- Website redo! It may become an overhaul at some point, because the organization feels … not so organized.
- The King’s Diamond has been removed from my book list. Its contract has ended and it is now out of print. BUT it will be re-released as a Single Shot Classic later this year. Happy happy.
- So, I had this idea, and I thought, Ooh, it’s going to be gritty and urban and maybe a little rough…and then I was thinking about it and realized it’s still urban but it’s also kind of fantastical…so I’ve got two possible urban fantasies in store. This makes me wibble a bit. But it should also be fun.
- OH HEY I’VE GOT A NEW STORY OUT IN A MONTH.
Does it feel like excerpt time to you? It feels like excerpt time to me.
Spice It Up: Herbs de Provence is the story of Harry and Nicholas, both lovers of good food and the south of France. Harry has known Nicholas since Nicky was taken in by Harry’s friend Dix as a teenager, and Harry’s only now noticing that Nicholas is all grown up.
Most of the guests had left and the patio was mostly cleared when Dutch put a hand on Dix’s and Harry’s shoulders and said, “Gentlemen. Go home.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” said Nicholas as he looked at his watch. “I hadn’t realized it was so late. We were enjoying talking so much.”
“Come back tomorrow, son,” Dutch said and Nicholas beamed.
“Thank you, Mr. Schlegel.”
“He’s right,” said Dix and nudged Patrick, who was dozing at the table with his chin on his hand. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
Patrick nodded awake and blinked, looked at his watch and rose. “It’s past midnight.”
“Yes, we’re getting kicked out,” Dix said. “Would you–?” He nodded to the kitchen, and Patrick went into the restaurant. Harry smiled as he swallowed his beer: the original check Dix had sent covered the food and the staff’s wages and tips, but Dix being Dix, he was sending Patrick in to deliver a little bit more.
“I’m not sleepy at all,” Nicholas said but shrugged on his coat nonetheless.
“That’s because you’re ten years younger than most people here,” Harry said.
Nicholas leaned on the table to look into Harry’s eyes. Harry stared back, trying not to smirk. “You’re not sleepy either. Are you still running on European time? Or Australian, or wherever you were last week?”
“Morocco,” Harry said. “It’s beautiful. You should go.”
“Maybe if Dix takes me.” He pushed himself off the table and pulled on Dix’s arm to get him out of the chair. “You haven’t taken me anywhere new for a very long time.”
“I know. We need to go on a trip soon. Harry can take you to Morocco if you want to go.” He wound his arm around Nicholas’s shoulders. “Knowing Harry, he’ll be off again soon.”
“Not before he sings for us,” said Nicholas, turning both him and Dix to look at Harry again. “You do still sing, don’t you? While you’re cooking?”
“Yeah, of course,” Harry said, surprised that Nicholas remembered. “While I cook, in the shower, while I houseclean, and sometimes while I jog.”
Nicholas laughed and reached across the table to brush his fingers through Harry’s hair. “I think I’d like to hear you sing.”
Harry inhaled, looking up at him, and then stood and leaned over the table so they were mere inches apart. He sang, inventing the tune as he went, “Happy graduation day, Nicholas, it was a lovely day, Nicholas, you have to go be a grown-up now, Nicholas, but we will always love you anyway.”
Nicholas laughed again and patted Harry’s cheek.”I think that’s my favorite present ever.”
“I thought you’d like that,” Harry replied, and noticed that Dix was watching them. Dix smiled when their eyes met and tugged on Nicholas’s shoulder.
“We should go. People need to sleep, even singing chefs.”
“Singing chefs on Moroccan time,” Nicholas said, still looking at Harry.
“I’m back on California time, really,” said Harry, “but that shouldn’t stop us from making plans.”
“You never make plans,” Dix said, “which is part of your appeal. Though if you plan to come to lunch on Sunday I think we’d all like that.”
“Sure, I can do lunch on Sunday.”
“Excellent. Where’s Patrick? Are he and Leon trading war stories again?” He went into the restaurant.
Nicholas started to follow, then came back to Harry and said softly, “Good night one more time. It was really good to see you again, Harry.”
“It was really good to see you too, Nicky,” Harry said. “Or have you outgrown that? Are you just Nicholas now?”
“Old friends are allowed to call me Nicky,” Nicholas said. “So you can. Good night.”
Herbs de Provence will be available August 18.
Mirrored from Jenna Jones.com.