The theme this week for Snippet Saturday is apologies. I’ve chosen an excerpt from The Bottom Line where Maggie’s friends apologize for the way they’ve treated her after a falling out about Connor, the lone male who hangs out with them.
The Bottom Line by Shelley Munro
Julia gestured for another bottle of wine, and Maggie hustled to serve both her and the new arrivals.
“How are you doing, Julia?” she asked in an undertone.
Julia shrugged. “Good days. Bad days. How about you?”
Obviously Julia wasn’t willing to talk specifics yet. “About the same as you. I don’t think I’m relationship material. Every one of them ends the same way, with me ending up alone. I think I’m doing okay, then things get mucked up and everything ends badly.” The words burst from Maggie, making her realize how badly she’d needed to talk.
Julia gave a sharp bark of laughter, one that held little humor. “You and me both. What say we give up on men and have a raging affair with each other?”
“Julia!” Christina said in clear shock. “Did you just proposition Maggie?”
“Why not?” Julia winked at her, but made sure Christina didn’t see. “We’re both off men, but like sex. I’m sure I could spank you, Maggie. Let’s talk.”
Susan started to splutter, while one of the young rugby players picked up on a pertinent word.
“Spanking?” he asked. “Which one of you is into spanking? There’s a great spanking blog that one of the other guys in my team put me on to. I thought it would be strange and kinky, but it’s really interesting.”
Susan blurted, “That’s Mag—”
“That’s great,” Maggie cut through Susan’s words, shouting loudly, and her friend clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes full of apology. “You sound very open-minded.” A pity he was too young for her.
In that moment, she knew she was going to meet up with her cyber lover. He pushed every one of her buttons and already knew she liked spanking.
“Where do you play rugby?” Christina asked, diverting the conversation.
Susan wasn’t so easily diverted, her speculative gaze going from Maggie to Julia and back. Maggie felt Susan’s gaze follow her down the bar while she served several beers and mixed drinks. It was another hour before things calmed down enough for her to check on her friends.
At least the initial stiffness had faded, although Maggie wasn’t fool enough to think their friendship would continue as if nothing had happened.
“Susan thinks we’re interested in each other. Connor would have a good laugh about that. He’s always said two chicks together are hot,” Julia said.
“Susan is gullible.” Maggie didn’t want to talk about Connor. She hadn’t seen him, not even at the gym. She hoped they didn’t mention she was working here. The last thing she wanted was to see him with his new blonde. She didn’t think she could cope with that. A sudden tight sensation behind her eyes told her she was far from over him.
Betrayal hurt—from both sides, which made her want to work to repair the rift with her friends.
“I’ve really missed you. I haven’t been going out much. Just work and Susan and Christina dragged me out tonight. I’m sorry I didn’t make more of an effort to see you,” Julia said in a low voice. “I really am sorry. You’re a good friend and you deserve better.”
“It’s okay,” Maggie murmured.
“It’s not, but thank you. Are you seeing anyone else?” Julia asked.
“Not really. Sort of,” she amended. Cripes, she was having regular cybersex.
“So, which is it?”
“I’ve been having some pretty torrid cybersex with someone I met through my blog.”
Julia’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Maggie moved away to serve some more customers, noting the crowd had thinned out. Some had left for home while others had moved to the adjoining restaurant.
When she returned to her friends, the rugby players had left. She gathered up the glasses, stacked them into the glass machine and switched it on.
“You can’t leave me hanging like that,” Julia said. “Spill.” She turned to the others and whispered, “Maggie’s having cybersex with some guy.”
“Maggie!” Susan said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so critical. What I meant is that cybersex could be dangerous.”
“I intend to be careful,” Maggie said.
“For goodness sake, tell Maggie cybersex is dangerous,” Susan said.
“Susan, you sound like my mother when she discovered I knew about the birds and the bees,” Julia said. “Maggie’s having safe sex. What’s wrong with that?”
“There are all sorts of weird people online,” Susan said. “You’re having sex with one? I don’t believe it. You don’t know anything about him. How do you even know it’s a him? It could be a woman.”
“Or a horny underage teenager,” Christina added.
Maggie thought about Kinky Lover’s posts. “No,” she said slowly. “I don’t think it’s an underage male. This man knows his way around a woman’s body. He knows what makes us tick.”
“He could be married,” Julia said.
“See,” Susan said with concern. “Even Julia agrees. There has to be something wrong with him if he has to have cybersex. What’s wrong with the real thing? Why can’t he go out and find a date like most men do? Aw, hell, I don’t mean to sound critical. It’s a safety issue.”
“It’s not always so easy to meet people,” Maggie retorted. “I know. Heck, Susan. You know too. That’s why you’ve applied to a reality show.”
Susan nodded with a wry smile. “Touché.”
“We got in,” Christina said, bouncing up and down on her barstool.
Maggie noticed a new arrival. “Hold that thought,” she ordered, moving down the bar to serve the elderly couple.
When she returned, the three were in deep conversation. Maggie used the time to remove some empty glasses and wipe down the bar. She chopped up a lemon and restocked the beer fridge.
“You can take a break now,” the head barman said.
“Is it okay if I sit with my friends while I’m on my break?”
“Sure. Don’t be late back.”
With a nod, she walked around the bar.
“Are you on a break?” Christina asked. “Or are you finished for the night?”
“I wish. My feet are sore from standing. No, it’s a break. I have another two hours for this shift.”
“Let’s sit over there at the table,” Susan said.
They moved over to the table, Maggie clearing it off and taking the glasses to the bar before she rejoined her friends.
Susan stood and hugged her. “I’m sorry I was such a bitch about Connor. I have no excuses, but I’ll try not to repeat it ever again,” she whispered fiercely.
Christina embraced her, too, a tight squeeze that said more than words. Maggie blinked rapidly to control the surge of emotion gripping her chest.
“Don’t look at me,” Julia said with a wink. “I don’t want to hug you and start spreading rumors about our hot lesbian affair.”
Purchase your copy of The Bottom Line from Samhain Publishing, Amazon Kindle or All Romance eBooks.
To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the trail below:
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Eliza Gayle
Mari Carr
Vivian Arend
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Shelley Munro
Shelli Stevens
TJ Michaels
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Ashley Ladd
