Title: The Predicament
Series: Flavors of the Month, Book Two
Author: Penny McLean
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: 01/02/2024
Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Female, Female/Female
Length: 59600
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, contemporary, humorous, bisexual, multiple partners, doctor, scientist, Italy, smear campaign
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Description
Cynthia Blake has a problem. She was sure dating twelve men in one year, then marrying one at the end was a great way to find a husband, but with three suitors down and nine to go, her little experiment has gotten out of hand.
Someone clearly has it out for her and is doing their best to trash her reputation, threatening to take down her beloved chain of ice cream stores in the process. And even though she’s having fun (a lot of fun) with each of her Flavors of the Month, choosing one is going to be harder than she ever imagined.
In this sequel to The Plan, follow Cynthia through April, May, and June as things heat up just in time for summer. Can she get things back on track before her dream of love melts away?
The Predicament
Penny McLean © 2024
All Rights Reserved
Eric and I had a perfect day at Disneyland, and an even better night at the hotel. After taking a tour of Fantasyland, I walked him around to the other areas of the park, pointing out little things as we went.
“And that’s the spot where I tripped when I was five years old and got this scar,” I say, pointing out a line on my knee my Dad always called “the only free souvenir we ever got at Disneyland.” We’re in line for the Matterhorn and I remember running up the path before hitting the pavement, hard.
“Poor baby,” he says, kissing my hand he’s currently holding.
“It was no big deal. I cried until a Cast Member brought me a balloon and a Band-Aid.”
“I know, I was just looking for an excuse to kiss you.” He looks down at the ground.
“Oh.” I blush. It would be the perfect moment to lean up and kiss him back, but we’re shoved from behind by an impatient teenager who is annoyed that we’re holding up the line.
We both shrug and keep walking until it’s our turn to ride. We laugh our way down the mountain on the bumpy bobsleds and I can’t help but smile as we exit together, while Eric holds the little gate open for me.
I show him all my favorite places in the park, and he continues to tell me about his work, life back home in London, and anything else we can think of. The conversation never lags and I’m not sure if it’s because we’re both surrounded by so much joy or if there’s an actual spark happening here. But I really don’t care.
Normally, I’m all in favor of spending the entire day at Disneyland, but by midday, we’re both getting exhausted. I’m really dragging and can only imagine how Eric feels, having driven us there.
“Should we find a hotel?” I ask, mid-yawn. I’m very aware of the implications of that question as Eric begins to blush.
“I’d like that,” he says, his yawn now mirroring mine. “I was thinking I could maybe drive us back home tonight, but I’m not sure that would be safe.”
I get on the phone and call to see if there are any rooms available at the on-site hotels. Eric got the tickets, so I tell him I’ll cover the hotel, but he insists and grabs the phone from me. He steps away so I can’t hear.
“How does a room at the Grand Californian sound?” he asks, coming back victorious.
“Heavenly,” I say. It’s just a short walk and I’m pretty sure I could take the greatest nap of all time. We’re still holding hands as we walk back up Main Street toward the park gates and Eric comes to a stop, so I do the same.
I look around to see what made him put on the brakes, but he’s just nodding.
“This is it,” he says.
“This is what?”
“This is where we should have our first kiss.” He pulls me to him.
And we do. Surrounded by people walking in either direction who now have to detour around us, Eric and I kiss. It’s a slow, searching kiss at first, tentative in the best way. We’re still getting to know each other, but it’s hard not to feel romantic in this place, especially for two sleep-deprived people running on nothing but churros. We kiss for a semi-inappropriate amount of time, especially considering the number of children who can see us, but it’s such a lovely moment that neither of us can be bothered to worry about anything but each other.
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Penny McLean is a careerwoman by day, writer by night, mother at all times to three incredible children, and wife to a loving husband. Born in San Diego, California, she now hails from Gilbert, Arizona where she especially enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering at schools and libraries, with Girl Scouts, and for any causes that benefit marginalized communities, especially LGBTQIA+ youth. She began her career as a writer at the age of 17 when she was hired to cover movies, arts, and features for a youth-oriented page in the Arizona Republic. With twenty years of writing experience for magazines, newspapers, social media, and more, she is thrilled to have her first novel out in the world. You can find Penny on her Website
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