dick told Shirley.

Ten minutes later, Shirley called Bog. “Your pizzas are here. How do you want them delivered?”

“No cops. Just let the pizza guy deliver the pizza. If he has to make two trips that’s okay.”

“Okay. We’re going to let him park right in front.”

Dick informed the pizza delivery guy who then drove up to the bank and parked directly in front of the main entrance. He got out of his car and proceed to take out two large, insulated boxes of pizza and a large plastic bag with soda and garlic knots. He had told Dick he could make it in just one trip.
Fifteen minutes later, the pizza driver walked out and drove off in the car. Dick went inside the command post. “Shirley, I thought the pizza guy was a black dude.”

“He was. You talked to him. You should know.”

“I do know. Check out this video.” Dick handed Shirley his cellphone.

“Why are you showing me porn?” Shirley asked.

“Oh, sorry. Wrong video.” Dick took back his cellphone and scrolled to a new video. “Here. Take a look.”

Shirley took the cellphone and watched a short video of the pizza guy walking to his car carrying two large, insulated boxes and an empty, large plastic bag. He was wearing a face mask and a baseball cap pulled down which made it hard to see his face.

“I don’t know, Dick. I can’t tell.”

“Look at his shoes. The pizza guy wore red tennis shoe which matched his uniform. This guy is wearing white tennis shoes.”

“Shit,” Shirley yelled as she jumped up. “No, no, no.” Shirley ran out of the command post and sprinted straight for the bank.

Dick grabbed the handset and keyed the microphone. “Hold your fire. Hold fire,” he announced.
Shirley ran into the bank. All the hostages were sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall, eating pizza. “Where’s the bank robber?” she yelled. Everyone pointed toward the front door. “Then where’s the pizza guy?” she yelled. Everyone pointed behind the counter. Shirley walked over and looked behind the counter. There on the floor was a man in just his underwear, hog tied with zip ties. His mouth had duct tape on it.

Dick rushed inside the bank followed by a swat squad. He walked over to Shirley who was crying. She buried her face into Dick’s chest. “I thought I was doing a good job, but I actually helped him escape.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll catch him. At least no one got hurt. I wonder if there’s any pizza left?”

THE END
​
For e-books by me, visit http://smashwords.com/profile/view/monteranderson or Amazon.com. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/monteranderson
Follow my blog at http://monteranderson-author.com or http://monteranderson.wordpress.com
​

There’s only one week left to purchase my e-books during the Smashwords July Summer Sale.
The 14th Annual Smashwords July Summer/Winter sale starts on July 1 and runs through July 31. Most of my e-books are on sale for 50% off. You will find them at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/monteranderson. The books are:

Angels and Gargoyles  Free
Angels and Gargoyles is a novelette about a romance among heavenly hosts; a beauty and the beast love story. It tells how two of God's workers, for unexplainable reasons, fall in love, much to the chagrin of St. Peter. They are the two most unlikely pair for romance to begin with, but they manage to overcome all the obstacles and even St. Peter's objections so they can marry.

The Register Cliff Rapist 
Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only 18 years old. The boyfriend confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason's life is soon on the line.

The Clone Murders
The Clone Murders takes place in 2031 when the ability to clone people has been perfected, but it is very expensive. Five of the first clones are declared national treasures. Senator Morgan suspects foul play when one clones turns up dead from exposure to anthrax. He asks Cas Novak and Robbi Kelly to investigate, and they uncover a plot for mass destruction.

Archimedes of Syracuse: Leonardo da Vinci's Mentor 
In 1499 Leonardo da Vinci is hired by Cesare Borgia as a military engineer. He begins to work on a steam canon that had originally been the idea of Archimedes 1800 years earlier. Leonardo tells Cesare the story of Archimedes and how he made many discoveries in mathematics and science.

Facility Maintenance Series: Types of Maintenance Programs
Types of Maintenance Strategies provides an overview of current maintenance programs to include reactive maintenance, corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, condition-based maintenance, reliability centered maintenance, and total productive maintenance. The advantages and disadvantages are explained as well as the costs. A brief history is included in each chapter.
​
Leadership for New Managers: Book Two
For new leaders, the art of leadership is not ease. There is much to know and even more to do. The expectations are high. In this e-book, I try to share some of my experiences with new leaders to help them learn how to handle the challenge. This e-book is an overview of leadership traits and theories from which new leaders can determine the future areas of study. It includes a self-assessment.