Welcome Readers...into my Dreams and Imagination.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Hustle Into Love - Prologue Pt. 4

Hey all,

So?  Whatcha think so far???  I have to admit I'm really enjoying the story, and I haven't even given you the hero yet.  Once you meet him, you'll be hooked for good!  LOL

Don't forget to enter this week's contest.  Bring those friends and let me know you did.  You'll be entered for that free book!   Check the first installment for details.

Anyway, I guess I better quit yammering and just give you the next installment.  Let's see what our mysterious man wants with our plucky heroine.


Hustle Into Love


   She only stared at him. “Excuse me?”
   He smiled again. “I do not ever recall offering you the position of spokesperson, although it does have merit whether you think of yourself as the proper person or not.”
   “Okay.” Chantal rubbed her eyes. “Now I’m really confused.”
   “May I sit? We can discuss my idea further.”
   “Oh, my God.” Chantal jumped to her feet and quickly cleared off the only other available seat in her tiny cluttered dressing room. “I’m so sorry. My mama raised me better than that. I guess you distracted me.”
   Lì sat gingerly on the hard seat. “I take full responsibility. I did surprise you.”
   “Ummm…can I offer you a drink or something? I’ve got—” she went red when she realized her choices in beverages were a bit limited, "—tap water or bottled water.”
   He laughed. “A bottle of water would be fine.”
   She handed him a cold Evian out of the small refrigerator and grabbed one for herself. Sitting back down, she looked at him, her eyebrows raised. “You were saying?”
   Lì smiled charmingly. “I came here tonight for one purpose. To see you dance.”
   Chantal nodded. “Well, I can’t see you coming for the club's ambiance, even though it's rockin'.”
   He chuckled. “Just so. I admit this establishment is not one I would frequent. But I know of others who do, and they thought I should take a look at you.”
   Confused again, she shrugged. “Why?”
   “I am not just the owner of Forever Young—”
   “Whoa,” she interrupted. “You own the company? Wow!” Light dawned. “Of course. Yeung—Young. Now I see it.”
   “Yes. It is only one of my ventures. The newest one. I have many—how do you say it? Fingers in the pie?” He smiled again.  “I also am involved with several clubs in Las Vegas, and I own a casino as well.”
   Anticipation leapt up in her. “You’re here to offer me a place dancing in one of your clubs?”
   “Not exactly.”
   Hope turned to dust at her feet. “Then you’ve lost me.”
   “I am assuming you do not wish to dance here at this Blushing Panda for the rest of your life?”
   She swallowed a smile. “Ummm. That’s The Pink Panda, but no, I’m outta here as soon as I have enough in savings to give my notice.”
   He raised a speculative eyebrow. “And by the way you reacted to me invading your privacy, I believe you have had additional offers. Unsavory ones? Perhaps you could have added to those savings by doing other...dances. Tax free? Why did you not take those opportunities?”
   She bristled like a porcupine. “I’m not a whore. I don’t sell my body. Damn it, I’m a dancer.”
   “Dancers also sell their bodies,” he responded mildly. “But they do it in more respectable circumstances. I can give you this chance.”
   “Mr. Yeung.” Chantal angrily got to her feet. “If that’s the best you can come up with, you can take your proposition and leave. I may not be the classiest woman in the world, but I am true to myself. I told you, I’m no hooker, and I don't dance the mattress rumba.  The only dances I’ll ever do are ones that speak to my soul. I’d rather go hungry than do otherwise. And no one, not even some cosmetic millionaire is going to come in here and change that.”
   “Bravo!” Lì clapped his hands enthusiastically. “I salute you, my dear. That was just what I wanted to hear.”
   Chantal’s fury drained out of her like water down a storm drain. Only bewilderment was left. “I don’t get you. What is it you’re trying to say? What do you want with me?”
   “Allow me to explain myself fully.” Lì motioned her back to her seat, and reluctantly, she sank into it. “I have a story to tell you.”
   “I’m listening."
   “I am the first son of my father, and as you may know, in China, the first son receives just about everything. Fortune, status, honor and of course, the responsibility of family.”
   “I watch National Geographic Channel.”
   “My father was killed when I was in my teens. He was lost in an airplane crash just outside of Hong Kong during a typhoon.”
“I’m sorry.”
   He inclined his head. “Thank you. It is an old wound and well healed. He left no other issue. I was the only child of the union between him and my mother. She grieved a long time, but then after five years fell in love again, this time with a foreigner. She married him and moved to his country. They had a son, my only brother.”
   She waited. What this had to do with her, Chantal didn’t know.
   “Even though my mother lives, I am free from any responsibility for her. She and my brother are well taken care of by her new husband. I have no extended family, a rarity in my country, but neither of my parents had any siblings either.”
   “Mr. Yeung.” She tapped her foot impatiently. “What does your family history have to do with me?”
   Lì smiled. “It is because of my family history I have come to you, my dear. Because I have no family to consider, my money is mine to do with as I please. And so, a few years ago I decided to begin a very special project.”
   Chantal leaned forward curiously. “Project? What kind of project?”
   “Something that feeds my soul as your dance does yours. In short. I give away money.”
   She just stared at him. Maybe he was a loony-tune after all. “No. Come on. Seriously. What kind of project?”
   Lì laughed. “I am very serious, and I am not talking about charities, although I do donate regularly to many. No. I wanted something more personal. Something I could call my own. So I put out—how do you say it? Feelers? And eventually I began gathering information about candidates for whom I could help make their dreams come true.”
   Excitement stirred, but she ruthlessly tamped it down. Not yet. Not until she knew… Clearing her throat, she asked, “Like?”

~*~

Another cliffhanger, just for you.  LOL  Now remember the contest and also, I love your comments, so please don't forget to let me know what you think.

And remember to check out yesterday's post on my Chat Blog.  Do you believe in spooks?

Until tomorrow...

CJ England
Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/luckbealady/luckbealady.htm

12 comments:

Chele Blades said...

these teases are killing me...but i am hooked so i will be back

CJ England said...

LOL You'll find I'm the queen of tease! LOL

Phylis said...

You are definitely the Queen of Tease! Awesome! Can't wait but will have to for next instalment!

CJ England said...

I should get me a crown. LOL Queen of Tease... I love that name.

SharonJM said...

Okay CJ(tapping foot here), what do you mean you haven't introduced the hero yet, hmmm?

Shai Williams said...

This just keeps getter better and better.

Ashley L said...

Okay, you seriously cannot end it like that again. I'm dying to find out who the hero is and what happens next!

CJ England said...

SharonJM,

Well, let me explain. The hero, Mace, didn't feel like being in the prologue, and Li, who was only going to be a shadowy figure originally, decided to take his place.

I had no control. I swear. LOL

CJ England said...

Shaiha,

Thanks. I usually just jump into the story, but the characters refused to do that without a bit of a backstory. So...the prologue was born.

*sigh*

I hope it all makes sense by the end of next week. LOL

CJ England said...

loves2read,

*giggle* I've done my job... developed suspense. I think you'll meet our hero next week.

If he isn't shy.

Carrie said...

I love it. still can't get over on the cliff hangers but it makes me wantto come back and see what happens. I bet the hero is going to blow me away. Can't wait to met him.

CJ England said...

When I was a kid, I love watching those old black and white scifi serial stories on Saturday nights.

When I started doing my FREE READS I knew that was the platform I wanted to use. If I always came back for more of what would happen to our intrepid hero, I thought you might too. LOL