Author: Winter | Category:
writing
I have this urge to share. No, not the sore throat that I’m starting to come down with (damned Twitter plague!), but something else! Remember my Princess and the Pea story? I thought about twisting that into a short story because it always makes people laugh. Then someone said something that gave me the idea to take some of my favorite Bar characters and tweak them to use in other vehicles. Somehow, when I was napping over the weekend, these two ideas got mashed together, giving me Max LeFevre (Max Fever) the underwear model and his best friend, the ex-girlfriend of a rock star, Alexa Harte.
Max is long haired and golden, a fun guy with a laid back attitude. Alexa is petite, big breasted, and sharper than a stiletto. They’re an amusing pair even though they aren’t having sex. The story is all about Max’s search for a mattress. He needs a new mattress because it seems he’s inherited a title and some huge golden wings that he has to keep hidden. Between the royalty factor kicking in and the hidden wings, Max is having trouble with his bed.
So the story opens with Max and Alexa searching for a mattress…
The mattress looked deep and thick and soft. Even the pillow top part looked really thick and poofy. Max LeFevre eyed it skeptically which ignited a mini firestorm in his companion.
“Oh, c’mon, Max. For the love of…” Max’s best friend Alexa Harte broke off on a frustrated sigh. “We’ve been looking at mattresses all day. My feet hurt. Can’t you just pick one and be done with it? Why the hell does it have to be just right?”
One blonde brow arched up at Alexa. “Do I look like Goldilocks to you?” he murmured, carefully lying on the mattress.
Alexa sat down on the next mattress over and pulled off her high heel, rubbing her tiny foot vigorously. “No, you’re the fucking Princess and the Pea,” she grumbled.
Max chuckled. “That is more true than you know.”
He wriggled around on the mattress, trying to get comfortable. The mattress was great as long as he was lying on his side. It was lying on his back that was the problem. Every mattress he tried wasn’t good enough. They’d been to three stores already. This one was the fourth. He’d tried every mattress in each of the stores, searching for the one mattress that would let him lie on his back.
“That is a wonderful mattress, sir!” a salesman exclaimed enthusiastically as he walked up to them.
Frowning fiercely, Alexa slammed her high heel on and stood up. She straightened her spine, bringing herself up to her full five foot one height. “You can leave. We don’t need a salesman. He’s just gonna try every mattress in this store and if he finds one that he wants, we’ll come find you so you can have the sale.” She stared defiantly at the salesman, almost daring him to try his sales pitch on them.
Wisely backing down, the salesman threw up his hands. “Sure, lady. No need to go all pitbull on me. I’m Charlie. If he wants to buy a mattress, I’ll be over there.” He gestured vaguely to another part of the store and then took off in that direction.
Max rolled onto his side feeling much more comfortable the moment he did. He propped his head up with one hand, his long blonde hair flowing over his shoulder and down onto the mattress. “Pitbull. Hmmmn. You know, that’s a pretty good nickname for you, Alexa.” His turquoise eyes gleamed up at her mischievously.
She sat back down on the mattress and pulled off her shoe again. “You ever call me that and I’ll deck you, pretty boy,” she muttered.
There’s some other stuff that happens in the mattress store, but the two of them end up at a fancy restaurant for lunch, one of their usual hangouts. Their usual waiter, Marty, seems to think he can help Max find a mattress that would suit him…
Marty started scribbling on a pad. “What did you buy?”
Alexa made a rude noise. “Nothing. The Prince here couldn’t find a mattress to suit him.”
Marty looked at Max in surprise. “You were shopping for a mattress? Aren’t they all kinda the same?”
Max sighed. No one understood his dilemma. “No. They aren’t all the same. I need something softer than the usual mattress. I just can’t seem to find anything that will work.”
Marty looked thoughtful for a moment then he said, “Lemme think about that while I turn in your order.”
The expression on Alexa’s face was priceless. Max’s lips quirked up. When Marty was out of earshot they both started laughing. “That would be the weirdest thing ever, Maxie. Our waiter solving your sleep issue,” Alexa wheezed, as she tried to stop laughing.
Taking a deep breath to push the laughter down, Max shook his head and reached for his drink. “I don’t care who solves it as long as it gets solved.”
“I just don’t get why it’s so important.” Alexa rubbed her finger around the rim of the glass.
Max wasn’t about to explain it to her in a public place so he made light of the situation. “It’s important because I never get to be on the bottom.”
Alexa choked on her drink. “Max, you’re not even seeing anyone.”
He gave her an arch look. “If I meet someone today, I don’t get to be on the bottom.”
She rolled her eyes and groaned. “You’re incorrigible,” she muttered.
Since I’m having trouble getting around to all your blogs to comment (I am reading you in my feedreader, I promise!) and I’ve been having trouble posting my usual banter here, I just thought I share what’s keeping me from you.
Have an awesome Tuesday and don’t let the Twitter plague get ya!
