Author Jo-Anne Kenrick has been sharing some snippets from
Coming Together with Curves over at her blog. She was kind enough to say this
about my story, Six Lengths of Red Hemp, “There's no getting away from how deeply engaging this
story is; every knot, every wrap... we feel it all thanks to Ms Hunter's rich
descriptions.”
But whilst bigging up everyone else’s stories, she skipped
over her own. So I’m going to redress this and tell you all about Bella Buxom,
Just Squeeze Me.
The leading lady in this story is talented, sexy, confident
and vivacious. And a bit of a bitch. Charlie is smitten with Bella Buxom, the
sassy star of a burlesque show, and fantasises about her as he goes back home to his lonely flat. Her stage world of glitz and glamour contrasts sharply with
his mundane life at home and work. But one day, their paths meet. She teases him,
belittles him, lies to him and uses him. And when they end up in bed, she’s
just as bossy and demanding. He knows he should refuse to be treated that way,
but he just can’t help himself. She’s irresistible. As her ex says, “She’ll
drive any man to madness.”
I love the way that Bella is a complex character, sometimes
nice, sometimes nasty, sometimes confident, sometimes vulnerable. She’s not
some stereotypical woman hiding her secret pain beneath a bubbly exterior. She
shows that women, fat or skinny, cannot be pigeonholed into convenient little
categories. And she’s damn hot.
Here's what happens when they first meet outside the club:
"You lost?" She appears shaken, eyes wide behind a
thin veil of curls fallen free from her hairdo, watchful.
Crap, I scared her. Better put her mind at ease, let her
know I'm no Jack the Ripper ASAP. I wave and say, "Hi, Bella, you probably
get this all the time but—
"Yes, I do. So save yourself the rejection, pet,
and leave me alone, there's a good boy." She flicks her hand at me,
shooing me away. The simple gesture
stings, serves as a slap across my face.
"A man has to try." I get it, I'm just some dude
who gawks at her on a daily basis. I didn't expect her to fall in love with me.
Nah, that was more hope than expectation. I shrug, the ache in me thrice as bad
as it usually is post-Bella. Back to Red Shoe Diaries and my stir-fry.
"Wait, I know you." She peers over her shoulder
then back to me. "You always sit up front, have a look of a puppy dog
wanting a treat. You're adorable when you pant. Puppy, wanna take me for a drink?"
I want to cling to her offering of a sliver of hope, but
remind myself she's a tease artist. I grit my teeth to stop a love confessional
from spilling and force myself to say, "No, forget it, I can see you don't
wanna be bothered."
"Oh,
puppy, don't be grumpy."
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