In the Heat of the Moment!

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

OK, we’ve hit the dog days of summer, and yes, down south, days are sizzling and nights sultry. We are hot, hot, hot!  My question to you is what have you done in the heat of the moment? By heat, I don’t mean temperature. I mean on the fly. Something that was fun, something you took a chance on, something that felt like it might be good karma, and would make you feel good. What was the end result of this impulsive/feel good behavior?

 

 Back in the day when I worked for an international airline, my then hero and I would look at each other on a Thursday, and say, “So, what do we want to do this weekend?  Sometimes the answer would be, “I feel like having good pasta,” and off we would head for Rome. If it was winter, the answer would be “anywhere warm.” Then  off to Mexico or Rio de Janeiro we  would go.

We weren’t rich. Remember, I said, I worked for an airline, meaning, back then, free travel, and the opportunity to sit First or Business Class (should space allow) were perks.  Airlines had agreements with hotels. While lodging wasn’t free, a 40 or 50 percent discount at a 4 or 5 star hotel was not something to turn your nose up at. Often our weekend jaunts cost us less than a nice dinner at an upmarket restaurant.

When I lived in the “islands,” popular back then, were “Come as you are Parties.“ This literally meant come as you are. A caravan of cars would unexpectedly arrive at your home, honk their horns and the party was on. Which meant, you went to the party in whatever state of dress or undress you were in. And that was the reason for the convoy. No getting out of it, you had to get in.

A couple of years ago, instead of making New Year’s resolutions that never worked out, I vowed to do one small act of kindness each day. It could be as simple as allowing someone to get in front of me on the grocery line, or making a phone call to a lonely, elderly friend. It made me feel good. It made the recipient feel good. As a person who believes in karma, I believe in some way those good deeds come back to you tenfold.

This summer, in the heat of the moment, my girlfriends and I started having monthly dinner parties. Each month it’s at a different house and we do it safely. There are so many positives to these gatherings. First, it gives us an opportunity to bond and catch up.  Second, we get to step out of our PJ’s and sweats and wear something fun in our closets. There are times we even bring the fine jewelry out.

In the heat of the moment, I’ve taken up crafting.  I’ve mended broken jewelry and repaired furniture. I even hand painted this heart, Trust me, I’ve never been talented in this area but I'm learning. I’ve also reconnected with friends and made a few with a completely different perspective on life than I have.

This summer I’ve allowed myself to breathe. The end result is my creativity is on the rise, and   I’m writing up a storm. Stories like One Last Shot, one of the fourteen stories in the Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End box set were created in the Heat of the moment. It was the result of a what if.  What if an up and coming sitcom star in hiding has a sex tape that goes viral? And what if the guy next door just happens to be a disgraced celebrity photographer?

Here's an excerpt:

“So, do you live here year-round?” Kael asked, taking a piece of freshly baked bread from the basket and slathering butter on it. He was curious about the woman who sat across from him.

She had the most amazing bone structure but was doing her best to downplay her looks. She was doing everything to make herself unattractive, even adding that hideous nose ring.

Delia sipped on her coffee, and took her time answering. “Actually, I’m not from around here.”

“Renting?”

“No. You?”

Getting a full sentence out of her was like reeling in fish. “Airbnb. Did I tell you that

already?” He knew he hadn’t, but someone needed to jumpstart the conversation.

Delia shook her head. “I didn’t think we did BNB’s in this town.”

“Times change. Things change. People change.”

“Not here.”

“Sure, you’re not a local?” Kael asked, softening his words with a smile. Delia certainly

sounded knowledgeable.

Their kippers and scrambled eggs, a Rods staple, arrived and they dove in.

“How did you find this community?” Delia asked, the sun bouncing off those mirrored

sunglasses. “It doesn’t seem to be your style.” She fed Bob a generous portion of scrambled eggs when she thought he wasn’t looking.

His khaki shorts must shout tourist.

“I needed somewhere off the beaten path to take photos,” he said, while discreetly clicking pics of the arriving patrons. “And I can work from anywhere in the world.”

Delia looked like she might jump out of her skin. “So, what are you a photographer or something?”

I used to be one before I was fired.

Instead, Kael said, “I’m just an IT guy and an amateur photographer.” Now he was.

The blasting TV competed with their conversation. Two construction types exited discussing the news.

“Wat she do dat for? She was America’s sweetheart. World was her oyster,” the shorter of them said.

“Probably trying to keep some man.”

The taller one shook his head. “Yeah, would have to be a bad break up to send that sex tape out to the media.”

 

 Be sure to pick up Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End 

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-Beach-Summers-End-ebook/dp/B08CV3GN3R

and read these 14 stories. To win the Last Shot beach/gym bag sign up for my newsletter here https://bit.ly/3eBlYnf  or email me privately at mkinggambl@aol.com with proof of purchase of Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End. Added bonus, download the free cocktail book.

 

  

For an additional opportunity to win a $20 Amazon gift card in the monthly drawing, please comment on this blog to win.

 

 

Tell me, what have you done in the Heat of the Moment? Be kind and be safe. 

Find Marcia King-Gamble Online

Instagram * Amazon * Website * Facebook * Twitter

 

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, caring for her animal family, and trying to keep sane.