#WIPpet Wednesday - The WAG and The Scoundrel (snippet 5) #amwriting
So, it's the 18th August (I'm a day late :/): 8+18=26 sentences of my work in progress, The WAG and The Scoundrel, which is a white-collar crime mystery (ish) / romance (ish) (LGBTQ). It's the first book in the Gray Fisher Series, which is a spinoff of Hiding Behind The Couch. It's scheduled for an October release. It's written! Hurrah! I'm currently working through it - as is my no.1 beta-reader (Nige) to make sure it's fit for my editor. This will likely be the last snippet from this WIP.
In the scene below, Gray and Will are having dinner and talking about Jean-Michel - Gray's deceased civil partner.
Here's the WIPpet:
"Very French," Will said.
"Close. He was Belgian, but he was very French in his diet, and his love of wine...in everything, really. Although he hated reading, whatever the language. He'd ask me to read to him, and I'd be coming to a good part and notice him watching me and smiling. I'd look at him and say, 'What?' and he'd shake his head and motion for me to continue. Or he'd stop me and ask me to re-read something that he found amusing or sad." Gray felt his eyes filling but pushed on. "And then he'd cry and tick me off for being cruel and telling him sad stories." He tried to blink away the tears, laughing to cover his loss of composure.
Will offered a kind, sympathetic smile, although tonight wasn't supposed to be about Gray, and he tried his hardest to thwart his sudden tearfulness.
"How long were you together?" Will asked.
"Three years. It's crazy. He's been gone longer than that, and I feel it, stretching into eternity. The days are all the same - get up, realise he's gone... I still miss him so much." Gray held Will's gaze, needing him to understand why he was so resistant to the idea of a relationship. He didn't just miss Jean; he missed having someone who knew him, knew all his faults and loved him anyway.
He was under no illusion that Will could be such a man. Gray didn't buy into hopes and dreams - he'd seen far too much of the other side of human nature, the cheaters, the liars, the fraudsters - but Will was like a breath of fresh air. Of course, Gray knew the intricate details of Will's animal rights activism, but in all other respects, he was a gentle, law-abiding citizen. A handsome one at that, although Gray imagined he didn't look an especially good catch himself right at that moment. He was exhausted, and miserable, and he needed a haircut, and to get a grip.
"I'm sorry. I didn't come all this way to burden you with my grief."
Thanks for reading!
Deb x
I get the feeling Gray probably isn't a burden to Will, even if he thinks he is. Gah, reading about dead partners--even if they're not really in the story--always gets to me. Poor Gray.
ReplyDeleteIn context, Gray is offloading more than he probably should, but Will's a cool dude. He wouldn't see him as a burden. Dead partners are so hard to read about (and write).
DeleteThe connection here between them (and how very clearly they are not trying to admit it in the face of this continued mourning...)
ReplyDeleteVery nicely played out.
Thanks, Eden. :)
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