Communication
Page 1
With her supersonic ears, Tatiana can hear a whisper from a mile away. You think she’d be able to hear the warning signs of a breakup too, but she’s blindsided by her boyfriend Jordan’s fear of commitment.
Tatiana has spent her whole life listening to people. She knows they don’t always say what they mean. Sometimes listening is more important than talking, and sometimes we speak with more than our words.
She’s willing to compromise, but Jordan’s going to have to meet her halfway.
This SWEET 6,000 word short story is based on the PARAPOLICE series by Stella Notecor, which is coming soon. A two chapter excerpt from Book 1: The Bet is included with this story.
Want to read more about the Parapolice? Join Stella Notecor’s mailing list at newsletter.stellanotecor.com to receive updates!
COMMUNICATION
By
Stella Notecor
Communication
Stella Notecor
© Copyright 2011 by Stella Notecor
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Image: Jimmy Thomas (romancenovelcovers.com)
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given away. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each person with whom you share it. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it or have it purchased for you, please visit www.stellanotecor.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Table of Contents
Communication
About The Author
The Bet
COMMUNICATION
Tatiana climbed into Jordan’s car the instant it came to a complete stop. “Get me out of here!” she hissed, buckling up her seatbelt. Once she was settled, she tugged the bottom of her dress to straighten the skirt.
He grinned. “Hi, honey, how are you? Did you have a good day at work?” He turned his attention to the cars flowing past them. As soon as he saw an opening, he pulled away from the curb into New York City’s rush hour traffic.
“Damn Hallmark actually makes cards for ‘the anniversary of your father’s death’.” She pulled open her purse. The card’s pastel blue envelope peeked out, and she glared at it. “Everyone in the whole office signed it. All day long, I heard them whispering, ‘Did you hear about Tatiana Monroe’s father?’“ She rummaged around in her purse till she found her lipstick.
Sometimes it sucked having supersonic hearing. Tatiana loved being a paranormal, but the drawback was hearing things one should never hear. She’d never be able to forget the pity she’d heard in her co-worker’s voices.
After pulling down the visor, she checked her hair in the mirror. She’d need to get it permed again—her natural curl was coming through. She smeared on another coat of her favorite lipstick, a pretty pink color that stood out nicely against her café au lait skin. Then she dumped her purse on the floor. They were headed to her mama’s house for dinner; she didn’t need any fancy makeup there. She cast a quick glance over at Jordan. His business suit was a little stuffy, and he needed a haircut to tame his afro, but he was presentable.
Jordan reached over and squeezed her thigh. “Your dad was the reason Stanton started his paranormal private investigator business, right?”
“Yeah... they were both cops in the 83rd Precinct. They were the only paranormals in their department.” She smiled down at her lap. “They both wished they had more backup in the field who knew what to expect from paranormal criminals.”
Jordan nodded. “No wonder your coworkers were talking about him. He’s why they have their jobs.”
“But it’s been ten years...” Tatiana sighed. “I guess that’s why it bothered me so much. I thought by now I’d be over this, but it still hurts.”
Jordan gave her a sad smile. “I don’t think anyone ever gets over losing a parent.”
She looked away, ashamed of her whining. Dad had died a hero, and she was complaining about people remembering him that way. Jordan didn’t talk about his parents much, but she knew his dad had committed suicide. Since his parents had divorced after his mother was admitted to a mental institution, Jordan and his sister were probably the only people who remembered his father with any kindness.
She clasped his hand and squeezed it tightly. “Sorry.”
Jordan squeezed back, but he kept his eyes on the road. “You know, feeling pity is just as hard as hearing it.”
“Sorry,” she said again, but she didn’t release his hand. Having an empath for a boyfriend was tricky. He could feel all of her emotions simply by being near her. She didn’t want to treat him any differently than she had her other boyfriends, but she also didn’t want to overwhelm him with her feelings. She consciously toned down her emotions without shielding them from him.
Glancing out the car window, she noticed they were pulling into Mama’s neighborhood. “Are you sure you want to eat with us?” Mama, Tatiana, and Sean had eaten dinner together every anniversary. Sean had only been five when Dad died, and the dinner had become a way to help him remember their father. “We’ll probably be a little depressing tonight.”
Jordan slowed the car down as they approached Mama’s apartment building. She and Dad had bought the place when they first got married. They’d planned on getting a nicer apartment, but after he died, Mama kept it for the memories. And the cheap rent.
“I love visiting your mom,” Jordan said as he parked the car. “I’m not going to avoid her just because she might be sad.”
Tatiana looked at the house again. The bright yellow curtains in the windows beckoned her inside. She remembered hanging those curtains with Dad. The happy memory brought a smile to her face.
“That’s better,” Jordan murmured. “Now, let’s head inside. I spent all day listening to a bunch of lawyers fight over minutia. After that, I can handle anything.”