Tuesday, April 29, 2014

PitchSlam #8: My Favorite Mistake, NA Cont Romance

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Title: MY FAVORITE MISTAKE
Word Count: 94,000

Song: My Favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow

Pitch:  Katie won’t lose herself in someone again. However, her head and heart disagree about Will. As graduation nears, she must decide: take a risk on a reformed player or play it safe and leave him.

First 250: 
The problem with losing yourself in someone else is forgetting who you are and making dumb decisions to please them. Dumb decisions like agreeing to marry them. Or switching schools for your last year of college. Or swapping your friends and family for cows and farmland.


It’s dumb decisions like those that leave me fighting back tears and pretending everything is okay two days before classes start.

“Shit! Sorry!” Calloused hands prevent me from crashing to the floor and help me to my feet.

“No worries, sweetheart,” the owner of those hands says, flashing stained teeth. “That step cost me my keys many a time before. Granted, I’m usually half a fifth to the good when I do.” He chuckles, and it brings a twinkle to his eyes.

“Keys?” His explanation makes no sense. I glance at the step in the question, gritting my teeth against the tears. How embarrassing; just a single step up to the hallway where the restrooms are located. There’s no reason to miss it on my way back to the booth. No reason except the trio of co-eds now hovering around the pool table in the adjoining room.

“Built-in sobriety test.” The old man laughs again, hooking a thumb to a framed sign on the wall that reads: Miss the step, miss your keys. “Best hope Barb didn’t see you.” With another short chuckle, he drops his hand from my elbow, takes an exaggerated step up the lone stair, and weaves down the hall, whistling.

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