Saturday Surprise — Cut Scene from WANT YOU TO WANT ME!

February 5, 2022

SO with the Olympics in full swing, I got nostalgic for my character Gabi Welk, a former member of the US Women’s Olympic Women’s Hockey Team, who does her damndest to deny her love/hate thing with Nolan Lund in both I WANT YOU BACK and in their book, WANT YOU TO WANT ME.

Because the book had been running long, my editor had me cut a scene, which was between Gabi and her English neighbor Liddy, which I thought was funny, so I kept it in it’s entirety! I’ve never shared it before…so lucky you 😎 Here’s a look at the deleted scene — it starts at the end of Chapter Five on pg 48 — here’s the last few lines of that chapter:

I must’ve read the email ten times before I actually believed I’d made the first cut.

Holy shit.

This was entirely worth celebrating.

***

I sent Liddy a quick text that included the glasses of champagne emoji.

Instead of celebrating with an ass-shaking dance throughout my apartment, I did what I always do: buckled down and outlined a plan for the required game calling submission part of the next interview process.

I hadn’t realized several hours had passed until I heard Liddy beating on my door.

After hugging me and jumping around—at the same time—she released me to perform a little solo jig, complete with an “I bloody well knew it” mantra. She only settled down when I threatened to withhold details.

Liddy uncorked the bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne I’d stashed in the fridge while I pulled out my special occasion glassware—pale green champagne flutes from the Depression era, an inheritance from my great-grandmother.

“I never would’ve pegged you as the type to have a bottle of bubbly lying about,” Liddy said.

“I revel in defying people’s expectations of me.”

“Amen, sister.”

We touched glasses and drank.

And drank some more.

In fact we drank the whole bottle while I filled her in on my convo with my sister Dani and all I’d accomplished since receiving the initial email from Wolf Sports North.

So I was riding that fizzy, bubbly champagne high when Liddy said, “Let’s go out tonight. Keep up our celebration.”

“But I’m having fun here with you.”

“Darling, we’re out of champagne.”

I gestured to the kitchen. “I have tequila.”

“No mixing boozes. God, I’m too old to deal with that hangover.”

“So where would we go?” I pointed at her. “And I’m telling you right now it’s a big fat no to going anyplace which will require me to change clothes.”

Muttering, “Wanker,” she stood and walked to my kitchen “pass thru” counter where she’d plugged in her phone next to my piles of mail. “You really do need to get out more, love.”

“But I’m never here! I refuse to buy into society’s stigma that there’s something wrong with me if I prefer to spend my free time in my own space.”

Liddy sent me a sardonic look. “That’s pure shite. You just don’t want to put on a real pants.”

“Leggings are real pants!”

“Chances are high if you reach the next round at Wolf Sports North, you’ll have to do an in-person interview. Which will require professional clothes. Which I will also point out…will not include leggings. Period.”

I groaned. “Way to kill my buzz by talking about fashion.”

She whirled around and shook a piece of cardstock at me. “What is this?”

I squinted at it. “That’s an invitation to this pre-grand opening party thingy for one of Jax’s other businesses. Some kind of a themed bar. Why?”

“It says the event is tonight.”

“So?”

“So we’re going.”

“Uh. No way.”

“Why not?”

“Because I see enough of people I work with at work.”

She cocked an eyebrow at me. “Isn’t it important you support your boss in all his endeavors?”

“The same boss who doesn’t know I’m applying for another job?” I retorted sweetly. “Why no, Lids, I don’t think it matters.”

Liddy growled at me. “Not a good enough reason, smart arse.”

“Fine. Here’s the truth. Jax already told me I didn’t have to go. Hence, he isn’t expecting me to show up. Hence, I’m staying right here.” I grabbed the remote. “In fact, I think there’s a documentary on watching paint dry tonight, which would be way more fun.”

She sauntered over; saccharine smile plastered to her face.

Shit. That smile made me nervous.

Then she pounced on me. Almost before I could blink, she pinned me on the floor in a half-nelson. “What the fuck, Liddy?”

“Did I ever tell you that both my older and my younger brothers were wrestlers?”

“No, you missed sharing that factoid. Let go!”

“No.” Her arm tightened. “I’m speaking to you in the language you understand. Brute force.”

“Fuck.”

She put her mouth next to my ear. “We are going to that party, Gabi.”

I grunted but didn’t agree.

And she added more pressure. “I can do this all night, love. So what’s your answer?”

“Fine. What the fuck ever. We’ll go to the party. Just quit trying to choke me out.”

She popped to her feet and raised her arms above her head in victory. “I win.”

Her rounds of shadow boxing were a little over the top.

I shook my hair out. “You are a lunatic.”

Laughing, she leaned down and pecked a quick kiss on my nose. “And you, my friend, love every second of it.”

True.

“I’m ready to go. But you…” She gave me a once-over. “Let’s fluff you up a bit, eh? Mascara, a sweep of blush, a dark lippy…”

“I’ll change out of loungewear, but I refuse to doll myself up, Liddy. I’m dead ass serious.”

“I’ll agree that you’re lovely as is, but—”

“No makeup,” I stated tersely. “None.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

She stared at me until I cracked. In a rush I said, “Because Nolan Lund will be there. I don’t think he knows his comments shredded the last of my self-confidence that night at the bar. But if he does, then the last thing I want is to show up at his brother’s party looking like I put extra effort into my appearance. Because the man is cocky enough to believe I did it for him to prove that he would find me attractive.”

“So if you knew he wouldn’t be at this party?”

I grinned. “I’d let you doll me up with the works; beauty queen hair, slutty clothes and come hither make-up.”

“Gabs. Babe. That is fucked up.”

“Yep. But that’s how I roll.”

***

NOW before you ask, YES I do plan on finishing both Ash’s and Dallas’s books in the Want You series…when? I don’t know, but I promise I will not leave them (and you!) hanging forever.

Happy Saturday everyone! I’ll have my monthly wrap-up post next week!

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