Sunday, February 16, 2020
Sunday's Short Stack: Dancing in Darkness by Alice Winters
Ever since Antonio began working as a dancer at Frank’s club, he’s been trying to get Frank’s attention. To others, Frank might not be the ultimate catch, but to Antonio, he’s the man of his dreams. The problem is, Frank has already turned Antonio down out of fear for Antonio’s safety following an abduction and near-death experience. But Antonio is not ready to give up. He is determined to win him over on Valentine’s Day, no matter what he has to do. Even if it requires some unusual help from his friends, Felix and Lane. Nothing is too far for Antonio, not even a botched kidnapping.
Dancing in Darkness is a 20k-word novella featuring true love, abductions gone wrong, and a family that may be a bit too extreme.
This novella takes place after the events of In Darkness 3.
After finishing Deception in Darkness(#3) I found there was a short novella about Antonio and Frank and it was evening of February 13th so I figured what better way to start my Valentine's Day than reading Dancing in Darkness, a Valentine's Day short.
I instantly fell in love with Felix and Lane last November when I first dived into Hidden in Darkness but with Deception I also found myself falling head over heels in love with the friendship between Felix and Antonio. So it's a bit grudgingly friendship on Antonio's part at first but their banter is nearly as delightful as Felix and Lane's, definitely a bromance in the making. So even though Dancing is Antonio and Frank's Valentine story, Felix and Lane(more heavily Felix) play a part.
Flirting(badly at times😉😉), mix-ups, family, friends, tons of banter, and Alice Winters has created a great little gem worthy of her In Darkness stamp. Just want to add that one of the things I love most about this series' characters, from Felix & Lane to Antonio & Frank to Cal to Lane's family to Felix's brother and even the bad guys, the physical characteristics are real they aren't the cookie cutter Hollywood type of perfection. To me it's their realistic physicalities that actually make them perfect because to me "perfect" is imperfection and this is what makes this novella and series as a whole really pop for me.
RATING:
Chapter One
“Antonio!”
Oh no. Please. No. Not him.
“Antonio!”
I quicken my pace, deciding that I really don’t need that pack of Oreos. If I can make it through the checkout line and out the door before he notices me, cookie withdrawals will be worth it.
Felix slides in front of me, clear irritation on his face.
I look down at the man, though I’m not sure there are many who look up at him. Five-year-olds, maybe? I’m not super tall myself, only five foot eight, but I feel tall around him.
“Are you running from me?” he asks.
“No?” Oh no. I made it a question.
“He made it a question,” another man says as he comes up behind me. I turn to look at Lane, Felix’s boyfriend, who is truly God’s gift to mankind. He looks like what horny women would dream up if they were allowed to have a mold maker for men. He has the tall, dark-haired, handsome thing going on which is why I question how he ended up with Felix. Visually, they are complete opposites but together, they work strangely well.
By Lane’s side is his seeing-eye dog, Copper, who is wagging his black tail. Honestly, he may be the only one out of the three I’m glad to see.
It’s not that I dislike Lane or Felix. Actually, I secretly kind of like them. I’ve never met two people who get into more shit in my life. The issue is that they recently dragged me into their shit. After being tied up, threatened, then held at gunpoint, I feel like I’ve had my Lane and Felix quota for the next ten years.
“You’re looking rough, Antonio,” Felix says with a grimace. “You're letting yourself go.”
I glare at him. I take it back. Twenty years would be too soon. “What am I letting go, exactly?”
Felix shrugs. “I don’t know, I just wanted to make myself feel better. Did you pop your cherry yet?”
Fifty years would be too soon. I glare at him some more. “Excuse me?”
“Felix told me about that. Are you sure you want to waste it on Frank?” Lane asks. “How old are you? Twenty-seven? You’ve kept it so long, save it for the perfect man.”
Now he’s getting in on it too?
“You should keep that until you hook a man like I did,” Felix assures me. “Then again, there’s no one like Lane.”
Then he says cute things and I kind of forgive him a tiny bit.
“How about a threesome?” he suggests.
Make it sixty years.
Lane shrugs and I realize that he’s lost his mind as well. The poor man is blind and probably can’t figure out how to get away from Felix. Maybe he has Stockholm Syndrome. It’s the only reasonable explanation for why these two work. “We were talking about buying a sex swing to add some excitement into the bedroom, but I suppose you’ll do,” Lane says.
“Yeah, just FYI, sometimes the dog watches. It’s only a little creepy the first few times. Then you get used to it. You’re all, ‘Oh harder, Lane, harder!’ and then you look over and the dog is staring you in the eyes. Right in the fucking eyes. Then you’re like, shit, I made eye contact, now it’s kind of weird. But he won’t—”
“Felix, babe, you’re rambling,” Lane says.
Felix grins as he pats my shoulder. “Alright, all joking aside, how is the Beauty and the Beast thing going?”
“Frank isn’t a beast.”
“You mean he transformed into a prince? Now, this I gotta see,” he says, clearly still joking.
I sigh. Just because Frank isn’t gorgeous doesn’t mean that I can’t like him. “It’s going like shit. Valentine’s Day is only a few days away and I really thought I could get him to go out with me on it. It was supposed to be special. Instead, he just runs whenever I’m around.”
Felix looks disappointed. “But you kissed him! I thought for sure… he turned you down? There’s no way he could turn you down.”
“He thinks it’s too dangerous. Told me that he doesn’t want me to get hurt. Blah blah.”
Felix is silent for a moment before looking at Lane. He leans into him and whispers. “Why do I kind of feel like it’s our fault?”
“Maybe it was the safe you stole,” Lane says. “Are you feeling guilty about that?”
He shakes his head, brownish-blond waves flopping into his face. “No, not at all.”
“The evidence?”
“No, not that either.” He shrugs. “Antonio, I’ve decided that we’re going to help you woo Frank.”
“I don’t want help.” I want help. “Especially not by you guys.” Even if it’s you guys.
“Good. Do you work tonight?”
“Yeah. Please don’t come.” Please do. I need some excitement in my life.
“We’ll be over later to check out what’s going on. I have a special ability for these things, you’ll see,” Felix says as he pats my shoulder reassuringly.
“You must, to have been able to hook Lane,” I say.
He gives me a wink. “That’s because he’s blind. He literally can’t figure out how to get away. All I need to do is rearrange the furniture every few days and he can’t find his way out of the house.”
I look over at Lane who just shrugs like he isn’t bothered by this at all. “We have a very healthy relationship, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“I wasn’t.”
Felix reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. There’s a gentle, kind smile on his face. “Valentine’s Day is only a week away; it’ll be the perfect day for you and Frank. I assure you, I will make it happen, even if Lane and I have to pay him to go on a date with you.”
“Great,” I say sarcastically.
Felix suddenly looks panicked as he grabs Lane’s arm. “Lane, we forgot the ice cream. Go fetch me ice cream.”
“Alright,” Lane says, but before leaving, he leans into me. “You’re going to regret this.”
It’s not a threat, it’s a warning. But the joke’s on him–
I already do.
He turns around and heads off with the German shepherd in tow.
I point toward Lane as he charges forward, leaving other people to part for him.
“Is he actually going to figure out how to get you ice cream?” I ask curiously.
“I don’t know. I’m kind of curious myself. See you tonight. If you want me to dance a number with you, I’ll bring some clothes.”
“You do not know how to dance. I’ve literally never seen anyone not understand the concept of dancing as much as you.”
“Thanks, I always strive to be the best. If I can’t be the best dancer, I can be the best at being awful at it. Oh god… What’s he doing?” Felix hurries off, leaving me standing in the middle of the store alone.
“Antonio!”
Oh no. Please. No. Not him.
“Antonio!”
I quicken my pace, deciding that I really don’t need that pack of Oreos. If I can make it through the checkout line and out the door before he notices me, cookie withdrawals will be worth it.
Felix slides in front of me, clear irritation on his face.
I look down at the man, though I’m not sure there are many who look up at him. Five-year-olds, maybe? I’m not super tall myself, only five foot eight, but I feel tall around him.
“Are you running from me?” he asks.
“No?” Oh no. I made it a question.
“He made it a question,” another man says as he comes up behind me. I turn to look at Lane, Felix’s boyfriend, who is truly God’s gift to mankind. He looks like what horny women would dream up if they were allowed to have a mold maker for men. He has the tall, dark-haired, handsome thing going on which is why I question how he ended up with Felix. Visually, they are complete opposites but together, they work strangely well.
By Lane’s side is his seeing-eye dog, Copper, who is wagging his black tail. Honestly, he may be the only one out of the three I’m glad to see.
It’s not that I dislike Lane or Felix. Actually, I secretly kind of like them. I’ve never met two people who get into more shit in my life. The issue is that they recently dragged me into their shit. After being tied up, threatened, then held at gunpoint, I feel like I’ve had my Lane and Felix quota for the next ten years.
“You’re looking rough, Antonio,” Felix says with a grimace. “You're letting yourself go.”
I glare at him. I take it back. Twenty years would be too soon. “What am I letting go, exactly?”
Felix shrugs. “I don’t know, I just wanted to make myself feel better. Did you pop your cherry yet?”
Fifty years would be too soon. I glare at him some more. “Excuse me?”
“Felix told me about that. Are you sure you want to waste it on Frank?” Lane asks. “How old are you? Twenty-seven? You’ve kept it so long, save it for the perfect man.”
Now he’s getting in on it too?
“You should keep that until you hook a man like I did,” Felix assures me. “Then again, there’s no one like Lane.”
Then he says cute things and I kind of forgive him a tiny bit.
“How about a threesome?” he suggests.
Make it sixty years.
Lane shrugs and I realize that he’s lost his mind as well. The poor man is blind and probably can’t figure out how to get away from Felix. Maybe he has Stockholm Syndrome. It’s the only reasonable explanation for why these two work. “We were talking about buying a sex swing to add some excitement into the bedroom, but I suppose you’ll do,” Lane says.
“Yeah, just FYI, sometimes the dog watches. It’s only a little creepy the first few times. Then you get used to it. You’re all, ‘Oh harder, Lane, harder!’ and then you look over and the dog is staring you in the eyes. Right in the fucking eyes. Then you’re like, shit, I made eye contact, now it’s kind of weird. But he won’t—”
“Felix, babe, you’re rambling,” Lane says.
Felix grins as he pats my shoulder. “Alright, all joking aside, how is the Beauty and the Beast thing going?”
“Frank isn’t a beast.”
“You mean he transformed into a prince? Now, this I gotta see,” he says, clearly still joking.
I sigh. Just because Frank isn’t gorgeous doesn’t mean that I can’t like him. “It’s going like shit. Valentine’s Day is only a few days away and I really thought I could get him to go out with me on it. It was supposed to be special. Instead, he just runs whenever I’m around.”
Felix looks disappointed. “But you kissed him! I thought for sure… he turned you down? There’s no way he could turn you down.”
“He thinks it’s too dangerous. Told me that he doesn’t want me to get hurt. Blah blah.”
Felix is silent for a moment before looking at Lane. He leans into him and whispers. “Why do I kind of feel like it’s our fault?”
“Maybe it was the safe you stole,” Lane says. “Are you feeling guilty about that?”
He shakes his head, brownish-blond waves flopping into his face. “No, not at all.”
“The evidence?”
“No, not that either.” He shrugs. “Antonio, I’ve decided that we’re going to help you woo Frank.”
“I don’t want help.” I want help. “Especially not by you guys.” Even if it’s you guys.
“Good. Do you work tonight?”
“Yeah. Please don’t come.” Please do. I need some excitement in my life.
“We’ll be over later to check out what’s going on. I have a special ability for these things, you’ll see,” Felix says as he pats my shoulder reassuringly.
“You must, to have been able to hook Lane,” I say.
He gives me a wink. “That’s because he’s blind. He literally can’t figure out how to get away. All I need to do is rearrange the furniture every few days and he can’t find his way out of the house.”
I look over at Lane who just shrugs like he isn’t bothered by this at all. “We have a very healthy relationship, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“I wasn’t.”
Felix reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. There’s a gentle, kind smile on his face. “Valentine’s Day is only a week away; it’ll be the perfect day for you and Frank. I assure you, I will make it happen, even if Lane and I have to pay him to go on a date with you.”
“Great,” I say sarcastically.
Felix suddenly looks panicked as he grabs Lane’s arm. “Lane, we forgot the ice cream. Go fetch me ice cream.”
“Alright,” Lane says, but before leaving, he leans into me. “You’re going to regret this.”
It’s not a threat, it’s a warning. But the joke’s on him–
I already do.
He turns around and heads off with the German shepherd in tow.
I point toward Lane as he charges forward, leaving other people to part for him.
“Is he actually going to figure out how to get you ice cream?” I ask curiously.
“I don’t know. I’m kind of curious myself. See you tonight. If you want me to dance a number with you, I’ll bring some clothes.”
“You do not know how to dance. I’ve literally never seen anyone not understand the concept of dancing as much as you.”
“Thanks, I always strive to be the best. If I can’t be the best dancer, I can be the best at being awful at it. Oh god… What’s he doing?” Felix hurries off, leaving me standing in the middle of the store alone.
Alice Winters started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to turn her ideas into written words. She loves writing a variety of things from romance and comedy to action. She also enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her pets.
EMAIL: alicewintersauthor@gmail.com
Dancing in Darkness #3.5
Series
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