So Dr Jax had a significant birthday this week and I took the liberty of booking us a room at Auckland’s Hilton hotel for the night. I’ll just say this now – it was for his birthday but, obsessive writer that I am, it was also research since the characters of my current WIP also visit said hotel. It was a gorgeous room with views across the harbour (when not blocked by the vast cruise ships that moor alongside the hotel), perfect for my characters – though I think I’ll make the room a LOT bigger. A suite maybe. And yes, I took pictures of both the room and the view to help with scene setting. Like I said, research.
We had dinner at the very swanky restaurant and – here’s another example of just how obsessive I am when it comes to writing – had an unfortunately hilarious moment when the waiter spilled a glass of Moet all over me. And I mean, ALL over me. The poor man was showering me with napkins (after showering me with champagne) and fussing round while I dried my hair with a fourth napkin, all the while thinking, ‘I wonder if I could work this into a book?’. The whole restaurant was gawking at me but all I could think about was writing! And then, when I told Dr Jax that I was thinking about how I could use this in a scene, he asked ‘so what would an alpha male do in this situation?’. And instantly I was thinking constructing a new story…
So, thank you clumsy waiter at White restaurant. Your waiting skills leave a lot to be desired but at least you’ve given me an opening scene for a new book. Heroine gets expensive champagne spilled on her in a swanky, upmarket hotel restaurant. She’s utterly soaked, horribly embarassed, and along comes the hero and….??
What do you reckon? What would an alpha male do?
Klutzy waiter man has just spilled champagne on our intrepid heroine, she’s wiping her face with a cloth napkin when a faintly accented voice sends shivers along each and every nerve ending: “You’re fired.”
“Signor Cavolo, it was an accident,” Klutzy waiter pleads.
Our heroine takes pity on the giver of her fizzy shower “No, really, it was an accident, please don’t fire him.”
“Perhaps not,” the hero makes a typically Latin gesture, “we will of course send your dress out for complimentary dry cleaning. In the meantime, allow me to take you shopping in the hotel boutique. All your purchases shall be charged to the hotel…”
And now, she WILL be his!!
That’s fantastic!! And very Modern. But what about a Modern Heat alpha? She still will be his! I’m going to pass this one on to Dr Jax because sadly he did not offer to take me shopping. Sniff.
Er.. I thought a bit differently – how about she being some sort of event manager who has arranged for that waiter and hero is ready to fire her along with the waiter ๐
When she requests (professionally and with dignity of course) for a second chance to the waiter – he suggests they resolve the question in the bedroom ??
May be this is a new story line – LOL..
Read my earlier sentence as : A second chance “for” the waiter !
Must be the “pitch” hangover making so many mistakes in words !
It’s a great idea! I’ll admit I’ve accidentally tipped wine over an unsuspecting patron. Why does the ground never open up and swallow you when you need it to? From one ex-waitress to a victim thank you for not screaming at an increasingly high pitch ๐
Hmmm, can we turn the tables? Heroine is the klutzy waitress who spills over the alpha who then insists she pay, not with meager earnings, but her time after a tempestuous – but lively – argument of who-dun-it. She claims his hand raised to signal the waiter for their order unkindly interrupted her path to a nearby table. He claims she had every intention of doing just what she did to get her pics in the tabloids by the paps who are following Mr. Millionaire around during his charity date.
TMI? ๐
Hmmm perhaps our hero and heroine colide liquid spills all over them? Our hero, lets call him Aidan, looks at he heroine (Cassie), who conveniently is wearing some sheer, light coloured fabric and says. ‘You’re wet.’
Cassie felt heat rise up her neck and flood her face. ‘Yes.’ her voice is unnatuarally breathy. ‘So it seems I am.’
Alrighty – so its riddled with cliches, and a prime example of how to NOT write an opening scene…
Ju – ha! Love that. Very MH actually. Because she needs to go to the bedroom to..er…’freshen up’. ๐
Lacey – I’m sure the poor man wanted to die. And he had to serve us the rest of the evening so I didn’t see any point in causing a huge fuss. It’s only wine. He apologised profusely and I told him not to worry about it. We even left a tip! ๐
Hetal – that’s fabulous!! Of course, turning the tables by emptying it over the hero! Lol. That presents me with a VERY interesting idea…
Janette – mutual spillings of liquid, very good! Of course she’d be wearing white and would have – silly her – forgotten to put her bra on underneath. As you do. Nice that you named them btw. ๐
What a great starting point Jackie…
I’m thinking it’s dark, it’s by the bar, she’s a PR consultant who’s just lost her job after ‘an incident’ with a pretty boy celebrity client. She’s preparing to drown her sorrows and has decided to hate good-looking men for the rest of her natural life (because they’re all complete bastards) but can’t help noticing the tall, broad-shouldered guy with the very nice arse with his back to her – and hates herself for wondering what his face looks like.
Champagne is served, he turns and the most devastating blue eyes imaginable lock straight on hers. She’s so shocked, she bobbles her glass, spills champagne all down her white silk blouse.
Seeing her distress, he grabs a napkin to help her mop it up, touches the swell of her breast. Her breath catches, he sees the shocked arousal in her eyes and her nipples peaking beneath the wet fabric … Then leans forward and whispers in her ear “How about I lick it off instead?”
Oooh Heidi you are sooooooo naughty! Sounds like the gals here are helping you with a fabulous brainstorm Jackie!!
So relate to everything being research. It’s one of the joys/downfalls of being a writer – published or unpublished ๐
Wow, Heidi. Sitting at my desk fanning, my overheated self! Very, very good! Jackie, definitely write a story with this incident.
Rachel…. Naughty? Moi? Surely not!!
Aw…seems like you’ve all bested poor Signor Cabbage. ๐
I like the wet blouse…actually the little double entendre there reminded me of something I’ve used…bad Maisey!
Why is the heroines seem to forget bras?? Tell me, does anyone actually DO THIS?? Not anyone rocking a C cup, I’ll tell you that.
How about a role reversal? She’s the waitress and spills the champagne over the hero – who of course – fancies her like mad because she is gorgeous. But she gets fired because he is who he is (insert your choice here e.g billionaire owner under cover etc at the hotel). She thinks she’s been fired because he made a complaint about her – but he didn’t of course – but that doesn’t stop her from telling him what a *B* he is! Lots of angst all round and misunderstandings but being the AM he always gets his girl in the end. Caroline x
I’m not even going to attempt a suggestion – how can I top Heidi’s?
Sounds like a great weekend (champagne aside). Happy birthday to Dr Jax.
XX
Heidi – hope you haven’t copyrighted that idea because I LOVE IT! Lol!!!
Rach – I quite like the ‘research’ part of it. ๐
Maya – oh yeah, don’t worry, it’s percolating in my brain as I’m typing this.
Maisey – Poor Signor Cabbage! I have do have a soft spot for him. Yeah, I don’t understand the braless stuff either – why would you do that??
Caroline – that’s great! Perhaps she could spill champagne over HIS white shirt and then his nipples get all taut with arousal and then she offers to lick him instead. A couple of love scenes later, a huge amounts of angst, obligatory separation, then HEA. ๐
Standing on rough ground at the open graveside at my MIL’s funeral on Monday, all of us shivering in a bitter snow-filled wind, I’m afraid my mind did slide away at one point to how I could work it into one of my novels …
You are not alone!
I love Heidi’s idea.
Okay, this is me and my thinking:
Why does it have to be an accidental spilling?
The heroine is upset. She sees a man from behind who she thinks is the person who stole something from her, etc. She dumps the champagne on him from behind (without seeing his face).
When the hero turns around, she realizes she’s soaked the wrong man. Granted, a very sexy wrong man.
I guess that would kind of make it an ‘accidental’ spilling but you get the point.
Abbi
Jackie, it’s all yours if you want it… But I bet you can come up with something better.
To my way of thinking though, if there’s champagne and wet blouses and naked flesh and a gorgeous guy in there, the waiter’s definitely surplus to requirements!
H x
Jane – well, it’s all grist to the mill eh?
Abbi – Oh yeah, intentional spillage! I’m liking that also. So much to choose from!
Heidi – I dunno actually, that’s a pretty damn good idea of yours. Whatever happens, you’re right, no waiter needed.
I’m thinking I’m going to have to post the beginning here once I get it straight in my head! ๐
Great research opportunity, Jackie!
Happy birthday to Dr Jax, too.
I love the suggestions you’ve had. I like the idea of heroine having dinner with a group of female friends, gets the wine spilt on her. Witnessed by alpha male who is owner of hotel. He offers her the use of one of his rooms, she doesn’t usually do that sort of thing but her friends encourage her. Characters then alone in hotel room with poor heroine only clad in a robe.
So many options following the waiter’s unfortunate spillage ๐
I reckon he’d silently peel off his finest cashmere sweater and hand it to her to protect her modesty as she looks like an entrant in a miss wet t-shirt competition, and then leave without speaking a word.
She’d naturally find out who he was from the restaurant to return it…
Joanne C – yeah, I was thinking the use of the rooms would come into it!
And poor heroine…maybe she’ll have to borrow one of his shirts…;-)
I’ll pass on birthday wishes to Dr Jax. ๐
Joanne P – I love the sweater! Of course he would give it to her. A twist on the Cinderella story eh?
Heidi’s idea is hot!
But i really like Joanne P’s idea too, so quiet and nice and really romantic….
but so a writer – everywhere thinking of ideas!
Kerrin – yeah, Heidi’s good with the heat eh? And Joanne’s is nice and romantic. Ahhh…being a writer is SO much fun.