Well, I’ve already shared the beginning of The Key to Love on a previous Saturday Sample. Click here to read it, in case you missed it. And here’s my own collage that inspired this story.

In this sample, Jennette finds something unimportant — and comes face to face with someone from her past…

     Half a dozen ladies waited by the closed door. With a sigh, Jennette joined the line and then returned to the gallery. Something glinted on the floor near one wall—it wasn’t a sequin. She surveyed the odd metal shape in her palm and turned it over. Its tiny hook on one end puzzled her. Tiffany held court amongst a group of admirers, so Jennette slid the item inside her bra. She’d worry about it later. A familiar voice startled her and she whirled to see Adam Woodbury’s grin.
“You must be selling pretty well.”
“Maybe.”
He quirked an eyebrow upward. “Like, how well?”
“Like, none of your business.”
“Oh come on, babe—”
“I’m not your babe,” she cut in, but failed to push past him.
“Or anyone else’s, from what I hear,” he said. Jennette glared at his sneer.
“Go soak your head in acid. Not that it would penetrate your thick skull.”
Adam barked a laugh, drawing all eyes to them. She stalked off to join another artist who seemed alarmed by an older gentleman’s gushing admiration. Jennette’s ex-­boyfriend tagged after her. He hovered over her and joined in the banter, except she knew his praise had little or no sincerity. It was a game to him.
He wanted to get back into the gallery and show his brass etchings. He didn’t deserve a second chance, in her opinion. Adam craved attention, but failed to realize that few people would buy such controversial work.
He soon backed her into a corner. “Come on, tell me what’s gonna work. Tiff has to take me back. I’ll give you a commission on my first sale if you help me.”
“No.”
“You haven’t seen my latest pieces.”
Jennette rolled her eyes. “I don’t need to.”
“I’ve changed my style,” Adam said. “Still brass, but they’re classy. Cathedrals and crosses. That’s my theme now. I swear to you it’s legit.”
Jennette fingered her mink shrug’s clasp. “Show me some promo then.”
“Take my word for it.”
“Why should I? You ruined that show, when you said people were falling all over each other to buy your work. That wasn’t true at all.”
His thin mouth twisted. “I brought in the media, didn’t I? You’d never have gotten such great publicity without my work.”
“Listen, it’s not about exposure—literally or figuratively.”
Jennette didn’t want to go into the crudeness of his etchings, the offensive symbols he used. She kept her voice low, wishing he would vanish through the floor and out of her life forever. “You ought to know you need promo to catch anyone else’s eye.”
He shrugged. “Still at the printers.”
“Uh huh. It’s all about sales, Adam. You didn’t sell one piece last June, and no one else did either. Tiffany won’t take you back. Neither would I.”
“Figures you’d hold out on me. Just like before.”
Jennette pursed her lips in resentment. “I’m glad I did.”
“Ha. You’ll regret this in the long run.”
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BUY LINKS — Astraea Press, Amazon, B&N

I plan on writing a summer novella — another short sweet romance.

Will it be a continuation of this story?

Some other characters who clash?

Guess I’ll have to find out and let you know!

Thanks for stopping by.   ….. Meg