Yes, I know I’m late.

The important thing to remember though is that I’m here now, yes? Yes. Okay. First loves. That’s our topic today and… Well, I’ve got characters that have had first loves, but not ones that worked out all that great. Most have ended in terrible break ups. Some first loves work out, most though I don’t think they do. I know mine didn’t. But then, maybe for the different points in our lives, we have first loves for each of those stages. Something interesting to consider…

For the purpose of our snippet, I’ve chosen a scene from my Loose Id novella, Sugar Rush.

Jane was dumped by Phillip. And not nicely. She’s not seen or spoken to him since, until this scene where she has gone out on a date with Graham and Phillip happens up on them. The thing about Phillip is, Jane believed him to be ‘the one’. How often do we do that with first loves? We imagine them to be that special one, that one to walk down the aisle with us, but it doesn’t always work out that way.

Jane learned that the hard way. Phillip had returned items they’d shared together, gifts, and had told her he needed to find someone else, someone better for the image he was trying to create for his life.

Now, she’s found Graham, a hot younger man, a cowboy. Is he a different kind of first love for her?

And when she sees Phillip again, it goes different than she anticipated:

“Jane?”

At the sound of the voice, Graham turned at the same moment Jane did. A tall, dark-haired man approached them. The closer he got, the more Graham felt tension radiating from Jane. Despite his thoughts of not touching her for their own good out on the public street, he pulled his hands out of his pocket, slipping one around her fingers.

“Phillip.”

Graham’s hand tightened on Jane’s. His gaze traveled up and down Phillip’s form. He was shorter than Graham, but not by much. He had thick black hair, dark eyes, and his features appeared to be Latin in influence.

“I have not seen you in months. You look ravishing. Absolutely beautiful.”

Phillip’s gaze was decidedly approving as it raked Jane from head to toe. Was the man regretting his decision to let her go? His dark eyes slid sideways to give Graham the once-over as well. Was he…? No. He wasn’t looking at Graham the same way he’d looked at Jane, but it very similar in appreciation. Was Phillip gay? Bi?

Suddenly, Phillip’s ending things with Jane took on a whole new look, even though the man could have done it in a better way.

“Thank you. You look good too.” Her voice was stilted, measured, and Graham changed his hold on her hand by lacing his fingers through hers. He squeezed tightly. “Phillip, this is Graham. Graham, Phillip.” A couple of murmured hellos were exchanged along with a decidedly awkward handshake in which Phillip didn’t seem to want to let go.

Phillip looked again at Jane, and his eyes lit up with excitement. “I am so glad I ran into you. I am opening a small coffee shop in Breckenridge and want to carry your truffles. They are truly the best ones in Colorado, and they’re unique. People will really love them. I have some new coffees that I’m wanting want to pair with them. We’ll have a hit on our hands. I know how you feel about a storefront, but you wouldn’t have to be there. I will have a staff run the store and –”

“That sounds great, Phillip. I’ll talk to Edward about it and have him call you.”

The man deflated slightly and for some idiotic reason Graham felt sorry for him. But only a little. “Edward?”

The stiffness had left Jane’s body, and she relaxed slightly into Graham, which he welcomed. His hand let go of hers, and he wrapped his arm around her back. She was handling herself beautifully in the face of the man that had caused her such doubt in herself. He couldn’t have been more proud of her. “Yes. He handles the new clients and accounts, so it would only make sense for you to talk with him. It does sound like a great opportunity though.”

“It would be. The hint of heat in your truffles along with a rich dark coffee with a hint of chocolate and cinnamon would be fabulous together.”

“I can see that. I’ll have Edward call you tomorrow about it. Same number?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, good. It was nice to see you, Phillip. Goodnight.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Phillip’s eyes were trained on their backs as Graham led Jane back in the direction they’d been going before meeting up with him. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m good. Better than I thought. I never knew how I’d handle seeing him again, talking to him, but… Graham? I think he’s gay or something.”

Graham laughed. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“I couldn’t believe the way he looked you up and down like that. I had never noticed that about him.”

“Kind of sheds new light on your relationship.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

We all have first loves, those that broke our hearts, those that we remember with bittersweet smiles, and those we remember with laughter and fondness. I have both kinds in my past… What about you?

Don’t forget to visit the following blogs to read more snippets about first loves.

Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Shelley Munro
Shelli Stevens
Ashley Ladd