Fab Friday Features, M.C.

It's another Fab Friday and today we're checking out M.C. Walker's novel, One More Thing. This sassy, sweet romance definitely has it's share of drama the way we love. Don't miss your chance to check it out...

One More Thing
Authored by M. C. Walker
ISBN-13: 978-1544903019 ISBN-10: 1544903014 BISAC: Fiction / Contemporary Women
Free spirited, thirty something, dancer Monica Charles doesn’t have the greatest track record when it comes to men, but now Anthony's come along. Handsome, funny, and attentive, Anthony. He could be her Mr. Right. Things are looking up for Monica… apart from one small problem, well a rather large and annoying problem...., District Attorney, devilishly handsome and charming, Chase Fitzpatrick, is back and ready to put a ring on it.

Monica's happy with Anthony and nothing can come in between their love, right? Chase is not taking no for an answer and will do anything to get the woman of his dreams back into his life...forever. What happens when our past interrupts our future? Monica's about to discover that the past can come back to haunt you, and the future you imagined could slip right through your fingers. Discover one woman's search for happily ever after one more time.

One More Thing
Excerpt...

Monica

Five years ago…...
She stood proudly, as she looked in the mirror wearing a beautiful white wedding gown. The lace on her back kissed her soft golden skin as she smiled brightly at her reflection. Today was her wedding day. A day she’d dreamed about vividly as a little girl. To be wedded, in holy matrimony. Witnessed by family and friends in a large cathedral professing her unconditional love to her beloved. I watched from the crack in the door as her mother rubbed her back adoringly. Her long grey strands rested evenly on her shoulders. She glowed with pride as the sunlight from the church window glistened off her olive skin. There were three different shades of chocolate bridesmaids, all different sizes dressed in floor length lilac satin dresses. They oohed and awed over how beautiful the bride looked on her wedding day.

Each woman giggled and shared a glance of hope and love for the day ahead. Their hearts swam in harmony as they anticipated the moment their friend would tie the knot and leave singlehood behind. I could see the sparkle of love and hope dancing inside the brides’ dark brown eyes. Her veil covered her forehead as her crimson lips spread from ear to ear. Her angelic wedding gown flowed beautifully, like a river of plush white roses as it kissed the floor. With big round eyes, golden brown toasty skin, with dimpled cheeks, and her warm auburn highlights wrapped in a bun, she was the perfect bride on her wedding day.

With every passing second her eyes blinked and minutes escaped from my hands and into her destiny. I couldn’t take my eyes off the rock resting on her ring finger. It was his great grandmothers’ ring. The one where his grandfather worked three jobs and spent his life savings to buy his great grandmother ring. Chase always told me he wanted a love story so memorable that his children’s, children would live to tell their grandkids. That was supposed to be my ring. This was supposed to be my wedding day in a big church with a stomach filled with butterflies. Those are supposed to be my best friends; Ryan and Christina dressed in ugly bridesmaids’ dresses, while laughing and shadowing me down the aisle of happily ever after. Instead, this day belonged to Nicole Miller, the future Mrs. Chase Fitzpatrick.

"Monica?! What are you doing here?"

A familiar voice startles me and I jump in the direction of the voice coming at me. My eyes are in for a sight, as I stare back at the man I love. Chase Fitzpatrick dressed in a black penguin suit standing with his hands partially closed. The tension feels like mountains are growing between us by the second. My words are trapped inside my throat.

Chase takes a few steps towards me. My heart begins to race as my mind urges my feet to run and hide. I’m stuck. Caught in between the rapture of love and the sea of all eternity looking in his dark brown eyes. Ashamed by my actions, I bury my chin inside my chest.

Dressed black leather from head to toe, my white t-shirt clings to the moistness of my damp skin. My motorcycle helmet rest at my feet as I envision myself running away from this moment.
Pretending that nothing has ever happened. Not the day I met Chase, our love making, and most of all me standing inside the Lord’s house preparing to ruin someone else’s happily ever after for my own selfish reasons. I bite my bottom lip and avert my eyes away from Chase. A braid escapes from my ponytail and sweeps across my plump left cheek. I push it away slightly with my right hand nervously anticipating the words about to come out of Chase’s mouth.

With a furrowed brow, he stares, as I stand there four feet, eleven inches and whispers evenly, "What the fuck are you doing here Monica?"

With puppy dog eyes, I stare at him and part of my pink full lips speak. Before the words slide from my tongue unto his ears. Chase runs his hands through his low haircut, closes his eyes, and shakes his head. Frustration rides his shoulder as all the endless possibilities of what could happen next runs through his mind.

"I just…I just needed to see you."

Chase laughs and gives me his back. His head disappears in his chest as he shakes his head. Vivid images of me holding his head on my bosom as bills, debt collectors, and students’ loans drowned in a pit of pain and sorrow. I was his rock. The door to the bridesmaid’s suite begins to open. Chase looks at me with wide eyes. I stare back at him with my mouth agape. Without a word, Chase grabs my right hand and pulls me down the hall into another room. My feet barely touch the ground as Chase searches aimlessly for an empty room with the door unlocked.

Within a matter of minutes, in a medium size room, we find refuge behind a door filled with choir robes. Chase secures the lock on the door behind us. On impulse, I jump into his arms and kiss his lips. He tastes twice as good as I last remembered. The softness of his lips soothes my heart. I wrap my tiny hands around the back of his neck and draw him in closer into my space. I feel his lips pick up the rhythm of mine as his strong hand touches the small of my back. I close my eyes and capture this moment in my mind forever.

Only a few seconds go by before his lips part from mine. Regret resides on his face instantly as Chase gives me his back and shakes his head. I take a moment and think about the next moment. How everything is riding on the emptiness of his words and mine. How our hearts are beating in rhythm, yet the world awaits the inevitable moment to witness his forever commitment. Cautiously, I take a slow step in his direction. I need to fill the space with words from my heart. Explain my presence. Profess my love one last time.

"Why?" I ask.

"Why what?"

"You left…never came back. You just walked away."

"I had too. I just…I had too."

"That wasn’t fair. You robbed me of a choice."

He turns toward me and takes a step. He furrows his brow and shakes his head. "I robbed you…Monica? You robbed me. I couldn’t do it anymore. It was just too much."

Sigh. "Loving me was too much for you. Wow. I never thought…."

"You’re right!" He exclaims. "You never thought about us. It was always about you. What you wanted. What you needed. I had enough."

"Chase, I just needed more time. Why can’t you understand that?"

"Oh, I understand Monica…I understand that you never wanted me to love you."

"That’s not true. You know that’s not true, Chase." I plead.

Chase plants his arms on his waist and turns towards me. With his back straight, his nostrils flared, and his bottom lip hidden. The stiffness in his voice pulls me at full attention. "Go! Just leave…. get out of my life Monica!"

"What?"

"You don’t belong here. This is my life. You don’t get to interrupt my life…not now. Not ever!" He states sternly with his index finger in my direction.

"No!" I scream. "It’s me Chase…. Monica…the woman you said you loved. You promised."

He turns his back towards me and walks away. He pauses for a few seconds as my words rest on his shoulders.

"I promised you what?"

"That you will love me…no matter what. Us. It’s us, Chase."

"You broke your promises too or did you choose to forget that part."

Swiftly, I move in towards him to close the gap between us. The only witnesses here are the robes in the tiny room, the wooden desk, and the lamp as our hearts battle. I reach for his left hand. He pulls it away from me. I take a step back and choose my words carefully while respecting his space.

"I wasn’t ready. You have to know I wasn’t ready for this larger than life episode you were trying to force me into."

Chase shakes his head and laughs. "Me? Give me a break Monica."

"Chase, I love you. You know that?"

Chase walks towards me and wipes his brow. He shakes his head.

"You don’t love me Monica. You love the idea of love. The good shit that comes with having someone there to pick up after you. To put you together again."

I shake my head. "Not true Chase. I was there for you."

He laughs. "Whatever, you want to tell yourself sweetheart."

The room goes quiet. It’s me against him. The energy in the room has gone from light to darkness. Suddenly, I feel trapped inside myself with nowhere to turn but outside myself.

"I think you should leave Monica."

"What?"

With his hands planted to the side, standing tall he says,

"I’m getting married today. To someone who isn’t you, who’s not afraid to love me or take the next step."

We’re standing face to face. I can feel his breath kissing my face. I stare at him looking for confirmation, and truth, that inside his soul this is what he wants from me. I can see a shadow of the man I love standing right before me. This is the man who once brought me breakfast in bed, with runny eggs, and burnt toast. The man who rubbed my feet every night after my shift. My lover who kissed my tears away when my grandmother died in my arms while lying in her bed. The same man who said he would always love me know matter what happens between us. I needed that man to show up in this room and run away with me. Put this life on pause and start over with me.

Desperately I needed the right words to come out of my mouth and fall unto his ears. But as I searched inside his eyes for the love we once had I saw the light inside of him disappear.
My eyes fell to the silver ring on his left finger. He belonged to someone else.

"Tell me, Chase."

"Tell you what Monica?"

"That you don’t love me. That you want me out of your life, forever. That you want me to erase
 you from my memory. Pretend we never met. That it was all for nothing. I just need for you to tell me that."

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About M.C.

About The Author

Born and raised in Atlanta , GA. From an early age M.C. could be found nestled in a corner inside a book or at a local bookstore. With the passion of learning and reading pushing her forward, writing became a natural progression of becoming an author. M.C. Walker is a poet, blogger, independent freelancer/ghostwriter, publisher, and bestselling author featured in the hot anthology from Brown Girls Publishing The Dating Game. She has been writing creative fiction and poetry since childhood. M.C. Walker is an active member of The Georgia Writers Association, The Atlanta Writers Club, and Women's Fiction Association. She is currently working on her debut novel One More Thing. Available March 31, 2017. In between raising her two handsome sons Khamani and Terrance Jr. M.C. Walker is committed to pursuing her goals, growing personally, and professionally, and above all else living a life that glorifies Christ.
It is through her spiritual relationship with Christ that the author has felt compelled to inspire, motivate, and transform the lives of those around her through her work in the literary industry.

Contact MC :
mcwalker@mcwalkerwrites.com
(404) 447-5238
www.mcwalkerwrites.com
www.facebook.com/writermcwalker
www.twitter.com/writermcwalker
www.instagram.com/writermcwalker
www.periscope.com/writermcwalker

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