Snippet: Beyond Parallel by Matthew Turner

The below passage is about half way through the book, as Clark sits waiting in a coffee shop on his own. It's an inner dialogue showcasing his turmoil toward his life at that moment in time. It was so hard to choose just one snippet, but I really like this passage. It might be because I love coffee a little too much :)

***

A tall, white mug sat in front of Clark, a burst of steam rising and spreading. Beneath the eruption was the darkest blend of coffee that Clark had found in New York. It wasn’t only dark, but full. Black couldn’t completely describe it. He desired to raise it to his lips and taste its bitter form. Yet he couldn’t. To push forward too soon would result in pain. Just like with a woman, he had to be patient and wait long enough to embark on a hot and passionate ride.

Clark sighed at such thoughts. The coffee was good, but it didn’t deserve such attention. Such imagination should be reserved for a woman, and not any woman, but Beckie.

He missed her touch and smell and presence. He longed for her legs and lips and kiss. She was with him, but not. They were together, but never in its fullest sense. They were a couple, by name, but he wondered if it was more through technicality than anything else.

The coffee began to cool and he felt confident taking a precautionary sip. He raised it to his lips and licked the white surface. It was hot, but not burning. Carefully, he edged it back until a few drops of black gold dropped to his tongue.

Not yet.

Beckie was back at school, as was he, and their life was back to normal. However, it had never left normal in the first place. The festive season was supposed to be for them, but it instead became about her future. A chance internship that held too many what ifs to turn down.

Clark looked at his watch. Ten minutes late.

He played with the odds in his head, wondering when the phone call would arrive…if at all.

He raised his mug of triumph once more and touched it to his tongue. It was still hot but cooler than before. This time he tipped it back further, edging into the danger zone of no turning back.

Success!

He committed and swallowed and let the fullest blend he’d found fill his throat, sighing as he did, hating how this was the most enjoyable part of his evening.



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Beyond Parallel by Matthew Turner (coming January 2013)