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itwasrealtome · 1 year ago

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Uncharted Love — Part One

— A New Kickoff

•••

Chapter One

WillowBrook Library

"I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end."

—From Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

•••

—Willowbrook, here we come!

Carter maneuvered the car skillfully, attempting to find the perfect spot in front of the bustling library.

The beige building towered four stories above them, hardly as impressive as the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. or the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. Still, the site seemed to offer locals a wide range of knowledge and a few ways to get lost.

Glancing at his co-pilot, the young man couldn't help but notice her distant expression as she hummed along to the song playing on the speaker. He was aware of the change of scenery this was for her and couldn't help feeling worried for her. Coming here felt like the best thing to do, but maybe— maybe, they were both wrong.

—Hey, Ellie, everything's okay? Carter asked, his concern evident in his voice.

The car finally came to a halt, allowing Ellie to step out of it and take a few steps back. With a pensive look on her face, she paused for a moment, her head tilting slightly to the right — a familiar habit of hers.

After what felt like hours, she walked back up to the second-hand vehicle, finally addressing a glance to the driver.

—You know what, Carter? For a first attempt, you've done pretty good.

Carter's brows furrowed slightly.

—Good? I don't want good, Ellie. I want great, he replied, a hint of determination in his voice.

With a playful spark in her eyes, the blonde grabbed her belongings from the truck and playfully tapped the back of the car.

—Can't always have what we want, Tee'. C'mon, grab your stuff or we'll be late, she urged, her impatience growing.

Carter snorted, realizing he needed to keep up with his friend's energy. He quickly retrieved his bags and boxes and joined her, both of his arms loaded with stuff. The blonde didn't even bother, finding her way to the entrance without so much as a frown in his direction.

Together, they walked to the library, their footsteps echoing with anticipation.

As they took their first steps inside the building, the familiar scent of books filled their nostrils, instantly invoking a sense of comfort and adventure. The interior was a labyrinth of bookshelves, each aisle leading to a different world waiting to be explored. The soft murmur of hushed-conversations and the occasional page-turning created a serene atmosphere.

Ellie could not help but feel a sense of wonder as she glanced around, her eyes scanning the rows upon rows of books. It was as if she could feel the knowledge and stories contained within each volume, waiting to be discovered.

The library, though not in grand size, held a charm of its own, beckoning them to embark on a literary journey. In a matter of time, Carter lost sight of his friend, who had vanished down the aisles. He set his belongings down in a corner, taking refuge on one of the beanbags available to users.

What was the point of standing around if he had to wait hours after a bookworm?

While he kept himself busy on his smartphone, Ellie paced the rows, her interest growing with every book she set eyes on. She'd always had a knack for getting lost in places like this, intoxicated by the smell of paper and stunned by the number of words floating around her.

As a child, her mother always joked that she'd end up leaving her there, in their favorite bookshop, and that she'd pick her up a few hours later. In the end, the young child would always emerge with a stack of books, a welcome escape from her hectic daily routine.

Her fingers delicately traced the spines, in search of a literary treasure she might dive into. Driven by curiosity, she had often abandoned detective novels and thrillers for other genres. Literature classics had been part of her daily routine as a student, while psychological and sociological studies and romance novels had found their way onto her bookshelf by chance. Today, her heart was beating again for a classic in the detective genre.

Her thumb slid over the weathered writing. Despite wear and tear, it was still possible to detect the name of the author, Thomas Harris.

Ellie couldn't help remembering her previous readings. She had devoured every word of the Hannibal Lecter series, taking her books everywhere she went, notes scribbling down every page. Now, she wanted more. More investigations, more fear, more terrifying incarnations of evil. She needed to give herself that.

—Looking for an adrenaline rush?

Lost in her thoughts, Ellie startled as the voice broke the silence behind her. Book in hand, she pivoted on the back of her heels, a lock of her blond hair falling in front of her eyes. She couldn't help smiling slightly at her interlocutor's embarrassed expression. Being the reason behind a heart attack was therefore not in this woman's plans.

—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.

At five-foot-five, Ellie had to slightly lower her gaze to meet the woman's hazel eyes, being at least one at two heads taller than her. She took the time to pay attention to the way her mid-length brown hair framed her face and how her smile gave her features a more approachable and sympathetic look. The blonde's silence meant nothing. She always needed time before talking to stranger.

—No problem, really. I tend to forget reality a bit quickly in places like this.

—It's a good thing, actually, we needed someone like you here, Ellie!

A laugh escaped the younger woman as she realized the situation. She quickly extended her hand in the brunette's direction, clasping the one already intended for her. Unlike her own, the hand of what was to be her new colleague was warm and welcoming. She could only feel annoyed by the cold emerging from her fingers.

—Now, I guess, it's my turn to apologize. Ellie instantly bit her lips, nervous. It's a pleasure to finally meet you...

—Johanna Adams. I'm the cultural manager, we spoke by e-mail.

—Oh, right. Well, it's great to finally put a face to the name.

As they got to know each other better, Ellie finally lost sight of the books she was so interested in. Instead, following her new guide towards what seemed to have become her friend's new hiding place.

Carter was slumped on the beanbag, his head bopping to the electric rhythm his headphones sent deep into his eardrums. Next to him was all his bags and boxes, trying to compete with the good old Leaning Tower of Pisa. For nothing in the world would he have noticed Ellie's return, or even Johanna's presence.

Unable to resist any longer, Ellie kicked him in the calf. The young man immediately opened his eyes, his hand instinctively protecting the affected area. He glanced accusingly at the blonde, a pinching remark on the tip of his tongue. With a simple clear throat, she told him to be quiet. They didn't need to show their true selves right from the start.

Arms folded against her chest, Ellie nodded at her new acquaintance. The brunette didn't seem impressed by the behavior of the two newcomers, letting out a smile as Carter scrambled to his feet and apologized. The flush on his cheeks was just one more reason to tease him afterwards.

Amused, Ellie made the presentations, her hands behind her back, waddling on the back of her heels. As she had done before, Johanna explained to the blond that their supervisor, Samuel Hawkins, had been unable to welcome them and show them around, so she volunteered to replace him.

—We'll start with a tour of the building, then I'll let you guys settle in at your desks.

If the young woman seemed to have lost her way in the aisles on the ground floor, she was not at the end of her surprises. The cultural manager led them through the floors, slaloming between the various literary collections. There was something for everyone, from the very young to the very old, from culinary enthusiasts to fans of the classics. Yet, while the two women turned their attention to the tour, Carter seemed to have eyes only for their guide.

He took care to slow his pace, following a little further, his gaze also a little lower than it should have been. Every word about the library didn't even reach his mind, failing to make any sense compared to the woman's silhouette.

On the stairs, his feet became entangled, causing him to lose his balance. He caught himself on the banister, clutching Ellie's arm with his other hand. She gave him a curious look, not yet fully acclimatized to his awkwardness. As discreetly as possible, he nodded to Johanna, a look of adoration on his face.

As much as they both knew how to appreciate a woman's beauty under normal circumstances, this was neither the time nor the place. It was Ellie's turn to grab his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

—Keep it together, Carter, she whispered, a scowl on her face. We're here to explore the library, not get distracted by our guide.

—Oh, c'mon El'. You can't tell me otherwise.

—Yes, I can. Now jus–

Someone cleared their throat, surprising both of them through their disagreement. Ellie held the blond's gaze, her eyes reflecting an unbearable seriousness and coldness.

—Just, behave.

Carter didn't need to be told twice. As much as Ellie often backed him in his nonsense, she had her own limits — him, had a hard time imposing some on himself.

—Is everything all right?

The two novices looked up at Johanna, a few steps above them. The blonde was the first to climb the few steps of difference, a fine smile returning on her lips even though her eyes didn't reflect it. She made up an excuse, not wanting to cause any trouble on their first day.

The older woman was overtook by Ellie, stuck on her step, a sympathetic look for Carter. As he climbed the last few steps, Johanna finally moved forward, leading them to the office part of the building.

It was certainly bigger than either of them could have imagined. As the door marked "Personnel Access Only" closed behind them, a long corridor appeared. The bay windows ran along one side of the wall, allowing the room to receive the sun's light and warmth. On her right, Ellie noted the location of the secretarial and manager's offices. Passing by, they respectfully greeted those present, quickly fleeing on Johanna's heels.

—Welcome to our little anthill, the brunette turned around, clasping her hands. This is where we work when we're not stationed on the floors below. Over there is my office, and here are your desks.

Stuck on the doorstep, the two friends took their time to assimilate all the information. It was a classic first day. The kind where people keep throwing all kinds of information at you, not caring if you've learned your lesson, or not.

Ellie felt dizzy in front of the immensity of the room. She had tried several times to imagine what her workspace would look like, but nothing her mind had created resembled reality.

The desks were cleverly laid out, with the various departments grouped side by side. In this way, she wasn't surprised to find hers opposite Carter's. They were supposed to work together, hand in hand, to implement each of the projects they had already discussed many times.

Nor was she surprised to note that the most senior positions were entitled to their own offices. They formed an L-shape along two sections of wall, barely separated from the rest of the room by glass. Among them, Ellie easily found the one with the name J.Adams on the door. From a distance, it looked organized, almost cozy. A vague resemblance to the person to whom the coin belonged.

—I'm gonna love this place!

Carter was the first to place his belongings on the desk bearing his name. He dropped into the wheelchair, spinning around several times, a bright smile on his face.

—Easy there, tiger, you'll get dizzy.

He stopped abruptly, a charming smile on his lips, his mouth acting before his brain.

—Oh, I know lots of other ways to get dizzy.

Ellie wished she could've palmed her face at that specific moment. She made a mental note about her friend needing a bit more lessons on flirting. Once again, she broke the silence, this time with a sincere smile.

—Thank you for showing us around, Johanna. We're both very happy to be working with all of you and look forward to adding our own touch to WillowBrook Library.

—You're very welcome, Ellie, smiled warmly the brunette. I have a feeling you'll bring something special to this place. If you ever need guidance or have questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Ellie nodded gratefully. She watched the cultural manager carefully make her way to her desk, before taking her own seat.

Opposite her, the blond had already spread out his trinkets and invaded every mini-meter of space. She couldn't help feeling amused by the simple process. Carter had always been a boy whose mind needed space and was overflowing in every sense of the word.

Here, he expressed this by exhibiting a mini Star Wars figurine, several Polaroid photos and several of his favorite chocolate bars. In a way, it was very cute indeed.

By comparison, her desk seemed empty. Her bag was filled with what she considered to be basic necessities: her old university pencil case, her laptop, a half-read book and her water bottle. Even if she'd wanted to, she'd be hard-pressed to find anything else in her loft. The boxes were still stacked and the scotch was struggling to come undone – or was it the ties of the past?

Taking the first step with this job meant giving herself yet another chance in life for Ellie. And as she sank a little further into her seat, her gaze falling directly on Johanna's silhouette over Carter's shoulder, she knew she had to try. WillowBrook Library was the perfect place for a fresh start.

—WillowBrook, here we come.

XXX

Taglist:

@womenlovingwomen-imagines @emskisworld @sammi1642 @marvelandotheruniversesloveradhd @wittygutsy

#UnchartedLove #Chapterone #Willowbrookstory #sapphic novel #elliewalker #newkickoff #wlwnovel #wattpad

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yespolkadotkitty · 4 years ago

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Burn With Me Tonight, pt 1

It's been two and a half long years since your husband passed away, and your neighbour thinks it's about time you got back on the dating (or at least sex) horse.

I’d like to dedicate this to @pedropascalito for being so immediately nice to me!!

“Happy birthday to me,” you muttered, staring up at the ceiling as the sun crested over the far hills. You had a birthday brunch with friends at your favourite taco place planned for the weekend, but today, nothing.

If you tried hard, you knew you wouldn’t look at the empty place in the bed beside you where Sam used to sleep.

Shoving it aside, you idly fingered the ring that hung around your neck on an old, thin leather thong, and headed into the shower to pummel yourself with hot water. When you came out in a robe, towelling off your hair, a duo of male voices could be heard distantly through your open bedroom window, and the notification light blinked green on your smartphone.

MRS CHEN: Happy birthday, babe. Enjoy the view.

Puzzled, you looked out of the window to see two tall men hauling sacks of turf and plants into Mrs Chen’s garden. One was blonde, lanky, wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, the other, you couldn’t see too well, but he looked darker, messy hair, facial scruff, wearing a white tee that showed off his biceps.

You’d become friends with your neighbour soon after moving in - the low brick wall in the garden meant you saw each other often, and the retiree was often chatty. Then, over time, and especially once Sam got sick, very sick, she’d become a confidante and a treasured friend. Not to mention she had a potty mouth and never seemed surprised by anything. Ever. In fact, at her divorce party, she’d told you that she was now “one hundred percent in charge of my own orgasms. No actual humans needed.”

You loved her.

MRS CHEN: The heat! The sweat. The dry dusty dirt on their hands. Those shirts don't stand a chance.

MRS CHEN: Patience, young grasshopper. Soon.

MRS CHEN: All will be revealed.

You snorted out a laugh and closed the curtains, getting dressed. Mrs Chen had been planning to use her divorce settlement to make her yard into a paradise, and you were happy she'd got there at last. She loved to be outside with a book and a glass of iced tea. The overgrown weeds and gnarled tree stumps had spoiled her enjoyment of the space thus far.

As was your habit, you moved into the garden to have your breakfast, setting out your solitary plate, bowl and mug, picturing Sam’s stuff there. Had he always used the red mug? Or the green one?

Two and a half years since his death, and sometimes, you struggled to picture certain things about him, and that made you alternatively relieved and horrified.

Horrified because you never wanted to erase the man you loved, and relieved because, well. You couldn’t spend the rest of your life in this constant-daggers-of-heartache limbo.

Could you?

As you sat down with some work papers to look through as you ate, the blond gardener waved to you over the wall. “Hey.”

“Morning,” you replied, conversational but polite. “Hell of a job for you in this heat.”

He grinned, unfazed. “That’s Texas for you. Hey, Javi, hurry it up, will ya?”

His colleague appeared and glanced at you, rolling his eyes in an exaggerated manner, then smiling, and you noticed that his soulful brown eyes crinkled at the corners. It was charming. He dumped a final huge sack of equipment on the patio, then straightened up and stretched, his worn, soft white tee riding up to reveal a wide strip of tanned golden skin, bisected by an arrow of chocolate-brown hair.

For the first time since you’d stood over Sam’s grave in the barely-there spring rain, the clouds low in the sky, you felt something like lust stir, deep in your belly.

Mrs Chen chose that moment to come outside on to her patio to greet you.

“This is Steve, and this is Javier,” she said, her back to them as she spoke to you. Her voice remained normal but her eyebrows were telling a different story. You bit your lip, trying not to laugh. “They’ll be here for a few days, working on the garden.”

She winked at you. “Fertilising my field. Ploughing my compost. Tiling the good earth. Enriching my soil. Keep an eye on them for me, will you?”

“Oh, er, great,” you enthused, sipping your tea, trying not to make it obvious that you were drinking in Javier’s messy locks - would they feel soft? - and daydreaming about what his voice would sound like. If his moustache would tickle when he kissed your lips - and other places.

As if he’d heard your thoughts, Javier turned to Mrs Chen. “So, can you run us through what you want, one more time? Just to make sure we’re on the same page.” His deep voice had a husky edge, like he’d used it too much, and the timbre of it sank into your veins. You pressed your legs together, and at that moment, Javier met your gaze, and something passed over his face, through his soulful, dark eyes, that almost made it feel like he knew your thoughts. “So we make sure you get…. What you want,” he added, voice dropping half an octave, and you felt the heat of his fine-vintage-whiskey eyes just as surely as if he’d touched you.

You looked away hurriedly and immersed yourself in paperwork.

And that should have been the end of it.

Tagging people who might like this @tiffdawg @spacegayofficial @bunnyart-blog @queenofheavenandhell @wolvesandhoundshowltogether @restingnurseface @iamsuchanasshat @annathewitch and my usual taglist @myoxisbroken @littlemissthistle @hopelessromanticspoonie @just-the-hiddles @palaiasaurus64 @adorkabeezle @ly--canthrope

#javier pena x reader #javier pena au #pedro pascal x reader #narcos au

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lovemesomesurveys · 3 years ago

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[-infatuatedgirl]

Hey, what’s your name? Stephanie.

How old were you when you got your first cell phone? Weren’t you just tingling with excitement? I was 16. I wouldn’t say that, but it was cool. I’m old, so it wasn’t a smartphone yet.

Do you ever read the results of the surveys you make? I don’t make surveys.

How many belts do you own? Zero.

If you had to live with one pair of shoes, what would they be? My Adidas.

Do you believe in love at first sight? No.

How about forevers? It happens.

What’s your comfort food? Lately, it’s actually been ice cream, which is weird cause I wasn’t ever a big ice cream person before.

What do you use your cell phone for, aside texting and calls? Ha, I hardly use it for those reasons. I use it for the apps more than anything.

Are there any picture frames in the room you are in? Yes.

Did you ever ride a limo? Yeah, several times. My dad used to work for a limo company when I was a kid, it was cool.

Do you use a lot of hair products? Not at all, just shampoo and detangler.

Creepiest movie ever? Hmm. Not sure which movie I’d give that title to.

Do you ever wonder what your life looks like to someone else’s eyes? Gah, I don’t want to know.

Have you ever walked into a crowded room and felt so alone? I do often feel alone even though I’m rarely completely by myself.

What’s your current status in facebook/myspace? I shared some random meme thing earlier. I like never post actual statuses anymore, I just share stuff now and then.

What was your dream job as a child? I wanted to be a teacher.

Is it still the same? No.

Did you ever stay up all night? Fun, right? As a kid? Yeah. Especially when my cousins slept over. We’d try to stay up with junk food and soda and watch movies, play games, etc and see who could stay up the latest. Ever took a Bzoinkoid? I don’t know what that is.

Do you like cracking your knuckles? Sometimes it just needs to be done.

What color’s your car? I don’t have a car, I don’t drive.

If you don’t have one, what color would you like it to be? I’m not sure.

Did you ever do something you promised yourself not to? Didn’t it feel good? I have and some of the things did and some I regretted.

What’s the ‘craziest’ color you dyed your hair? Red was my first bold color I did.

What’s your definition of fearless? Having no fear? ha.

Don’t you get a bit happy when you take an iPod shuffle survey and the song fits perfectly? I don’t like those type of surveys, actually.

Do you like paranormal stuff?(shows,movies,books,etc) Nah.

Do you believe in those? No.

What’s the weirdest compliment you ever received? Did you even take it as a compliment? “You’re pretty for having polio.” I’ll never forget some random woman coming up and saying that to me. Like what does that even mean? I don’t have polio and I don’t know why she assumed I did apart from the fact I’m in a wheelchair? Also, does that imply people with polio aren’t usually attractive according to them?

Do you have a favorite stuff toy? What’s it’s name? My shitload of stuffed animal giraffes. What’s the most exciting project you were given? Hmm.

Are you familiar with Polyvore? If so, do you have an account? No.

Did you accomplish your New Years Resolutions last year? I stopped making those several years ago.

What are you passionate about? Nothing. :/

Without passion we’d truly be dead. Fact or fiction? I haven’t felt passionate about something in a long time and it does feel like I’m really missing something. Like, I think you should have something you’re passionate about, it’s fulfilling.

Are you guilty of internet slang? I use the ones like, “omg”, “wtf”, and “lol”, but otherwise I’m very much about being grammatically correct.

Would you rather be hurt physically or emotionally? I would rather just not be hurt at all - how about that?! <<< Right, like wtf.

Were you ever truly and completely happy with yourself? No.

Is your life balanced right now? No.

Did you ever roll down a ramp or hill? Countless ramps as someone in a wheelchair.

If you can’t be with the one you love, will you be with the one who loves you? I don’t want to just settle.

What’s your favorite scent? I have a lot.

Are/were you forced to believe something you don’t? When I was a kid both sets of grandparents tried pushing their religious beliefs on me.

Are you very dependent on people? I’ve had to be very dependent the past couple months now due to health setbacks.

Do you let small things ruin your day? Ugh, I do let stuff like that get to me way too much and too easily these days. Like every little thing.

Do you over-analyze things? Yepppp.

Did you ever wonder what life would be in a stranded island? It would be depressing and lonely. Also, probably terrifying. <<< Yeah, not something I’d want to experience that’s for sure.

Do you have a good sense of direction? Nooo. I’m the worst.

What’s your opinion on Kesha? I liked some of her songs.

Are you excited for what the future holds for you? I’m scared of what the future holds for me to be honest.

Are you more of a listener or a talker? I’m definitely more of a listener than a talker.

Indoorsy or outdorsy? Indoorsy for sure.

Name something that you think is overrated. Bacon and sushi. It seems like literally everyone loves both and I don’t get it.

How about underrated? Hmm.

What’s one question you HATE being asked? Hmm.

Is it personal or it just bugs you? --

Do you own any comic books? Nope.

Or you’re more of an anime/manga person? I’m not into those either.

Do you have any weird phobias? If so, what? Ugh, I don’t even want to type the words but the fear of holes and clusters lsjlskfklsdjflkdsjfdlsk

Were you ever obsessed with something then realized how lame it really was? Twilight. :X

If you had a time machine would you visit the past or future? The past.

Or is the present too good for you? No, definitely not. What would you change in that time zone? In the past? I’d change some things that would make it so I wasn’t dealing with some of the health stuff I’m going through now. Some of it could have been so easily avoided and managed, but I was stubborn, irresponsible, and negligent.

What’s the title of the first survey you created? I’ve only made one survey, many years ago, and I don’t think I titled it.

What color is your iPod/mp3? I have a black iPod Touch, but it’s been stored away and unused since 2012. I use Spotify on my phone for music, which is gold.

Do you think you could live without music? I’ve hardly listened to music at all this year so far and I’m still alive.

Describe your favorite top. I love all my graphic tees.

Do you change your style frequently? No. Especially not now. I just live in leggings and graphic tees.

Are you a tshirt-and-jeans kind of person? No, I’m a leggings and graphic tees kind of person.

What’s the most traumatizing event that ever happened to you? The one that made me a paraplegic.

Do you own a diary/journal? This is it.

Do you write there often? I definitely do.

Don’t you hate it when there’s nothing good showing on TV? I got into this routine the past few months and have my lineup of shows.

Insert your favorite smiley here: :)

How many live concerts have you been to? Like 6 or 7.

Did you keep the tickets as a souvenir? Yeah.

Tinypic or Photobucket? Aw, the days of Tinypic and Photobucket. I’m sad because I have a shit ton of photos saved on Photobucket and I can’t access my account. D: Like, I’m talkin’ photos from Myspace days.

Tumblr or Xanga? Well, it’s just Tumblr now... <<< I really do like Tumblr, but I also miss Xanga. The survey community was huge.

What do you do when you’re really nervous? Fidget, squirm, pick at my nails, bite/pick my lips, mess with my hair, twiddle with my hands, jump to worst case scenarios...

Do you have a bad habit you just can’t break? Picking at my lips, nails, and skin. :/

Would you say you’re down to earth? I think so.

What’s the first thing you see when you look at yourself in the mirror? I really try to avoid that as much as possible cause I hate what I see.

Do you find peace in being alone? I haven’t felt peace in a very long time.

Summer holds such wonderful things. Fact or fiction? Fiction. I could just skip right on by it to be honest.

Ah,summer (: What’s your favorite thing about it? The only thing I like is if I’m able to go to the beach. If I had a beach house with private beach access and didn’t feel miserable for months, then I wouldn’t mind summertime.

Are you faint to the sight of blood? Just the mention of it makes me feel weak.

What’s something you’ve grown used to? I feel like this is how it’s always going to be... :/

What’s your favorite dessert? Lately, I’ve been really into ice cream. I was not a big ice cream person before, like until recently it had been a few years since I had any at all. Suddenly, I’m all about it. *shrug*

Do you like spicy food? I loved spicy food, but I can’t have it anymore. :(

Are you easily bored? I didn’t used to be. I think my boredom is actually the depression, though.

Do you wish for the same thing at 11:11? Or does it change depending on how things are going in your life? I don’t do that.

Do you even wish at 11:11? Nope.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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katherineschoices · 5 years ago

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Drabble #1

This is a drabble that was inspired by Open Heart book 2 chapter 7, after MC (Katherine Valentine) and Ethan spied on his mother. I couldn’t figure out the ending, so I’ve left it open. Enjoy :)

Dr. Katherine Valentine leaned her body against the cold tile and closed her eyes. Her feet slipped and squelched in the plastic flip flops she wore; god forbid she showered in the hospital changing room in her bare feet. As the steady stream of hot water pelted her skin bright red, the tension in her shoulders began to ease up. She spun around and beant forward to retrieve her shampoo.

On the other side of the flimsy white plastic curtain, her phone began to ring. Katherine froze- it wasn’t just any ring- it was another tone on her smartphone that rang with bells and a slightly more melodic sound- that was assigned to Dr. Ethan Ramsey.

“For the diagnostics team,” she told herself. And Sienna.

Her hand darted through the curtain and reached for her phone, sitting on top of the t-shirt she was planning to wear home. “Hello?” she said breathlessly.

“Where are you?” Ethan Ramsey’s rude voice pierced through. “It’s not raining, I’m standing at the nurses station on-”

“I’m in the shower, I haven’t left the hospital yet,” she talked loudly over him. “What do you want?”

Silence greeted her on the other end.

Katherine exhaled in irritation, although a small part of her was satisfied that her revelation had put a hiccup into his plan. Ethan Ramsey was definitely thinking about her naked.

“I-...I’ll wait until you’re done,” his voice was strained. “Meet me in the lobby.”

The call was ended before she could reply. Katherine rolled her eyes, tossed the device back on her clothes, and reached for the shampoo bottle.

This was making it work, she reminded herself. Whatever was going on between she and Ethan was fucked up, and beautifully so. She was desperate to confront him about her conversation with Dr. Hirata. Had he told her about them?

Why?

And then there was his mother. Why is it always men and their mothers? Alan Ramsey seemed like a kind, genuine man. The woman she witnessed in the store was up to something, and that something involved Ethan and his money.

Was she broke? Sick?

An addict? Selfish bitch?

She had to go back. Needed to go back. Something deep inside said something wasn’t right, and Katherine sensed Ethan could sense it too.

Katherine finished her shower and blow dried her long, dark hair. She chose to leave it down as she dressed in a pair of dark skinny jeans and a soft grey tee. Sending a text to Ethan to let him know she was on her way, she declared herself fit and heaved her backpack over her shoulders.

“Have a good night Katherine!” Bryce hollered at her retreating back. She waved a hand in a half wave as she reached the top of the staircase that overlooked the atrium. Her eyes swept over the brightly lit lobby, her heart hammering in her chest. Ethan sat on the far end, closer to the main doors with his back facing her. His head was bent forward, looking at his phone.

...Pictagram?

“Ethan,” she announced her presence to him. He turned to face her, his eyes raking over her body. She liked the way they lingered on her neck and decolletage. He swallowed. “What’s going on?”

He rose to meet her. “Come on,” he said softly. She nodded in understanding, and joined his side. They left Edenbrook in silence; Ethan helped her take off her backpack, purposefully using the opportunity to run his fingers along her neck.

When they were alone in his car, she reached for his hand. Slowly, his long fingers closed around hers.

They sat in silence for several minutes. “Did you tell June about us?” Katherine whispered.

“She figured it out,” he replied evenly. “She’s a diagnostician.”

Katherine laughed a hollow laugh. “That’s not an answer, Ethan. Why didn’t you tell me? Who else knows? She- she’s been manipulating me. I feel so stupid!” she pulled her hand away and threw them up in the air in mock surrender.

Ethan opened his mouth to reply, but he shut it instead and reached for her hands, pulling them back to his lap. She had no choice but to meet his eyes.

"You're not stupid, Rookie. June is a manipulative bitch, and I should have prepared you better for her. She saw us holding hands in the office. She misses nothing, unfortunately. And I told her to keep her nose out of where it doesn't belong, and that you and I aren’t more than... close friends." He squeezed both of her hands to further emphasize his point.

"She had my file."

"And now you feel violated," Ethan finished for her. He released her hand to cup her face.

Katherine chose not to answer. Instead, she kept her eyes focused on the glove box.

Her eyes fluttered shut as he turned her face towards his. He moved closer, she could feel his body heat. "I'm sorry I'm dragging you into this," Ethan murmured as he rested his forehead against hers. They shared the same breath.

She nuzzled him. "Are you talking about June, or your mother?"

"Both," he replied. "And… I fear I can't handle the latter without you."

"You have me," she said without hesitation, and then leaned into him.

This time, it was he who initiated their kiss. Ethan's tongue moulded to hers as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Come back to my place," said Ethan between heated kisses.

"Okay," her agreement was simple. They slowed down, and Ethan finally started the car, and tore off into the night leaving Edenbrook behind.

x.x

Katherine stared at the clock on the nightstand; the red numbers stared back. 1:00 AM. She hadn’t been able to sleep, unlike Ethan, who had his arm draped over her midsection.

Carefully, she slid out of his bed and began to dress, instead choosing to wear Ethan’s blue dress shirt tucked into her jeans. On the table in the small hallway were his wallet and keys; Katherine’s hand hovered over them briefly before looking back at the closed bedroom door, and then took his keys and her purse and slipped out of the apartment and down to the parking garage.

She located Ethan’s black Audi sedan and started it before she could change her mind.

Her eyes kept straying to the phone lying in the passenger seat, the screen remained black with zero notifications.

If Ethan woke up and saw that she was missing along with his car, he would lose his mind.

Thankfully, she had sexed him into a coma.

A smug smirk spread across her lips as she stopped at a drive-thru ATM machine, though it was quick to fade when she looked at the numbers in her savings account. She took a deep breath, and selected the amount she wanted to withdraw.

If giving up something meant protecting Ethan from heartbreak, she was going to do it.

The lights were off at the motel when she arrived, but she didn’t care.

Katherine slammed the door to the car and marched to the metal staircase to the second floor room where the presumptive Mrs. Ramsey was staying.

She took a deep breath, and knocked loudly on the door.

#open heart fanfiction #open heart #open heart book 2 #open heart 2 #open heart mc #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan ramsey fanfiction #dr ethan ramsey

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bunkershotgolf · 5 years ago

Photo

Where Tradition Meets Technology: GolfLogix Introduces Printed Green Books to Help Every Golfer Read Greens Like a Pro

The traditional paper yardage books just got an upgrade with cutting-edge green contour data for more than 14,000 courses nationwide.

GolfLogix, the most downloaded app in golf history, today introduced Green Books, the first easy to read green-reading guide designed and priced for the everyday golfer to "Play Smarter."

The rules-compliant Green Books combine detailed 3-D imagery, including yardages, with the sophisticated green-contour data that the majority of professional golfers use in competition. With the GolfLogix tour-level intel, golfers can reach into their back pockets and read every putt quickly and confidently to enable lower scores and speed up play.

These durable and water-resistant Green Books are available for more than 14,000 courses at www.golflogix.com.

Professionals and amateurs alike have long relied on printed yardage books to guide their decision-making with confidence. However, the prohibitive cost of mapping the contours of each green down to centimeter accuracy has prevented all but the top courses from gathering this data independently. GolfLogix's unprecedented catalogue of more than 14,000 courses offers accurate professional insight at a price point fit for any golfer.

The topographical guides include three views of every hole. Quick-view heat maps outline the green's undulations and provide large, easy-to-see arrows which help golfers identify the areas to avoid when planning approach, pitch, and chip shots. Using these amazing course management features will provide more straight, uphill birdie putts and stress-free pars. A second, close-up perspective of the green highlights the subtle changes in elevation and direction that are often undetectable to the naked eye. Combined, the maps help make every putt read quick and simple, and virtually eliminate the 3-putt.

Heat Map

This printed guide also features yardage book-quality color images of every hole with 50-yard grids to help plan your tee shots and avoid the major hazards. Green Books mimic the GolfLogix app's Approach Mode, allowing golfers to strategically target positions on the green for their best opportunity of draining their putt.

"With our foundation as a software company, we are uniquely positioned to produce these Green Books with detailed course-specific intelligence that helps golfers read greens quickly and with confidence," President of GolfLogix Pete Charleston said. "It was important to us to make accurate green-reading maps accessible for the everyday golfer. I'm proud to say golfers can purchase a Green Book for less than it costs to play a round of golf at most courses."

GolfLogix Green Books give golfers a quick and accurate read without having to walk around the hole, removing the cost of uncertainty by showing exactly how the putt will break on every hole. Putting with the confidence of a quick and accurate read will speed up the game and shaves strokes.

For players who leave their phones in the locker room, a printed Green Book of their favorite course is the perfect way to play strategically without sacrificing the traditional tranquility of the game.

"GolfLogix Green Books give you the same data-filled map of every green that college teams and pros pay thousands for," said Kellie Stenzel, a GOLF magazine top 100 instructor. "You won't waste time circling the pin countless times; instead, you'll discover a new confidence that saves strokes on every course you play."

The $40 GolfLogix Green Books can be purchased at www.Golfogix.com. PGA Professionals can contact GolfLogix to receive free samples and set up their golf course resale program.

About GolfLogix

The Number 1 App for Golf, over 4 million golfers have downloaded GolfLogix on the world's top-selling smartphones. Dedicated to offering consumers the most advanced green mapping and GPS solutions with the most useful features at accessible prices, GolfLogix helps improve individual performance.

Founded in May 1999, GolfLogix was the first to introduce handheld GPS to the golf industry and holds a U.S. patent for its unique GPS and Internet-based club tracking application. Based in Scottsdale, AZ, the company has been professionally mapping courses for more than 19 years and owns the largest, most up-to-date golf course database in the world.

In 2009, the rapid advance of smartphone technology led GolfLogix to develop and quickly capture the market with an easy-to-use application providing precise GPS distances. In addition, the software manages scorekeeping and stat tracking, then uploads them to an online clubhouse community where golfers can interact and compete with millions of other players worldwide.

For more information, visit www.golflogix.com.

#golf logix #mary beth lacy #new #golf #vintage

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witchqueenofthemoon · 6 years ago

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BODY AND SOUL Part 3 (Duncan Shepherd/Mackenzie Stone Millory AU)

BODY AND SOUL MASTERPOST

Author’s Note: Y’all, wow, your response to this fic is continually amazing, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I feel so inspired to continue with it, I plowed through this part as soon as we got back from Brooklyn today. Despite my dislike for DC (I’ve spent a lot of time there and it drives me nuts) I’m becoming an expert in high-end DC businesses (tailors, florists, restaurants) thanks to this fic! There’s a lot of logistic details I needed to get through in this part, so pardon its plottiness, I PROMISE we are getting back to the smut very soon. Madeline Stone, Mackenzie’s mom, a character I invented for this fic, is basically Carrie Fisher if she were a journalist (and still alive :’( sobbb) in my eyes, so think of her as Carrie, visually and temperamentally. I think I’ll keep switching between POVs as the fic goes on, so Part 4 will be from Kenzie’s perspective, 5 from Duncan’s, etc etc. Wait till you see what Duncan’s gonna do with all those roses.

Duncan stared from the window of the backseat of his private car, out onto the National Mall where Sunday tourists were snapping photos of the Washington monument with their smartphones, children screaming and running, blue sky mirroring his blue gaze, clouds skirting over the bright May sunlight, clouds passing over his eyes; the clouds of his thoughts, the darkness of them, whirling in his mind.

He still felt dizzy and disoriented from the last 15 or so hours; felt the cold quelling in his heart that he couldn’t push down entirely, trying to convince him that Mackenzie had indeed been a very vivid, very beautiful, very soft figment of his imagination. He stretched his fingers absently, longingly, trying to trap the memory of the feeling of her small hand in them; trying to recall as clearly as he could the soft ache of her lips against his mouth. God, if only he could bottle feelings into tight containers, safe and hidden to open when he wished to breathe them into his lungs; if only memories, however recent, could be recalled into reality whenever you wanted them to be. He wanted to recall every tiny detail of her; her cascading, shimmering hair, her impossibly deep eyes with their long lashes, her small mouth and her dazzlingly sincere smile, her throat with its quartz, the jewels of a goddess, the round hardness of her nipples in his lips, the sweet scent of her down between her thighs, the ridges of the outline of her ribs under his hands, a map he wanted to memorize in minute exhaustion.

He thought of her wearing his tee shirt, the fall of her damp hair over her shoulder, the way she stared at her plate, a light blush on her cheeks, her look of doubt as she stared into his eyes, disappointment and sadness flickering there as she stood up, saying she would leave; he thought of how his heart had lept in his chest in horror at the thought; the idea of her leaving, of her vanishing into the void of the world when he’d finally just found her this way, when he had held her in his arms so entirely, had made him want to scream. He would have begged her to stay if need be; would have gone on his knees and kissed her fingers and fucking begged. The knowledge of this shook him to the core; when and how and whereby could this small gold goddess, stepped out of the ether itself it seemed, make him feel so entirely unraveled, unhinged? He shook his head lightly, closing his eyes, bringing his hand up to his chin and over his lips again, the way he always did when he was troubled in thought, lost in confusion. He didn’t know how, he didn’t understand any of this, but he knew one thing: he knew he couldn’t wait to see her tonight, the thought of seeing her again was bringing that warm-water-over-a-glass-cascading-into-a-black-hole feeling into his veins again, filling him up, causing his nerves to tingle, the back of his skull to vibrate with sensitivity. He felt overwhelmed in the feeling; the memory of their bodies pressed together in ecstatic sensation, that hidden brightness inside her eyes, her voice moaning his name, her little mouth around his cock, god, god, Mackenzie.

Madeline goddamnfuckingshitfuck Stone’s daughter.

He still couldn’t believe that; it was as if there were a brick wall in his mind that was preventing it from really settling, really sinking in. Annette Shepherd and Madeline Stone had once been classmates at Georgetown University; but it wouldn’t be accurate to have ever called them friends. While Annette had chosen the path of power wherever she could find it, Madeline had channeled all her energies into journalism and feminist theory, earning her a Pulitzer at 23; a feat that gained her worldwide notoriety and a permanent position with the Washington Post, a position she’d kept through a pregnancy (Mackenzie, Duncan thought, hand still wrapped around his chin, and his mind moved unbidden to the feeling of her velvet dress under his fingers, the dip of her neck between his lips, the moans of ecstasy falling from her lips as his mouth worked at her clit), two divorces, bipolar disorder, and a benign lump in her breast. Madeline Stone was un-fuck-withable, had written candid bestselling memoirs about her mental health struggles and her failed marriages and love affairs, as well as two bestselling books on feminist theory that were now considered essential literature in college women’s studies courses. She was a hero of modern feminism; a powerful force in Washington, as revered a figure as Gertrude Stein, a hero to millennial women.

And oh, how Annette Shepherd hated her. “Fucking Medusa,” she’d called Madeline once in Duncan’s presence, the words slipping between her teeth in a hiss. “High on her femdom shit looking down on the rest of us. A thorn in my fucking side, splashing her harlotry all over my fucking city.” Stone and his mother had had several very public arguments on C-SPAN and CNN; in one, Madeline had called Annette “an absolute viper of white, privileged, colonizing complicity,” the clip of which had made the rounds on YouTube to the tune of 1 million views when Annette had stormed out in a fury.

He imagined the look of cold shock on his mother’s face at the theoretical admission from him that he had slept with Madeline Stone’s daughter last night; imagined the blood draining from her cheeks and the twist of her mouth if she knew a modicum of the truth of his thoughts. Those thoughts were still swirling in his head, glowing and fervent and warm and tender, thoughts that pulsed with longing, with desire. If Annette Shepherd knew that not only had her son and Madeline Stone’s daughter fucked each other’s brains out last night in a frenzy of lust, but that her son, her fierce pride and joy, whom she trusted implicitly and demanded complete loyalty from, was, dare he say it, dare he even think it, already, somehow, insanely, and with total abandon, falling hopelessly in love with Madeline Stone’s fucking daughter.

“God fucking damn it,” he muttered, biting his lip. “Fuck me.”

“Okay,” the memory of Mackenzie’s voice rang in his ears, echoing through the recent past, her invisible lips brushing his ear. “I’ll fuck you, baby. I’ll fuck you so good.”

He shivered, the fine hairs on the back of his neck tingling and standing on end, goosebumps rising on his arms under his immaculate black cashmere sweater. He hooked a finger around the band collar of the perfectly ironed shirt under the sweater, feeling too hot. God damn, but I really don’t care deep down, I really don’t, still. Even if Mom started to spit fire. I don’t think I could stop. I have to see her again. What’s happening to me? Who is this girl, how am I feeling this way? God, I need a drink. What the fuck time is it?

He glanced at his watch; today it was the round black Movado he usually wore on regular days. 11:24 AM. He was shocked to see his hands were shaking a little; the bourbon and too much coffee, he insisted to himself. But he thought of her mouth again, her soft little hands on his cock, and he knew better.

He thought back on how they’d parted.

--------

He’d thrown her underwear into his silver, round Miele dryer; it took an average of ten minutes for it to dry practically anything, but for the first time since he’d bought it he wished it would dry slower; he had hated to stare at the thought that soon she’d be leaving, the smell of her lingering on his old Led Zeppelin tee, vetiver, geranium, roses, the heady smell of her already ground into the lining of his skin, haunting, bittersweet. She’d gone back into his room while he was at the dryer, slipped on her little velvet dress, her hair mostly dry now; he noted with a sad, low thump of his heart that the tee she’d worn was folded neatly on his nightstand as he went into the bedroom, gazing over her and the bed where they’d embraced so unforgettably a few short hours before, gold light all over her body, and he’d gone up behind her as she leaned to fix the hem of her little dress, wrapping his arms around her hips, bringing his hands up tenderly around her arms, pressing his face into the crook of her ear and jaw. She had sighed; the sound of it slinging bursts of light along every nerve of his body.

“Give me your phone number; please?” He’d reached his head forward a little, lips brushing her cheek, which was cool and smelled of the jasmine soap from his shower. She’d let out a little burst of a laugh, a sort of ha!, as if at the silly reality that they had been wildly intimate and didn’t have each other’s phone numbers yet; he silently agreed that modern life was constantly bizarre, but didn’t move his arms from her body; he felt loathe to.

“I’ll leave it on the nightstand with a receipt for my fee,” she joked.

“You know, I should have known you were Madeline’s daughter. She can’t stand to be serious either.”

Her elbow jabbed him softly in the stomach and he let out a little choke of laughter. She turned around, her face held up to him, the sunlight glowing around her head from his tall bedroom windows, dark damask curtains pushed aside, like a halo, this angel, angel baby, his mind murmured in a rush, and he was struck with a terrible tender feeling of longing; their lips connected, soft, suddenly reverent; and Duncan felt as though the air was abruptly sucked away from the sphere of matter that surrounded them. I could kiss this girl forever, forfuckingever, everlasting, his hand came up and buried itself in her hair again, holding her mouth against him, insistent. And he was overwhelmed again, again, again.

“Let me give you one of my jackets to wear home,” he had insisted. “It’s chilly today.”

She had smiled sweetly at him, her hand coming up to her mouth absently, biting her nail shyly. “I don’t need to, Duncan--”

“I want you to. I want you to wear my jacket. Please?”

She’d nodded, the blush spreading over her cheeks, and he wanted to cover her face with tender kisses, he ached to hold her face in his hands again, but he resisted with all his might; she might not want to be touched so much, and he was loathe to do anything she didn’t want. God, she looked so beautiful in this light; ethereal in a way that was different from the night before, like a Bouguereau to last night’s golden Waterhouse; he imagined flowers in her hair suddenly, imagined her dancing with sunlight on her shoulders, and he felt lost in her, speechless, thoughtless, struck dumb at her wondrousness.

He’d wrapped a black wool Brooks Brothers’ cardigan around her small shoulders; his favorite cardigan, he silently admitted to himself, warmth pooling in his mind, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Thanks, this is lovely,” she’d whispered, and he loved how big it was on her small frame, loved the way its hem fell behind her knees, the arms falling past her fingers, enveloping her.

“Let me get your underwear,” he’d whispered with a mischievous grin, and she’d smiled and nodded, her little fingers playing with the zipper on his hoodie. He’d brought them back to the bedroom to her with her clutch which he’d retrieved from the floor by the front door where she’d discarded it the night before in their passionate distraction; he turned away modestly as she stepped into the panties, but he felt her hand on his arm and turned back around; she roughly pulled his face down to hers, her tongue slipping into his mouth, thrilling him, and she had said “Duncan, you’re wonderful,” and he’d shook his head a little without pulling his mouth away, whispering “fuck, Mackenzie, you fucking are,” into her. She pulled away and he felt empty and too full at once, leaning toward where she had been, and he saw the way her eyes glinted with approval, happy with his obvious want.

“Phone numbers.”

She’d taken his sleek black iPhone from his hands, swiftly opening his contacts and typing in a new entry with fast fingers; she turned it around and presented it to him, that luminescent smile playing around her mouth; Kenzie Stone, she’d typed, digits below. “Kenzie,” he verbalized. “I love that.”

“I’d call you Dunc, but I don’t know if it has quite the same ring,” she giggled, and he was lost again for a moment in her dancing gaze. He laughed; he saw her grin widen. She liked to make him laugh, and that invisible hand squeezed around his heart again. He pressed the ‘call’ button; Mackenzie unbuttoned her clutch and pulled her phone out (which was on silent, though Duncan could see it vibrating in her hand), smiling at the phone number on her screen. “Infamous Playboy and Cutthroat Duncan Shepherd,” she said aloud as she typed, hiding the face of her phone from him; he snorted and pushed it down to gaze at what she’d written; just “Duncan Shepherd”, thankfully. “I’m not a fucking playboy,” he said, hand coming up to her arm, pulling her close with just a hint of roughness. “You have a fuck shower,” she countered, smirking, gold rings dancing in her hazel gaze, her sweet breath grazing his neck as he pressed her to him.

“Well, thank god for that, now that you’re here,” he hummed, mouth hovering over hers, relishing the softness of her skin under his grip. “That investment finally seems to have been worth it.” He captured her mouth, hand holding her neck gently once more, and she seemed to melt into him and the sun emerged from behind a cloud in that moment and bathed them in radiant splendor, a heavenly glow akin to the brilliance of daylight skewed in stained glass and there with her wrapped in his arms beside his bed, he thought this moment could be my last and I’d die happy, here with you, Mackenzie Stone.

-------

“Can I pick you up at 9?” He’d asked, an uncharacteristic shyness creeping into his words again, still taking him off guard though it had happened so often over the past 12 hours, his hand coming up behind his curls, absent-mindedly, self-consciously. He suddenly felt like he was 16 again, asking a girl to prom, but with a whole undercurrent of intensity that prom never brought on to any teenager in all human time; the weight of destiny was pressing on his psyche, he could feel it, and it was intoxicating and terrifying. “It’ll be my private car.” She was stepping into her strappy heeled sandals, about to lean down to tie them again when he kneeled to her as he had last night, wrapping them expertly around her tiny ankles, tying them in double-knots. He looked up at her from where he knelt before her, and he could see the reticent rosiness of her expression as she gazed down on him there, a sort of satisfied apprehension in her eyes. I’d do this for you every day, he thought. I’d kneel to you always.

“Okay, sure,” she said, her quiet voice ringing across his immaculate wood floors and stone countertops and in the empty space of his penthouse, filling it with her energy. “Yes.”

“Kenzie,” he said.

“Duncan,” she replied, her hands fumbling against her clutch, nervously.

He stood up, his height towering over her once more, her small frame outlined against his much larger one, and he thought of the way she fit against him, folded into his arms, the feeling of their bare skin against each other, a haze of desire washing over him again.

“I can’t wait to see you again. This has been…”

“So amazing,” she finished, boldness bleeding into her eyes as she looked up at him. “This was so wonderful.”

“Yes.” His hands found one of hers, grasping it tightly, reluctant to release her. “I feel exactly the same way. I...I don’t think anyone has ever made me feel this way before. You’re--”

She’d hushed his mouth with a hot, fervent, lightning-quick kiss. His words had bled into a groan into her, and he’d tried to grasp her, but she’d flitted away from him then, out the door, and she was running down the hall to where the elevator flew open to receive her, as if by some strange magic, and she’d called out “I’ll see you tonight, Duncan Shepherd,” over her shoulder, and oh, fuck, how his heart had ached to see her go, his cardigan wrapped around her, her hair shining in the warm light of the hall, the smell of her lingering all over him with a terrible ache, and he felt a breeze that seemed to come from nowhere fall over him; the wind of fate, closing in, claiming its prey.

-------

Duncan’s driver pulled up to his mother’s opulent four-story home, the vast Colonial-esque mansion he’d grown up in, and he pressed a deep, apprehensive breath out of his lungs, hands raking along his thighs. His mother was good at needling his moods out of him without him saying anything; clearly she would notice his strange temperament and question him about it. He needed to steel his nerves against Annette Shepherd’s almost supernatural second-sight.

“Samuel, I won’t be long,” he said to his driver, a handsome older black man of indecipherable age with a shiny bald head and a closely-cropped white beard and rectangular glasses. Samuel had been working for the Shepherds for over 30 years; he was faithfully discrete, as any employee of the Shepherd family was required to be. Duncan trusted him implicitly.

“Right, Mr. Shepherd,” Samuel replied, staring at him through the rear-view mirror. “Are you feeling alright today, Mr.Shepherd?” Samuel was unfailingly loyal, but he was also extremely observant. Duncan hesitated. Samuel had the night off yesterday; hence Duncan arriving at and leaving (with Mackenzie, oh Kenzie) the party via Uber. He wondered how much he should tell Samuel about her. He’d have to say something; they’d be picking her up tonight, after all.

“I met someone.”

He saw Samuel’s eyebrows raise in the mirror, a small smirk coming into the corner of his mouth.

“Oh, now. When do I get to meet them?” Samuel was aware that Duncan had had intimate relationships with other men before--a fact Annette still was not factually aware of, though he sometimes wondered if she knew and just didn’t want to acknowledge it-- and Duncan silently appreciated the discretion of his word choice. His bisexuality was one of those things Samuel was silent as the grave to his mother about, though he knew its reality quite well.

“Her. Tonight. I made reservations for Le Diplomate. And I need to stop at English Rose Garden after I’m finished with Mom.”

He could see Samuel grinning at him, his happiness and interest immediately obvious.

“Whatever you need, Mr. Shepherd. I look forward to meeting her.”

“Samuel...she’s wonderful.”

“I can tell that much just by looking at your face.”

“Believe me, anything I say would not be enough to describe her. Just wait.”

He opened the car door, taking a deep breath again. Into the lion’s den.

He quickly ascended the three wide front steps and turned the embossed gold knob, stepping through one of the opulent double doors that led into the entrance hall of the Shepherd mansion; “Mom?” he called into the house, eyes searching. “Mom, where are you?”

“Up here, Duncan,” he heard her silky voice call; he took the winding white staircase with its familiar gold-lined banisters (the left side of which he’d crashed off of when he was five years old, breaking one of his front teeth) two at a time, towards where he knew the exercise room off her office was; as he entered the room she glanced up from where she was walking quickly on her Peloton, sweat glistening from her forehead, her perfect hair swatting from side-to-side in an impossibly neat ponytail. She hit a button to slow the machine down, stepping off it with a sigh; grabbing a white towel slung over the side, pressing it to her slender neck.

“So, what do you have for me, darling?” She asked expectantly.

“Senator Howell will do everything in his legislative power to press the bill through, but of course, it’s Claire who we have to press hardest once it gets to her,” he replied in clipped, business-like tones, the kind she preferred he use with her, the kind she’d taught him to use for leverage since he was in middle school. “Uncle Bill can do more there than I can, but you know that.”

He bit his lip; a vision of Kenzie’s eyes had passed through his mind, and he rubbed his hands together absently, his right thumb pressing into the palm of his left hand to quell any shake that tried to threaten his voice.

Annette looked at him with satisfaction for a moment, and then her eyes clouded with concern--concern for the bill no doubt, Duncan thought bitterly, she thinks my obvious discontent has something to do with that, not with the angel who fell into my bed last night.

“What is it, Duncan. Tell me.”

“It’s nothing. I just didn’t get as much information out of him as I wanted, that’s all. I wanted confirmation of all of his PAC donors, but he only gave me two.”

She gazed at him and Duncan tried to keep his expression neutral. His mother was just too damn good at getting things out of him. He was reminded of a time when he was a boy when he’d stolen Valium from her purse and had lied to her when she had asked, though he knew that she knew he’d taken it. The dark cloud that went over her expression was one he’d never forgotten; you either told Annette Shepherd the truth or you paid dearly. His mother never hit him; her anger was far deeper than that, her grudges unshakable and unrelenting. He’d learned that day that it simply wouldn't do to lie to his mother. And yet here he was, on the edge of doing so for the first time since he was a child.

She seemed to be about to ask him something else, but her gaze shifted indecipherably, and she moved the conversation somewhere else; from what he couldn’t be sure, but he didn’t want to know. He hadn’t convinced her. She knew already he wasn’t telling her something.

“Fine. I’ll see that paunchy fuck at the Gala. I’ll make him tell me the rest. We have evidence of his mistress in Clarendon, but we only got confirmation last night after the party had already begun and I was tied up with the cable coverage. It’ll be the leverage we need. The bill will be on Claire’s desk by the end of the week for certain. Your uncle won’t accept anything less.”

Duncan rolled his eyes, “Oh, of course, because Bill Shepherd’s will is the will of God.”

“It might as well fucking be, Duncan.”

She looked at him strangely again, and Duncan tried to maintain his composure. His mother’s eyes had always made his blood run cold when she looked at him like that. His stomach turned over. Madeline Fucking Stone’s daughter.

“What are your plans tonight, dear?” She toweled her neck again, throwing it back over the side of the Peloton rail.

“I have some information to go over with Melody for the next show,” he rambled, “and I need to look over that report Seth was compiling.” More lies, he thought with a nervous edge. If she asks Seth about the report my cover’s blown, he gave it to me two days ago.

“Fine, dear. Let’s have dinner tomorrow. I miss my boy.” She came up to him, hands pressing into his shoulders, smiling her familiar smile, somehow both warm and terribly cold at once, her eyes two orbs of void, staring into him, deciphering him. Always knowing.

“Of course, Mom.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek, and he saw the strange expression come over her face again as he brushed against her. Oh god, she smells Mackenzie, he thought.

“That’s an interesting scent,” she murmured into his ear, unnerving him with her confirmation of his fears. “Vetiver, is it?”

“I’ve always liked it, thought I’d try something different.”

“I don’t think it suits you,” she replied in a low voice. The edge in her tone made a cold sweat break out under his shirt, clammy on his skin. She turned away, stepping back onto her Peloton, hitting a few buttons, putting her earbuds in, looking down to the screen, her attention sliding off him like water in that familiar way. He knew that was his cue to leave.

----

At the florist Duncan bought three dozen roses, dark red like the roses that had lined the balcony last night when he’d seen her standing there in her little black velvet dress, her hair shining like starlight, her face gazing into the distance like Artemis bathed in a pool of moonlight, surrounded by her does and hounds. He had an idea, and he was determined to get Kenzie to stay the night again tonight, any work to be done tomorrow in the cold grey light of Monday be damned. He would do anything and everything he could. He’d woo her for as long as it took. Kenzie, Kenzie, Kenzie, he thought in a daze, thought of her hands and her ankles wrapped in the heeled sandals, the curves of her hips (god, I got to see what they look like, they’re fucking gorgeous), the tiny crystals dangling from her ears, the delicate rise of her breasts, the hairless moisture between her legs in the glow of the lamplight over his bed.

His heart was shaking; god, this feeling was so strange, so different from anything he’d ever felt for another person before; now that she wasn’t in front of him in the flesh, he did truly fear he’d dreamt her. But the smell of her clung to him like a dream that he couldn’t shake off. Even his mother had smelled it. And oh no, his mother, who definitely knew he wasn’t telling her something. He didn’t know what in the fuck he’d do about that; he couldn’t imagine a scenario where his mother’s face wouldn’t take on the pallor of death. Madeline Stone. I fucked her daughter, I kissed her daughter’s neck and kissed her clit and I kissed her mouth two dozen times in rapture and I’m enchanted with her, I think I’m in love with her and I’m seeing her again tonight and I can’t think of anything else, she’s all I can think of, I want to call her right now and beg her to come to bed with me again, beg her to let me press my mouth into her body again, and I’m not fucking sorry, not sorry at all, not at all, at all--

“Samuel, Geoffrey Lewis please.”

“Of course, Mr. Shepherd.”

Tailoring was an area of comfort for Duncan. If his clothing was well-tailored, he felt more confident in everything. And he felt in dire need of courage tonight. The idea of seeing Kenzie again was filling his blood with a razor’s-edge of sensation, and everything had to be perfect. It had to be perfect because it was for her.

#millory #duncan shepherd #house of cards #ahs apocalypse #michael langdon #mallory #michael x mallory #duncan x mackenzie #duncan x mallory #cody fern #billie lourd #collie #cody x billie

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usahotshirtonline · 4 years ago

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mysurveys · 7 years ago

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Random Qs

Survey #7 on the Countdown to 2019!

Since my last survey I’ve been sick, busy, lazy... It’s been a long time, but I felt up to doing another right now. I’m not promising any more as a follow up to this tonight, though. I’ve been too into anime lately.

Air Conditioning - At what level or temperature is it on today?

I don't know exactly. It's usually on 68-70, though.

Pet - Where does your pet sleep at night?

Our dog Chloe sleeps on my parents' bed and my cats will be in the house or outside at night.

Laptop - Is it in your lap, on the table, or somewhere else and is it charging?

It's on a table in our living room and it's charging.

Smartphone - Who do you only use your smartphone to talk to without texting or otherwise?

I still don't own or want a smartphone. It’s not something I require because I hate talking on the phone and I'm not interested in texting.

If I go out then I like being unplugged so I can live my life. Being obsessed with some kind of tech is a codependency I really don't need.

Pillows - How many pillows do you actually use while sleeping, not just on your bed?

I'll use two for sleeping every night.

Candles - What's your favorite scent that you own and how often do you light it?

I prefer LED tealights, especially since I have cats. Scented items usually bother me too. I'm allergic to a lot of things.

Cigarettes - Who in your house smokes?

My father used to smoke off our property when he was stressed, but he hasn't done that in years to my knowledge.

My mother and I would never tolerate someone smoking in our house. That shit can kill you, including secondhand smoke.

Couch - How many people could sit comfortably on it?

We only have a love-seat in our living room. My parents and I only have recliners in the den. Mine is extra-spacious.

Glasses - Who wears glasses in your house and are they near or farsighted?

I wear glasses daily because I'm nearsighted and I can't wear contacts. Both of my parents will sometimes use cheap reading glasses, though. They're over 65 now, so their vision isn't as good as it used to be.

Toothpaste - What brand do you like best?

I have to use Sensodyne. My teeth are sensitive to hot, cold and sweet items. My whole body is hypersensitive.

Pencils - Do you prefer using regular or mechanical pencils?

I'd rather just use a pen, but I'll use either of those if they're available.

Coffee Mug - What kind of hot beverage do you drink the most?

I’ll mostly drink coffees that I make at home, although I'll drink ryokucha (green tea) too.

Television - What's your favorite television channel and what're the best shows on it?

My go-to channels are Investigation Discovery and The Weather Channel lately. I'm partial to A Crime To Remember and Evil Lives Here on ID right now, but TWC is something I watch no matter what's on.

The actual weather reports in the morning during AMHQ are really soothing to me and I like So You Think You’d Survive? and SOS: How To Survive.

Chap-stick - Do you get chapped lips a lot, and when was the last time you had them?

I don't often get chapped lips, but it occasionally happens in the winter. It happened sometime during the winter, probably before the new year.

Musical Instrument - What instrument is your favorite and what's your favorite song on it?

If I'm going to listen to only one instrument then I'd choose the ocarina. I like the drums, guitar, piano, harp. It's still better for music to be played with multiple instruments, though.

Trashcan - Whose responsibility is it to take out the trash at your house?

My father often does it, but sometimes I'll do it for him.

Plants - What kind of plants do you have in your house and how often are they watered?

We don't keep any plants.

Hair Dryer - Who in your family has the longest hair and how long is it?

My parents have very short hair, so mine is the longest. It's a bit passed my shoulders right now.

Chocolate - What kind is better, milk, dark or white?

I prefer white, but I'll also eat dark chocolate sometimes. My faves are Hershey's Cookies & Creme Drops if I'm having a real treat, or just the sugar-free Russell Stover Dark Chocolate Medallions.

Shoes - The last time you went out, what shoes did you wear?

My Wolverine hiking shoes. They're the best I've ever owned. I like sturdy footwear that encompasses my feet.

DVD Player - What do you have more of, VHS tapes or DVDs?

I think I tossed out all my personal VHS tapes years ago. I mostly have DVDS, but I’ve got some Blu-Ray discs too

Insects - When you find an unwanted insect inside of your house, do you kill it, take it outside, or leave it alone?

If it's just an insect then I prefer to put it outside if it doesn't have a stinger. If I find a lizard then I'm the same way.

But if I spot a spider, I'm going to try killing it because those can be dangerous. I can't really spot the difference, so it's better to just be safe.

Spiders are specifically arachnids and not insects, though. I'm not lumping them together, but some people call them "bugs" just because the word evokes the image of a pest that bugs them.

Obviously lizards are reptiles, but they're common here. That's why I had to mention them too. They often get into our house through the garage.

Razor - What are all the areas of your body that you shave?

I don't constantly shave, but I'll take the hair off my legs, arms and armpits if I feel like it. I won’t use razors, though.

Webcam - When you go on webcam, who do you chat with the most and do you use any specific sites or programs?

I don't use my webcam.

Refrigerator & Freezer - Does yours have an automatic ice cube maker, and do you prefer cubed or crushed ice?

We don't need one of those and we only use cubed ice. It's just that we rarely use ice at all.

Sunscreen - What SPF do you use?

I haven't used sunscreen in a long time, but if I do go outside for a while then I tend to stay in the shade. I burn so easily and I'm pretty allergic to a lot of things outside too.

It's been a big problem up until recently, but I've finally found a good allergy doctor now. Maybe I can go outside more soon.

Sibling - Do you get along with your siblings, and if you have more than one then which are you closest to?

I'm an only child.

Cereal - What kind of cereal is in your house right now, is it your favorite and if not then what is?

I think there's just some corn flakes. My fave is Cinnamon Toast Crunch even though I rarely eat that or any cereal.

Pain Relievers - What kind of pain reliever do you use when you have a headache?

We have some off-brand Tylenol with pain reliever. It's the only thing that really works, but if it's an allergy headache then I'll take one of those and a sinus pill of some kind as a decongestant.

Monopoly - When you play Monopoly, what game piece do you choose?

I haven't played in so long, but I used to pick the thimble or the dog the most. It’s been ages and I want to play again.

Now I’ve bought the Mario version since I’ve been having game nights with my mother, Miss Cindy and cousin Julie. We haven’t played it yet, though.

It’s got Mario, Peach, Yoshi and Donkey Kong. My preference would be Peach out of those followed closely by Yoshi, although you can buy others.

I would certainly love a Bowser, but my other faves from what’s available right now are the Boo, Tanooki Mario and Luigi figures. I’d say my number one is really the Boo figure, though. It’s my fave Mario baddie!

Bookshelf - What books, if any, have you read more than once?

I tend not to revisit books. I'm also much more fond of nonfiction.

Card Deck - What's your favorite card game?

The only one I really enjoy is Uno and I've got the Mario edition too.

Umbrella - Do you mind walking in the rain without one?

I really don't mind getting wet most of the time.

Mood Ring - What mood are you in right now?

I'm mostly good despite being pretty stiff since I woke up that way.

Hoodie - Do you prefer the kind with or without the zipper?

I'm good with zips and I like them more than pullovers.

Calendar - What's the picture on your calendar for this month?

The one in our kitchen is a Thomas Kinkade calendar. It's just some spring scene for May right now.

Pajamas - What do you usually wear to sleep in and are you comfortable falling asleep in jeans?

I would hate sleeping in jeans. My usual outfits are PJs, nightgowns or just a tee if it's hot out.

Backpack - Are you in school this year and if so, what grade are you in?

I'm turning 32 later this month, thanks.

Alarm Clock - What time do you have to get up tomorrow morning?

I don't have a specific time to be up, especially since it’s Saturday, and it's currently 12:55 AM too. I might go to bed in the morning.

Jewelry Box - What's your most expensive piece of jewelry, and if it was a gift then who got it for you?

It might be a heart charm necklace I got in a shop on the Kemah Boardwalk here in Texas near Galveston. I’m not really sure, though. It was something I wanted for my birthday from my parents.

Game Console - What's your favorite video game to play by yourself?

Animal Crossing! Any of the main ones, but not the offshoots.

I didn’t care to try out Happy Home Designer and Amiibo Festival. In fact, I never purchased the shitty Wii U system at all. I could’ve played HHD, but it looked lame too. No one I know liked it either.

Mirror - How many times a day do you tend to look in the mirror?

I don't look in mirrors all that often, but I'm not averse to them.

Basement - Is your basement used just for storage, or is it used as another room?

We don't have basements here.

Sports Jersey - What professional teams do you and your family root for?

No one in my immediate family is a big sports fan these days.

Dictionary - What was the last new word you learned and what does it mean?

I kind of rediscovered the word "grimoire" because of the Black Clover anime along with a lot of words based on the character names.

I think the last brand-new one was the name for Licht which means "light" even though there are several I've learned about now.

#surveys #survey #personal #questions #randomqs

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swifterm · 4 years ago

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Fastest Growing Ecommerce Businesses USA

In the United States, eCommerce business has turned into a booming industry for several years. Customers spent more than 600 billion USD in just the previous year with US retailers there. So, surely you got the idea of the market volume of e-commerce businesses in the region. Although hundreds of retailers closed up their dreams after struggling heart and soul but couldn’t make them happen. There are still many successful names in our record. We have planned to showcase a comprehensive checklist of some of the fastest-growing e-commerce businesses in the United States.

In this resource, you will find a complete statistic report along with the business type and its social media (Facebook) interaction. Before that, we will try to cover some essential terms likely the latest trends of e-commerce, sales growth, social media engagement ratios, and some more. You may find some similarities with our previous data from the fastest growing e-commerce companies in UK. Hopefully, these will help to get a clear concept with data about the US e-commerce market in detail.

Ecommerce Activities of USA Internet Users

As per research from multiple sources, most of the US people love to find a product and service using the internet rather than going stores physically. In last year, around 80% of the people made the purchase. The number has come from both laptops and smartphones. Here, we prepared a comprehensive report to let you know about the overall activities of USA internet users for e-commerce.

Data Source: GlobalWebIndex and Statista

🔹 82% of people in the USA search online to buy a service or product (any device).

🔹 90% of the users visit an e-commerce site and 76% of them buy something online.

🔹 The data shows, 52% of the buyers use desktop or laptop and 39% do it via mobile devices for online purchases.

Most Emerging Ecommerce Spend by Category

Ecommerce trends are changing with time and taste. It’s not constant always. As per the researched data from Statista, the travel and accommodation category spend the largest amount till the beginning of the year 2020. After that Fashion and Beauty, Electronics & Physical Media, Toys, DIY, & Hobbies, Furniture & Appliances, and other categories come to the list.

Data Source: Statista

🔹 The report shows data from the year 2017. The sales were 274.755 million USD then.

🔹 After one year in 2018, it reached $315.629 million.

🔹 Later in 2019, the amount turned to $365.207 million.

🔹 The projected sales growth for 2020 is 419.879 million USD. For the next consecutive years, it may reach $474.540 million, $524.091 million, $565.696 million, and $599.186 million.

Most Used Social Media Platforms in USA

Data Source: GlobalWebIndex

No doubt, social media is the strongest platform in online business to promote products or services globally. Among the most popular media, Facebook always keeps itself to the peak position for several years in most of the regions in the world along with USA. As per the Global Web Index report, around 74% of the internet users there use this platform each month.

Fastest Growing Online Stores in United States

Among thousands of growing online stores, we picked some of the most unique and popular ones on our list. Let’s have a look one by one!

1. Zaful

Zaful is among the leading online fashion brands loved by millions of people around the world. Apart from the USA, it delivers products to more than 260 countries. From the design, quality, and pricing, you will be a true fan of its creations after checking out its hot collections. Besides this, to get the latest news and fashion trends on women’s clothing, their Facebook page may assist you as a good resource. Since the beginning, it has crossed the landmark of 8.3 million followers and growing up rapidly.

Company Name: Zaful

Headquarters: Hong Kong, China

Founding Year: 2013

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Apparel & Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: October 27, 2014

Likes & Followers: 8,325,273 +

Page Link: Zaful

2. IPSY

IPSY comes with a view to inspire individuals to express their beauty. It’s one of the largest beauty community, started its journey back in the year 2011 in California, USA. Since then, millions of people are trying IPSY to discover themselves with a beautiful smile. It provides the latest products from brands and allows you to choose the suitable one from them at affordable prices. Their community in social platforms is booming day by day and creating a great impact on their business growth.

Company Name: IPSY

Headquarters: San Mateo, California, U.S.

Founding Year: 2011

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Cosmetics

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: September 19, 2011

Likes & Followers: 5,509,037 +

Page Link: IPSY

3. Steam

Steam is a digital platform for discussing, creating, playing games with over 100 million gamers around the world. It was developed by Valve Corporation in 2003. This platform offers exclusive deals on more or less 30000 games. Besides video game streaming and chat functionality, it also provides automatic updates and features regularly. In social media, Steam has a large community where you will find the news of its latest products and offers.

Company Name: Steam

Headquarters: Bellevue, WA, US

Founding Year: 2003

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Gaming

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: April 16, 2009

Likes & Followers: 4,843,495 +

Page Link: Steam

4. ShoeDazzle

ShoeDazzle comes with a view to making women look exceptional and stylish through gorgeous shoes, handbags, jewelry, and other accessories. In the year 2009, it was founded by the world-famous model and media personality Kim Kardashian and three other businessmen. ShoeDazzle has a great collection of footwear products, including heeled and flat sandals, wedges, pumps, sneakers, boots, bootles, and many more. Besides the types, it sells varieties of clothing, boutiques, bags & accessories products at affordable prices.

Company Name: ShoeDazzle

Headquarters: El Segundo, California, U.S.

Founding Year: 2009

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Shoe & Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: May 16, 2009

Likes & Followers: 4,516,917 +

Page Link: ShoeDazzle

5. The Mint Julep Boutique

Are you in search of trendy dresses, rompers & jumpsuits, shorts, kimonos, boots & booties, swimwear, and so on? The Mint Julep Boutique has covered all the items along with heavenly handbags, hats & sunglasses, bracelets, and adorable shoes. You will definitely love its flawless style of products and impeccable service. With 4.1 million followers, its Facebook page provides the latest products and offers regularly for the customers. And, the community is increasing every day with new hope.

Company Name: The Mint Julep Boutique

Headquarters: Auburn, Alabama

Founding Year: 2012

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: April 24, 2012

Likes & Followers: 4,143,709 +

Page Link: The Mint Julep Boutique

6. BookBub

BookBub is a large online community, especially for book readers. It provides unbeatable deals in different popular categories, including Bestselling, Biography, Contemporary Romance, Cozy Mystery, and Crime Fiction. You will also find the most popular books on Business, Fantasy, History, Parenting, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Horror. All the lists are being updated in time so that readers get the latest edition of their preferred items.

Company Name: BookBub

Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Founding Year: 2012

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Books

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: January 12, 2012

Likes & Followers: 3,637,714 +

Page Link: BookBub

7. Get It Free

Get It Free shows a unique e-commerce business strategy that offers freebies, samples, coupons, and sweepstakes. It lets you find the best deals at the competitive prices from your favorite brands. The policy of ‘Get It Free’ is made to save the money of consumers. That’s the reason it has been booming with its social media platforms. On Facebook, it got a huge engagement having more than 3.5 million followers within a short period.

Company Name: Get It Free

Headquarters: SAN DIEGO, CA, USA

Admin Organization: Zeeto Group LLC

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Accessories

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: January 14, 2015

Likes & Followers: 3,527,148 +

Page Link: Get It Free

8. Rotita

Rotita is another online fashion destination for smart women. It has an extensive collection of high-quality products from different categories. The most amazing fact is that you will get them at reasonable prices. It has a wide variety of products, including Lace & Mini Dresses, Tees & T-shirts, Sweaters & Cardigans, Pants & Skirts, Jumpsuits & Rompers, Jewelry, and more. To let the customers know the updates, it regularly posts the latest news on Facebook. Till now, it has already over 3.4 million followers there.

Company Name: Rotita

Headquarters: Kowloon, Hong Kong

Founding Year: 2014

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: February 14, 2015

Likes & Followers: 3,426,314 +

Page Link: Rotita

9. Bodybuilding

Started more than two decades ago, Bodybuilding.com has been turned into a great resource for health fitness, fitness accessories, and necessary supplements. It works as a personal trainer and provides possible technology, tools, and support as well. Besides these, you will also get free guidelines through their videos and articles. This is how it helps the audience and became the most-visited fitness site around the world.

Company Name: Bodybuilding

Headquarters: Boise, Idaho, USA

Founding Year: 1999

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Health Supplements, Accessories

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: December 30, 2008

Likes & Followers: 3,328,712 +

Page Link: Bodybuilding

10. Rosewe

Once again, Rosewe brings a unique way to represent fashionable clothing for trendy and smart women. It’s an online apparel store selling amazing Women Clothes, Jumpsuits & Rompers, Shorts, Shoes, Sweaters & Cardigans, Swimwear, and beautiful jewelry items. The design, style, and quality are maintained keeping the targeted audience in mind. That’s the reason, the community is growing up every day.

Company Name: Rosewe

Headquarters: Pudong, Shanghai, China

Founding Year: 2009

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: April 21, 2014

Likes & Followers: 3,252,266 +

Page Link: Rosewe

11. Hulu

Hulu is one of the leading and most popular online streaming services for TV and movies. The Walt Disney Company is the owner of this digital distribution media. It allows users access to most of the linked shows from the US broadcast network. This is the ideal place where all the hit TV series and films you will get together in a box. As per the report, it has gained 30.7 million paid subscribers until February 2020.

Company Name: Hulu

Headquarters: Santa Monica, CA, USA

Founding Year: 2007

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Streaming Services

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: December 22, 2007

Likes & Followers: 3,197,661 +

Page Link: Hulu

12. Amazon Fashion

In the industry of e-commerce, Amazon is the most popular name worldwide. It covers all the possible trendy fashion materials for both men, women, and kids. You can pick from any of your preferred brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Denim, Goodthreads, Lark & Ro, Champion, and many more. It offers the hottest deals by price and by your choice as well. Like the other international brands, it has also a large community on various social media, including Facebook. Its Facebook page has crossed the landmark of 3.1 million followers and still growing up.

Company Name: Amazon Fashion

Headquarters: Seattle, WA, USA

Founding Year: 2002

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Fashion

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: August 19, 2010

Likes & Followers: 3,156,020 +

Page Link: Amazon Fashion

13. BarkBox

BarkBox comes with a view to making the world better for dogs and the people who love to be with them. It helps you get the best products, including toys, foods, accessories, and more for them. All the things you will get in a box (known as BarkBox) at a reasonable price. In addition, it offers free shipping inside the 48 United States. Besides this, it has different platforms to serve the dogs for their possible betterment. Some of them are likely Bark Bright for dental care for bad dog breath, Bark Shop to find the best stuff, Bark Park- an outdoor clubhouse, and Bark Retail for having the seasonal collections for them.

Company Name: BarkBox

Headquarters: New York City, New York, USA

Founding Year: 2011

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Dog Products

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: October 26, 2011

Likes & Followers: 2,993,955

Page Link: BarkBox

14. The Bradford Exchange

Are you searching for unique and meaningful gifts for your family, friends, and beloved ones on a budget? The Bradford Exchange helps you get what’s on your heart and bring the most joyful experience. It has a huge collection of various Jewelry & Watches, Apparel, Bags, & Shoes, Wall Décor, Sculptures, Trains & Accessories, Baby Dolls, Gold & Silver Coins, and many more. You will get the latest news on Facebook page where more than 2.9 million audiences belong there.

Company Name: The Bradford Exchange

Headquarters: NILES, IL, USA

Founding Year: 1973

Business Type/Industry: Ecommerce, Jewelry, Accessories

Facebook Stats

Page Creation: January 23, 2009

Likes & Followers: 2,900,523 +

Page Link: The Bradford Exchange

Wrapping Up

USA is undoubtedly the world’s most developed market in terms of e-commerce business compared with other regions. Thousands of companies are trying to pull themselves to dominate the online industry. We tried to showcase the top fastest-growing e-commerce businesses there along with some statistical data. It also includes their Facebook data that represents the engagement and popularity in social media. So, is there anything we missed out here? Let’s share your findings to enrich the list we shared.

We hope you enjoyed this article, intended to help improve our client’s profitability. It reflects the care SwiftERM offer. If you haven’t already done so, then please enjoy a FREE month’s trial and let us know what you think.

#ecommerce fashion couture marketing retail

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onlinegolfclub · 4 years ago

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Importance of Picking a Tee Time Online

If you are a golfer, you would know the importance of choosing the right tee time. Tee times often remain the primary concern for most golf players when they choose the golf clubs. If booking a slot is too complicated or difficult, it could be a problem for you.

Earlier, booking the tee time used to be a real task. However, the best golf clubs have now introduced online booking facilities, making the entire booking tee time task easier. Here is how booking tee times online can be beneficial for golf lovers.

Simple Booking process

The best part about online tee time booking is that, the process is simple. Even those booking for the first time would not find it difficult. All you have to do is just access the golf club’s portal from your smartphone or laptop and choose the most convenient slot that are mentioned in the list.

This will also offer you a wholesome idea about all the slots available so that you can pick the most suitable one. The reputed Erinvale Golf Clubs keep their online tee time slot booking available to make the reservation process easier for the members.

All Information At One Place

Online tables for tee time booking keeps all the necessary and relevant information jotted together. Therefore, people booking the slots get to see even the time of closing of the club on that particular day. Hence, booking the tee time slots becomes easier for the members. It is important to know everything while booking the tee time can be an advantage at any time.

Clear Availability Chart

Online tee time tables show the available and sold out time slots clearly marked. Therefore, you do not have to struggle to find the available time slots from the entire slot. Once a member cancels a slot, the same gets reflected on the board immediately. Therefore, you always stand a better chance of choosing the best time you need while booking your tee time online.

The Hermanus Golf Clubs and many other keep a flexible tee time table booking system available online. You can access the portal anytime to book a slot for you.

#golfclub

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yevonscribbles · 7 years ago

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Home for the Holidays Pt. 1

In which Gideon and Nick get a surprise gift that lift their Christmas Spirits.

*****

Nick let out a contented sigh as he held a cup of coffee between his paws while he watched snow gently fall outside the small house on the outskirts of Bunny Burrows. The fox officer was used to the climate controlled areas of the sprawling metropolis in Zootopia and he often forget the simple joy of changing seasons. In the other room, Nick could hear his partner humming to himself and the aroma of fresh scones wafting through the home they sometimes shared.

“Mmmmmm, oh Gid those smell wonderful!!!” Nick called from his cozy spot on the couch covered in blankets. Normally, he prefered to hang around the house in his boxers but on cold days like this, the slender fox was glad he kept a few old tee shirts and pajama bottoms at the baker’s house. The nappy head of the chubbier fox poked out of the kitchen with a smile.

“Few more minutes on the scones babe! Need any more coffee?” The baker fox asked with a warm smile. He wore his own pajama set with an old pink “Gideon Grey’s Really Good Baked Goods,” apron. Gideon loved having someone to spoil with his cooking and was happy to have his boyfriend home for the holidays. This would be the pair’s first Christmas together and they had big plans to do absolutely nothing but cuddle and watch the snow.

Gideon went back to the kitchen to finish cleaning. Since opening his bakeries the business owner rarely had any took time off. The past few years his holidays were spent either alone or volunteering; anything to keep the fox from feeling lonely. Gideon’s family had long moved away and cut ties due to his “lifestyle choices.” The fox tried to shake the bad memories from his mind, “No sense on dwelling on the past and the things you can’t change.” Gideon thought to himself. With a ding, the scones were ready to cool.

After a light breakfast and a few more cups of coffee, the fox pair wrapped themselves in blankets and were cuddling on the couch. Nick sitting upright reading articles off his smartphone, while Gideon rested his head on his lap reading a book. The larger fox had taken to reading biographies during his free time. A gentle knock on the door caused them to look up from their distractions.

“Expecting company Gid?” Nick asked, with a tilt of his head. “Hope they don’t mind pajamas because I refuse to put on real pants.”

“Ah don’t think anyone was coming over… Ah was all ready for lazy cuddle day.” With a grunt of protest, the baker moved himself from the couch and went to open the door. Another few knocks, a loud whine could be heard from the other side.

“Cheese and crackers you two!! It's COLD!!! Let me in!!!” Judy Hopps did not sound happy to be outside in the elements. The rabbit officer tended to visit her friends whenever she could get away from her family or needed an excuse to get away. She even had a few spare clothes and personal effects around the house.

Chuckling to himself Gideon unbolted the lock and opened the door. “Well that'll learn ya not to come over without texting us first! Come in, we still have some coffee if ya need some. Even have some leftover scones. If ya can convince Nick to let you have ‘em!” Gideon motioned for the cold rabbit to come inside. With some grumbling, the officer marched into the kitchen, dragging a few oversized shopping bags and removed her heavy coat while she made a straight shot to the coffee maker. The rabbit poured herself a cup in her personal mug, a white ceramic item with “World’s Best Wife” in bold type. The mug had been a gag gift from Nick a year ago.

Judy grimaced as she took a drink of the coffee. “Gid! Why didn’t you tell me it was paint thinner not coffee!?”

Nick had moved the couch and leaned in the doorway of the kitchen. “Fluff, you just don’t know good coffee. What brings you out to our humble den on Christmas Eve?”

“I needed to get away from the family for a few hours. There is only so many times you can be asked why you're still single from relatives,” Judy took another swig of the hot beverage. “Also Mom and Dad wanted me to invite you over for Christmas Day.” The foxes shot each other a worried look. A look that didn’t go unnoticed by the officer.

“Umm, Carrots, not to be rude or anything but I don’t think a pair of gay foxes would be welcomed with a few hundred traditionally-minded rabbits,” Nick held up a paw in defence. Judy shot her partner a glare. “No offence but I don’t think we are even on the Christmas card list.”

“Oh please Nick! My family loves you both and you know it! I actually have some early presents from them.” Placing her mug back on the counter, the rabbit began to rifle through one of the bags. Judy produced two roughly wrapped gifts then handed one to each of the foxes. “It’s kind of a tradition that my Mom does once a family member finds a mate, go on open em!”

With a nervous look, the pair of foxes open their gifts to reveal matching sweaters with their names stitched to the middle of the garment. They both would win an ugly christmas sweater party on its own. Bright green and red zig-zag patterns covered the sleeves and tassel balls hung from the collar of the sweaters. Gideon felt himself warm a bit with joy. He had not received a present in years, much less a home-made item. The baker turned to face his partner, only to find the slender fox had already pulled his sweater over his head and was marveling at himself.

“Ah it’s just as itchy as it looks!” Nick said with a little too much excitement. “Well go on Gid, try yours on!” The fox officer was so excited he couldn’t control the wagging of his tail. With a sigh, the larger fox pulled the hand-knitted sweater over his head. He felt silly, itchy, and warm. But there was something else that he couldn’t put his paw on. Judy had taken a seat on the fox sized countertop and watch her friends be the adorable dorks they were. The rabbit smiled, pulling out her phone and took a few quick photos to tease her partner with later.

“Nick yer tail is wagging like crazy! Why are you so excited?” Gideon chuckled at his partner. Normally the officer tried to seem disinterested and aloof, but deep down he could act like an excited kit. The last time Gideon saw Nick this excited, the baker had surprised him at work after a month of working out of town.

The officer took a moment to try and compose himself but he couldn’t stop his tail. With a shrug, he wrapped his paws around the pudgy baker and pulled him into a hug. “Oh Giddy, it’s been ages since I got excited about Christmas. My Grandmother made me a sweater before she passed and I wore it every Christmas until I- Well until I got too big… But this sweater feels just like I remember.’” Gideon nuzzled his boyfriend’s neck.

“Ah am gonna have to ask ye Maw for photos of happy Christmas Kit Nick…” Gideon teased rubbing his partner’s head.

“You will not ask that woman for anything-” Nick began.

“Oh I already got them! I was going to save the kit photographs for blackmail butttt…” Judy waved her phone at her friend. The baker leaned on the counter next to where the rabbit was seated, and looked at her screen. A few second later, Gideon and Judy were making identical cooing baby noises.

“I regret letting you meet my Mother, Judy Hopps…” Nick said with mock irritation.

“Ah don’t be like that babe, ye were a cute kit! And yer Maw is an amazing vixin.” Gideon said with a smile. Though they had only met a few times, the female fox had taken a liking to the Gideon and they kept in contact.

“So what do you boys think? Wanna come to my home tomorrow and thank my Mother in person for your gifts?” Judy said with a smile.

“What do you think Gid? Cuddle all day or spend the day with an adoptive family full of rabbits?” Nick asks with a shrug.

“Aw hell, why not go see how the Hopps spend Christmas? Whats da worst that could happen?” Gideon laughed to himself.

*****

YAY CHRISTMAS!!! Not really my personal favorite holiday BUT it’s a good time for a story. This is a three part story with much bunnies, much gay, and some wow. Please enjoy and feel free to give me some feedback; I know I have some room to grow!

Shout out to my editor (who is also learning) Brad and my boyfriend Erik for dealing with my crazy and how excited I am about writing.

#zootopia #nick wilde #gideon grey #judy hopps #gay #christmas #fanfic #fan fiction #nick x gid #home for the holidays

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