Love Stories for the Holidays

I'm reposting this, because I (for some reason) wasn't able to post a reply to my original thread.

Are you looking for the perfect gift to give your loved one for the holidays? How about a love story starring the two of you? I can write such a story, one that your partner will absolutely love. This story can be simply on a notecard, or I can make a book out of it, with pictures included.

I am a freelance writer and journalist, and have won contests with my short stories. If you would like to learn more, e-mail me at [email]katt.kongo@metaversemessenger.com[/email]/.

So give you a taste of my writing, here is a sample. It was written in response to a writing prompt in a writing magazine. So here you go:

The woman shifted among the jewel tones of the sheets, stretching with feline grace before sitting up, absently pushing long red hair over a freckled shoulder as she sat up. Sleepy eyes opened, then blinked several times as she looked around.

“Wha…?” Her expression of shock was not fully enunciated as her mouth hung wide open for several long minutes, her eyes roaming over the plush pillows and low divan on which she sprawled. She turned her head, nothing the sheer curtains hung here and there, partially hiding the gleaming walls of metal.

“Metal…? Where am I?” she whispered as she stood, crossing the small chamber to feel the burnished surface that seemed to enclose her. She saw no window, no door. She stood back, drawing her lower lip into her mouth to solemnly gnaw on it in consideration, then just happened to look down. A soft gasp escaped as she took in her attire — purple harem pants of diaphanous material and a matching vest that barely covered her breasts.

She had just reached down to rub a hand over the finery that clothed her when the room began to shake. She twisted her head this way and that, searching in vain for some door jam to seek sanctuary under. Suddenly, she was standing in an antique shop near a strange man.

He looked at her with a huge grin and said, “My genie! Finally!”

Her brows shot straight up, to almost disappear into her hairline. “Um.. I am no genie, pal.”

“Sure you are,” he stated, dangling an antique lamp in front of her face. “You came from this lamp. And look at what you are wearing. Now, I want my wishes.”

She stared at him, torn between a desire to laugh and one to cry. She could only shake her head mutely as she could find no words to make the man understand his lunacy. The man reached out to poke her with his finger, “Hey, I want my wishes.”

Laughter bubbled free then, along with a few words, though they weren’t the choice ones she felt like using. “I am not a genie, and I can’t grant wishes. It’s not like there’s a manual on how to grant wishes. I sure wish there was.”

Her words hadn’t even faded away when a book suddenly appeared in her hand. She looked at the cover and read out loud, “The Genie’s Guide to Wish Granting.” She muttered under her breath as she looked for a place to sit down, “Un-freaking-believable!”

As she curled into an old fashioned wing back chair, she darted a glance to the dark haired man with an attempt at a smile on her lips. “Looks like I have some studying to do.” A lingering look told her that the man had also settled into a nearby chair, and she turned her attention to the book cradled in her lap.

Several hours later, she yawned and arched her back in a graceful stretch, lifting her arms over her head briefly. She grinned as she looked over at the man, only to find him asleep. She giggled quietly, took off one of her slippers and threw it directly at his head, yelling, “Wake up!”

The giggle grew into a laugh as the man woke with a start, frowning at her as he idly rubbed the spot the shoe had struck. “I never knew genies were so violent.”

“I’ve never been a genie before, so I don’t know how genies behave. I don’t even know how I became a genie. The last thing I remember, I was…” She broke off with a shrug. “Ah, never mind. Let’s get to work. What is your first wish?”

The man’s studied her intently, seeming to be lost in silent thought. She prodded him. “Surely, you have had this all decided? Don’t you know exactly what you want to wish for?

It was his turn to shrug, a rueful smile curving his lips. “Well, I never thought it would actually work, that I would actually find a genie.” His gaze returned to her, warm as it roamed the porcelain of skin painted with freckles. He stepped close to her, his dark blue eyes seeming to smolder. His close proximity to her made her nervous, causing her to swallow hard around the lump in her throat as she inhaled his scent.

The dip of his head brought his lips close to hers, and her knees nearly buckled as she grew certain that he would kiss her. Instead, his lips took a detour and paused close to her earlobe, his warm breath fanning her skin as he spoke.

“I wish you would believe in yourself, so that you can find me. I wish that you would trust yourself, so that you can trust me. I wish that you would love yourself, so that you can love me. Those are my three wishes, and I won’t find you, the love of my life, until these wishes come true.”

She drew back to look at him in astonishment… and woke up, finding her own bedroom, sage walls instead of metal ones, her body dressed in her usual Jessica Rabbit pajamas. She crawled out of bed to wash up, dress, and grant those wishes.