Just A Little Bump In The Road

So, I'm working on my vampire futuristic (or is that futuristic vampire?) to submit to Amber Quill for their contest, right? I'm clicking along, trying to keep up with my characters... Rhys and Kass just had sex in public as part of a claiming ritual. I'm ready to send Rhys off to charter a ship to get them off the planet and Kass over to a hotel for a much-desired bath. (Just before the sex they had to trek 2 hours through a desert, then all that hot and sweaty sex, so, yeah. She's ready for a bath.)

All of a sudden, I've got another voice in my head. "Hey, you're not gonna leave that like it is, are you?"

Me, thinking I recognize that deep voice but I haven't heard it that often yet so I'm not quite sure: "Um, leave what like it is?"

Him: "That scene with Rissa. You have to let me say something. You can't just leave it in her point of view. It's not fair."

Ah. Nick. Now, to you this might sound a bit whiny, but it's said in a gruff voice from a homicide detective who's a little cranky because he wants Rissa but thinks he shouldn't have her. Not can't have her, shouldn't have her. There's a big difference, would you agree?

Nick goes on: "I have something to say."

Me: "But--"

Nick: "I have something to say." Stubborn SOB, ain't he?

Me, caving in: "All right, all right. But you can only have about 350 words."

Nick: (snorting) "Figures Rissa'd be so mouthy. She always did talk too much, even as a kid."

Me: (thinking I'll get him on this one) "But she's not a kid anymore, is she, Nick?"

Silence.

Oh, boy. Nothing's worse than an alpha male who gets quiet when he's pissed.

Me: "Um, Nick?" No response. "Nick?"

Nick: (one dark eyebrow raised) "You like livin' on the edge, darlin'?"

Me: "Um, not really. But..."

Nick: "But nothin'. Rissa's my problem."

Well, she's sorta my problem, too, since I'm the author, but I don't think I'll remind him of that. No, I think I'll just let that one quietly slip by.

Nick: "Besides, you're the first one opening up this blog story over at Indulgence on Monday, right? So you want to make sure you don't screw it up. Right?"

He's right, of course. Dammit.

I guess Nick will get his say, after all. He's a man of action, not words, so I think he'll be able to say whatever he needs to say in the amount of words in which he's allowed to say it.

Men. Even the ones inside my head are pains in the ass.