house of alpha
The office is a mess. It usually is, but this is worse than I’ve ever seen it. No matter how frustrated I get with my writing I normally don’t drag a keg over by the computer. But it’s there and it’s tapped and on my way over to investigate it further, I trip over a body.
It’s not Jake. In fact, it’s a guy I don’t even recognize, and he’s holding handcuffs and a finished bottle of Jack Daniels.
“Who are you?” I ask him, but he turns over and puts a hand over his head.
“Can you keep it down? I’m sleeping?” he mumbles. “And tell Cait I miss her.”
There’s only one person who’s responsible for all this.
“Jake!”
He appears at the door of the office and it’s apparent that he’s just rolled out of bed himself. At least he’s wearing shorts. The rest of his gear is still down by the front door where he dropped it when he slammed into the house yesterday and announced he was back from his mission.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned by now, it’s that a bored Navy SEAL is a dangerous one. I just didn’t think he’d get bored that quickly.
“What’s the problem?” he asks.
“Who are these people?” I ask him. I’ve discovered another alpha asleep under my desk, and he’s clutching a bag of cheetos. “I thought you went to Linda’s?”
“I did.” He smiles, that lazy half smile that tells me he’s done something very, very bad, and that he’s very, very pleased with himself. “That’s Tick and this is Stanton. And they’re probably going to need some breakfast soon.”
“Why did you bring them here? Linda needs her characters.”
“They said something about their author being in a mood and I know what that’s like,” he says. He notices the look of death I shoot his way and shakes his head. “Hey, they were bored. They asked for my help so I broke them out.”
“Yeah, the same way Charlene’s heroes asked you to break them out of her trunk?”
He smiles at the memory. “She was pretty pissed.”
“You’re got to return Linda’s heroes to her basement. She’s going to need them.” But my lecture is interrupted by a loud crash from downstairs. “Who else is here?”
Jake shrugs. “Some guy named Odil. He’s cool, although he’s got some definite anger management issues. Last I looked, Chris was showing him how to wire up a homemade grenade.”
It’s official. I’ve lost control of the house.
“Jake, I’ve got a lot of work to do today, so you’ve got to move everyone out of here.”
“I left you alone. And when I left, I had scenes in Nick’s book. Entire chapters were devoted to me. I get back and all my speaking parts are cut. I’m a goddamned mute. So no, I’m not leaving you alone again. You can’t be trusted.”
From downstairs, I hear the sound of glass shattering and Chris is yelling, Laisse les bons temps rouler! Tick lets out a muffled curse or two and tells me to keep it down again. And I realize I don’t know where Nick is either, which is always dangerous.
“Hey, did you know Linda’s got a muse?” Jake asks.
“Yes. I knew that.”
“And her muse is pretty cute. She wears all these long, flowing robes, but underneath them she’s got a really hot body…”
“Jake, what have you done?”
She’s half hidden by Jake and the robes have been replaced by a sheet, but it’s definitely Linda’s muse. She tugs on Jake’s arm and he shrugs and smiles and lets her lead him back to the guest bedroom. “Later, I’m going back in to grab everyone’s heroines. So you’d better get to work,” he says, right before the door slams behind him.
Steph T.
June 5th, 2005 at 10:39 am
OH. MY. GOD.
Seriosly ROFLMAO.
Jake has corrupted my Muse!
He didn’t blow up the Muse compound, did he? I mean, the basement is usually a mess because that’s where the heroes hang out, but it would be a shame if the heroines’ pool house was demolished . . . wait a minute.
Guess I should be glad it was my Muse he corrupted and not a heroine, hmmm?
June 5th, 2005 at 10:44 am
LOL, too funny Steph! A great read!
June 5th, 2005 at 10:54 am
June 5th, 2005 at 11:31 am
Linda - I tried to ask Jake about blowing up the basement, but he just yelled out that he’s ‘busy.’ But I did hear Odil and Chris mention the word poolhouse and I still can’t seem to find Nick…
*waves to Kacey & Bonnie*
June 5th, 2005 at 12:06 pm
ROFLMAO! Would you get published already? I need to read more from Steph’s imagination!
June 5th, 2005 at 1:09 pm
Laughed my ass off, Steph..I almost feel sorry for Linda’s Muse.:biggrin:
June 5th, 2005 at 1:18 pm
Heh. Maybe he’ll be so good (:smoke:) that she’ll be inspired to put back on those filmy robes and spin long enough for me to write the last five chapters of the WIP, LOL.
June 5th, 2005 at 1:43 pm
Dear Editor:
Amy is ready for more of my imagination. She says you should be too. Please call ASAP.
Jerri - don’t feel too sorry for her - last time I saw her she had a really big smile on her face.:biggrin:
June 5th, 2005 at 1:44 pm
Oh, I’m more than good, Linda. But don’t expect her back anytime soon.
-J
June 5th, 2005 at 2:21 pm
What a riot! I’m beginning to think I should be thankful my characters haven’t gone wild yet.
June 5th, 2005 at 3:09 pm
Too funny, Steph! Love it.
June 5th, 2005 at 6:17 pm
LMAO! I, er, keep an eye out for Zoe.:shocked: I sorta mentioned that Odil might be over here….
Seriously, when are you going to write Jake’s story.
June 5th, 2005 at 6:34 pm
All right. I only have one question. Where the hell did Jake leave my three men…Ethan, Alec and Rusty? Because last scene…they were in the Muse’s basement at a poker party. I swear, if Jake left them alone with Cookie, and there’s a poolhouse full of heroines, we’re all in big trouble. Alec’s already one big walking hormone. I can’t remember if Linda has any redheaded heroines, but if so, there will be major trouble.
June 5th, 2005 at 6:47 pm
Tori - be very thankful!
Michelle - congrats again on your request!
Jaq - I’m letting Jake deal with her…and I think I need to find a heroine who can handle Jake, and so far I haven’t been able to come up with one…
June 5th, 2005 at 6:49 pm
Hey Elisabeth -
We’re with some SEAL named Nick, but we can’t tell you where we are or what we’re doing.
oh - and Alec’s pissed about the walking hormone comment…
June 5th, 2005 at 7:11 pm
Okay, Jake, fun’s over. We need the Muse back, because God knows if Stanton has to stay in ch. 14 limbo much longer, none of us will be able to stand him.
About that heroine thing — you can come visit, though. We’ll introduce you to Madison. Pretty sure she can handle you.
What? Geez, Tick, I was not flirting. I didn’t say I was going to sleep with him . . . but I might loan Maddie the cuffs.
Come on, boys, time to go home.
Oh, and Steph? I think there might be a SEAL invasion of the poolhouse going on.
June 5th, 2005 at 7:38 pm
“You’re all just giving up? Just like that?” Jake demands.
Tick holds up the handcuffs and Jake pauses, then nods and smiles approvingly.
“And your buddy Nick is over by the poolhouse. Think you can come get him? You can meet Maddie while you’re there,” Cait says.
“The only reason I’m giving the muse back is so Stanton can get laid. I understand what it’s like to be left in limbo. But you’re on your own with Nick.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets and walks away, whistling.
June 5th, 2005 at 8:24 pm
LOL, I have no idea why you’re not published.
June 6th, 2005 at 4:31 pm
Love this Steph.
And I feel sorry for you in a way. I mean, with all these people Jake brings by without giving you advanced warning, you must go through hell keeping the house clean enough to not be embarrassed, while still writing and doing whatever things required by your day-to-day life.
June 6th, 2005 at 10:47 pm
Hey, while Jake’s got all the heroes loose, see if he can get my WIP hero to give him his name! #$&*! stubborn alpha won’t tell me.
June 7th, 2005 at 5:14 pm
Ya’ll are killing me.
No wonder Jake was a no-show on the painting thing
June 9th, 2005 at 1:24 pm
-Kellie