by Mignon Mykel
Caleb and I were sitting in our new living room, hours after filming the reunion special. The moment we got home, we both took off our fancy clothes and were in what was now our usual nighttime attire—me in one of Caleb’s team shirts and Caleb in appropriate shorts, in case he had to answer the door like two nights ago, when I’d been in a state of undress and he was in boxer briefs.
Caleb made me binge-watch the entire season of Beauty with him over the course of the last week, but I was drawing a line at watching the rest of this reunion show.
I already knew what they were going to show: sneaky footage from the first week we were together, blacked-out screens with audio from a bathroom, or the bedroom, or even that one time in the gym. They even had audio from one of the most emotionally satisfying conversations we ever had, while in the bungalow at Bora Bora.
They weren’t kidding when they said they had eyes everywhere.
“I like the way we look,” Caleb said, pulling me closer into his side.
I took my hand away from my eyes and looked at my fiancé, both brows raised. “Does it not annoy you? It’s like watching Jenna and Jonny making out on the couch. Terrible to witness over and over again.”
Like Caleb told Stewart and the audience, when Caleb first reported to San Diego, I was due to go to New York. However, thanks to the internet, we were able to do some internet house shopping and compared ideas through our nightly video calls. We did live with Jonny and Jenna for three days before closing on the house we bought. It was slightly larger than the two of us needed, at four thousand square feet. It was two-stories and a little more modern than I cared for, but Caleb convinced me I would fall in love with the house once I saw it in person.
And true enough, I did.
The entire back of the house was window-walls, which I was sure what he figured would be my selling point. Everywhere you looked, you had a view of the ocean. There was a pool and hot tub too, but it was Caleb standing behind me in the barely staged living room, arms around my neck, painting me pictures with words about our kids running through the house, their laughter echoing in the halls…
He swore it would make a great family house.
Him and those damn kids. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
But yes, it was the picture he painted that finally sold me.
I did tell him he’d better work on a long-term contract, though, because it was going to be at least two years before we would start having babies. His current contract still had three seasons left, and there was no way I was moving cross-country with an infant. If he wanted kids to fill this house…he had work to do.
“I like seeing what everyone else sees when you look at me,” he said, nodding toward the now black television screen. “I know your eyes shine. I know you love me. But it’s refreshing to see that the world can see that too.”
I smiled softly. “That was pretty sweet, Cael.” I leaned in to him to peck his lips once softly. “Just keep looking at me the way you do, and we’ll be good.”
For all my fears that he was too good to be true, that what I felt for him couldn’t last…
Caleb proved daily that he wasn’t lying when he said I was it for him.
There was never a doubt in my mind that Caleb loved me, and I couldn’t wait until the day I became a Prescott.
Caleb
I couldn’t convince her to watch the rest of the show, but that was alright. I preferred watching mindless television with Sydney curled next to me, her knees resting on my thigh as her hand sat innocently in my lap.
Don’t think I didn’t know she grabbed me on purpose earlier in her so-called blind search for the remote. I knew my pixie redhead well.
I teased her with turning the show back on, but she finally settled down when I told her we would watch a nineties sitcom rerun instead. We watched two episodes before turning the television off for the night.
We made our way to the back of the house together, hand in hand. I turned off lights as we went, only letting go of Sydney’s hand when we reached our room.
After making sweet love, Sydney lay curled in my arms while I ran my fingers up and down her side, careful to not hit any of her ticklish spots. In the last week, my balls had been the recipient of knee jerk reactions one time too many.
“Oh. I forgot to tell you. Before we left the studio tonight, Tony offered to host our wedding.”
Sydney pushed up against my chest to look down at me. Her brows were raised in that adorable way she did, as if she were trying for a one-brow raise but failed miserably. “Seriously? I really don’t know if he likes us or not. He’s so…wishy-washy.”
“Douchey is the term I use.”
Sydney grinned and settled back down. “That works.”
“He said he wants to film the wedding. Wants it on another cruise ship.”
Immediately, Sydney’s head was shaking. “No more cruises.”
I chuckled. “That’s what I said. I’m so done being on water for more than six hours.”
“So did he let it drop?”
“Tony? Let it drop?” Caleb laughed. “Nope. Said he’d film it wherever we wanted then.”
Sydney thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know that I want that filmed. It’s bad enough that America got to see some of our more vulnerable moments, but to watch something that’s that personal? I don’t know.”
I turned my head in to press my lips to the top of Sydney’s head. “Don’t worry, Chief, I didn’t agree to it. I told him we would talk about it, but that I wasn’t thrilled with the idea.”
“Good man.”
We lay there in comfortable silence, the huge sliding glass door to our room open and letting the breeze from the ocean in. I may not want to be trapped on the ocean for days at a time, but being with Sydney and hearing the waves… That was my peaceful.
“Did I ever tell you how I never wanted anything other than hockey?” I asked her. “I didn’t want to do the promotions or the advertisements, and at one time, I was convinced I was never going to find time for a girl either? I only wanted hockey.”
“I recall you not wanting to do the show, but I think that was the most of it.”
“I’m glad I made time for the girl,” I whispered against the top of her head. “Some of the extras are worth it. You are so worth it.”
Sydney smiled then turned her head so she could press a kiss to the center of my chest before putting another on my lips.
“So are you, Caleb.”
Did you enjoy Interference?
Please consider leaving a review at Amazon and/or Goodreads.
Thank you for your support!
xo, Mignon
This was a book that, again, was started years ago. I first started writing Caleb and Sydney’s story in my brother’s truck, Christmas of 2008, on our way up to Eau Claire, WI to visit with our grandparents. I remember asking him if the phrase, “It sucked major balls” was appropriate for a ten year old.
Like with From the Beginning, I put the project on hold for a number of years until finally I got the writing bug back. I actually re-started working on Interference before I decided to update what is now known as From the Beginning. This go-around, I utilized people outside of just myself, and for an introvert that can be difficult.
Lisa. If it weren’t for my reaching out about PR questions, and you talking about wanting a writing partner, I would have never picked this project up again. I wish you the best of luck with your own writing, but think you’re awesome for all the things you give to the writing community. I hope that someday you find the time to show the community your writing side.
Of course, thank you to my BETA readers. Gemma and Paula, you were awesome additions to my BETA crew for this book. Thank you for your insight as readers with how Sydney and Caleb’s story was progressing. Renee, I can always count on you to keep me motivated and excited for my characters. Paige. Oh, Paige. From the beginning (goodness, gracious, that was completely unintentional, but it’s a phrase th
at needs to be put in) you have been a huge cheerleader for Caleb and Sydney. Your excitement with each early chunk you received had me more than excited to push through whatever troubles Syd and Cael gave me, because goodness knows they weren’t always easy for this writer. Lastly, to Kristen, whose name was given to me by Jenn. Thank you for pushing me and helping me find avenues to fully round out Interference. I truly believe the final product, with some of those additional scenes, gives justice to Sydney and Caleb’s story.
When finding an editor, I was looking for someone I thought I could jive with. I knew of Jenn from miscellaneous boards we both frequented of authors we both supported, but I didn’t know she did editing until I ran across her name in someone’s thanks. Jenn, you rock. Thank you so much for your additional little cues and word changes. I look forward to working with you again and again!
As always, to my family; my parents for allowing me to put the “real world” on hold (aka, finishing a degree, because goodness knows I’ve started a few of them) and being supportive when I decided to not only work on my writing, but to make a cross-country move; my extended family who have been supportive with my writing; my big bad Marine of a brother who answers male questions for me… I’m so sorry for the embarrassment, but thank you! I’d also like to add that your comment about this being a hobby? Just you wait, Tyler… Just you wait… I do love a good challenge.
All of my friends back home that have been super supportive of not only From the Beginning and being super pumped for Interference, but also for the support in my move. I miss you all but no worries, I’m still going to visit. The Aly(i)’s…you ladies rock my socks with your excitement; Rita…oh, Rita, I can always count on you to support my work and push ‘Share’. I miss you, lady.
I can’t forget Mia and Indiesage PR. I love the ease of working with you guys. You make this side of writing incredibly easy. And from Indiesage, I found the Blurb Diva, aka Alana Albertson. You were the first person I’ve ever outsourced something to, and I love the blurb you came up with for this story! Thank you so, so much.
Lastly, the readers who fell for Noah and Ryleigh, and were excited to watch Caleb fall for his pixie redhead. I hope you’re pleased with the story, and I hope you continue this journey with me.
As an avid reader of the romance genre, I have dabbled in writing it for the last 10+ years! Many of the original stories will remain hidden on my green external hard drive, but the Prescott family has fought to be heard.
The Prescott Family series, the first I will be releasing, was first plotted out eight years ago. It’s taken some time, but the family is on their way to meet you. I hope you love them as much as I do!
I am a recent Arizona transplant, living with a cat and dog (who only get along when the dog is preoccupied). I love love and enjoy penning stories of happily ever after.
Connect with Mignon online:
website | facebook | twitter @mnonmklwrites | instagram @mignon.mykel
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BOOKS BY MIGNON MYKEL
PRESCOTT FAMILY
From the Beginning (Ryleigh and Noah)
*only available to purchase until October 2016
Interference (Caleb and Sydney)
*the wedding will be a short-story featured in the newsletter!
Trouble Maker – coming 2016
Those Prescott Girls – coming 2016
Including novellas:
Challenging the Play
Playing the Point
Delay of Game
O’GALLAGHER NIGHTS
One Night Stand – coming 2016
About Last Night – coming 2016
All Night Long – coming 2016
One Night Stand
Caleb mentioned the establishment… Now get a taste of those O’Gallaghers for yourself.
One Night Stand, featuring Conor O’Gallagher, will be the next book to release.
*O’Gallagher Nights will be a novella series; short, easy (but a bit warmer than these Prescotts) reads.
Prologue
O’Gallaghers was the place to go if you were looking for a good time. The local sport teams hung out there after games, for one, but also because the O’Gallagher siblings were a sight to behold.
At least, in my opinion.
I grew up with the siblings. Brenna, the youngest of the trio and four years younger than Rory, and I had been best friends up until the fifth grade. Conor, the oldest, and Rory were wild, flaunted sex appeal like nobody’s business, and were fiercely protective of their baby sister.
They also didn’t seem to think she was just as wild and crazy as they were.
Which was actually part of the breaking point in our friendship. By the age of ten, I was no longer good enough for her.
While I remained the quiet, timid Mia, the only part that was wild and crazy about me was the brown, curly locks on my head. Brenna, on the otherhand, was the first in our grade to get breasts, her period. She was the first to grow tall in our class, too. Sure, we eventually all caught up and she became the shortest in our grade, but it didn’t stop the boys from noticing her. She was a five-four, C-cup beauty with raven black hair and piercing green eyes, and we were only twelve years old.
By fourteen, rumor had it she lost her virginity in the back of a high school senior’s van. A classmate of Rory’s, no less.
By sixteen, the rumors started circling she was pregnant. She wasn’t, I don’t think, but it was a popular story, told again and again.
The thing with the rumors was that the people spreading them, the people responsible for them, were extremely careful to keep their words clear of Conor and Rory.
Brenna left for school in her conservative clothes and always returned in them. She left clean-faced and was always sure to wipe the make-up off before heading home.
I’m sure her brothers weren’t stupid, but with everything else going on their lives, if Brenna showed up clean and fresh and like the angel they thought she was, they could go on and pretend the same.
I never spread the rumors.
It wasn’t that I was afraid of her brothers; quite the opposite, actually. At all of eight years old, I had fancied myself in love with fifteen-year old, Conor. He shared the jet-black hair with Brenna, but his eyes were the type of blue you could see from a mile away.
So incredibly brilliant.
As much as I missed Brenna’s friendship, it was the easy smiles her brother always had for us that I missed the most.
I sat at a high-top table in O’Gallaghers, my eyes on the man running the bar.
Conor O’Gallagher.
I hadn’t seen him in fifteen years so I doubted he would recognize me.
But I recognized him.
Gone was the lanky, tall, clean-faced kid from our youth. In his place was a taller, broader man with a short, yet thick beard. The only time he flashed his smile was when he was flirting and he always paired it with a sexy wink.
I had been coming in a few times a week for the last three weeks, trying to get the nerve to go up to him. Tonight though, was ladies night, which meant he brought the charm up one-hundred-fold.
The O’Gallagher siblings were second generation Irish-Americans; their grandparents were from Northern Ireland. Anyone with any knowledge of Irish history would know that the Irish didn’t wear kilts, but rather tunic things called lein-croichs.
Ok, maybe I looked it up.
But I had been pretty sure kilts were a Scottish thing.
Anyhow. Thursday was ladies night, and Conor and Rory brought it up a notch by wearing solid black kilts, last week’s was saffron colored though, paired with the forest green shirt that was part of the bar’s uniform. No other bartender did the same, just the O’Gallagher boys.
They also both wore tan work boots, which should have made the ensemble ridiculous but rather…
It was fucking sexy as all get out.
I licked the corner of my lips as I lifted my Irish ale to my lips, my eyes still on Conor.
You see, for all of Conor’s flirting, he always backed it up. Sure, he flirted with everyone, but if he gave you extra special attention, you just knew where your night was going.
Allegedly at bar close , he took one of the remaining ladies up to his apartment for a wild rendezvous. Never a virgin; he wasn’t quiet about his lack of desire to take a virgin to bed. He liked the wild women who knew their own way around the bedroom.
Thursdays, rumor had it, he brought two back with him.
I didn’t want to be one of two tonight, no.
But I did want one night with him.
A night to learn the ropes of sex.
Because if anyone knew what he was doing, it was Conor O’Gallagher.
And I was going to be his first virgin.
