chapter 1

“Go to hell,” A woman screamed as she shot through door, causing the screen door to hit the wall hard. She bolted down the concrete steps.

“Wait Shari,” A man yelled as he shot through the door, causing the screen door again hit the wall hard for a second time, then bolted down the concrete steps after the lady. By the time he reached the bottom step, Shari was in a taxicab. The man hurried over and grabbed the door before Shari could slam it shut. “Please. Let's talk about it. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, You’re always sorry Daniel.” Shari said sternly as she pulled on the door handle.” Now let go of the door.”

No.” Daniel exclaimed holding fast to the outer handle. “ I didn’t mean what I said.”

You mean when you called me a w***e?” Tears welled up in Shari’s eyes. “I am sick of your temper and degrading insults.”

Daniel leaned into the door. “But I love..”

Before he could finish his statement someone yanked his collar and pulled him into the front seat.

“Listen Pal.” The taxi driver said in a harsh voice. “You either get out of my cab or I’ll hit you so hard they be collected your teeth in a jar.”

The driver let go causing Daniel to stumble backward. Before he could collect himself Shari Slammed the door shut and the cab pulled away.

“But I love you. “ Danny yelled then watched through blurry eyes as the cab stopped. He saw the left turn signal, then the cab pulled out f the lot.

“D****t,” Daniel said to himself. He silently cursed his temper. What was his issue? He knew she wasn’t cheating. It seems as if every time a man hits on her, and that s a lot, he just loses his common sense. He can’t blame them, she was beyond beautiful.

He recalls the first time he met Shari wilkes, it was when he was interviewing her about a robbery at the bank she worked at, for the Modesto Bee. It took all he could muster to concentrate on the question he was asking her. She had pale skin, but her cheek somehow was always rosy. Her hair was brunette; It was shoulder length with curls on the end. She had a button nose and thin lips, and light blue eyes that were hypnotizing.

He couldn’t help but get captivated by her beauty. Not to mention she was very humble and deeply caring for anyone she met.

Then he got lost in her courage at the trial when she got up, testified, and fingered the suspects. He knew how scared she was because she told him. But she was fearless throughout the trial.

Shortly after the ordeal was over he asked Shari out. It started casually then grew into a very serious relationship. When the editor got wind that he was dating her he was not a happy camper. If he weren’t such a great reporter he would have been fired immediately.

The relationship had its ups and down, Most of the downs were because of him. It wasn’t her fault that other men became drawn to beauty, gentle soul, and caring heart. He had insecurity issues, he didn’t deny it, but that was no excuse for how he treated her.

She didn’t deserve that, which meant he didn’t deserve her. But he wanted to be the man that she did deserve.

To do that he needed to get his jealousy under control. He flashbacked to a particular situation. It was about a year after they met . They were at an award party, celebrating a local football player that just got drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals.

He heard a guy bragging to his friends that Shari was throwing herself at him. He confronted her, and that turned into one of their heated arguments. Later on one of the other ladies from the party, Lynette Langley set the record straight; that the man was coming on to her and she flat-out rejected him.

Suddenly Daniel was awakened from his stroll down memory lane by a ringing cell phone coming from his apartment. He raced up the stairs, tore the screen door open, and made a line towards his phone laying on the nightstand.

He read the caller id and frowned before reluctantly hitting the accept button. “Hello, mom... Yes, this is a bad time.. look mom, I not really in the mood to talk right now... Yes, I got into a fight with Shari, and before you ask it, was due to my temper...” Daniel listen to his mom rant for a moment and sighed. “ There is much more to it... I actually called her a w***e.”

He pulled the phone away from his ear and listened to his mom scream at him before he ended the call and threw the phone on the bed.It immediately rang again. Daniel rejected the phone and turned it off.

Daniel paced back and forth contemplating the situation. The woman he was involved with for five years. The woman he gave up an opportunity to work at the New York Times so he could be with her. The woman he was truly in love with was Gone, maybe permanently. NO, he yelled inside his head. It is not over, I can get her back. He plopped onto the bed, wouldn/’t come come easy. As he closed his eyes the last image of her played in his mind. Standing there a white blouse, and faded blue jeans, her bangs covering her tear-filled eyes. Her curls were in disarray over her ears. It took fifteen minutes for him to cry himself into dreamland. 

Reviews

[Corset]

Starts immediately into the "thick of it" grabbing your attention and it carried me right to the finish of the page effortlessly bringing the supporting mental images that place one into the character, I can't critic on something I don't know about, but so far it's got all the components of watching a movie in my mind, and to me, that's what a good book entails.

[Coyote Poetry]

A strong opening chapter. You create a dangerous situation. I liked the detail and the movement of the chapter my friend. A angry woman become blind when anger over take her. Thank you for sharing the amazing chapter. I will keep reading.
Coyote

[The Rock And Roll Cowboy(REBEL WITH A CAUSE)]

thank you so much. This novel is a bit different for me in the fact there are trial scenes that take place. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

[Coyote Poetry]

I will keep reading and you are welcome Dale.