Interactive Short Story

This is an interactive short story where you - - the reader - - can help me develop the plot. Read what I have written so far and then in the comment section below suggest where the story might go next. Check back next week to see if your idea was chosen and how it plays out in the plot.

Impulsive was not a word one used to describe Amanda Jeffries. Her friends were far more likely to use words like "grounded" or "centered". Some might even have called her set in her ways. That is what made her decision to marry Jase on the spur of the moment an odd one. It just wasn't something Amanda would normally do.

As she stood in front of the judge, dressed in her Sunday best white cotton eyelet dress, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. That didn't; however, stop her from automatically responding "I do" when the question was posed. The truth was, she did love Jase and she wanted to be his bride. She would deal with the consequences later on.

As soon as the ceremony was over, Amanda threw her arms around her new husband and kissed him like it was the first time. The kiss made her heart flutter and tingled all the way down her spine.

As he signed the paperwork, she stared openly at him. He was tall, well over six feet. He had a slim build that belied all the muscles that rippled underneath. His sun-kissed brown hair was shinier than any she had seen before. She made a note to find out how he accomplished that miracle.

He was not; however, handsome in the conventional sense of the word. Acne had done a number on his face during his youth. Still, he wore his scars with confidence and within seconds of meeting him, you no longer noticed them.

Finished, Jase turned to smile at her and Amanda's heart melted all over again. His smile was a thing of beauty and she couldn't help returning one of her own.

Without warning, he swept his bride off her feet and carried her from the courtroom with people clapping along the way as they left the building. She marveled how her weight didn't seem to phase him. He wasn't even breathing hard when he finally placed her inside their vehicle.

"Happy?" It was a silly question. Amanda's happiness was written all over her face. At that moment she wasn't even thinking about the firing squad she would have to face with her family and friends. She just basked in the glow of the moment.

"Where are we going? It was a natural question, but one Amanda hadn't thought to ask until that moment.

"We have the honeymoon suite at the Hilton waiting for us," Michael smiled. "I intend to pamper you for the remainder of the weekend, my dear."

"But you live only a few miles from here," she started. "Why. . . ."

"You mean we live only a few miles from here," Michael interrupted. "It is our home now. But my bride deserves only the best on her wedding night."

Amanda admitted to herself that she loved the sound of that. Long walks on the beach in the moonlight always appealed to her. Doing it with Jase would make it sheer perfection.

Within minutes, the couple pulled up in front of the hotel. They were met at the door and ushered into the suite quickly. Before she had time to think, Amanda was standing in the middle of the biggest bathroom she'd ever seen. The huge, luxurious tub was already calling her name.

"Honey, I'm going out for a few minutes. Soak in the tub and I'll be back before you know I'm gone."

That seemed unlikely, Amanda smiled to herself. She started the water and began removing her clothing. Once she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she stopped. She was eager to see what Jase saw in her.

She was a decent height at five foot seven. Her build was relatively slim, although she had plenty of curves in the right places. Her strawberry blonde hair was straight and long. Her green eyes sparkled even in the artificial light. She supposed she was attractive enough. It occurred to her, though, that Jase could have done better. Then she dismissed the thought and climbed into the hot tub.

The honeymoon weekend progressed as expected. She and Jase left their room only for walks on the beach and an occasional lunch. Most of the time they were right where newly married couples commonly were - - in bed.

When Monday morning rolled around, Amanda admitted she was a bit sad to head home. She knew Jase had to get back to work but she wasn't eager to share him with anyone just yet. Knowing that his office was nearby made her nervous too. She wondered how easy it would be for his employees to butt into their private time.

Amanda shook the thoughts from her head. Jase was a lawyer and there would be times he would be needed even in the middle of the night. She had to accept that. She was certain they would have plenty of alone time together.

As they pulled up in front of Jase's house, she couldn't help but think it was an odd choice for such a contemporary man. The building was done in classic Victorian style, which was more her taste than that of Jase's.

He had warned her that it was in a state of disrepair. He and his best friend, Michael, were supposedly going to renovate it themselves. So far they had only finished the outside. It had to be done first to meet the standards established by the city. Their section of town had recently been declared a landmark site.

It was a beautiful house to be certain, with the wrap-around porch Amanda had always wanted. She could see herself spending a lot of time sitting there watching the children in the neighborhood as they played.

As they unloaded the car, a short, stocky man exited their house and called out to Jase. "Hey buddy, where you been? Who is this lovely lady?"

"This is Amanda," Jase answered. Oddly, he didn't add the words, "my wife."

"Nice to meet you, Amanda. I'm Michael, Jase's best friend. Here let me help you with those bags. You staying here for awhile?"

"I should hope so," Amanda laughed. "Jase and I got married on Friday."

She couldn't help but notice that Michael missed at step at her announcement. She was certain if she could see his face, his expression wouldn't be a happy one.

"Well, isn't that something," he mumbled without turning to acknowledge her further. Jase said nothing more.

Once inside; however, she caught Michael looking at her with a weird expression on his face. She didn't like it. She felt naked beneath his gaze. For the first time since she met Jase, Amanda wondered what she had gotten herself into. She suddenly wondered if she had made a mistake. If she had, she realized it might be too late.