Prologue

(Note: I had been calling this book "Amnesia", but the title doesn't fit and so this novel is currently untitled. However, it should be the only book I post for now, so I will just title things as they are. i.e. "Prologue", "Chapter 1", etc. And if I post something other than my novel (a song, poem, short story, etc.), it should have a title. Just making that clear to cut back on confusion. For anyone who reads my blog "Shine" I decided to write the 1st story idea that I'd mentioned on there and this is the prologue to that novel. It's all I have written, except for a little bit of the first chapter. The prologue is unedited, btw. I would LOVE feedback. Warning though...it's kinda...pathetic in the sense that...I am writing a romance. :P So...thoughts on the balance of that would be invaluable. Danke. :P)

And, the last thing before getting to the prologue...here are pictures of my characters. :) (All image credit goes to Getty Images.)

Margaret Evangeline White (Or Maggie)

Reed Matthew Warren

Prologue 

             Maggie glided down the sidewalk, gripping her steaming pumpkin latte and smiling at everyone she passed as if they were each her best friend in the world.

            The crisp, autumn air snatched at her chin length, golden brown hair and  whipped it back along with her silver hoop earrings.

            “Not too shabby,” she whispered as she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of a window shop display. And she almost had the right, too. At eighteen years old she was already in her second year of Music College and steadily making her way to the top of her class. Everything had been almost perfect, but just a few minutes before, life had shifted into completely perfect when she’d gotten the call that the job at the studio was hers. Now she would have the chance to meet the right people and that meant that her dream of singing stardom was finally possible.

            But then, the smile on her face faded as her memory locked onto the conversation she’d had with her mom that morning as they ate breakfast in the kitchen together.

            “Dave called for you again,” her mom said.

            “Yeah, I know.”

            “Why don’t you call him back?”

            Maggie shrugged as she pored a stream of milk into her bowl of granola.

            “Did he ask to date you?”

            “Mom, every guy in the neighborhood has asked to date me.”

            Her mother shook her head. “Honey, I know that your career is important to you, but if you wait for too long to get into a relationship, it’s going to be too late.”

            “Oh, come on, Belle.” Maggie’s father chuckled as he shuffled into the kitchen and went to the fridge, sporting his bathrobe and slippers. “She’s only eighteen. Give her some time.”

            “Do you know where you’d be right now if I took that advice at her age, Jim?”

            Maggie couldn’t help grinning as she watched Belle throw her arms around her husband’s neck and give him a kiss.

            “No, where?” He said, one arm around his wife’s waste and the other reaching into the fridge for a yogurt.

            “Certainly not with me!” Belle laughed, pulling herself free from his grasp and walking back to where Maggie sat at the bar, swallowing a mouthful of cereal.

            “Mom, I’m different, okay? Marriage is fine for you, but I want to make something of myself.”

            Belle flinched at the ignorantly heartless statement. “I’m just saying that if you ever intend to get married, you need to let yourself be more open to the idea now rather than later. You’re a pretty girl and everyone knows it. But, you’re more than that and I’m afraid that if the right guy came along now, you’d miss him.

            “Well, maybe I don’t intend to ever get married.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

            Reed’s eyes lit up as she he saw her come out of the coffee shop. “That’s her, Billy!” He said, smacking his buddy on the back, sending Billy’s mouthful of orange juice spewing on the sidewalk.

            “Reed! What the heck are doing, man?” Billy asked, shaking the liquid off of his hands. “Look at me! I’ve got a job interview in less than an hour. What is wrong with you?”

            Reed didn’t seem to take any notice of his friend’s distress, but kept his gaze glued to the girl who pranced down the opposite sidewalk like Windy from the old 60’s song. 

            “Reed?” Billy looked up and rolled his eyes when he saw Reed’s expression.

            “That’s her, Billy.” He repeated, dreamily.

            “Dude, if you like her that much, why don’t you talk to her?”

            Reed shook his head. “She’d never talk to me.”

            “What makes you so sure? Every other girl in your class will.”

            “Yeah, but those girls are different.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “They’re all alike. They’ll flirt with anyone who might take their disgusting bait.”

            “What makes you think she is different?”

            “I kinda, well…I mean….I kinda looked her up.”

            “What, you mean you stalked her?” Billy laughed.

            “No, I just went on her facebook.”

            “How? You don’t have a facebook.”

            “I do now.”

            “What?”

            Reed watched as the girl stopped and looked at a window display. “I’ve gotta talk to her, man.”

            “Dagum! What a brilliant idea!” Billy shook his head. “Want me to come with you?”

            Reed straightened to his full height of 6’ 2” and shook his head. “Nope, I’ve got this.”

           

~.~.~.~.~.~.

            “Well of course she yelled at you, Reed!” Billy shouted over the phone at his distraught friend. “What did you expect?”

            “I don’t know! You’re the one who told me to go talk to her!”

            “Yeah, I said talk to her! Not dump a cup of ice water on her! Good grief, man. I don’t know what you were thinking!”

            “Well, I couldn’t just walk up and talk to her. I had to get things started somehow!”

            “Dude, seriously? There are way better ways to get to talk to a girl.”

            Reed sat back and sighed. “I’ve never tried to talk to one.”

            “What, you’re saying that you’re nineteen years old and you’ve never tried talking to a woman?”

            “I don’t play that game, Billy. It shouldn’t be like that. This is something to be taken seriously and…”

            “Okay, look. It’s late. I’m exhausted. I wish I could help you out, but-“

            “Wait, just tell me what to do tomorrow.”

            “Well, you could start by apologizing.”

            “You’re right.” Reed let out a drawn out sigh and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Billy.”

            “Not to me, you egghead! To her!”

            “Oh…right.”

~.~.~.~.~.~

            “Is Margaret White here?” Reed fiddled with the top button of his shirt as he asked the receptionist at the recording studio.

            Before the girl had a chance to answer, Maggie walked around the corner, holding an armful of paperwork. She shot one glance towards Reed, then turned to dash out of the room, but he called after her.

            “Wait! Please.”

            She stopped and turned around.

            “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

            Maggie puckered her lips in amusement as she looked the character in front of her up and down. His hair was only half a shade darker than hers and cut neatly, though still long enough to swoop down to his eyes. His eyes were blue-grey and he was built more like a farmer than a city boy. He struck her as more of that type, too. And something about that annoyed her just enough to make him intriguing.

            “I guess.” She sat the stack of papers down and walked out from behind the desk.

            She went and sat down on a couch in the lobby and looked up at him. He hadn’t taken a single step, but just stood there with his hands buried in his pockets as he watched her.

            She raised her eyebrows. “Care to sit down?”

            “Oh, uh…sure.”

            Maggie thought she caught a slight southern accent in his tone, but maybe that was just because he looked like he should have one.

            He sat down on the opposite end of the couch and looked past her, out the window.

            “Hey, I don’t mean to be rude.” Then she mumbled, “not that I don’t have a reason to be.” And speaking up again, “but I’m kind of in the middle of a few things, so…”

            “Oh, yeah.” Reed looked at her. “I just, well…I really just came to say I am sorry for yesterday. I wasn’t…I mean…I shouldn’t have…you see…”

            “I think I get it.”

            “No! It’s not like that.”

            “Like what?”

            “Uh, well…” Reed shifted. “Do you like dinner?”

            Maggie blinked and looked at him. “Excuse me?”

            Reed smacked himself mentally. This was not going the way he’d planned. He seemed like every shallow guy out there hunting for a toy when that was the last thing he was looking for. “Oh, nothing, really.” He stood up and looked down at her. “Just wanted to say I was sorry and hope there’s no hard feelings.”

            He turned and began to walk towards the door, but Maggie jumped up and said, “Hey!”

            He turned to see her look down at the floor. “Um, I-I do like dinner.”

~.~.~.~.~.~

            Belle sat in the living room a few nights later reading her Bible when Maggie stormed in and threw her keys on the coffee table. Her pink, knee length dress had a stain all the way down the front of the skirt.

            Her mother closed the Book and leaned forward, musing, “So…how was dinner?”

            “Mom!” Maggie shouted. “Reed Warren is the clumsiest, stupidest man in the entire world!”

“What happened, sweetie?” Belle suppressed a laugh. “Maybe you just need to get to know him better. I really like him. And so does your Dad.”

“But, he’s so, so…he just…I hope I never see that man again!”