Life is but a dream - Chapter 2

** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations, language and mature subject matter **

CHAPTER 2 - Mr. December

A month later, I had all but forgotten about Ben. Sure, I thought about him in passing a few times after our encounter at the hospital. However, I fell back into my routine soon after and moved on with my life. My sister felt strong and comfortable enough to spend some time with her friends this weekend. She would start chemo in a week. She felt like she needed to make the most out of this short interlude to have a little fun until she was too exhausted by her treatment. I pushed aside my over-protectiveness and let her go. I would have the appartment for the next 48 hours and could use some me-time. Free of guilt. I had lunch with Jonathan. Then, I had booked myself a one-hour massage and a mani-pedi at the beauty institute followed by a visit to the hair salon. It would be the best day ever!

This morning. I found it difficult to hall myself out of bed. My pillow felt way too soft. My mattress way too comfy. My comforter way too warm. Another hour. It was still early. I’d get up at 10. I ignored the door slamming shut loudly. Thanks Sophie! Bye Sophie! I moaned and pulled a pillow over my head.

Next thing I knew, someone was knocking at the door. I swear if Sophie had forgotten her keys, I’d kick her butt. I pushed the covers away and walked to the door in a white tank top and cotton short shorts, bent on telling Sophie off. When I opened the door though, I was in for a surprise. Ben was standing in front of me, just as stunned as I was. He recovered quicker than me and smiled with an expression both surprised and amused. It turned into a sexy grin when he realized that I was in my PJs. I looked down at myself and lifted a finger.

-       Just a sec. Let me grab a robe.

-       Sure thing.

I blushed at the husky tone of his voice and his roaming gaze. Oh wow, I couldn’t believe my luck. Was it luck? Was I happy to see him again? What was he doing here? How had he found me?Decent at last, I went back to the door and offered my most confident smile. I tried not to focus on his incredible eyes and the fact that he was checking me out a second ago.

-       Ben, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you by? How…How have you been?

-       I’m fine, Camille, thank you.

Holy shit! He remembered my name. Sweet.

-       I volunteer at the fire station and, every year, we sell calendars to the locals to raise money for the families of the men lost doing their duty.

-       You are a firefighter? I asked impressed.

-       Just a volunteer. I work as a freelance web designer mostly.

-       That’s pretty cool.

And hot too! I wondered if I’d see him someday in his uniform…

-       Are you interested?

Very much so. Whenever. Wherever. Is he asking…? Oh. The calendars. Of course.

-       Hum… Sure. How much is one?

I went back to the living room to get my purse.

-       You give whatever you want, he said with a shrug.

-       How about twenty bucks? It seems to be all I have in my wallet.

-       That’s great! For twenty bucks, you get to choose the one you want and I’ll throw a hug in the deal.

We laughed and he showed what he had. Kittens, puppies, nature… half naked firemen! BINGO!

-       Ouh I want this one!

He shook his head, obviously amused by my choice and…was it…was it embarrassment? His face was turning a dark shade of red. Avoiding my eyes, he pushed a hand across his jaw to the back of his neck.

-       What is it?

-       I wish you hadn’t seen this one.

-       Why? Are you in it?

Ben laughed nervously but said nothing.

-       Well, ARE YOU?

-   Afraid so. Are you sure you wanna see this? This is just plain embarrassing…

Damn, he was cute. He distracted me for a second with his straight white-teeth smile. Unfortunately for him, I was having too much fun making him uncomfortable. He may have had the god-like looks but I had the sense of humor and derision.

-       Which month are you? I asked super excited.

-       Oh dear God!

I didn’t think it was possible to see someone turn from red to redder in a heart beat.

-       Hey, you shouldn’t feel embarrassed about posing in the nude for this calendar. Need I remind you that you’re doing a charitable thing here? You’re collecting money for a good cause and you’re fueling the imagination of hundreds of lonely women. There’s nothing better than that!

-       First of all, I’m not in the nude. December provides an appropriate amount of coverage. Second of all, do you mind me asking if you’re one of those lonely women in need of inspiration?

I gulped. My turn to blush involuntarely. My vagina was screaming YES. My head had more self-control.

-       N…No.

I laughed but it came out as a nervous shriek. Yeah, that was not convincing at all. I sounded like a strangled cat. Or one in heat.

-       I mean, if I have to pick for a calendar, might as well be the one I’m actually planning on checking out once a month.

-       Good point, he answered suppressing a smile.

Nice save! Quick thinking was indispensible when you were a publicist. Keep it up, smarty pants…

-       So, december huh?

He chuckled and handed me the calendar in exchange for the twenty dollar bill. We stayed silent for a minute. Eventually, I was the one to break the silence.

-       How about that hug?

Forbidden To Love

Un bon début pour la série "The Erosians" de Debbie Davies avec "Forbidden To Love". Un peu rapide et une fin déconcertante, mais un premier tome très satisfaisant.

Acacia, 16 ans, est une déesse de l'amour, une "érosienne" créée spécifiquement par Zeus pour Eros, le dieu de l'amour. Sauf que celui-ci l'a rejeté, elle et deux autres érosiennes Allana et Amora avant elle, et qu'elle se retrouve sur Terre avec pour mission de faire tomber des adolescents amoureux.

Seul hic: Eros lui interdit de tomber amoureuse de qui que ce soit d'autre que lui. Il ne veut aucune d'elles car elles ne sauraient remplacer l'amour de sa vie qu'il a perdu mais s'il ne peut pas aimer Psyché (son nom), personne ne pourra aimer. À commencer avec ses érosiennes qu'il condamne à une vie de solitude.

Tout change lorsqu'Acacia croise Josh au lycée où elle opère. Elle ressent pour la première fois les flammes de l'amour et est prête à tout perdre pour vivre sa relation avec le jeune homme. Quitte à risquer sa vie et la sienne. Forcément, Eros prendra action.

Une fois qu'Acacia rencontre Josh, elle est déchirée entre ses sentiments pour lui et ses suspicions quant au rôle du jeune homme. Pourquoi rencontre-t-elle son âme soeur alors qu'il lui est interdit d'aimer? Pourquoi n'a-t-il pas d'aura comme tout le monde? Est-il un démon? La première moitié de "Forbidden To Love", Acacia est complètement paranoïaque. Puis, la seconde partie, on devine le dénouement. Pas que ce soit évident mais si vous faites attention, le puzzle prend vite forme.

Ce n'est pas ce qui vaut à ce livre sa note néanmoins, mais plutôt le dernier tiers de l'histoire. Je ne veux pas dévoiler quoique ce soit qui puisse vous gâcher l'expérience. Toutefois, bien que je comprenne la manière dont elle gère la situation une fois qu'Eros la punit, bien que je comprenne son état d'esprit, j'ai été perturbée par le fait qu'elle se rapproche d'un autre personnage de l'histoire. La fin se déroule tellement rapidement que je n'ai pas eu le temps de digérer une information que l'on passe à une autre tout aussi surprenante puis encore une autre. Ce n'est pas cohérent à 100% mais c'est un début qui promet.

Ma note : 3,5 / 5.

Undone

Une série littéraire que je suis depuis le début, "Unraveling" du nom du premier tome, propose ce novella en anticipation de la sortie du deuxième tome "Unbreakable". Elizabeth Norris rafraîchit la mémoire de ses lecteurs en reprenant certains faits de "Unraveling" dans "Undone" du point de vue de Ben et en nous faisant découvrir des éléments que nous ignorions complètement.

Dans le 1er volet, nous faisons connaissance avec Janelle et Ben. Le père de Janelle travaille au FBI. Sa mère est bi-polaire dont elle s'occupe principalement de son petit frère Jared. Elle est sympa, mature, intelligente et a la tête sur les épaules. Lorsqu'elle se fait renverser par une voiture, Ben la sauve...grâce à ses ses pouvoirs et sa vie est bouleversée. Nous apprenons que Ben est bien humain mais qu'il vient d'une dimension parallèle. En sautant d'un monde à l'autre avec ses amis Eli et Reid, lui et ses deux comparses ont été "changés" et possèdent à présent l'abilité de transformer la masse moléculaire des choses. À partir de là, Janelle et Ben vivront une première aventure que je vous laisse découvrir si vous lisez "Unraveling". 

Ici, dans "Undone", le novella nous apprend que Ben convoitait Janelle depuis bien plus longtemps que nous le pensions. Mais surtout, nous découvrons ce qui arrive à Ben et Eli une fois qu'ils retournent chez eux...

À ne pas manquer! Et à lire absolument avant "Unbreakable"!!

Ma note : 5 / 5.

Life is but a dream - Chapter One

** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations, language and mature subject matter **

CHAPTER ONE : "The first time we met" 

Two years ago, my mother died from cancer. By the time she found out she was sick, it was already too late. My pilot of a father had died years ago in a plane crash, so it was only me, her and my sister Sophie. I was five. She was one. 
When Mom passed away, I was not the little girl who missed a daddy that she’d barely had the chance to know. I was a 24 year-old junior publicist on her first job, in New York City, asked to take care of a 20 year-old college student whose needs I didn’t know how to provide for. It’s not like our mother left us with nothing, but damn, I knew right there that things wouldn’t be easy for me despite the fact that Sophie was basically an adult. My sister was the baby of the family. Fragile, sheltered, sweet Sophie. I say « was » because I believe now that she’s the strongest person I know.

Never mind I became an orphan overnight, I put my pain on hold and worked my ass off to keep my sister in college at NYU. I stayed focused because Sophie was my priority. Mom left us some money and we sold the house in Connecticut. That much helped and I invested in a two-bedroom appartment in Brooklyn. At least, we’d have a real home and I wanted that for Sophie. A new place free of painful memories to come back to while she experienced college living on campus and led a seemingly normal life. 
Eventually, the money had run out and by then, Sophie had gone through the worst of her mourning process and was well enough to get a job on the side for pocket money. It didn’t last long. Not because she wasn’t good at what she was doing. I guess finding out that she had a lump in her breast seven months ago kind of messed up with her new found career in sales. Cancer. Same as our mother. A year and a half apart. To me, she was just a child. She’s still just a – fucking - child.

This was a few weeks before I met him for the first time. I had a really hard time coping with Sophie having to go through surgery, then, undergo chemo and all the crap they would throw at her in hopes the cancer wouldn’t come back. I’d witnessed a glimpse of my mother’s condition and I was scared shitless. I couldn’t fathom my adorable baby sister living this nightmare even though she had a better chance to survive. 
Unfortunately, drinking my fears and my sorrow into oblivion was not exactly the more responsible or even supportive way of handling this. Instead, I threw myself into work to keep my mind busy. I brushed up on everything I had learned the first time around about breast cancer to understand what the doctors were talking about. I’d spend all of my free time caring for Sophie giving up on any hope at a social life.

Sure, I had a great job in a successful P.R firm and the team was nice and understanding. They knew I needed the work to fill in the void created by my powerlessness and didn’t insist on me going with for drinks after work. As a result, I drifted away from the group and any hope of furthering my career. My being in a funk all the time sure wasn’t going to get me a promotion anytime soon. The only time I could smile was when with Sophie, pretending that I was fine and that the probability of losing her wasn’t affecting me ten times worse than it had with our mother. I knew it sounded horrible, but Sophie was all I had left.