Fast Beat by Wren Valentino - Contemporary Romance - After her long-time dance partner Tony is injured, Cassidy Downs has only a matter of weeks to find a new partner to remain eligible to compete in the All City Dance Off.
by Wren Valentino
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Blue Dasher Press
Date of Publication: May 29, 2020
ASIN:
Word Count: 15,000
Cover Artist: James at GoOnWrite.com
After her long-time dance partner Tony is injured, Cassidy Downs has only a matter of weeks to find a new partner to remain eligible to compete in the All City Dance Off.
When she discovers Giovanni, a talented and classically trained member of a dance conservatory, Cassidy convinces him to become her new partner despite his reluctance to do so.
As the competition nears, neither Cassidy nor Giovanni can deny the strong attraction building between them.
Excerpt:
The text message came in right at the end of the lunch rush. Cassidy felt her phone buzz in the front pocket of her apron. She reached for it on instinct. She glanced down, saw the words, and stopped in her tracks.Come quickly. Tony is hurt.
Ducking out of view of the slow-eating customers, Cassidy sought refuge in the cluttered breakroom, which consisted of nothing more than a rickety table, two beaten-up chairs, and a dead clock on the wall that hadn’t told time in over a year.
Too nervous to sit, Cassidy paced while waiting for Tasha to answer her phone. Tension filled her muscles as she moved.
Finally.
“Hello?”
Cassidy froze. “Tasha? What happened? Is he okay?”
“No,” she said. “No, he’s not. It’s bad.” Knowing Tasha for most of her life, Cassidy knew it was a serious situation from the wavering tone in Tasha’s voice.
Cassidy tightened her grip on the phone. “Tell me,” she said. Her breath felt like it was caught in her lungs. She closed her eyes, imagining the worst but hoping for the best.
“You’re not going to believe this, but he got jumped.”
Cassidy opened her eyes. “What? By who?”
“Who do you think? It was The Firemakers.”
“Are you sure?”
“Cassidy, he had over two hundred bucks in cash on him. They didn’t touch the money. They went for his knee. They wanted to make sure he’d never dance again. And he won’t. Tony didn’t deserve this. We both know he’s a good guy.”
“He’s my best friend,” Cassidy said. A wave of emotion crept into her throat. Her eyes filled with tears. Not one to show her feelings, she stopped herself from crying. “And the best dance partner I’ve ever had. What am I gonna do? The competition is in two weeks.”
“He’s asking for you,” Tasha said. “We’re at County. How fast can you get here?”
Cassidy let out a long breath. Her body was still tense, but shock was setting in. How could this happen? “I’ll ask April to cover the rest of my shift,” she explained. “She still owes me from Christmas Eve.”
“Time to collect,” said Tasha. “And probably time to find a new partner.”
Cassidy shook her head. “I can’t.” she said. “That’s impossible.”
Tasha took a breath before she spoke. “Is it?”
About the Author:
Wren Valentino is an author, playwright, poet, and screenwriter. He writes in multiple genres, primarily contemporary romance with an international setting. Wren graduated magna cum laude from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and English. He earned an MFA in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. He is a member of Gothic Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. He loves film noir, white chocolate, classic cartoons, koalas, Julie London records, Nancy Drew, the Peanuts gang, Disney villains, all things Tiki, Italy, and everything written by Jane Austen.
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