The Diner

Part One -
Pick two characters you will become intimate with for six weeks. Name them and give them some background information.

Character A - Jill West
Jill works at Green's Boutique and loves her job. Her Grandmother raised her from a young age and is the only parent she knows. Jill watched as many single women in town settled down and the eligible bachelor list dwindled. She longs to create her own family but is terrified of letting someone into her heart and watching them leave, just like her mother did. The scar is deep. The longing for what life could be is even more profound. Although she's happy with her life, she cannot help but think something is missing.
Jill, late 20s, dirty blonde hair and brown eyes, tall

Character B - Taylor Allen
Taylor is an accomplished architect and has done many of the designs for Brady Construction, including helping design the owner's home. It's a lonely life, as his family has moved away from this part of the state, but designing fulfills the void. Taylor, the youngest of four, becomes absorbed in what he does so much that time can pass by instantly. He always assumed he'd get married someday, but it's not something he's actively seeking.
Taylor, 30, has brown hair and eyes, is tall, and work dictates his life.

Side note: I'm embarking on a transformation journey, repurposing secondary characters from one of my novels, characters who have played supporting roles, to see if they could step into the spotlight and take the lead in another book.

Part 2 - Write a 1000 word max scene. Put them in a public environment: coffee shop, school, work, church, anywhere they can interact but are not alone. They will arrive separately at their destination and are familiar with each other. Explore that meeting.





Jill blew into the diner, running late for work. Luckily, Megan was able to cover and open the boutique. It was a rough night for her Grandmother, and watching the woman who raised her slipping away into the shell of her former, vibrant self was heartbreaking. The woman beat cancer, a feat that seemed like a miracle, but old age she couldn't seem to conquer.

She made a beeline for the counter, desperate for a large coffee to go. Caffinee always seemed to settle her nerves. The first smell and sip would be all she needed to get her day headed in the right direction. She didn't need to place her order. Endurance was a small town, and since she'd ordered the same coffee with two sugars and a drop of milk every day for years, the staff at the diner anticipated her arrival and would have that to-go cup ready in a jiffy.

Jill took the empty stool and smiled at the waitress, Amy.

"Mornin'. I'll get that coffee after I serve this order," Amy said.

Jill nodded and turned her stool to scope who was dining this morning. She knew Brady Construction would have a few stragglers but could not talk since it was well past nine in the morning. The usual suspects dotted the diner. There was something comforting in that knowledge. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to live in a big city where you didn't know anyone. The thought made her shiver because even though she knew most people in this town, she still felt lonely.

She sighed, and then her eyes landed on Taylor Allen, alone in a booth, papers and rolled plans littering the big table. They had crossed paths many times, always having something to do with Anna's Originals and the Grayburg family purchasing an abandoned property they could turn into something the growing clothing line would need. She'd never seen anyone so engrossed in work that they were oblivious to anyone nearby. Well, except her bosses, Anna Brady and Lisa Green Grayburg.

Amy returned with her coffee, setting it on the counter in front of her. Jill grabbed the bills from her purse and set them down. "Thanks, Amy. Appreciate you."

Jill lifted the lid and took the cup into her hand, wrapping her finger around the cup, delighting in the warmth and smooth texture. Lifting the cup to her nose, she inhaled, letting that comforting aroma take hold. Jill smiled, so robust that distinctive Colombian brand. She could live off this stuff. She blew across the top of the liquid and closed her eyes before taking that first sip. In a word, heaven. She savored these little moments that brought her joy.

When she opened her eyes, they landed on Taylor again, and when he raised his coffee mug with a smile and nod, she realized he'd been watching her little morning ritual. Heat raced up her spine and settled in her face. Good Lord, why did he have to see the one private moment I get every day?

With that, she broke eye contact and turned away, the need to get out of there making her move faster than she should have. In one swift move, the cup hit the counter's edge and tumbled forward, spilling its contents everywhere. Dark liquid hit the back edge and raced forward before Jill could get off the stool, pouring down onto her lap.

"Oowww," she yelped, jumping from the chair as the scalding liquid made her legs feel like hot coals of fire held her in place. Jill grabbed napkins to clean up the liquid, and Amy rushed to grab towels to wipe the mess, tossing a pile onto the counter.

"Are you alright?"

Jill spun around to see Taylor standing there, a look of concern on his face.

He took the napkins from her hand, bent down, and dabbed at her pant legs, doing his best to be delicate with his touch and yet effective at his cleaning methods.

"A little clumsy, I admit, but I'll survive," Jill said.

Taylor looked up at her and smiled. "No doubt. I'm afraid this will probably leave a few marks."

The warmth in his brown eyes sent a shiver down her spine, starkly contrasting the burning sensations in her legs. The light blue pants she wore wouldn't survive this. And she loved this summery outfit.

"I'll get you another cup to go," Amy said, sopping up the last remnants of her first coffee from the counter.

"Thanks, Amy. That would be great."

"Well, it's a good thing you work across the street," Taylor said. "Switching out your pants will be easy, though you will probably need some salve or something for those burns."

"What a way to start the day," Jill muttered. She reached for the napkins in Taylor's hand, and their knuckles connected. She took them and turned away from him, setting them on the counter as a spark of... What was it? Electricity? She shook her head. No, she was imagining that jolt that raced through her from head to toe.

"Thank you for helping," she said, keeping her back to him.

"You're very welcome," Taylor said.

Jill turned around and watched him walk back toward his table. Today turned from ordinary to engaging in the span of five minutes. What would the rest of the day bring?

WC: 894