Now is the time to amaze us all with your New Year's Resolution prose or poem or prosetry! Did you all make a New Year's Resolution? Yes, No, Maybe. It's your character, or the focus of your poem, that we're interested in for this prompt. Did his/her New Year's Resolution get the hero/ine in trouble? Did it set them on a golden path? C'mon, tell us about it.
Check out the other entries at Romantic Friday Writers
Here's mine:
Burning Resolve by Madeleine Maddocks
I chew my lip and stare down at the hand set in my warm palm, willing it to beep or ring, as I sit on the edge of my bed. My bedside lamp gives a yellow glow across the darkened room. The lacy bedspread and curtains are comforting and cosy, but I’d rather be out, instead, with Duncan. Just the sight of him makes my insides quiver like a bouncy castle full of excitement. He said he’d phone. I recall his warm breath against my cheek as he asked me for my number and his warm eyes like soft fudge smiling at me when I sent him the text business card. So why is he taking so long?
I begin gnawing at my lip again, my heart is pattering like a wind-up toy and my stomach feels as though it’s all at sea. My thumb hovers over the buttons of my phone. No, I promised myself I wouldn’t be needy. It's my first ever New Year’s resolution. From now on I’ll never do the chasing ever again. I’m going to play it cool, play hard to get and this time make Duncan do the running. My heart can’t take another battering, not after James. What is it with people like James? That when you’re kind and considerate they see it as desperate and needy and take advantage.
I recently read that the person with the most power in a relationship is the one that has the least to lose. So I figure I’m going to take control, be the hard-hearted bitch if necessary, rather than get hurt again. If only I felt stronger and more determined. Instead the resolve churns about my insides like a virulent virus and I know the antidote would be to call him now, get it over with. But I mustn’t. I just can't give in. I must try. I’m worth the wait. I’m worth the wait, I chant.
I jump as the phone trills and vibrates in my hand like an excited puppy wagging its tail.
“Hello Duncan” my voice is husky with excitement and anticipation.
“Hello Gorgeous!” he says “Did you miss me?”
My girlish laughter fills the room.“It’s only been a couple of hours since you brought me home!”
“Seems like an eternity to me”
(382 words)
“Seems like an eternity to me”
(382 words)
Saved by the bell! This is a great insight as to how people struggle with their resolutions. I enjoyed reading it. A really great entry for the theme. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kiru. Glad you enjoyed my in-under-the-wire entry.
DeleteYes to all of the questions!
ReplyDeleteOh Yes!!
:-)
Take care
x
Old Kitty, bless you, too. Though hopefully not 'yes' to question 11! LOL!
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteEyes like soft fudge! Send him over here...
Lovely read and good impression of long-time-no-hear when in actual fact only two hours since they'd last seen each other. Clever ruse was that.
No girl should be easy: make 'em crawl, make 'em beg! YES!!!! ;)
best
F
Francine, yes you saw the irony of it all. Thanks for the chuckle.
DeleteNo critique here. I love me some romance! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Oh my goodness... this is great! I remember these moments all to well. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! Ah - it's aggravating. Best part is that it had only been a couple hours since he brought her home. Love it! Great job. And thanks for following my blog. I am following you back! Can't wait to come back for more :)
ReplyDeleteHi Leigh, thanks for your enthusiastic comments. I enjoyed the feedback.
DeleteNo critique but I liked it :)
ReplyDeleteI felt the love and the anxiety. Took me back to the dating years. Eyes like fudge. Mmmm. And with a nice happy ending.
ReplyDeleteAwh thanks Mary, I'm glad you enjoyed the tension and the Lurv.
DeleteI loved the longing in this. And she didn't sound hard-hearted at the end.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah - I know this one so well - I think we've all been there at some point!
ReplyDeleteLovely story - great read (sorry I am so late getting over to you!)
Lx
Great piece. I laughed at the end when it's only been a couple of hours. Good job.
ReplyDeleteHello Madeleine.
ReplyDeleteLovely scene setting...many can relate. Even men get anxious like this waiting for that next important call (smile).
Another fine entry for this week's theme.
Thanks for sharing.
LOL...at Francine's comment!
I didn't enter, but you might like my latest post:
Special Celebration (Part.1): Wedding Anniversary!
Bless you Andy, thanks for stopping by.I will hop over and see your piece.
DeleteLOVE the internal dialogue as she waits! I recognise that... :)
ReplyDeleteI would say yes to all the questions. I really enjoyed the post.
ReplyDeletebless you, too Rachna. Though hopefully not 'yes' to question 11! LOL!
DeleteOHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH! It's my book cover! Up there on the right! This is the first blog (other than my own) that I've seen it on. SOOO exciting. It makes it all feel so real!
ReplyDeleteAnd now to your post...
"like a bouncy castle full of excitement" - I love that comparison.
And I can completely relate to this situation, so it's definitely believable.
Add a little backstory also helped to make the character believable.
And... I don't recall anything jarring me out of the story :-)
This is so lovely and sweet and romantic. Your writing is beautiful and I really liked the twist at the end. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteHi Madeleine,
ReplyDeleteYes, I've felt such anxiety. You know, I'm blushing now. Changing my name to "Duncan". lol Yes to all and I felt like I was there :)
And no 'burning' questions from me.
Take care and happy writing.
Shy, humble and unassuming Gary :)
This girl is like so many people I know after that certain date! Well done!
ReplyDelete"I’m worth the wait." I like that.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid my replies to individual comments are being blocked by my computer. Something to do with 'cross scripting', so thanks to Milo and Lydia, Gary, Cynthia, Rachel, Talli, Miranda, Laura & Medeia for your enthusiastic comments.
ReplyDeleteNice flash. :-)
ReplyDelete1) Yep. Felt for the woman from the start.
2) Romance, yes. Love, no.
3) Very. Sounds a lot like the inside of my head.
4) Yep, although it was too short to really give much of a pace.
5) Yep.
6) Yes.
7) Definitely. One of the best parts of the piece.
8) Yes. Another highlight.
9) Yep. I could feel her tension from the wait.
10) Not that original, but strikingly well done.
11) No. Well done.
:-D
Oh my goodness, I have so been here, and I never want to be again!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Sarah, yes i know what you mean.
ReplyDeleteMisha thanks for the point by point critique :O)))
Hi Madeleine, what a lovely story, full of angst. I was hooked right away and loved the play of emotions. Nothing took me out of the story. I loved your similes especially: 'his warm eyes like soft fudge'. If you'd posted a little earlier you would definitely been in the draw! But I, like you, am probably just as glad that your muse returned!! Lovely to have you back.Always miss your quality entries.
ReplyDeleteDenise