The Frantic Romantic Weekend Writing Challenge #1 Results!!

Hello, All!! Well, I received 32 incredible romance stories, from some familiar names and from many names new to Micromance (that I hope to see more of).

This was a lot harder than I thought…. honestly, I thought there would be some automatic “no's” from missing prompt words or wrong word counts, but nope. Every story met the guidelines!! Everyone who participated deserves accolades just for that!!

The stories I received were all very different…they took place on airplanes and at festivals and at the eye doctor… they were all so different…. and so fun to read…

But I'll hold you in suspense no longer….

The Runners Up:

The Tunnel of Love by Julia Rajagopalan

Wanda Moore tapped her glowing touchscreen with a nervous flick. She’d triple-checked the tunnel’s atmosphere, quadruple-checked the airlocks, and everything appeared safe. Still, anxiety tightened her shoulders. Anything could go wrong, and if something went wrong on Mars, people died.

A chime sounded, and she shivered as Commander Alexi Nemeth’s name flashed on the screen. Smoothing her ponytail, she hit ACCEPT.

“Lieutenant Moore, how are preparations?” Alexi’s handsome face filled the monitor.

“All systems go. Everything ready on your end?”

“Champagne’s on ice.”

Wanda sighed. Though she knew he was joking, she hated it when he didn’t take things seriously.

“Relax, everything’s set,” Alexi said, radiating confidence. He’d frequently calmed her down during their two years of daily video calls. Still, the inaugural tunnel for the United Martian Biomes was too important for her to relax. It was also too important for her to be distracted by romantic feelings.

“You checked the radiation levels?”

“Of course.”

“Seismic readings? Pressurizing the tunnel might destabilize the area.”

“Are you nervous about meeting me?” He flashed a charming grin, but she saw his eyebrow twitch. It was the same twitch he had when he bluffed at poker, or when he talked about his troubled relationship with his father. Was he nervous about meeting her?

“I’m nervous about linking the tunnel. We’re broadcasting across the solar system. If something goes wrong, we’ll be humiliated.” And possibly dead.

“Nothing will go wrong.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m always right.”

“Signing off.” She laughed.

“See you soon.”

***

Wanda’s heart raced as she rode the tram down the long tunnel toward Alexi. He’d only ever seen her on screen. Would he like her in person? Was their connection real or just flirtation?

Soon, the tram slowed to a stop. A red ribbon stretched across the closed door, flags and cameras stood nearby. Wanda climbed out and went to the speaker in the wall.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Ready.”

“Welcome, everyone, to the opening ceremony for the International Martian Friendship Tunnel. On this momentous occasion, we will finally join our separate habitats. May all of humankind benefit from our new relationship.” Wanda pressed the button, and the doors slid open.

Before her stood the man she loved. Alexi was taller than she’d imagined, his big shoulders filling the circular doorway. With ceremonial scissors, he snipped the ribbon, then extended his hand.

Wanda shook it, feeling his warm callus-covered palm. They smiled for the cameras. Finally, she released his hand, walked over, and turned the cameras off.

“We’re out.” She turned to him, uncertain what to do next.

“Thank goodness.” He rushed to her in three large strides. To her shock, he reached up and caressed her cheek. Sliding his palm behind her head, he pulled her to him.

They kissed. His lips were hot and smooth against hers, and her heart somersaulted. He did love her.

It wasn’t the first kiss on Mars, but it was their first kiss, and Wanda knew for certain it wouldn’t be their last.❤️

*Editor's note: I loved the Sci-fi/Speculative aspect of this story. Only a couple writers chose to write in a subgenre… and I loved it. It tickles me when people think outside the box… it's not a trait I'm good at, and I admire those who can do it!

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Lunch in the City by Risa Dotson Eicke

My heart is thumping as the elevator doors open with a ding. I wipe my sweaty palms on my slacks and walk straight up to the mahogany desk. I glance around the lobby. Plants are stretching toward tall, sunny windows.

"Hey, sorry."

I jump at the voice. I turn around to see a tall guy tucking his dark, shoulder-length hair behind his ear. "I guess nobody's covering the front desk. Can I help you?"

"Oh, sure." I look up at him. He's awkwardly hunched over, like he's attempting to lessen our height difference. "I'm uh, here for an interview."

"Do you have an appointment?"

I blink at him.

"I mean, of course you do, right?" He half-smiles and moves to the other side of the desk, where he hammers away at a keyboard. "Who's interviewing you?"

"Lyla."

"Hmmm," his eyes are locked on the monitor, "Lyla's at the inaugural Leading Ladies Luncheon. It's likely to last all afternoon."

"She told me to be here at eleven," I protest.

"Ahhh, I see." His eyebrows are drawn together. "You're Mellie?"

I nod.

"Lyla's got you down for eleven p.m., not a.m. Clearly, she could use an assistant."

"That's why I'm here."

"Sorry." He frowns. "I'm afraid you'll have to reschedule."

"Damn," I say before I can stop myself. "Sorry, I just… it's my first interview and I drove all the way into the city—"

"Can I take you to lunch?"

"What?" My eyes meet his.

"I mean, since you came all the way here, I could tell you what it's like, you know, working here, over lunch?"

There's a sincere look in his eyes. I nod and follow him to the elevator.

"I'm Nico." He shakes my hand as we descend.

"Thanks for this," I say as I tighten my ponytail.

I walk briskly, attempting to keep up with his long strides. Outside, people are cutting in between us. "This way," I hear him say as I maneuver through the crowd. Someone bumps into my leg while slithering past me. My hand goes straight to my pocket, where my wallet should be.

My pocket is empty.

"Hey!" I point to a man, a few feet away. "He took my wallet!"

Nico hears me. He sees the man, and takes off at a sprint. The man tosses my wallet over a little bridge and disappears into the crowd. I watch Nico's long legs swing over the barricade. He disappears below the sidewalk. As I approach the bridge, I see him, knee-deep in a creek, holding up my wallet with a wide smile. His shoes slosh as he trudges up the hill and leaps over the barricade. He hands me my soggy wallet, and our eyes lock.

"That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me," I confess.

A glimmer flashes in his eyes as I inch closer to him, standing on my tiptoes. I feel a rush as our lips press together, and I don't want this incredible feeling to end. ❤️

*Editor's note: SWOON.. ‘nuff said 😉

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Unexpected Kisses by Dawn Benedict

Andrea arrived at the cafe just as the doors were unlocked. She secured Frosty’s leash to a table on the patio before popping inside. He watched her intently through the window until she came back out and sat down, pulling her journal out of her bag. She absentmindedly ate her blueberry muffin while she wrote down the story idea she’d had on their walk. Frosty napped under the table, head on her foot, while the tale flowed out page after page.

“Is this seat taken?” A deep voice broke her concentration.

She glanced up and blinked, “Excuse me?”

“Is this seat taken?” The dark haired man standing in front of her asked again. She glanced around and realized the cafe was standing room only, except for the chair opposite her.

“Oh! Yes,” she shook her head, “I mean, no, it’s not taken. Yes, you can join me.” Her face grew warm as she stumbled over her words.

He chuckled and sat down. “Thank you. I have to finish my speech and was hoping I could do it over breakfast.” He extended a hand to her, “I’m Hank.”

They shook. “Andrea,” she said and motioned under the table, “and this is Frosty.”

“Nice to meet you both. Looks like you came here to work, too?” Hank nodded towards Andrea’s journal before pulling a stack of note cards and a pen out of the inner pocket of his vest.

“Yeah, I wanted to get this written down before I lost the idea. I’m hoping to take it to the writer’s conference this afternoon if I can get it finished. I’ve never attended one before and I don’t know what to expect.”

Hank smiled. “Maybe I can help you out with that as thanks for the seat?”

Andrea gave him a questioning look.

“I’m giving the inaugural address today. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.

She gaped. “You’re H.M. Cowal?”

He smiled and dipped his head. “In the flesh. I was happy to agree when they invited me to speak, especially since I didn’t have to travel far.”

They chatted while he ate, then quietly worked on their separate projects, a comfortable silence between them. Andrea wished the morning would never have to end. It wasn’t the most romantic setting, but she couldn’t have asked for better company.

Hank checked his watch when the breakfast crowd began to thin. “I hate leave, but I have a pre-conference meeting. Unfortunately, all speakers are required to attend.” He gave her a rueful smile and pushed his chair back from the table. He bent down to retrieve the napkin that had fallen from his lap when Frosty jumped up from under the table and proceeded to lick his face.

“Frosty, down! What have I told you about giving kisses on the first date?”

Hank wiped his mouth and laughed. “Do the rules allow kissing on the second?”

Andrea blushed, smiled shyly, and nodded.

“In that case, would you join me for dinner?”❤️

*Editor's note: one of the stipulations of this challenge was to end the story with a kiss… I love how Dawn uses Frosty’s kiss to open the door for Hank to ask Andrea out… the whole story was very cute and sweet and perfectly Meet-Cute!

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Better Late Than Never by Andrew Monge

Tammy was beside herself with frustration.

A few weeks back she’d seen a flyer at the library, advertising a new book club. Normally she wouldn’t have given it a second glance – Tammy was painfully shy, so the idea of gathering with other people for a discussion sounded more terrifying than entertaining – but the inaugural session’s topic grabbed her attention: an evening devoted to Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct series.

Cops and robbers didn’t do much for Tammy – she was more of a closet romantic, preferring corny bodice rippers – but her father, God rest his soul, had been a huge fan of police procedurals, routinely talking about the mean streets of the 8-7. Throwing caution to the wind, she decided to attend the book club and listen in on the conversation as a way to feel closer to her dad.

If only traffic hadn’t slowed to a crawl, threatening to make her late for the meeting.

* * *

Tammy burst into the library twenty minutes past the hour, powerwalking to the conference room, arguing with herself over skipping the whole thing versus sneaking in late and potentially drawing unwanted attention to herself…but the room was empty except for a bookish gentleman in a suit-and-tie and horn-rimmed glasses. Tammy came to an abrupt halt in the doorway, then started to slowly backpedal, but the man’s hangdog expression brightened so much it stopped her retreat.

“Welcome! My name is Paul. Are you here for the McBain discussion?”

Tammy’s face flushed. “No, I mean, um, yes?”

Paul’s smile grew, causing a hitch in Tammy’s chest.

“Wonderful! Space is limited, but I’m sure we can find a spot for you.”

Tammy’s face scrunched up as she scanned the unoccupied chairs.

“Just a joke,” he said, his face reddening this time. “It appears I chose poorly for my debut. At least I have one fan here so I don’t look like a complete fool.”

“About that,” Tammy said, and the dam suddenly broke as she spoke of her father’s passing, his love of Ed McBain’s work, and her desire to familiarize herself with the series he enjoyed the most. Paul listened, empathy written in his eyes, offering his condolences, asking her questions, sharing bits and pieces about himself. Before they knew it, ninety minutes had passed. Then the room fell silent.

Clearing his throat, Paul said, “Yes, well, thank you for coming tonight. Perhaps we can seal the evening with a kiss?”

Tammy’s eyes widened as he stood and walked toward her.

“I, um…I don’t think I’m, uh…”

Paul reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a tattered paperback: Ed McBain’s Kiss.

“It’s probably not the best book in the series, but it’s still my favorite. While it’s late in the run, it’s as good of a place to start as any. Maybe we could discuss it over dinner once you finish?”

Her finger brushed his as she accepted the novel from him, causing her pulse to quicken. “Yes,” Tammy said, “I think I’d like that.” ❤️

*Editor's note: this story was extremely well-written … great dialog… it was real, meaning you could really see this happening in real life, and, again, the use of the kiss was genius!!

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And now, The Inaugural Winner of the Frantic Romantic Weekend Writing Challenge is….

Love Bomb by Brenna Kelly

Being an agent made romance hard, but a killer staging a mass bombing on Valentine’s Day was a bit on the nose. Ally forced herself to speak calmly even as her heart raced from the sprint up several flights of stairs. “Mr. Fox, I’m Agent Ally Todd.”

He was bound to a plastic chair, eyes trained down towards his chest—towards the bomb. Blood dripped from his temple, matting dark hair to the side of his face. Square glasses sat low on his nose. His chin lifted, revealing a wide smile. He looked like a Kryptonian instead of a man facing his own mortality. “Charlie. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Despite the circumstances,” she said, kneeling in front of him so she was face to face with the timer.

Three minutes.

“What do you mean?” he asked, more sarcastic than afraid.

She pried the bomb’s clamshell case open. It was designed to look like a conversation heart. Its message read, XXX. In the silence, the ticking sounded like a car alarm.

“Right,” he said, “the thing between us.”

She sighed in relief at the familiar mechanism. “You’ll be out of here in time to make your Valentine’s reservations.”

“There are none,” he said. “I’m a workaholic. That’s where he got me. At work.”

“What do you do?”

“Editor for celebrations at the Tribune—weddings, births, surviving a bombing. Mundane stuff.”

Like Ally, Charlie was here because of his career. The killer was consistently attacking the joys in life.

Two minutes.

“Is this mundane for you?” he asked.

Her hands shook as she traced out the wiring. There were ten people scattered across town in the exact same predicament. He had pulled the short straw. This was her inaugural field disarming. “Not quite.”

“I’m your first?” His smile and voice lowered to flirtatious. “I like leaving an impression. Especially on beautiful women.”

He was using his charm as a coping mechanism. Still, her heart trilled, and not from any physical exertion.

“It’s a memorable night,” she said.

“Can I buy you a drink after all this?”

“Sure.”

“An evening so romantic it will blow you away.”

She guffawed. The stress of the situation was lowering the shield of professionalism she hid behind.

“What?” he asked. “Too soon?”

“Actually,” she began, disconnecting the detonator, “you have impeccable timing.”

One minute.

Ally freed him from the remaining bindings. Charlie shuttered, drooping in the chair. She pressed in close, afraid he’d slip to the ground alongside the defanged bomb. His fingers threaded into her hair.

“That’s a conflict of interest,” she said.

Shining tears of relief dripped into his smile lines. “You saved my life. You’re in my best interest.”

If there was anyone who could handle being with an agent, it was the man who resorted to terrible puns when in distress. The timer rang, signaling the end. The beginning. She righted his glasses. He kissed her like she had the breath of life, but she was the one coming alive with his touch. ❤️

*Editor's note: I loved everything about this story. Again, we delve into a romance subgenre, has this is a bit suspenseful. The dialog and chemistry between Ally and Charlie was incredible. The story had intrigue, it had a lot of humor and l, of course, sparks. Well-written, lots of fun and definitely different than what I'm used to at Micromance — congratulations, Brenna, on being the first ever Frantic Romantic winner!!🎈💐🥳

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And thanks again to everyone who participated…. Stories that made the longlist were

The Perfect Pair by Nina Miller

My Leap of Faith by Barb DeMoney

Learning to Love Again by Dorothy Wills-Raftery

First Flight by Stacey Cass

In the Deep End by Luci Beach

Chemistry Test by Vicky Heath

Romance in the Rhumba Room by Kasey Coletta

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Remember, the next Frantic Romantic Weekend Writing Challenge takes place April 17… hope to see you all again, and if you were unable to participate in the first challenge, I hope you can make it in April!!

Thanks for all your support!!

Gail Lynn, EIC 🥰