The Entire Tiara Seduction book (🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️) is being posted as a serialized version before heading to Amazon. Find it on my top menu.
“I started writing about our lives a while back. Some important events have been recorded for amusement and posterity. And maybe to limit lawsuits. Aside from the changed names to protect the innocent, it’s all mostly true, but we tell people it’s fiction. Our other lawyer said I have to say it’s fiction. OK, it’s fiction, that’s true. Or not. Anyway, moving on.”
Sharon shifted uneasily in her seat, launching incidental jiggles that seemed to only affect me. Olivia’s pen scratched against her legal pad.
“Fiction is safer than memoirs. Less chance of getting sued.”
“Yeah. That’s what he said. Anyway, after we survived Kona selling us online for romantic dates to the highest bidder…”
“Put a pin in that,” Olivia said, interrupting. Scratching sounds rose significantly.
Kona made a noise that might have been a protest. Or possibly a drainage shift. Sharon sniffed nervously. Tonya studied her nails and crossed her legs. Gus released used air and took in another load.
“…things were seemingly on a good course.” I said. “We had product development ideas. We had some good times. We had people we trust, and we had, of course, our home in Key West. It’s hard to top that, really, but Sharon knows we have two years and change left on our content contract and is always thinking about what we could do, what we should do, and what Kona should never do.”
“It’s not like it sounds…” Sharon protested, rising slightly out of her chair. The leather announced a release as her bare thighs peeled away from the leather with a pair of quiet thwipps. Kona beamed at being the center of the conversation. I put my hand on Sharon’s arm and she settled again.
“I kind of like being an adult some days, and meshing with the crew - Kona, Sharon, Gus (always Gus), Louisa, and Tonya - just made the adulting easier.” I said, looking at the others. “But here’s the thing. When you think it’s all working pretty well? That’s when the Karma Parrot bites you right in the nip with a tweak that is not emotionally rewarding, or stimulating in the good way. But somehow, we live through it, and life is life, after all.”
“You can’t say ‘nip tweak’ to the lawyer,” Sharon whispered.
“She can say ‘nip tweak’ or anything else,” Olivia responded, not looking up. “I need to hear all of it. The clock’s running. And we’re going to circle back to this ‘being sold online’ comment.”
“It’s all here.” I said, offering a printed version bound with three used binder clips. “I mean, after the dates, thing. This is my fifth essay about life at Mammary House. But it might go better if I give you an overview. If it were true, it was last month when this all went down.”
Eric Berne wrote (1964) “Games People Play” what would become the basis of Transaction Analysis. (I don't rate most of TA but Berne's book is groundbreaking and thought-provoking.) Almost all of the archetypes he identified are expressions of sociopathy — including a lot of Parent-Child role play in coversations, for instance. I recommend it. (: I gave it as a present to loads of people just after I read it. :)