Write Me A Love Story

Ever since he’d found out what she did for a living, Lance Dixon had been dogging her to write a story about him. Carmen Collier was quickly becoming very irritated with the otherwise overall well-pleasing man. Oh yes, Lance was handsome. He had sparkling ocean blue eyes and dark, wavy hair; perfect for the main character to run her fingers through. His smile was disarming, framed by full lips that her eyes might feast upon before they lavished upon her the most tender of kisses. He was tall but not too, athletically built yet not in an intimidating way. Oh he would be the perfect hero in one of Carmen’s stories or novels if description alone was all that was needed.

Carmen Collier was a romance writer; the queen of fluffy, happy-ever-after stories. Yet she required more than a pretty face to help her fashion a real-life person into a full-fledged fictional character.

“Whatcha workin’ on?” Lance asked, sliding into the seat across the table and flashing that gorgeous smile her way.

“Why are you here, Lance? You’re never here on Tuesdays,” she retorted to the owner of the Coffee Garden, the little shop with tables ideally situated among a garden-like setting where Carmen had, until recently, enjoyed mornings of Espresso, croissants, and writing. Lance had purchased the unusual shop about a month and a half ago and begun to “befriend” his regular customers. Most of them loved the attention lavished on them by the handsome owner. Even Carmen hadn’t minded the brief chit-chatty moments at first.

Then she’d made the mistake of bringing him a copy of her latest book and topping that by telling him that her characters quite often walk onto the pages from real-life collisions with actual people.

“Will I find my way into one of your stories?” he’d asked.

“Perhaps,” Carmen had flirted a bit. “Just what type of story would you like to see yourself in, Mr. Dixon?”

“Oh that’s easy,” he’d shot back. “A lovely little romantic interlude between the handsome Coffee Garden owner, new to town and the business, and the wildly famous romance author whose very appearance takes his breath away.”

Carmen had stared at him for a moment; the word-wielder was stumped for a comeback. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of his request, or the way his eyes washed over her, or the way his foot rested against hers under the table. Was he truly making reference to the two of them? At last she’d chosen humor to rescue her from uncertainty.

“You know any women that would fit that description because I’m afraid I’m just not quite wrapping my head around a character quite like that. Must be the blonde hair.” She’d looked down at the light reddish-brown hair that cascaded off her shoulder. “Hmm. Or not...” He’d laughed and left her with a “Funny girl,” comment.

But the next morning he’d been right back in the seat across from her asking if she’d written him a story yet.

“Sorry. It takes inspiration,” she said shaking her head. “I’m not a formula writer like some. I write from my heart.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “Time…and something to inspire you.”

“Precisely. Now go away so I don’t lose my current train of thought. Josh Green is working up the nerve to plant an unexpected kiss on the unsuspecting Caroline French. Important stuff in the world of fluffy romance.” She’d smiled as he looked at her with a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding kind of look. He’d smiled back, shaking his head as he left her table to visit with other customers.

Each day as she broke her fast at the Garden, he’d join her and ask. Every time she’d answer the same. That morning she was particularly irritated as the story she was working on was giving her fits; a pivotal point of pieces she could not get to fit in her mind.

“Lance! I’m not going to write you a love story just because you ask me to. I can’t do that! I don’t work that way. I need inspiration. I need…”

Lance stood quickly from his spot opposite her and walked to stand beside her chair. She stared up at him with crinkled brows unsure of the expression on his face. Then, without warning, he grasped her upper arms and gently pulled her to him.

“Lance…” One arm encircled her, holding her tightly as the fingers of his other hand walked expertly up her spine and into the curly mass of her gorgeous reddish-brown hair. Their eyes remained locked; hers dreamily expectant, his warmly mischievous. Slowly he lowered his mouth to hers. She could feel the smile on his lips as they met. She didn’t care. All she cared about was melting into him and the way he was making her feel.

When at last he pulled away, Carmen felt as if her knees were too weak to support her. She continued to lean against him.

“Is that enough inspiration for the famous author?” he whispered against her hair that tickled his cheek.

“It’s a good start,” Carmen said at last. “But sometimes I have to go over these things again and again before I get my head fully wrapped around them. You available for further research?”

“It is my day off,” he answered. “I have time if you do…”


“Carmen? Carmen?!” she heard her name being said over and over. Her eyes snapped open. Bewildered, she looked up at the smiling face of the handsome barista from the little espresso shop.

“Oh! Lance! Sorry,” she laughed, embarrassed at her complete absorption. “I was just…I had a thought running through my head.”

“It looked like a good one.” Oh his smile was so inviting. “How’s that class going? Did you get your romance story written that you were working on last week?”

“It’s due tomorrow. I was having trouble with the idea but it seems I finally got my inspiration after walking in the door of the Coffee Garden.”

“Well,” he spoke mischievously, “I’d sure like to think I was able to help. Maybe someday you’ll be a famous author and you can write a story about me.”

Carmen giggled nervously and Lance thought perhaps he saw a slight stain of a blush creeping into her cheeks. He sat her cup on the table, winked, and waltzed off to wait on the other customers.

Carmen watched him intently. “Someday,” she thought. “Someday may be sooner than you think.” She began to write him into her love story featuring herself as the leading female main character.

The following is a work of fiction. All characters and events are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons is entirely coincidental…