Sneak Peek to my #WIPitUP

So, I’m hard at work on my super secret Valentine’s Day project and thought I’d share a little snippet of my unedited story with you. Can’t tell you too much about it yet, but it does take place in the Black Light world so if you’ve read either Infamous Love or Black Light:Rocked, you know what that’s all about.
Check out this fun excerpt from Jaxson’s POV:
“Alright, that’s it for now. We’ll have one more staff meeting in two weeks to nail down any last minute items. Everyone have a great day and get back to work.” Jaxson dismissed them, anxious to get on to the second and more important meeting of the day.
Most of the occupants of the room stood and headed for the door, chatting amicably. As expected, the head of his security and the only man who had sat completely silent in the first meeting, Spencer Cook, remained behind. Unfortunately, so did Maxine.
As soon as the door closed on the office, Maxine interjected, “Okay, it’s time I find out what the hell is going on around here.”
Jaxson had known this day was coming. He’d been dodging her prying questions for weeks. “Maxine, it’s best if you just get back to work. It’s getting late and I know you have to pick up your kids after school soon.”
She grinned triumphantly, “Not today. I told Eric he had to pick them up because I had to stay late for a meeting.”
Blake piped in, “Your meeting wrapped on time.”
“Not that meeting. THIS meeting. The one you guys always have without me,” she glowered.
The serious looking man in the sharp suit who’d sat silently for two hours finally spoke. “You’re not invited. Out.” Jaxson’s friend, Spencer, had always been a man of few words. He was used to dealing with women who were the antithesis of Maxine Torres. As a result, Jaxson’s top two employees were like two sheets of sand paper when they got close enough to rub each other.
Maxine didn’t back down, instead she put her high-heeled shoes up on the now vacant chair next to her as if to convey she was settling in for the long haul. She stared Spencer down with her best glare before responding, “I’m the manager of this club. That means I need to know everything that goes on here.”
“You know everything you need to know.”
“Apparently not, since I don’t have a clue what the hell you guys are up to.”
Spencer broke into a threatening smile Jaxson had seen many times before. “You couldn’t handle it.”
“I’m a married mother of three kids; one a teenager. We have three dogs, two cats and one rabbit. My seventy-three year old mother lives next door and I’m the president of the PTA. Not to mention, I put in fifty hours a week making Runway the premier club east of the Mississippi. I can handle anything,” Maxine countered with confidence.
“Well, this meeting has nothing to do with Runway, pets or families so you are excused,” Spencer answered in his condescending way.
Maxine crossed her arms with a humph showing no sign of backing down and Jaxson wasn’t surprised.
“Maxine, Spencer is right. It is best if you head to your own office now.”
She changed tactics, turning to look back at Chase and Emma still sitting on the couch to the side. “Why do they get to stay and I don’t? I’m the manager.”
“Of Runway, yes. The following meeting is about another venture we have invested in that is not under your control,” Jaxson argued more sternly.
He saw her eyes widen a sliver, excited she had him talking. “But it is under the same roof which means I need to know about it. Don’t think I don’t notice you all disappearing down the back hallway every night around ten when you think I’ve gone home for the night.”
She’d hit a sore spot with Jaxson. He hated to admit it, but he’d been trying to sneak down to Black Light without Maxine noticing and it was quite frankly pissing him off. He resented having to curtail his movements in his own club because he didn’t want to make waves with an employee.
I’m the boss dammit.
“Maxine, don’t forget that you work here. We own the place. Chase, Emma and I can come and go as we please.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it. There is something fishy going on around here and I don’t like it. If you guys are selling drugs or running some other secretive underground illegal business, I better damn well know about it. I didn’t sign up to be involved with anything like that.”
Spencer barked an annoyed laugh, “Oh for Christ’s sake, there is nothing illegal going on here.”
“Prove it,” Maxine shouted back.
“I don’t need to prove shit to you. You have your job. I have mine and God willing, never the two shall meet,” Spencer’s voice was rising. Jaxson knew his friend would blow soon if he didn’t get Maxine under control.
She barged ahead with her next argument. “Then why is he even here during the Runway meetings? If I don’t get to come to his meetings, he shouldn’t be at mine,” the manager reasoned.
Jaxson had wondered himself why Spencer chose to come. His friend’s answer only increased the tension in the room.
“I need to know everything that goes on in this building.”
“And I don’t?” Maxine countered. “And what’s with that anyway. Blake here is head of security. If anyone needs to know what is going on everywhere in the building, it’s him, not you.”
“Which is why he is allowed to stay.” Spencer’s normally unreadable face was turning a bit red as Maxine continued to challenge him.
“Just tell me what is downstairs and I’ll leave.”
“You couldn’t handle five minutes down there.”
“What, you have a built-in torture chamber?” Maxine chuckled.
“Something like that.” His reply startled her into silence.
Jaxson had had enough. “All right you two. You are both important to our success here. I think Spencer is right, though, Maxine. I can assure you there is nothing illegal going on. I think you’ll be happier staying in the dark.”
“And I know I won’t rest until I know.” She changed tactics. “He sat silently for my meeting. All I’m asking for is the same courtesy. I want to sit silently during his meeting.”
Tit-for-tat. That was the game she was playing. Spencer’s eyes lit up with a dangerous twinkle at the thought of shocking his counterpart.
Jaxson relented. They were barely a month in and Maxine was already acting like a sleuth. They might as well cut her in on their little secret. “Not one word out of you, got it?” He challenged her.
Maxine made a show out of pretend zipping her mouth and then turning an imaginary key before tossing it over her left shoulder and then returning her arms into their defensive crossed position.
*****
Want to place any bets on if Maxine can keep her mouth closed? How about what the men are up to? You’ll have to wait until February 10th to find out!
In the meantime, check out the other books in the series: