The Uncertain List: Excerpt :)

I’m back! A little later than expected but I’m back. My dear Labrador puppy (just turned 7 months yesterday) decided he wanted to take a mud bath. I went against it but he’s a stubborn mule and just threw himself into the dirt. He had his fun but I had mine when I put him into the bath, washed out all the icky mud and then squirted him with some perfume (he hates the stuff).

Anyhow, as promised here is an excerpt from “The Uncertain List”! Remember that I’m giving away a copy. All you have to do is leave a comment, your email and I’ll post the name of the winner tomorrow at my blog.

See you in a bit!

Elyzabeth

http://elyzabethmvaley.weebly.com/

http://inadreambeyond.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ElyzabethMVaLey
https://twitter.com/#!/ElyzabethVaLey
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4515587.Elyzabeth_M_VaLey

Excerpt:

Tristan slammed the car door shut and paused to look at the small town around him. An assortment of shops and apartment buildings lined the street. Through almost every window he could see Christmas decorations. Trees adorned in all manner of styles, from the most simple with plastic stars to the most embellished with gold and silver balls, matching tinsel, and fake snow, graced halls, living rooms, and shop fronts.


He took in a deep breath. A mixture of pine trees, burning wood, and delicious coffee assaulted his senses. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn't had anything to eat for quite a while. He glanced at the paper in his hand. At the bottom of a row of crossed-out words, a name scribbled in fancy red ink stood out. Amy Donaldson. She was the last mission on his list. Hopefully, he'd be done quickly and be able to get back home for Christmas dinner. A couple strode by him and the smell of warm muffins reached his nostrils. His stomach growled again. Folding the list with Amy's name, he placed it on the inside of his thick winter coat and made up his mind. After all, there was nothing worse than starting a job on an empty stomach.


A bell chimed over his head as he entered the coffee house named Sugar, Ginger, and Spice. A delicious waft of ginger cookies and sugary sweets reached him, corroborating the shop's apt name. The only thing missing, from his point of view, was the touch of spice.


However, the remedy to that appeared in the form of a stunning coffee-serving clerk. He took in her looks as he strolled over to the counter. Compared to him, she wasn't very tall; her head would barely reach over his chin. Her short brown hair was fashioned in a cute pixie haircut with long, side-swept bangs, which highlighted her high cheekbones and large brown eyes. She wasn't too thin, but more on the plump side, just like he liked his women. There was nothing like holding on to a woman's ample hips in the throes of passion.


"What can I get you, sir?"


He was pleased to discover she had a sweet voice, too. Most likely, she participated in a choir or had done so when she was a child. He raised his eyes from her pretty face to stare at the billboard above. The little place certainly had a large assortment of cakes, muffins, cookies, coffees, and hot chocolates.


"What do you recommend, ummm..." He lowered his gaze to read the square tag placed over her heart. "Amy."


He looked up at her face again and was shocked to see the sign hovering on her forehead. How could he have missed it before? The black question mark with a sparkling white snowflake acting as a dot danced over her forehead like a luminous beacon. He must have been too distracted with her appearance to notice she was the last person on his list.


"If I may advise?"


Amy's sweet voice broke his thoughts. He realized he must have been foolishly staring at her for a few seconds and his cheeks warmed in embarrassment. Perhaps sensing his discomfort, Amy plowed on.


"The coffee with white chocolate tastes particularly good if you pair it with the vanilla cupcake."


She smiled at him, a pearly white smile full of innocence. How could this little fairy be on the Uncertain List? She clearly belonged to the Nice List. There must have been some sort of mistake.


"I'll give that a try, then."


"Will you be at a table or is it a takeout order?" she asked automatically.


Tristan regarded the place. The coffee house was not too full: a couple sat at a table, a group of girls chatted at another, and an elderly man read in an armchair. On a whim, he decided he would stay awhile.


"I'll have the order here."


"That will be six fifty, please."


He handed her the money and walked away to sit down at one of the empty tables near the window. He regarded the store more calmly. In a corner, there were a few worn-out couches, inviting people to bring a book and relax while enjoying their drinks. The rest of the room was furnished with round wooden tables and chairs made out of the same material. Each table held a small Christmas ornament with the day's menu. Tinsel and banners wishing everyone happy holidays decorated the walls. The windows were sprayed with fake snow to form the words Merry Christmas. Soft Christmas jazz music played through some speakers. Tristan smiled cheerfully. He was comfortable and at ease in the little coffee shop. It was almost like being home.


"Here you go, sir."


Amy bent over the table and placed his order. Her breast brushed against his arm and like a magnet to metal, his eyes were drawn to her exposed cleavage. His mouth watered. How could he have missed noticing such fine attributes before? His eyes lifted as the girl straightened up. With a smile and a knowing wink, she pointed at his coffee. She turned around and walked back to the counter, her hips swaying in an indecent manner that caused his cock to swell. He finally tore his eyes off her when he could no longer see her generous bottom. His stomach roared, reminding him he was hungry, and he switched his attention to the steaming cup before him. That's when he caught sight of the napkin next to his coffee. She had scribbled her name and her phone number on the paper. He looked up at Amy again and she smiled devilishly. Perhaps his job wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought.