Saving Up Fic this Gif Entry by PurelyamuseSummary: Four years is a long time to date someone. Unless it's Edward. Gorgeous, charming, intelligent Edward. Then again, he's so cheap he steals toilet paper. No one's perfect, that's for sure.
Excerpt . . .
“You know, I take it back. You’re not very cute.”
“I’m not?” I said, turning to face him and batting my eyelashes.
We were sitting on the curb, scarfing down what Edward claimed was the best Chicago deep dish pizza out there. Only we were in New York, so . . . but what did I know? I wasn’t from Chicago like Edward, so I believed him. I wanted to believe a lot of things. Like we would fall madly in love, get married, and make babies while I climbed the corporate ladder of the financial world. Sounded good to me.
“Nah, not really. Too bad, too. I wasted my whole day on you. I could’ve been down at the jump park with my boy, Jasper. Or working out at the gym, checking out short shorts.”
I elbowed him playfully, and he corrected himself.
“Or working studiously on my latest assignment for the school newspaper: Sophomores and the Existential Crisis.” He furrowed his brow and struck a Thinker pose. He was so cute, and I was smitten already. “But instead, I wasted my last five dollar bill on a plain girl in jeans and Converse. Heh. I guess it’s all right but not a great night to top all great nights.”
“And what could do that?” I asked, playing along as he stared at my lips.
“Maybe if you were a great lay.” All nonchalance.
“You did not just—” I said as I swatted at him.
“Okay, okay. You’re cute and not plain at all. The Cons are hot. I take it back. All of it.” He grabbed at my hands and, holding both, tucked them in close to his chest, stroking my fingers. “I got you now.”
“I think so,” I whispered, leaning in ready for our first kiss. But it didn’t come.
Edward dropped my hands and stood, stretching and yawning. “You know your way from here, right?” He gazed at me, all innocent, then smirked before throwing our trash away.
I stood, swiping at my jeans to dust them off. I watched him as he stood there, hands in back pockets, looking smug, just knowing I was going to go to him.
“You know, it’s all right if you don’t think I’m cute.”
“Yeah?” he said, cocking his head to the side, his messy hair flopping into his right eye.
“It wouldn’t have worked out anyway.”
“And why’s that?”
“You’re too tall. You can’t even have a good kiss, let alone a great lay, if your heights are too off.”
“Good point,” he said, nodding seriously.
I grabbed my Coke and took a sip, just waiting to see how this would play out. I hadn’t had this much fun on a date in ages.
“Although,” he started, cleared his throat, then locked eyes with me. “You could always be on top.”
“Interesting.”
“Well, I’m an interesting kind of guy.”
“But what about kissing? I mean, I can’t just sleep with you if I don’t even know what kind of kisser you are. And every girl knows if a man is an amazing kisser, he’s even better in bed.”
“You’ll be happy to know I’ve never had one complaint about my kissing.”
“Not a one?”
“Nope.”
“You’re so proud of that fact.”
“Wouldn’t you be?”
“Hmm, if I was a braggart like you. Maybe.”
Forgetting this coy game we were playing, he lost his cool for a moment, throwing his head back and laughing. His broad shoulders wiggled with his chortle. “Or maybe you’re just trying to dissuade me because you’re embarrassed that you’re a bad kisser.”
“I am not,” I said affronted, taking a few steps toward him, closer to the grafittied trashcan and the should-have-been-torn-down street lamp behind him.
“That was very convincing.”
“You want me to prove it?”
“Be my guest.” He gave me this show-me-what-ya-got look.
Oh, I will.
Written for the Fic This Gif Contest. It was well received and won three awards. Woot. It won Public Vote Third Place, Judge's Choice Second Place, and judge Magnolia822's favorite entry. Thanks so much for reading and voting. There were some really good fics written for the contest. My persnal faves were Without Reserve by DiamondHeart76 and The Babysitter by Plummy.
A few words from the judges about Saving Up . . .
Magnolia822: Saving Up by Purelyamuse
“I enjoyed the honesty of this story and the way the author captures that pivotal moment of a relationship where it either fizzles out or develops into something more. It was tightly written and came full circle through the trope of toilet paper, which worked wonderfully and hilariously. A realistic and sympathetic Bella and a loveably clueless Edward, who turns out not to be so clueless after all, I adored every moment of this sweet and funny fic.
Sabriel017: [The feelings] definitely came through in the story. I keep going on about it's realism.
Ooza: Loved this story. It really hit home for me. I was aww-ing out loud.
TKegl: It was just so real - I've been married a while now, and it really struck home w/me! :-) You really do get annoyed like that and have to remind yourself why you ever loved the jerk in the first place! I absolutely loved it! :-) I loved the toilet paper! LoL!
BellaFlan (not a judge, but wicked awesome): Ha! my favorite entry was written by Purelyamuse.
“Nah, not really. Too bad, too. I wasted my whole day on you. I could’ve been down at the jump park with my boy, Jasper. Or working out at the gym, checking out short shorts.”
I elbowed him playfully, and he corrected himself.
“Or working studiously on my latest assignment for the school newspaper: Sophomores and the Existential Crisis.” He furrowed his brow and struck a Thinker pose. He was so cute, and I was smitten already. “But instead, I wasted my last five dollar bill on a plain girl in jeans and Converse. Heh. I guess it’s all right but not a great night to top all great nights.”
“And what could do that?” I asked, playing along as he stared at my lips.
“Maybe if you were a great lay.” All nonchalance.
“You did not just—” I said as I swatted at him.
“Okay, okay. You’re cute and not plain at all. The Cons are hot. I take it back. All of it.” He grabbed at my hands and, holding both, tucked them in close to his chest, stroking my fingers. “I got you now.”
“I think so,” I whispered, leaning in ready for our first kiss. But it didn’t come.
Edward dropped my hands and stood, stretching and yawning. “You know your way from here, right?” He gazed at me, all innocent, then smirked before throwing our trash away.
I stood, swiping at my jeans to dust them off. I watched him as he stood there, hands in back pockets, looking smug, just knowing I was going to go to him.
“You know, it’s all right if you don’t think I’m cute.”
“Yeah?” he said, cocking his head to the side, his messy hair flopping into his right eye.
“It wouldn’t have worked out anyway.”
“And why’s that?”
“You’re too tall. You can’t even have a good kiss, let alone a great lay, if your heights are too off.”
“Good point,” he said, nodding seriously.
I grabbed my Coke and took a sip, just waiting to see how this would play out. I hadn’t had this much fun on a date in ages.
“Although,” he started, cleared his throat, then locked eyes with me. “You could always be on top.”
“Interesting.”
“Well, I’m an interesting kind of guy.”
“But what about kissing? I mean, I can’t just sleep with you if I don’t even know what kind of kisser you are. And every girl knows if a man is an amazing kisser, he’s even better in bed.”
“You’ll be happy to know I’ve never had one complaint about my kissing.”
“Not a one?”
“Nope.”
“You’re so proud of that fact.”
“Wouldn’t you be?”
“Hmm, if I was a braggart like you. Maybe.”
Forgetting this coy game we were playing, he lost his cool for a moment, throwing his head back and laughing. His broad shoulders wiggled with his chortle. “Or maybe you’re just trying to dissuade me because you’re embarrassed that you’re a bad kisser.”
“I am not,” I said affronted, taking a few steps toward him, closer to the grafittied trashcan and the should-have-been-torn-down street lamp behind him.
“That was very convincing.”
“You want me to prove it?”
“Be my guest.” He gave me this show-me-what-ya-got look.
Oh, I will.
Written for the Fic This Gif Contest. It was well received and won three awards. Woot. It won Public Vote Third Place, Judge's Choice Second Place, and judge Magnolia822's favorite entry. Thanks so much for reading and voting. There were some really good fics written for the contest. My persnal faves were Without Reserve by DiamondHeart76 and The Babysitter by Plummy.A few words from the judges about Saving Up . . .
Magnolia822: Saving Up by Purelyamuse
“I enjoyed the honesty of this story and the way the author captures that pivotal moment of a relationship where it either fizzles out or develops into something more. It was tightly written and came full circle through the trope of toilet paper, which worked wonderfully and hilariously. A realistic and sympathetic Bella and a loveably clueless Edward, who turns out not to be so clueless after all, I adored every moment of this sweet and funny fic.
Ooza: Loved this story. It really hit home for me. I was aww-ing out loud.
TKegl: It was just so real - I've been married a while now, and it really struck home w/me! :-) You really do get annoyed like that and have to remind yourself why you ever loved the jerk in the first place! I absolutely loved it! :-) I loved the toilet paper! LoL!
BellaFlan (not a judge, but wicked awesome): Ha! my favorite entry was written by Purelyamuse.
LOVE! I'm running over to read right now.
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