Charity Shane' Presents Candid Moments - Fate? Or Something Else... A Delightful Love Story Valentine!

 My heart will heal because I love myself more than I ever loved him.

Even though I have my own studio, Candid Moments, and a very successful career, Corey only sees my photography as a hobby. That’s an argument I curve every time.

“Make sure she looks good.” ​“Are you assuming that I wouldn’t do that naturally?” I ask with my lips pursed. ​While shaking his head, he says, “Nah. You got this. Like I said, worth every penny.” ​“Every,” I utter as he walks off. ​When my light’s adjusted, we begin. Halani is a natural and the shoot is a breeze. It takes longer than expected because the journalist kept interrupting. So, it’s after four when I leave my studio. I race home and storm inside of my bathroom as soon as I enter my condo. I’m too excited for this date with Denim. If I wasn’t in my late twenties, I would describe my entire mood as giddy, like a teenager. ​Honestly, I don’t care what we do or where we head tonight. I’m just elated to see him again. Although Denim and I were forced together because of two selfish cheating pieces--the resulting  connection is organic, honest, and electrifying. He has single handedly restored my faith in men. He is proof positive that real ones do exist and they know how to properly treat a woman. After switching his flight to my airline, he upgraded my ticket to first class and we flew comfortably together back to Crescent Falls. When he escorted me to my door and wrapped his muscular arms around me, I wanted to beg him to come in. I had no desire for him to go. My body instinctively molds to his and I’m already addicted to his mouth and hands. Unadulterated chemistry and attraction are rare and when they are with a sexy, educated, and solicitous, fine ass, Black man, it’s practically a miracle. I’m lucky because that miracle happened to me. While in my shower, I take a mental tour of my closet and decide on my chocolate denim skirt set and brown, distressed, over-the-knee, heeled boots. By the time he rings my bell, my skin is thoroughly hydrated with my Brown Sugar Bae Rich Aunty body oil, my hair is bone straight and luxurious, and I’m dressed, looking sexy as hell. As soon as I open the door, a smile spreads across my face. His chocolate skin and the color burgundy are a match made in melanin heaven. He looks sexy as hell in a burgundy and black turtleneck, burgundy jeans with specks of black, and burgundy Air Force ones. His single platinum chain and watch only accentuate his handsome look. Without saying a word, he steps to me, wraps his arms around me, then kisses me like it’s our first kiss. The moment he releases my mouth, I moan. Damn. “You look amazing,” his baritone sings and I blush. “So do you. Where are we going this evening? I would hate to waste all of this sexiness standing in my doorway.” “Our first destination is a surprise but the last one is your choice. Just know, at that location... His words flow through my ears, travel down my body, then land in the very spot he’s promising to place his head. This man! “Then that better be right here at your place,” I say. “Again, lady’s choice.” His hand swipes across my ass then he grabs it before releasing me from his hold. “Let’s go. We have a reservation.” We leave my place, take the elevators downstairs, then get into his ride. During the entire ride, his right hand rests on my thigh and I practically drool over his sexy side profile. Although he is close-lipped about our first location, I start to get a clue when he hops on the Parkway. However, when he takes the Garden Street exit, butterflies fill my stomach, pun intended. We are going to the Butterfly Garden.

He listens. “Denim! My favorite spot,” I gush when he pulls up to valet. “I promised this would be our first date.” “You are going to love it here.” Excitedly, I practically jump out when the valet opens my door. Denim meets me and we walk up to the main entrance. The Butterfly Garden is a beautiful, indoor, dome-shaped glass structure that houses an array of butterflies, flowers, and plants. Patrons are free to tour and explore the garden year-round. The back entrance of the garden has a stoned path that leads to the Bella House, a historical home converted to an event space and upscale restaurant. There’s a huge iron butterfly, colored by beautiful flowers at the entrance of the garden and wrought iron benches with butterfly shaped backs are stationed throughout the garden for patrons to sit and enjoy nature in its glorious state. Even during the winter months, the garden is vibrant and full of color. As soon as we enter, I walk him over to the digital display board. The curators constantly update it with the current species inhabiting the garden. A black butterfly with yellow and blue on the tip of his wings fills the screen followed by its name, Mourning Cloak. According to the screen, it’s one of the few butterflies that spends their winters as adults. “I’ve never seen a black butterfly,” he utters. “You will tonight,” I say, beaming. I really love this garden. Butterflies are so amazing and the species and variations of them provide an almost unlimited supply of beauty. The second butterfly appears on the screen and this one is just as colorful. It’s golden and black, resembling a bee. Just like the Mourning Cloak, this Angel-Wings also spends its winter as an adult. When the screen changes again and it’s back to Mourning Cloak, we walk through the garden. A few times, I catch the awe in his hazel eyes as he marvels at the pretty creatures fluttering around the garden. At the back entrance, we check in at the hostess stand then walk across the path of sea glass stepping stones. Each stepping stone has a unique butterfly design. This date is already perfect and we haven’t even sat down for dinner. The restaurant has three dining rooms and he has reserved a table in the Metamorphosis. It’s the butterfly-themed room. One thousand species of butterflies have been hand painted on the walls and ceiling. It’s truly amazing. I only have one regret and that’s leaving my camera at home. The moment we are seated, a sommelier approaches the table with wine glasses and a bottle of the Metamorphosis Room house selection, Butterfly Effect Blend. As he explains the wine and pours our samples, two waitresses and what looks like a chef approaches. We both taste the wine and agree to a glass. After the sommelier pours the wine, the chef and waitresses approach. “Good Evening, Dr. Morris. I’m Chef Roland Piqueen. I will be preparing the tasting menu for your enjoyment tonight,” he says and I’m impressed. Denim pulled out all of the stops. He clearly put a lot of thought into this date. “First up is this delicious artichoke soup with winter truffles and tiny brioche crisps on top. Bon Appetit.” The chef walks off and the two servers place the small soup bowls in front of us. They also tip over our other glasses on the table and fill them with ice water. It appears we each have a waitress. The moment they walk off, I grab his hand. Truly appreciative, I squeeze it, then express my sincerest gratitude. ​“Denim, this is absolutely…everything. Thank you. Listening to me when I speak and following through with what you said means a lot. This night is beautiful.” ​“Not as beautiful as you,” he says before raising our intertwined hands and kissing the back of mine. “I’m just glad that you like this.” ​“I love it and the chef and his tasting menu is…hell, chef’s kiss,” I say and we both laugh. ​“But hey, sorry,” he says and my eyebrows furrow. Nothing about tonight warrants an apology. “Sorry for what?” I ask. “Not telling you to get your camera. I’ll remind you next time.” ​The fact that he even thought about my camera widens the smile on my face. He acknowledges and shows interest in my passion. How can I not adore this man already? ​“I can live in the moment with you tonight. No camera needed,” I admit.

~~~~

The plot is not unusual, but the characters involved are... Two couples who have been involved for months are attending a reunion. Corey is the graduate while Jamila is his guest...  Readers will begin to form their own opinions about these two being involved shortly after starting to read...

The second couple is Maddox and Denim, who have been together for 12 months...Maddox is the coordinator for the reunion and readers will quickly begin to wonder whether she brought Denim along for his muscle--only... Ok, it doesn't take long, to have the plot entirely switch... Because Maddox and Corey are caught by the other two in a private room almost immediately... Like, they couldn't even wait? Duh!

Now I can also share that Jamila had already kinda met Denim as they were passing each other and Denim was certainly worth of being eye candy for her to follow a few seconds... If you know what I mean...

A smile creeps across her face then she shakes her head. “For your momma and because I’m pretty pathetic and homeless right now in this shitty ass town, I will but can I see your license?” “My license?” “Yes, please,” she insists with her hand held out.   “My name is Denim.” “Okay. Your license please, Denim.” After pulling my wallet from my pocket, I produce my driver’s license and place it in her awaiting hand. She examines it. “Crescent Falls? I definitely know where this is and so do my Manor cousins,” she says, smirking. The Manor neighborhood is notorious in Crescent Falls. She knows my town. “Are you from Crescent Falls?” I ask. “Born and raised in The Manor but currently reside in The Millennium,” she says proudly. CFers will represent and I love that about us. “I’m Jamila, by the way.” “Nice to meet you, Jamila. You good now?” She presses her phone dramatically, then looks up to me. “License sent. Now, I’m good. And for the record, I do have a taser and mace.” “Calm down, killer. You won’t have to use either on me. Scouts’ honor, I am a gentleman and I’m my momma’s son.” While eyeing me suspiciously, she asks, “Were you even a boy scout?” After pressing the up button on the elevator, I mumble, “Hell no.”

We don't really know if it was an actual switch of partners... What we do know is that once Jamila and Denim caught the other two, they promptly concluded their connections... Both planned to immediately go back home. But a snow storm interfered. And a shortage of rooms resulted in Jamila having to accept Denim's invitation to share the small suite which included a couch, bed, and kitchenet... Soon, however, you will discover the Jamila you will soon get to know, when she immediately asks to see Denim's license--proof of identify! LOL Hey, She'd been dating Corey for 18 months and only that day learned that Corey was a nickname and not his full name! Caution? Thy name is now Jamila... and she was not in the mood to be fooled again!

The thing is, Denim is just the opposite of Corey in all ways that were important to Jamila. If you begin to feel like Jamila has just met Prince Charming, you just might be right... For this certainly appears to become a "happily-ever-after" merger being negotiated, of course, starting that first night of betrayal that both of them had suffered through together...

His hand grazes the side of my face then lands under my chin. After lifting my head, he locks his mesmerizing eyes with mine. The lust and desire in his eyes match mine because I want this. I want him. “What else are you ready for?” he utters in a deep, sexy timbre. “You,” I admit honestly.

This story is short, sweet, and sexy... The POV moves between Jamila and Denim, so you learn what each is thinking as we read...

Fate or some other fxxxed up thing brought us together and I don’t know why but I do know I’m glad it did. She’s unlike any woman I’ve been with, definitely a stark contrast to Maddox. Even when I invested in her business, Maddox wasn’t as passionate about it as Jamila is about her photos. Her eyes don’t sparkle with excitement like Jamila’s.

BTW, no music was involved in this book, so all videos are of my choice and my memory of songs that seemed appropriate to the storyline... Yeah, oldies but goodies, don't you think? Both Denim and Jamila seemed to know immediately that they had wasted months with somebody else, but, fate seemed to have brought the right match for each... exactly at the right time....

GABixlerReviews

 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Charity Shane' Presents A Novel Christmas - Loved the "Second Time Around" Theme - And Playlist

 

Because Santa Claus is so small, the Warriors consist of players from here and from three neighboring towns: Mariah Hill, Lincoln City, and Buffaloville. Because they are rivals in high school, it’s important to always bring them together as a team on this field. A divisive team never truly wins.

“Find some Christmas cheer, play Boyz II Men’s ‘Let it Snow’ on repeat, and write the book,” I tell her. What other options do I have? Frustrated, I add, “I need to call my ride. I’m headed back to the airport.”

 

“I don’t know why I’m here, love. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to run and ended up here,” I admit, then sigh. Mya and I were always one hundred with each other. So, I’m not going to start lying now. “That’s not true,” I retract. “I ended up here because I didn’t dream about you last night, and that shit freaked me out. I never want to stop thinking about us or what we had. “I miss you—a lot. I’m not supposed to live without you, but I’m trying. It’s hard, though. I still can’t spend too much time in the house. Again, I am trying. I try every day to do what you wanted: live, be happy, and find love again,” I say, repeating her final wish for me. She told me those words daily. “The last part is the hardest,” I admit. “It threatens what we had, and I don’t like that. How can I find something that I gave all to you?” The sound of a lawn mower interrupts my words. I glance around and see two groundskeepers on riding mowers. One approaches me, riding in the row in front of me. He kills the engine. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t see you. I can come back later,” he apologizes. “You’re good. I’m heading out,” I tell him because I’ll return on Christmas Day and bring tulips. “See you on Friday, love,” I say to Mya, then nod at the groundsman.

My head tilts down, and her face lifts up. Our eyes meet. I think I’m losing my mind because everything in me wants to kiss her. I mean, I really want to possess her lips with mine, and this pull is definitely a first. I haven’t felt this strong of a pull to any woman since my wife. “My bad,” I utter, then drop my hands. “You don’t have to,” she starts, but she suddenly stops, then turns around. She steps back to the chair and grabs a bag of marshmallows. “So, how do I do this?” she asks. Crystal stands, then steps closer to Saira. She grabs two sticks. “The only thing that goes on the fire are the marshmallows,” she begins. “You got to get it good and hot.” “And melty,” Devyn adds. She stands too, and the three women work together to make the s’mores. “Baby, I’m about to go get me a drink,” Keith yells out. “You want something?” “If there’s some more hot chocolate in the carafe, then a cup of that with my Kahlua. It’s in the refrigerator,” Devyn replies as she places two large marshmallows on a stick. “That sounds good and warming. Can you get me one of those too?” Saira says. “Me three,” Crystal adds. “Aye. Y’all Negroes come with me. I ain’t got that many damn hands,” Keith huffs. I definitely need a damn drink. I’m all off of my square around Saira. I’m doing stuff that I usually don’t do. I was all up in her space, uninvited, rubbing her arms. What the fxxx! “Let’s go,” I say, then start trekking to the cabin. I need to put some distance between us so that I can clear my mind. Halfway to the cabin, I realize that I’m walking solo. “Damn, Negro!” Keith yells. “Slow the fxxx down,” he says. In my haste to get away from Saira, I’m power walking, and Keith and Mike are steps behind me. So, I stop and wait for them to catch up. “You good, man?” he asks. “Yeah.” “You sure? The way you just took off without us, ion think so,” he says seriously. “Miami got you shook?” he asks. “A little,” I sigh. “Shit! I don’t know. I’m not supposed to be,” I start, then stop. While shaking my head, my mind drifts to Mya. A heavy wave of guilt rushes my entire body. “I’m drawn to her, and I don’t know what to do,” I admit out loud. “What the hell you mean? Shoot your shot, Negro,” he barks, and my eyebrows furrow. I sigh again. Picking up on my hesitation, he takes a step back, then says, “Oh. Right. My bad. This is different. She’s different. You’re really feeling her?” “I am.” “Then the same advice applies, man. It’s time, and it’s okay,” he says. I met Keith right after Mya died. When I finally joined the SCFD, he was the first person I talked to at the firehouse. He was adjusting to the small town, and I was adjusting to my new life without her. We bonded quickly, and he was a good friend on those hard days when I needed one. “Coach, she’s feeling you. We can all see that,” Mike adds. “Man, Ray Charles can see that shit.” Keith slaps my back. “Don’t overthink it,” he adds. “Bet. You’re right,” I say. “I always am,” he jibes. “Now, can we go get my Yak and kill this girl talk?” 

We start back to the cabin. When we enter, Mike heads to the bathroom, and Keith and I stay in the kitchen. After washing our hands, he checks on the hot chocolate, and I grab the Kahlua and my bottle of 1942 out of the fridge. Mike starts talking as soon as he walks into the kitchen. “Crystal just texted. She said to bring the whole bottle of Kahlua.” I slide the bottle over to him, then search the cabinets for cups. I find the to-go coffee cups with lids and grab the pack. “Is there any hot chocolate in the carafe?” I ask Keith. “It’s half full,” he answers. “You might as well grab it too,” I suggest. “Bet.” With our arms full, we trek back to the fire. The ladies are sitting in the chairs, which are now closer to the fire. I rejoin Saira. Keith hands Devyn the carafe, and I open the pack of cups and distribute them. When I pour my Don Julio into my cup, Saira holds her cup in front of me. “Can I have a splash, please? I think I want that in my hot chocolate instead.” I put the spout over her cup. “Tell me when,” I say, then start to slowly pour it. She taps her cup on the bottle. “That’s enough,” she utters, and I raise my bottle upright. After closing it, I put the bottle on the ground next to our chair. Then I reach for her cup, and she hands it to me. I pass it to Crystal, and she fills it with hot chocolate. As soon as it’s back in Saira’s hands, she sips it and smiles. “You got enough tequila?” I ask her. She nods her head as she sips in response. My eyes travel the length of her, admiring all that is her again. That’s when I notice that the ingredients for the s’mores are gone. Even though I didn’t want any, I ask teasingly, “Where’s my s’more?” She stops drinking from her cup, but her lips stay glued to the rim of it. With raised eyebrows, she utters, “I didn’t know you wanted some. After making one, we gave the rest of the stuff to them.” She tips her head over to the others around the other fire. “Did you like it at least?” After placing her cup on the arm of the chair, she responds. “It was okay.” All the excitement that she had when we got the ingredients has faded. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it,” she shrugs. Her beautiful eyes drift up to my face. “Did you really want one?” “No. I’m good,” I say, and her face quickly relaxes. Then her lip does the little curl thing. Damn, she’s so pretty.

~~~~

Folks, it's been a long time since I got excited about a purely romance story... I don't know why this one did it for me. Perhaps that, from my older age, I've noticed that our black neighbors are deeply involved within their own community. I've always assumed is was because of the racism that so many have voiced against them by my race... But this story revealed a depth of love between man and woman which I've not seen before. You're right, I'm not a fan of romance books... I need a mystery or a problem to solve in most books to keep me happy. But...I have to say, the characters in this book were so finely drawn, that I was pulled into the story just because of each of those characters!

It was kinda interesting, too, that the title, A Novel Christmas was a perfect choice for the plotline... You see, the main character, Saira, is an author who has received a "slight" warning from her publishing company that they'd like to see her write books geared to the holidays as well as what she was writing. Saira had purposely avoided that for her own reasons, but her agent made it quite clear that there was no longer a choice... She was to write a Christmas story--or else!

Saira was not happy, but if she had to do it, she figured she better find some way to actually get into the holiday spirit... She realized she needed atmosphere to do that... So she started searching for towns that naturally emphasized Christmas and found a small town called Santa Claus! Checked out possible accommodations and without any further delay, was on her way...

The only concern she had about the town was whether or not there were any black people living there. If not, she wasn't sure how to get past that to get to know the town... But that turned out not to be a problem since a young sista caught her attention and immediately headed for her as she arrived... And

immediately bought what she was selling for the local Fire Department... A Christmas calendar... And the cover--and Mr. December was... a gorgeous man... so immediately, I had an image... based upon what I'd read so far... Shemar is known for many TV shows, but this picture showed the kind of serious man who you will meet. He is a widower whose wife had died from cancer 3 years ago... He had been devastated, but had been coaxed into becoming a voluntary fireman and had begun to come out of the shell he had placed around himself...

Saire was to be the first woman for whom Dorian has developed an interest... and he was having a difficult time, often finding himself feeling guilty for these new feelings...

The book goes back and forth for first person between Dorian and Saire... Readers will experience both the excitement...and the frustration... of each of them as they don't know how to relate to each other... Saire only has a week to be in town... Yet, the pull toward each other forces intimacy, simply because it turned out that Saire had rented a side of a duplex...from... yes... Dorian! 

Readers will enjoy the fun Saire displays as snow comes to town... Saire had never seen snow that accumulated in inches! So she was gung-ho to build snowmen, make snow angels...and all the things that come with winter weather... But she quickly learned that her body had become attuned to Florida's temperature where she lived, and was freezing most of the time... The fireman knew that when she brought lighter fluid to use on her fireplace, he would have to be watching her and teaching her a lot of stuff just to make sure she didn't burn the duplex down. LOL!

So was this to be love at first sight? NOT! Saire had been burnt before and still not over how she had been treated. She was not willing to fall in love and have her heart broken again... Dorian was still taking flowers to his wife's grave weekly, to spend time with her, telling her about his life now--by the way, he'd become a coach as well! What is that old saying? The heart's going to do what the heart wants to do... And they soon became a couple attending all the festivities happening in a town call Santa Claus as Christmas drew near... And there was really no way they could ignore how both were feeling...

“Then amuse me, beautiful. If I was in your book, how would you write me?” he challenges. He may be the athlete, but I’m competitive as well. So, when challenged, I gladly accept. I sip my hot chocolate, then lean back in the booth. My eyes inspect him again as I gather my thoughts. When my words come together, I begin. 

“Sitting in this diner, I can barely finish my drink because I’m mesmerized by him, all of him.  His deep amber eyes and flawless ebony skin captured my attention first. His manly, sexy, spicy essence trapped me next. However, his chiseled chin and beautiful smile took me over the top. He’s sexy, handsome, and fine. How can I forget the chiseled arms and strong, muscular legs that are all apparent even though he’s fully dressed? I can’t. I won’t. He’s etched in my brain, scribbled in my thoughts, and imprinted on my soul. He’s a landlord, coach, firefighter, and to me, a hero. He kept me from setting myself on fire, and he rescued me from the brink of death at the hands of deadly creatures. He’s everything, but if I must simplify him, I can just call him . . . Dorian.” 

“Damn,” he utters. 

While smiling and internally patting myself on the back, my mind temporarily drifts to Marle, my publisher. Forget her! I still got it!

~

But soon it was time for Saire to leave and write the book she was committed to before the publisher's deadline... Time...went...on... But, the ending allowed me to add this to my, last, perhaps, 2025 Personal Favorite!

GABixlerReviews

With a personal Christmas Thanks to Charity Shane' for her Lovely Story...

from Gabby...