Fall is in the air, and Halloween will soon be coming. Thank goodness. I am so ready for fall. In the meantime, I’ve been busy working on my latest contemporary romance novel, Rivalry. It’s a love story about a young woman and a middle aged man. Like my earlier romance novel, The Reunion, I’ve included a Halloween scene in Rivalry, so I’m giving you a sneak peek.
In this sample read, Jenna’s mother has offered to take her to out to dinner on Halloween night, but it’s a bittersweet evening. Jenna is an interior designer who’s been recently furloughed. The restaurant is inside a hotel she helped design. She’s now experiencing some lean times, and there’s been no sign indicating things will improve soon.
Marina Martindale
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Jenna met with other interior design firm the following week and called her mother when she returned home. During the conversation, she found out her father had switched places with another pilot who wanted to stay home and take his children trick-or-treating.
“I have an idea,” said Claire. “Since we’re both home alone, why don’t we go have dinner somewhere? It’s been a long time since we’ve had a mother and daughter night out.”
“I don’t know, Mom. Right now, I have to watch my spending.”
“I’m your mother, so it’s my treat. I really enjoyed our lunch at Sam’s Place, and I can’t think of a better excuse than Halloween to go back. I’ll pick you up in thirty minutes.”
It was Jenna’s first time being back at the hotel since the day she had lunch at Sam’s Place with her parents. Halloween decorations had been placed around the lobby, along with a Happy Halloween banner behind the front desk. Sam’s was also festive with fall centerpieces on each table and lighted Halloween decorations at the bar. The restaurant was busy when they arrived. Claire introduced herself to the hostess, saying she had reserved at table for two.
“Right this way, Mrs. Winters.” She led them to a table near the bar. Claire gazed at the decorations once they were seated.
“I’ll always remember the way my grandmother used to talk about Halloween,” she said. “They don’t celebrate it in England, so she never understood the significance. She thought the whole thing was, in her words, ‘rather silly.'”
“Sounds like she was never fully Americanized,” said Jenna.
“Not entirely, and she never lost her English accent either, but she did love Colorado. She said it reminded her of the mountains in Scotland and Wales. I was fifteen when we took our famous family trip to England to meet our uncles, aunts, and cousins.”
“I know. You used to talk about it when I was a kid.”
“It was a life-changing experience. After we got home, I decided I was going to be a flight attendant so I could go back and visit, which I often did. It’s also how I met your father.”
“And I’m sure you remember how I used to talk about becoming a flight attendant when I was a kid.”
“You did,” said Claire, “but later on you found the right career for you. So how did the interview go?”
“I’m not sure. Turns out they’re interior decorators who work with people who are either buying new homes or remodeling.”
“Which you do as well.”
“I do, and I’ll be helping Bill with the house he’s buying. However, they were completely overwhelmed when I showed them my work. Apparently, I was more than they were bargaining for, so I may be overqualified.”
“I know, but it’s only a temporary job.”
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
“And speaking of Bill,” said Claire, “I’ll be forever in his debt for rescuing you from the river. It still makes me shudder when I think about it.”
“Mom, I’m okay. I wasn’t hurt.”
“But you still could have drowned.”
“I was having trouble getting out because of the boulders they’d placed along the shoreline, but I’m fine. Had Bill not been there I would have found another way to get out.”
“Mothers always worry about their children, even when they’re adults. Someday, when you’re a mother, you’ll understand.”
“I suppose, but right now my prospects aren’t looking so good. Stacy sent me a text the other day saying she’s met someone new, and if that wasn’t enough, Ken’s trying to worm his way back in.”
Claire looked concerned. “Really? What’s he doing now?”
“He keeps sending me emails and text messages, saying he wants us to be friends and suggesting we meet for lunch somewhere.”
“I see. So, what did you tell him?”
“I said no. I kept reminding him he has another girlfriend, but he says they haven’t made any kind of commitment, and they’re still free to date other people.”
“Which may be well and good, but you’ve already told him no. He needs to respect your boundaries.”
“I know,” said Jenna. “He also claims he’s having second thoughts about me.”
“Which is a load of bunk and you know it. I’m more inclined to believe your mutual friend CeCe has told him about your friendship with Bill, so now he’s trying to make trouble. There are men out there who do that sort of thing.”
“Which is what I think as well, so I finally blocked him from my phone and email. I haven’t heard so much as a peep from him since.”
Rivalry is available on Amazon, Barnesandnobel.com and with other book sellers.
Marina Martindale Novels does not include AI (Artificial Intelligence) generated content or use AI software of any kind. It is written and edited by a real human being. No part of this blog may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any form, or used in any matter by AI, without the express written consent Good Oak Press, LLC. Requests for permission must be addressed to Good Oak Press, LLC, P.O. Box 51244, Denton, TX 76206-1244.