Goats solve their differences head-on. They don’t give the silent treatment or yell, they butt heads, and then it’s over.
Cowboy Marvin has learned humans resolve issues differently especially those romantically involved. His curiosity sparked, he has invited authors to stop by on Fridays and share the first fight from one of their books.
Author
Sheryl Fawcett
is here for...
First Fight Friday
with a scene from
Yesterday to Tomorrow
The Women of Lakeshore Drive #2
The Women of Lakeshore Drive #2
Suzanne had escaped from the relentless media coverage of
her husband’s Ponzi scheme trial.
The cruise was a chance to leave yesterday behind and focus on
finding new tomorrows in her life. Trouble arose when
another passenger on board recognized her.
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Arriving on deck 5, she went first to the Boutique. She had admired a gold chain necklace with a pearl encrusted cruise ship a couple days ago. The shop was just opening and she was the only customer until Tom Sandburg followed her in.
She asked the clerk for the necklace so she could examine it closer. The girl unlocked the glass case, pulled out a tray of necklaces and handed that particular one to Suzanne. The tag confirmed it was eighteen karat gold, as its color had indicated to her. She rotated the gold ship back and forth in the light noting the luster of the tiny pearls. The clerk offered her a second necklace saying, "Here's another lovely piece."
"Yes, it is, but this one is the perfect memento of our trip although I'm not sure how much I will actually wear it. It's not the sort of jewelry I normally buy." Holding it up to her neck and looking in the mirror, she abruptly announced, "I'll take it. I love it." Her eyes were drawn back to the mirror. Tom's reflection was there behind her and his expression was malevolent. 'It must be my imagination,' she thought, shaking off the image. She said to the clerk, "In fact, I'll wear it now."
"Of course, let me have it for a minute so I can ring it up." She opened a small box with the ship's logo, removed the tag from the chain, and laid it on the satin interior before returning the necklace to Suzanne to secure around her neck. She entered the numbers from the tag into the system and studied the display screen for a moment. She closed the box and placed it in a small bag while the ticket printed. Suzanne signed the ticket, and dropped both the copy and the bag with the empty box into her tote. Thanking the clerk, she pivoted around to find Tom blocking her path.
"Not the kind of jewelry you usually buy, did you say?"
"Excuse me?" Had she heard him right? Why was he in her way?
"No diamonds?" His voice had grown louder, attracting the attention of a woman who had just entered. "Or do you already have more diamonds than you can wear?"
A woman walking past stopped to listen. What was wrong with this man? He surely couldn't be drunk at nine in the morning.
Suzanne side-stepped to go around him. He matched her move. She looked him square in the eye. "If you don't mind, I want to leave."
"You're pretty good at leaving, aren't you? People in Washington know where that thieving husband of yours is, and they wonder why you're not in jail, too. You just up and disappeared. No one knew where. Now we know, don't we? You're living high and mighty with all that stolen money!" Drawn by his rising volume, a small crowd had assembled and pushed into the shop.
Tom's wife appeared at his elbow. "Tom, you're making a scene. Let's go."
"I'm not ready to go, Donna. I've wanted to give this lady, and I use the term 'lady' loosely, I've wanted to give this lady a piece of my mind for a long time."
His eyes never wavered from Suzanne's face. "If I'd listened to your son-of-a-bitch husband, I'd be as broke as all his other victims. Pennies on the dollar!" He was now shouting, "Pennies on the dollar! That's all they ever saw of their fancy investments with him. Do you even have a clue how many people the two of you destroyed?"
She heard the clerk say into the phone, "I need Security in the Boutique."
She attempted to shove past him. He grabbed her upper arm and held fast. This was why she had left Bethesda, people like him. The last place she had expected a confrontation was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
"Let me go!" she demanded, trying to jerk her arm free. His nails bit into her flesh.
Suddenly, Michael was at her side, stepping between Tom and her. Simultaneously, a security officer arrived and as soon as he saw the situation, called for assistance. Better safe than sorry. Tom considered the growing force of opposition, released her arm and spat at her feet. He spun around and muscled his way through the throng.
The first security officer called out, "Wait up, sir." Tom ignored the command and charged on out. The officer checked with Suzanne, "Are you all right, ma'am?"
"Yes," she murmured. Michael wrapped his arms protectively around her. The security officer pursued Tom out the door, looked left and right, and realized he was already gone. He re-entered the shop and told the crowd it was time to disperse. A few began to withdraw, among them, Donna Sandburg.
Two additional security people arrived. It was then the clerk screamed, "I've been robbed!" That accelerated the scattering of onlookers who didn't want to be caught up in this startling turn of events.
Copyright © Sheryl Fawcett
Living alone after decades of marriage, friends Carrie, Glenda, and Suzanne take a three week Pacific cruise. The voyage is meant to be about laughter, strawberry daiquiris, and above all, forgetting.
She asked the clerk for the necklace so she could examine it closer. The girl unlocked the glass case, pulled out a tray of necklaces and handed that particular one to Suzanne. The tag confirmed it was eighteen karat gold, as its color had indicated to her. She rotated the gold ship back and forth in the light noting the luster of the tiny pearls. The clerk offered her a second necklace saying, "Here's another lovely piece."
"Yes, it is, but this one is the perfect memento of our trip although I'm not sure how much I will actually wear it. It's not the sort of jewelry I normally buy." Holding it up to her neck and looking in the mirror, she abruptly announced, "I'll take it. I love it." Her eyes were drawn back to the mirror. Tom's reflection was there behind her and his expression was malevolent. 'It must be my imagination,' she thought, shaking off the image. She said to the clerk, "In fact, I'll wear it now."
"Of course, let me have it for a minute so I can ring it up." She opened a small box with the ship's logo, removed the tag from the chain, and laid it on the satin interior before returning the necklace to Suzanne to secure around her neck. She entered the numbers from the tag into the system and studied the display screen for a moment. She closed the box and placed it in a small bag while the ticket printed. Suzanne signed the ticket, and dropped both the copy and the bag with the empty box into her tote. Thanking the clerk, she pivoted around to find Tom blocking her path.
"Not the kind of jewelry you usually buy, did you say?"
"Excuse me?" Had she heard him right? Why was he in her way?
"No diamonds?" His voice had grown louder, attracting the attention of a woman who had just entered. "Or do you already have more diamonds than you can wear?"
A woman walking past stopped to listen. What was wrong with this man? He surely couldn't be drunk at nine in the morning.
Suzanne side-stepped to go around him. He matched her move. She looked him square in the eye. "If you don't mind, I want to leave."
"You're pretty good at leaving, aren't you? People in Washington know where that thieving husband of yours is, and they wonder why you're not in jail, too. You just up and disappeared. No one knew where. Now we know, don't we? You're living high and mighty with all that stolen money!" Drawn by his rising volume, a small crowd had assembled and pushed into the shop.
Tom's wife appeared at his elbow. "Tom, you're making a scene. Let's go."
"I'm not ready to go, Donna. I've wanted to give this lady, and I use the term 'lady' loosely, I've wanted to give this lady a piece of my mind for a long time."
His eyes never wavered from Suzanne's face. "If I'd listened to your son-of-a-bitch husband, I'd be as broke as all his other victims. Pennies on the dollar!" He was now shouting, "Pennies on the dollar! That's all they ever saw of their fancy investments with him. Do you even have a clue how many people the two of you destroyed?"
She heard the clerk say into the phone, "I need Security in the Boutique."
She attempted to shove past him. He grabbed her upper arm and held fast. This was why she had left Bethesda, people like him. The last place she had expected a confrontation was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
"Let me go!" she demanded, trying to jerk her arm free. His nails bit into her flesh.
Suddenly, Michael was at her side, stepping between Tom and her. Simultaneously, a security officer arrived and as soon as he saw the situation, called for assistance. Better safe than sorry. Tom considered the growing force of opposition, released her arm and spat at her feet. He spun around and muscled his way through the throng.
The first security officer called out, "Wait up, sir." Tom ignored the command and charged on out. The officer checked with Suzanne, "Are you all right, ma'am?"
"Yes," she murmured. Michael wrapped his arms protectively around her. The security officer pursued Tom out the door, looked left and right, and realized he was already gone. He re-entered the shop and told the crowd it was time to disperse. A few began to withdraw, among them, Donna Sandburg.
Two additional security people arrived. It was then the clerk screamed, "I've been robbed!" That accelerated the scattering of onlookers who didn't want to be caught up in this startling turn of events.
Copyright © Sheryl Fawcett
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Yesterday to Tomorrow by Sheryl Fawcett
Yesterday to Tomorrow by Sheryl Fawcett
Living alone after decades of marriage, friends Carrie, Glenda, and Suzanne take a three week Pacific cruise. The voyage is meant to be about laughter, strawberry daiquiris, and above all, forgetting.
But lies, confrontations, and romantic entanglements pose unexpected threats.
When Carrie befriends a widower in desperate need of companionship, he could take her down to the depths of despair.
A dyslexic teenager just might unlock new purpose in Glenda's future...if her association with him doesn't destroy her reputation first. And Suzanne is startled by the strong physical attraction she feels for a handsome stranger, but will she lose everything by giving in to her passion?
Throw in a dose of international intrigue and a dash of theft,
then top it off with a Tahitian full moon.
Will all three be on the flight home?
This is the second book of the series,
"The Women of Lakeshore Drive."
Each book stands alone as a complete story while the series follows three baby boomers over a progression of time.
Sheryl's Bio:
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Thanks for sharing Sheryl!
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