Hello and welcome to another writers' Tuesday, and of course another showcase excerpt from an aspiring women's fiction writer! This week the excerpt comes from Kimberly Murphy!
Please do comment as the writer's of these pieces really do appreciate the feedback!
About Kimberly Murphy
Born in
About the Book
Sorry Charlie is about an ambitious 30-something, fearless in her accomplishments, but terrified of relationships. However, after being dubbed “a serial dater” by her two closest gals, past experience and future engagements make her realize the opportunities she’s thrown to the wayside and she prepares for the challenge of her life: falling in love. Will she ever be able to commit? Or will every relationship end with those infamous last words, Sorry! Charlie?
Excerpt
Sorry Charlie by Kimberly Murphy
CHAPTER ONE – THE LAST TIME
Charlotte Monroe raced up the steps to her house, fumbling deep inside her oversized Chanel purse for her house keys. What she once considered her favorite accessory now resembled a black hole rather than last year’s “must have” bag. She felt her fingers graze over a wallet, a squeeze tube of lip gloss, several pens, chap stick, her make-up bag(which she realized was unzipped), her bronzer compact(that was supposed to be in said make-up bag) a few napkins and tissues, either a candy bar or energy bar(she couldn’t remember) but no keys. She felt her chest grow tighter and heard her own breaths racing in time with her escalating pulse. Had she taken them out of her purse at LT’s place? NO! She told herself, you can’t possibly have left them there…that would mean going back and having to TALK to him because now he’s probably awake! It was the last thing she wanted to do. She had left him sleeping soundly, with nothing more than a note on the pillow. No explanation, no waking him up to say goodbye, just a note. Would he even talk to me? Would he do something with my keys?! She imagined him waking to find she had vanished, replaced by a note on her pillow that read simply, “Sorry! Charlie xo.”
Just as she began to turn the bag over for a complete dumping of its contents, she heard the familiar buzz-buzz-buzzzzzzzz of her Palm Treo phone, and with it, the sound of vibrating keys. She reminded herself to put her house keys back on her D-ring and snatched the phone and keys in one swoop of her hand. She made a mental note that it was
“Yes, Mother” she said in annoyance as she unlocked her door.
“Charlie, are you….Why must you always answer the phone with such…resentment?”
“It’s not ‘resentment’ mom, I’m just annoyed right now because I am VERY late for work. I hardly have enough time to get ready, much less have a phone conversation. What were you going to ask me?”
“Well your brother is in town and I was thinking we could all get together for a bite to eat. You’ll have enough time later to squeeze in lunch, right?” Lainey Monroe knew just how to get under her daughter’s skin, but she also knew that Charlie had a weak spot for her brother, Tyler.
“Just let me know when and where, mom. Call me when you and Ty figure it out, talk to you then. Love you.” And with that, the conversation with her mother was over. She tossed the phone on her bed from her bathroom door and scurried across the cold, tiled floor to the shower and turned on the water. Just as she started to notice the steam buildup, she heard the familiar buzz-buzz-buzzzzzzzz again. Without a second thought, she stepped in to the shower and began to dread her upcoming lunch.
Charlie had always been a Daddy’s Girl, and it wasn’t just because she was named after her father. Charles “Chuck” Monroe died exactly 6 years and 7 months ago today. She knew it would be brought up at lunch. She knew her mother would begin to reminisce and end up in tears. She knew she and her brother would have to help pull Mom back together. She just didn’t understand why the loss had to be commemorated every. Single. Month. Especially after 6 years had already passed. She would give anything to avoid the luncheon, but she wasn’t missing out on seeing
They were four years apart in age, but closer now than they had ever been. Charlie moved out of the house as soon as she could, she couldn’t wait to taste freedom and be her own person. Her mother pleaded with her to apply to college, but she hardly had the discipline to ‘cater to yet another group of teachers’ requests and demands.’ She found an apartment that she shared with some roommates. Over the next three years she worked in restaurants and bars and spent all her other time with freelance photography. It was something that Ty loved, also, and they would go on day trips together in the summer for the sole purpose of capturing life on film.
At the age of twenty-one, she decided that she wanted to pursue photography as a career, not just a hobby. Charlie had incredible natural talent and an extraordinary eye for detail. Over the years, she had developed an extensive portfolio which easily got her in the door at any studio. She worked under several different photographers at the oceanfront, all of which shot mainly family portraits on the beach. She loved her work, it hardly seemed like a job to her, but she didn’t get that feeling of capturing life with posed beach photos, so life began to feel routine and Charlie grew bored. Each time she left one studio for the next, she hoped to find more than just family beach portraits. At twenty-five she finally landed the job she really wanted with a photographer named William Lansing who specialized in weddings.
She had been with William Lansing Studios five years. Her work was unparalleled and her reputation had every wedding vendor in the Hampton Roads area referring her services. More importantly, she felt she was working a dream job. In years past, she realized that she loved the art of photography, and the passion she felt only came with capturing true emotion on film. Her favorite moments always turned out to be exceptional works of art: the careless innocence of a flower girl scattering petals, completely unaware of the weight of the ceremony around her; the captivated stare of a groom who watches his bride take her first steps down the aisle towards him; the bittersweet moment when a father realizes he is dancing with a little girl whose heart now belongs to another man. Her photos looked like they came straight out of a motion picture film, so it was no surprise to her that rumors were flying that William was considering making her a partner. But coming in almost an hour late was no way to make partner, even with a portfolio like hers.
Charlie turned off the water and began to wring the water out of her hair. She reached for a towel and the familiar sound began again. Buzz-buzz-buzzzzzzzz. She groaned internally as she made a mental note to change her number sometime today. Again. Most people would go to great lengths to keep the same mobile number, but not Charlie. When the going gets tough, the tough changes her phone number. That had been her theory on breaking relationships and it had worked so far. She had decided a few years back that it was a lot easier than having to explain anything to anyone. Unfortunately, her mother was someone that always had to have the new number. She finished drying off and wrapped her hair in the towel and commenced in her routine of getting ready, grabbing the lotion as she plopped down on the bed. She rolled the phone over with the back of her dry hand and saw that it was seven, not just two, missed calls. Six were from LT, as expected, and one from the studio, also expected. She looked at the clock again. It was five minutes until
“Hey, I’m alive, just running late. What’s up?”
“Oh. Good! We were starting to worry about you!” Christy was full of good intentions, but her voice was like nails on a chalkboard to Charlie.
“Hi, Christy. I’m fine. Look, I should be leaving within 30 minutes, give or take. See you soon.”
“Okay. No rush, I just thought I’d let you know that William is looking for you!” Christy seemed to be singing into the phone. Why must she always sound this excited? Charlie thought.
“He is?” I cannot believe how late I am! “Well let him know I’m moving as quickly as I can. See you soon.” She tossed the phone back on the bed and slung open the closet door.
