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Title: A Safe Space
Author: E.M. Tippetts
Age Group: NA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Everyone needs a safe space.
For Lizzie Warner, that space has always been in front of the camera on her hit show, or on stage to a sold out concert arena. Since before she can remember, she’s been a star, but that may be about to change.
She’s nineteen. Her show has been cancelled and now she’s going to play the lead in a new prime time drama series, but is the world ready to take her seriously, or will she be typecast as the cute tween queen forever?
Her network has decided to be aggressive and has invested millions of dollars in an ad campaign for her show, money she’s not sure she can earn back. Her co-star can’t stand her, and the writing for the show turns out to be poor at best. The only reason Lizzie didn’t walk away from the job offer to begin with is because she’s broke, the victim of a decade of bad money management.
Then there’s Devon, the personal trainer at her gym. Arrogant and abrasive, he’s the last guy she should ever find attractive, but she has a hopeless crush on him anyway, and he doesn’t seem entirely disinterested either. In fact, sometimes he’s downright sweet to her. If only he weren’t an untamable bad boy who uses and dumps women like they’re nothing. Though Lizzie’s friends warn her to stay away, he’s the only person who can create what she needs: a safe space. But is there any way she can break him of his years' long habit of being a user?
“I’ve never dated anyone so…” I really shouldn’t have said that, I think. This is Devon, and he is only a part time friend. Ten minute from now he’ll be a jerk once more.
“Sure you haven’t.” He snorts.
I shake my head and direct my gaze at the mops leaned against the far wall.
“Wait, seriously?”
“Can we talk about something else?”
“No way. How is that possible?”
“I’m, you know… only nineteen.” That just makes it sound worse. Someone could make a comedy skit out of this dialogue. “And I work 24/7/365. I never had the time.” That’s easier to admit than that no one’s ever shown real interest. I’ve been hit on, of course, and had fans propose to me and all that, but none of the tiny group of guys whom I’ve actually gotten to know has ever seemed to see me that way.
“And for your show you’re gonna have to get your sexy on,” he says.
“Right. At least the show will be entertaining for you. And just think of how much money you can make selling that little detail about me to the tabloids.”
“You should be more worried about me telling the world that you don’t warm up enough before your workouts and your form on the weight machines is way off.”
Not his usual kind of joke. That one had a real, malicious bite to it.
“I’m being a jerk, aren’t I?” he says.
“Yes.”
“Sorry.” I hear his clothes rustle as he moves again, and I startle when he slides right next to me against the wall. Our arms touch from shoulder to elbow. “I wasn’t well socialized as a small child,” he says.
“Obviously.”
“Hey, I really am sorry. I just… most of the time I have no idea what to say to you.”
“Then don’t say anything.”
“Okay…”
I sense this hurt him, though, so I look sidelong at his profile. “You got a problem with leaving me alone?”
He raises his eyebrow, looks down at me, and reaches out to touch my face.
“Okay…”
I sense this hurt him, though, so I look sidelong at his profile. “You got a problem with leaving me alone?”
He raises his eyebrow, looks down at me, and reaches out to touch my face.
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About EM Tippetts
Emily Mah Tippetts writes science fiction as Emily Mah and sweet romance as E.M. Tippetts. A lifelong New Mexican, she lives with her family in Santa Fe, though she's been known to spend years at a time in the UK, her second home. Aside from being a writer, she's been a lawyer and jeweler, and is currently a stay at home mother, polymer clay artist, book designer/formatter, and owner of E.M. Tippetts Book Designs.
