#WIPpet Wednesday - Tabula Rasa (Fuddy-Duddy) #amwriting #lgbtqia

WIPpet numbers for 23rd August, 2017:

23-8=15 sentences
from Tabula Rasa

WIPpet Context:
Another snippet from Tabula Rasa (Gray Fisher #2). I missed last week because I’m so overwhelmed by work just now I don’t know if I’m coming or going! Along with that, it was my birthday on Sunday—I actually took the day off!—and tomorrow is my eldest’s birthday (24…where does the time go?) All of that means I haven’t written a whole lot more of this story since the last time I posted. :/

This novel follows on from The WAG and The Scoundrel, featuring two former undercover police officers, Gray Fisher and Rob Simpson-Stone. Their investigations relate to white-collar crimes (fraud, embezzlement, etc.), and there are also romantic relationship story arcs (however, not between Gray—who is gay, and Rob—who is straight).

This snippet follows on directly from the previous snippets—Rob has left the police and is on his way to his leaving do. This is the last section of Rob’s first chapter (some Gray next time). :)

* * * * *

But first, this leaving do he’d said he didn’t want. A sit-down meal and a club to themselves was not Rob’s first choice for a decent night out—but that he’d been given a choice at all. A couple of pints and a curry, he’d have been happy, and he’d planned an early exit strategy, which was pretty pointless now he was expected elsewhere.

What it is to be popular. Except popularity didn’t come into it. True, Rob wasn’t short of mates, some of them amongst his colleagues—or former colleagues—and his army mates, of course, but there was always a performance to getting together—who could drink the most, stay conscious the longest, come up with the best bullshit for how perfectly bloody wonderful their life was. Most of them were single and made out it was their choice to be so, or saw nothing wrong with acting as if they were. What happens on a night out…

Rob wasn’t a fuddy-duddy, however much Travis—Zoë’s new husband—made him feel like he was old enough for the hill to be a distant blur in his rear-view mirror. Difficult as it had been for Rob to accept it, Travis was good for Zoë and Lucas. The guy seemed to have endless energy and time to burn it off on family outings—a luxury Rob’s work had never afforded, or, at least, one he had never permitted himself to take. Nonetheless, if he heard ‘we went there with Travis, didn’t we, Mum?’ one more time…well, he’d grin and bear it, for Lu’s sake, just as he’d done every time before.

Finally, Rob made it through the junction and put his foot down. A few hours of socialising, a good night’s kip, then he could forget about posturing mates and Stepdad of the Year in favour of a few nights out with his old mates and a few nights in watching telly with his mum. And maybe, if he could be arsed, he’d catch up with Jock and the others when he got back.

* * * * *

What is WIPpet Wednesday?

WIPpet Wednesday is a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress - expertly organised/hosted by Emily Wrayburn - and the excerpt has to relate to the date in some way. For links to other fabulous authors' WIPpets, visit: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=355404


Thanks for reading
Deb x