I hope you enjoy part II of Truth or Dare. In case you missed it, Part I is here. Please let me know what you think should happen next. How should Indigo start off her summer of fun, frivolity and being a “normal” teen.

Truth or Dare – Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance

Indigo pulled back from the kiss unsure of what to do next. She’d kissed Morgan before but it had never been more than a quick peck on the cheek.

Friendly not flirty.

She started to ask what he was doing, why he was kissing her when he did it again.

Kissed her. Again. Her hormone’s and her brain was at opposite side on this one. Part of her wanted  to demand to know what was going on in his head and why. The other half wanted him to kiss her again.

She felt her face grow hotter as she noticed the diner’s customers staring.

This was not how she’d imagined her first kiss.

She opened her mouth to say something but the only thing she could think of was that her first kiss was in the middle of Yves Diner.

Not the romantic kiss she’d imagined on her front porch. Or the sweet kiss by the fountain on Belle Isle. Or by the railing in Hart Plaza looking across the Detroit River to Windsor and the lights of the casino. Her first kiss had been across the pink and green speckled Formica counter of the diner next to the cash register.

This was one of the times when she wished she could think quicker on her feet. So Indigo did the only thing she could think of.

She grabbed Morgan and kissed him again just as Taylor and Gregg made their way over to where they were.

“Hey Indigo.” Taylor said her arm wrapped through Gregg’s.

“Hey sis.” Morgan put his arm around Indigo’s shoulder.

“Hi.” She leaned into him. If I’m going to go with it might as well go all the way.

“Indy, didn’t you want to tell something to Gregg?” Morgan nudged her.

Thinking for a second, she smiled, “I hope there’s no hard feelings Gregg. But I only accepted your date to make Morgan jealous.” She held out her hand, “Sorry. I hope we can still be friends. Well, be friends since I weren’t before.”

“Yeah.”

When Taylor and Gregg got a table by the window, Indigo grabbed Morgan’s hand and pulled him out the front door and around to the side of the building away from all the windows.

“What was that for?” he leaned against the brick.

“Why did you kiss me?”

“That’s the question you so desperately had to ask me.”

“Yeah.” She shrugged.

Morgan burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

Indigo him him on the arm which only made Morgan laugh harder.

“Stop laughing at me.”

He composed himself for a moment and then started laughing again. This time she had no choice but to join in.

When the laughter finally died down, she repeated her question, “Why did you kiss me?”

He shrugged, grabbed her hand, “I wanted too.” And then kissed her again.

“You have to stop doing that.”

Still holding her hand, “Why?”

Because I like it to much. Because kissing you isn’t part of my plan.

“Because…” She paused. Because why? “Because…”

“You said that.”

“Because it confuses me. And I don’t like being confused. And we’ve known each other since we were four. And it could really screw up our friendship.”

“You’re reaching now Indy.” He smiled, “I’m going to keep kissing you until you give me a good reason not too.” He paused, “And you getting confused isn’t a bad thing. You need to be a bit confused. Instead of having everything all planned out.” He touched her cheek, “You’re only sixteen. You’re too serious sometimes. Life isn’t meant to be planned out.”

“I like order. Having a plan is good.” She pursed her lips and crossed her arms. Then realized that brought attention to her almost non-existent chest, let her arms drop back to her sides.

“How about this?” He stood up straight, looking her in her eyes, “I dare you to stop all your planning, organizing and lock your planner up for the summer. No taking classes at the community college. No volunteering because it’ll look good on your resume. And no working.”

“But I need my job.”

“Did you or did you not tell me last week that Yvette had offered to give you the summer off? Something about being one of her best employees. And worrying about you burning yourself out.”

She sighed. He smiled.

“Are you gonna take my dare? I dare you. I dare you to have a summer of fun.”

I’ll prove to him I know how to have fun.

“Links to other Excerpt Monday writers”

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

So, to kick it off, your hosts:

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13) Vote for Bria’s Choose Your Own Adventure that starts in March
Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)

Joining us this week:

Babette James, Contemporary Romance (PG 13)
Nadia Lee, Futuristic Romance (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Contemporary romantic elements (PG 13)
Caitlynn Lowe, Fantasy (PG 13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Debbie Mumford, Science Fiction/Fantasy (PG 13)
Erica Ridley, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Dara Sorensen, Historical Romance (PG 13)

Kendal Corbitt, Erotic Romance (R)
Mary Quast, Contemporary Romance (R)
Danielle Yockman, Steampunk (R)

Sara Brookes, Fantasy (NC 17)
Stephanie Draven, Fantasy with Strong Romantic Elements (NC 17)
Angeleque Ford, Contemporary, Interracial, Erotic Romance (NC 17)
Elise Logan, Sci-Fi/Contemporary (NC 17)
Emma Petersen, Erotic Paranormal Romance (NC 17)

With the new year, I decided to start a serial read. I hope you enjoy it.

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just a writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

Truth or Dare – Contemporary, Young Adult

Excerpt:

Indigo Jones smelled like grease, fried onions and burnt toast.

Not a good combination for a first date.

She sniffed her hair, wrinkled her nose at her reflection in the funhouse style mirror with Yves Diner spray-painted across the top on the other side of the diner.

Ugh. That smelled too.

Ketchup, mustard and special sauce splattered across her making a pseudo-mosaic pattern on her top and apron. She knew it was unavoidable, rather, hazard of working at the diner. But she was tired of having to do a deep cleaning instead of taking a regular shower each day. And she still sometimes smelled like onion rings or grease.

Her mother said it was in her pores. But since getting new skin was out of the question, she resorted to long, hot showers every day, which drained the hot water tank.

Indigo muttered under her breath as she cleared off the last table in her section. She glanced up at the clock. As usual, Cyndi was a late.

I am not staying to help. I am not staying to help. I have a date. I am not staying to help.

She took the dishpan to the kitchen, undid her apron and was kneeling by the computer about to clock out when her boss, Yvette Davis, came out of her office. “Would you mind staying and covering part of Cyndi’s shift? Just until she gets in and got settled?”

“I really can’t tonight Yvette.”

“Please Indigo. You’re my best waitress.”

I’m practically your only waitress. “I have plans Yvette. And I’d rather not go out on my date smelling like the diner. You know I hate to leave you in the lurch but…”

“No. Go. I understand. Have fun.” Yvette sighed as she pulled on an apron.

Dagnabbit. “You sure?”

“Yes go. It’ll be fine.”

Indigo gave her boss a long look before she raced out the diner. She got in her beat-up, second hand car. Her mother’s first car, a navy blue Dodge Shadow and drove home. Less than two hours later, she was scrubbed, refreshed and dressed in her best designer jeans, kitten heels and shirt. She waited half an hour for him to show up. After an hour, she went back to the drove back to the diner.

Yvette looked up when Indigo walked back into the diner. “What…”

Indigo shrugged, “Still need some help?”

“Yeah. Thanks. I appreciate it. Cyndi, obviously,” she waved her hand around the diner, “never showed. This is the last straw. She knows Friday’s and the weekends are our busiest days.”

Indigo nodded and got to work. She focused on serving the customers, chatting with her school friends who came in and not on Gregg Anderson and the possible reasons, he could have stood her up.

Her day brightened considerably when her neighbor Morgan Downing came in and sat at the counter.

“Hey Indi.”

“The usual?”

He smiled, nodded and then frowned, “I’m sorry about Gregg.”

Crossing her arms, she waited for him to continue.

“The dare?”

“What dare?”

“To see how far he could get with you.”

“Mmm hmm. How long did you know about his dare?” Her voice nearly a whisper.

“I overheard him bragging to Trent when he came over to pick up Taylor for their date. Apparently, according to Trent, Taylor found out about the dare and got mad. So instead of fessing up to you, he stood you up.”

“I should have known.” She shook her head, silently counted to ten and then counted to ten again, “I…” her voice trailed off when the bell above the diner door dinged signaling new customers. Looking up Taylor Downing and Gregg Anderson entered the diner hand and hand.

Following her gaze, Morgan turned back towards the counter with a smirk.

“Just go with it.” His voice low enough for only her to hear. Then Morgan Downing, Indigo’s best friend since preschool leaned up on the counter and kissed her on the lips.

“Links to other Excerpt Monday writers”

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

The Excerpt Monday Hosts:

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)
Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)

Joining us this week:

Stephanie Draven, Fantasy with Romantic Elements (PG 13)
Babette James, Contemporary Romance (PG 13)
Cynthia Justlin, Thriller with Romantic Elements (PG 13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Contemporary Romantic Elements (PG 13)
R. F. Long, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
Shawntelle Madsion, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Debbie Mumford, Science Fiction/ Fantasy (PG13)

Kendal Corbitt, Erotica Contemporary (R)
KB Alan, Erotic Paranormal Romance (R)
Cate Hart, YA Paranormal (R)
Jeanne St. James, Interracial Menage Erotic Romance (R)
Cherrie Lynn, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Michelle Picard, Paranormal/Fantasy (R)
Mary Quast, Contemporary Romance (R)
Danielle Yockman, Historical Romance (R)

Sara Brookes, Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy (NC17)
Angeleque Ford, Contemporary, Interracial, Erotic Romance (NC 17)
Elise Logan, Contemporary Romance (NC17)