#fun fact this is an actual film scan of mine lol

[castletemprwine]

girls used to follow me around, then i got cold

[hockeytrashgoblin]

Just One Date? ~ Part 2

A/N: hi loves! Here’s part 2! not much to say about it. It’s really dialogue heavy compared to the last one. Not nearly as long as the last one but I guess it’s kinda close. lol oops enjoy!

“Hi gorgeous.” the low voice said walking past me quickly. I turned to look up and saw him wink at me as he left the room following my boss. I was doing some editing stuff while Tuch was in the studio doing an interview. Most likely one that I would be editing the next day. I tried my best to focus on my work but it was really distracting knowing that he was just one room away and that in less than an hour I would be leaving with him to go on date number two. It had been about a week since the first one and I was once again nervous. Not that surprising to anyone really. We had been talking pretty much non-stop though since the date which was really nice but I couldn’t help but still feel a little bit nervous to see him like that again. I’d seen him since but it wasn’t as big of a deal as another date was.

Again he decided not to tell me where he was taking me on this date which was annoying but kind of fun too. All he told me was to dress comfy in pants and not too loose clothes with boots. Some weird instructions let me tell you what but I did as I was told and just wore it to work. He didn’t want to wait for me to go home and get changed because it would be ‘burning daylight’ so we were just going to leave from here. I was completely wrapped in my thoughts when my boss and Alex came back into the room breaking me from them.

“Alright (y/n), I’m out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye Lindsay have a good one. I’ll make sure to lock everything up before I go.”

“Okay cool. Alex are you ready to go?”

“Actually I’m giving (y/n) a ride home so I’m just going to wait for her if that’s alright?”

“Yeah of course. I’ll see you guys later.” she sounded kind of bitter about it and I scoffed when she left.

“What was that?” he asked laughing.

“My boss has a thing for you.” I said turning to him half laughing too.

“Oh really? Maybe I can get her number.” he said with a playful look in his eye. I rolled mine and spun my chair to face away from him again.

“Rude ass.”

“Beautiful, no. I was just kidding.” he said coming up behind me and hugging around my shoulders. “Your number is the only girl’s number I care to have. Besides my mom and sister of course.”

“Sure, sure Tuchy whatever you say.” I said with a sarcastic smile.

“Hey.” he pulled my chair around to face him again and we were definitely face to face. “That was a bad joke. I shouldn’t have said it and I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“I mean it gorgeous.” he leaned forward and gave me a chaste kiss. “Are you ready to go yet?”

“Just about. Just let me do this one last thing and then I’ll send it to Lindsay for feedback then we can get out of here.”

“Okay sounds good.”

“But you have to stop distracting me first.” I said kissing him again before spinning my chair back to the desk. I worked pretty quickly and got everything done. Alex slowed down the process by asking me a million questions about what I was doing and how to do it but eventually I finished and sent it to Lindsay for review.

“You’re so smart and talented. It’s so interesting watching you work.” he said as we left the building.

“Alex it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Yes it is.”

“Maybe sometime we could make a video and I could edit it together and teach you a bit of stuff.” I paused for a second thinking about what I had just said before continuing. “Okay I just realized it sounded like I was offering to make a sex tape with you and I just want to clarify that that is not at all what I was trying to suggest.”

“Do you need something for when I’m on the road?” he asked laughing at me.

“Noooo.”

“You could’ve just asked.”

“Noooo.” I said covering my face this time.

“Who knew quiet little (y/n) wanted to star in a sex tape with yours truly.”

“Alex shut up.” I groaned smacking his arm while still trying to hide my blushing face behind one hand.

“Didn’t want to have sex on a boat but wants to make a sex tape. Who knew you were like this? Little bit kinky don’t you think?” he asked with laughter still dancing in his eyes.

“You don’t even know yet.” I exclaimed before my face went even redder, my brain catching up to what I said. I slouched down in the seat of his car to try and disappear while Alex died of laughter. “Fuck off Tuch.”

“Babe, come on. How am I supposed to just leave that alone?” he asked still laughing.

“I’m sorry just please stop.” I begged. He looked at me and his face softened when he saw my face.

“I’m sorry for laughing and making jokes (y/n). I just wasn’t expecting you to say any of that. Didn’t think I’d ever get any kind of information like that, let alone find out that I don’t even know yet how kinky you are. I was just surprised. Forgive me?” he asked taking my hand and kissing the back of it while he continued driving.

“Yeah, yeah I forgive you.” I said rolling my eyes at him. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised though. I’m a grown woman and I know what I like.”

“I think I just forget since you’re just a little baby.”

“Alex I’m literally only 2 years younger than you.”

“Yes. A baby.”

“This baby’s gonna fight you if you’re not careful.”

“Are we gonna film it?” he asked with a smirk winking at me. I groaned loudly.

“You’re the worst.” I yelled out into the car making him laugh.

“You love it.”

“Yeah well if someone could help me find out why that would be greatly appreciated.”

“Gotta get some scans done for sure.”

“See a brain specialist. ‘Dr. why do I subject myself to and enjoy the company of Alex Tuch?’”

“He’d probably say because I’m fantastic company to keep.” he said with a dopey smile.

“This doctor has not been in your company like I have then.”

“Ouch! You wound me.” he said grabbing his chest.

“Someone has to.” I said laughing. “Can’t let that ego get too big.”

“I did always need some help keeping that in check. Good thing I’ve got you to do it now huh?”

“I guess it is.” I said smiling softly at my hands. “Do I get to know what we’re doing today or what?”

“Or what.” he said smirking.

“Come on Alex please?” I begged, giving him my best puppy dog pout.

“Come on don’t give me that shit. (y/n) stop you’re so cute.”

“I will not.”

“Fine you little pain in the ass. I’m taking you horseback riding.”

“Yay! Wait really? We’re going to ride horses?” I asked getting excited and grabbing his arm which made him smile big too.

“Yes we’re going to ride horses. I thought it would be fun and I’ve heard you mention a few times that you like horses so..”

“I only mentioned that like once or twice, how did you remember that?”

“Oh uh it doesn’t matter really. I just remember a lot of things when it comes to you.” he said rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, his cheeks blushing a light shade of pink at the confession. I reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek which had him blushing more.

“That’s so fucking cute.”

“Yeah well..”

“You’re so fucking cute. Look at that, I’ve got you blushing now.”

“You could stop any time.”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Brat.” he said with a big grin.

“What are you gonna do about it Tuch?”

“You better watch it or you’ll find out.”

“Pfft no I won’t.”

“You’re not the only one who’s kinkier than originally expected (y/n).” he said in a low voice that had me swallowing whatever snappy remark I had waiting.

“Oh?” 

“You’d probably be just as surprised as I will be.”

“Bold of you to assume we’ll get past this second date to find out.”

“Hey, we had that really good first date and if I remember correctly you’ve been blowing up my phone ever since so I’m pretty confident I’ll get a third one and maybe a fourth.” he said smirking.

“You’re so cocky. And I’d like to point up you blow up my phone just as much if not more than I do. I just have a lot of random things to say and no one to send them to.” I said looking at my hands.

“Hey no, don’t get all quiet on me.”

“I’ll stop if you want?”

“No (y/n) I don’t want you to stop. I was just joking around. I love hearing from you out of nowhere that someone is doing something weird on the bus or that you saw something cool to show me later. I think it’s really sweet that whenever things happen to you and around you, you want to tell someone. And the fact that the someone is me? Amazing. Don’t stop doing it.”

“I’m at a loss for words.” I said quietly.

“Well finally.” he said sarcastically making me hit his arm with a smile.

“You’re the worst.”

“You right. But come on we’re here so I can be the worst on a horse now.”

“Great.” I said jumping out of his truck.

“At least when you say yeehaw it’ll make sense here.” he said coming around to my side and taking my hand.

“Hey, yeehaw is an appropriate thing to say in any situation I’ll have you know.”

“Yeah sure, if you say so.”

“I do say so.”

We walked up to the registration building and signed in. The man working was super nice and very helpful pairing us with the perfect horses. I had a beautiful light brown horse with a black tail and mane. Her name was Sunny and she was gorgeous. She kind of looked like the horse from the movie Spirit. Tuch had a black one that was equally as beautiful. Alex took a couple pictures of me with Sunny before we left on the trail because in his words ‘this is just too cute not to capture’. He wouldn’t show me the pictures though which was annoying but oh well. It was so nice and relaxing to spend time with a horse again. It had been so long since I had ridden a horse but it was still awesome. I guess it was also nice to spend time with Alex too but. Horse.

Alex had a little more difficulty with riding his horse. She was a little more energetic than my horse, for lack of a better word. She just wanted to go fast but the guy who was leading the way held her by a leash so she wouldn’t run away. It was kind of funny.

We went uphill for quite a while through a really nice forest trail. I couldn’t believe the sights that we saw on the trip. Once we got to the top there was a beautiful mountain on the other side of a canyon with a small river running right through the middle of the land. It was like looking at a painting, something someone created in their mind, instead of real life scenery in front of me. We were back at the beginning way too soon for my liking. I pet the horse some more while Alex was signing out and fed her some treats.

“Come on beautiful, we gotta go.”

“Do we have to? I don’t wanna.” I said pouting slightly but still smiling.

“Yes (y/n) we do. We can come back again if you want to, I had fun.” he said grabbing my hand and leading me out.

“Even though you were a shit cowboy?”

“Excuse me? I was not a shit cowboy!” he exclaimed loudly.

“You had to be held on a leash Tuch! I was the better cowboy.”

“I will never admit that in my life.”

“You don’t have to. I know it’s true. The boys will believe me. It’s all good.”

“You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?” he asked when we got to the car. I leaned against the door of the truck and just smiled at him sweetly.

“Yes, yes I do.”

“Don’t you smile all sweet at me. Cute-ass bitch.” he said, making me let out a burst of laughter.

“You.” I said smiling more. He surged forward and connected his lips to mine in a way that left me breathless when he broke away.

“Sorry..” he said, pulling away. “I couldn’t help it.”

“Pfft okay. It’s fine.”

“Get in the car you little pain.” he said smirking giving me another quick kiss.

“Can’t get in the car if you keep kissing me.”

“Smart-ass.” he laughed and went to his side of the car getting in. I got in too and we started the drive back to my place. “Do you want to stop and get some food somewhere before I bring you back home?”

“Yeah sure. Where were you thinking?”

“I don’t know, it’s a cheat day so I thought maybe fast food if you don’t mind that?”

“Alex look at us. We’re full of hay and smell like horse. I don’t think any fancy places will be itching to let us come in. Besides I don’t want you to spend a lot of money on me.” I said getting quiet.

“I don’t mind spending money on you, (y/n).” he said snorting. “I have enough to spare.”

“I know I just..sorry nevermind I don’t know..”

“Hey, no tell me. You do know.”

“I just don’t want you to think that I’m going on dates with you because you’re spending a lot of money on me or something.. I’m not like that and I don’t want it to come across as that or anything.”

“I know that you aren’t like that, gorgeous. Don’t worry about that at all. I just want to have fun with you and maybe spoil you sometimes. You deserve that.”

“Just don’t go too crazy Tuch, I don’t need expensive things or dates.”

“I know I just wanted to.”

“Okay. The next date I’m planning.”

“See I told you I was confident about getting a third date out of you.” he said with a wink.

“Oh fuck off. As if anyone is surprised by this information.” I said rolling my eyes. “Well hopefully after the one I plan you’ll want a fourth.”

“I definitely will.”

“Wow the confidence you have in me is amazing.”

“I like you, why wouldn’t I be confident that I’d want to see you again?”

“I dunno.”

“Give yourself a little credit cutie.” he said putting his hand on my thigh and squeezing in a comforting way. “Is Mcdonald’s okay?”

“Uh yeah that works for me.”

“Okay cool.” he said pulling into the drive thru. “What do you want?”

“Large fry and a small M&M mcflurry.”

“Are you sure that’s all you want?”

“Yes.”

“And not because you’re worried about me spending money?”

“No that’s just all I want.”

“Okay if you’re sure.”

“I am Alex.” He ordered the food and sat it all in my lap as we drove out. “Why do I have everything?”

“I don’t want to drop it.”

“Do you want to come back and eat it at my place?”

“Yeah sure we can do that if you want.”

“I’m asking what you want Tuch.”

“Okay fine then yeah let’s go back to your place.” we drove back in pretty much silence since I was eating my mcflurry. When we got there I unlocked the door and let him lead the way in. He dropped the food on the table and laid across my whole couch making me roll my eyes.

“Just make yourself right at home.”

“I will thanks.” he said, smirking at me. I rolled my eyes again getting my food out of the bag and pushing his legs back so I could sit. “Hey this was my comfy spot.”

“Bite me.” I told him with my mouth full of french fries.

“I will if that’s what you’re into.” he said raising his eyebrows suggestively.

“Calm your hormones Tuchy.”

“They’re calm.” he said wrapping an arm around my waist pulling me closer to him. He reached past me and grabbed his food but kept one hand around me.

“You’d probably have more luck if you just let go of me for a second.” I said as he struggled with the takeout containers.

“I don’t want to though.” he said squeezing my waist. “Just help me?”

“Stop pouting you baby.” I said opening his food for him. “Happy you ween?”

“Um I am not a ween but yes I’m happy.” 

We ate pretty much in silence, just a random episode of spongebob on in the background. Once we were done I went and threw out the garbage before coming back in and sitting back against him.

“Come here.” he said quietly.

“Why?”

“I want to cuddle you duh.” he said rolling his eyes making me blush. 

“Fine.”

“Come here cutie.” he pulled me down to him so we were spooning but he had his head lifted a little bit so we could both still watch cartoons. “There that’s better.”

“Good I’m glad you big baby.” I said pulling his arm across my chest and laced my fingers with his.

[infinitehouseofbooks]

YOUNG ADULT FRIDAYS - X.

Welcome to Shannon Muir’s Infinite House of Books!

DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS by YA Bound Book Tours. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.

X. by Shelby Mena Genre: NA Contemporary Fiction Release Date: July 23rd 2017 Summary from Goodreads: nspired by actual events, X. follows the story of Tamra, a young actress, during the days following her feature film debut. The week kicks off with the arrival of her childhood best friends, Maddy and Amelia, who have flown in to help her celebrate the most important milestone of her life. Home friends. L.A. friends. Fun parties. Exclusive clubs. Hot boys. It should all add up to equal the most unforgettable time. But Tamra is haunted by a dark secret. Unbeknownst to her friends, she is being stalked, and pressured by greater forces to keep quiet. Our leading lady has convinced herself that she needs no one’s help battling the anxiety that has only recently developed within her. Everything is only further complicated when Lucas, the boy who has appointed himself protector and guide to Tamra during her time in Los Angeles, threatens to act against her wishes and reveal her truth. 

  Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

  Prologue

Lucas sat overlooking the hills below, contemplating as he always did, his presence at yet another house party he knew deep down he profoundly detested. He recognized, however, the necessity in keeping up appearances, and cultivating a sense of relevancy within the young Hollywood scene. This was his penance for having taken a hiatus from acting for nearly three years, and just recently deciding to crawl back out from under his rock. 

He had arrived at the party with his main crew. The majority of his people had scattered, mingling with all their other sometimes friends and collaborators. Everyone would spend the night flitting around in the sleekly minimal main living room of a Beverly Hills mansion, taking Snapchats, posting Instagrams, letting their millions of followers know how fabulous their lives seemed to be.

Andre, Lucas’ model friend, and one of only two people he could implicitly trust, was sitting next to him on the outside balcony of the home. He was smoking a blunt that had been given to him by some rapper he had hung out with during a studio session the night before.

“What’s on your mind, Luke?”

“Like… why am I even here right now,” Lucas griped, compulsively popping his knuckles.

“I don’t know why you come to this shit, if it really stresses you out so badly,” Andre replied, bringing the weed up to his lips.

“You know why.”

“No, I really don’t. You left the game for three years, and the girls are still obsessed with your pretty-boy ass. Like, you’re fine…Here, take a hit,” he said, passing him the blunt. Lucas did so, thoughtlessly.

“Looks fade,” he quipped.

“Not necessarily.”

“Oh no?”

“Betty White is still hella cute.”

“That’s true,” he agreed, chuckling.

“C’mon Luke, you never bitch about coming out…What’s really wrong?”

He took a deep breath before answering. “Fuck… I think I’m depressed.”

“Of course you are. Everyone in this town is depressed.”

Lucas knew his friend meant not depressed, but unsatisfied. That was the best way to describe the inhabitants of Los Angeles. Unsatisfied people trying to become otherwise, making the most of it during the time in-between.

But this was not Lucas’ problem. He had remembered being at a family dinner one night, attempting to explain to his movie producer parents that he was unhappy, but not being able to come up with a valid enough excuse as to why. He was ten then. It was a decade and a half later, and he was just now beginning to realize that he didn’t know anything about himself or what he actually wanted.

Suddenly, Lucas’ thoughts shifted to the only other important person in his life. Tamra. He had spent nights on the phone with her, trying to work through his never-ending stream of discontent. Tamra did not share his troubles, and was in fact oppositely steadfast in her goals and opinions. It had worked out for her well. Her debut as a film actress was fast-approaching, with the imminent premiere of a film she had spent the year working on, just weeks away.

“Have you seen Tam?” he asked Andre.

“Not for the whole party. I don’t think Sellers is here either, so your guess is as good as mine.”

Lucas sat for several minutes, twiddling a piece of his curly hair in between his fingers. He knew it was unfair to seek out Tamra at a party where she could potentially be having a good time, only to burden her with his problems as he so often did. But Tamra settled him, and he was quickly advancing toward a level of concerning unsettlement. He decided to send a text to the group chat:

  Tamra, where ya at?

No reply. “I’ll be back,” Lucas said abruptly, leaving Andre to sit alone with only his high to keep him occupied.

He scanned the expansive room behind him. The party of a hundred or so people wasn’t nearly enough to fill the open space of the house, making it easy for Lucas to search for his friend. He looked left into the kitchen, then walked downstairs to the tv room, which he realized to be mostly empty except for a couple of guys, who were making out on a brown leather couch. Lucas even checked the wine cellar down the hall, but Tamra was nowhere to be found.

The weight of the high from the weed was beginning to sink from the top of his head, through his neck and down into his shoulders. He managed to find his way back to the main floor, where he collapsed in an empty loveseat. Lucas concluded that Tamra had probably left the party with someone else, for which he was too high to be adequately bothered about. He set an alarm on his phone for twenty minutes later, and placed it next to his ear, allowing his lids to close over his eyes, which had become too difficult to keep open.

In what seemed like ten seconds, his phone began beeping obnoxiously. The noise was so sudden that it frightened Lucas awake. Disoriented, he checked his screen to find a text:

Miles: Can we go home now?

A few more messages popped up, and the following conversation ensued:

Miles: Can we go home now ?? haha

Andre: Yeah, this party sucks

Miles: Me and Ezra are in the kitchen when you guys are ready haha

Lucas: k

Andre: Luke do you have Tamra?

Lucas: Couldn’t find her. She probably left w someone.

Andre: No, I tracked her on Friends. she’s still here.

Lucas: oh fuckk. I’m not smart enough when im high lol I’ll find her. 

Lucas looked around, surprised that he had missed Tamra during his first sweep of the house.  Then, his eyes rested upon a wide staircase that he had not previously noticed, leading up to a third floor. With great effort, he pushed himself off the couch, and quickly made his way upstairs. The top story was less open, comprised mostly of a long hallway of doors. He called out Tamra’s name. No answer. Lucas dialed her number, calling her phone, pushing himself into rooms, one by one. He strained to hear ringing, as music from the party downstairs reverberated through his eardrums. He was, however, able to pick up a faint sound at the end of the hall passed a small office.

Lucas rounded the corner and reached the door to a bedroom, that he gently pressed against. It was dark, but he could see the silhouette of a rectangle on the floor in front of the closet. Tamra’s phone. He sighed, figuring that she had dropped it while looking for a restroom in which to fix her makeup. Lucas nearly ignored the bathroom off to the side, but decided it would be best to splash some water on his face and revive himself.

He opened the door and flipped on the light. In the corner, in front of the toilet was a figure in an oversized denim jacket, lying in fetal position.

“Fuck,” Lucas whispered. He sighed, and then walked toward the person, pulling them onto their back. For a moment he was frozen, as he considered the improbable possibility that the high was messing with him. Then he became frantic.

“Tamra, TAMRA,” he whispered anxiously. She had blood dripping from her nose and mouth. Lucas propped her up and held her in his arms as he stroked the side of her neck, checking for her pulse.

He grabbed some water from the sink and sprinkled a bit on Tamra’s face. Her forehead crinkled in strain, but eventually her eyelids trembled open. She was weak, but managed one request as Lucas helped her to her feet.

“Don’t tell anyone,” she pleaded quietly. “Please, don’t tell anyone.”

  About the Author

Hi there… third person author bios seem impersonal, so I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to let you know I’m a 21 year old college student who was put on this earth to tell stories. I’m a major fan of  music, contemporary art, and realism. I love books, movies and my mom. I don’t think I’m anything special, but I think my stories are, or else I wouldn’t bother writing them down. My heroes include Kathryn Bigelow (the filmmaker) and Brett Easton Ellis. I write stories about millennials, for millennials. I am a feminist. I think the colored and the colorful are what make our world special, and I love that we have an opportunity to experience different cultures and different points of view. I really hope you enjoy my debut novel, and the works to come. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about me, and thanks for reading my stories. I really appreciate it. 

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YOUNG ADULT FRIDAYS – X. was originally published on the Wordpress version of SHANNON MUIR'S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS.