Katherine and Raheem met 8 years before the Heart Stealer novel opens, at a resort in France when he was 23 and she was 36. But how did they meet? I never wrote the backstory but invited readers in my Readers Lounge to help me write a short piece on their meet-cute.

The rules were simple:

1. We could only add 1 to 3 sentences to keep the story going. 
2. Each contributor could add to the story more than once, but not two times in a row. 

I did a little tweaking after the fact. This is the final product.

Katherine shouldn’t be looking at him, but the young man seated at the bar across the swimming pool had caught her eye since she saw him checking in yesterday afternoon. He had deep brown skin, muscles, and an endearing smile which he flashed at employees and fellow resort visitors. As a married woman, it was a bit scandalous to be so distracted by a complete stranger, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off him.

Not sure what to do with the unnerving attraction, Katherine pondered, what if?

What if she approached him? What if he approached her? She shouldn’t be having those kinds of thoughts, but Thurgood had been distant lately, and she was lonely. This vacation was supposed to be a chance for them to reconnect and spend time together, but he canceled at the last minute and she’d had to come alone.

She caught her breath, when to her surprise the young man looked in her direction, smiled, and started walking toward her. 

Katherine wanted to move but couldn’t. She was in awe of the way he moved. All male perfection.

“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked.

“I already have one,” she replied before sipping her pina colada.

“I know. But it’s almost finished and you still look thirsty.”

She smiled faintly. She was certainly thirsty—embarrassingly so—for him. Standing, she picked up her drink and the book she had not been reading and said, “Thank you, but I’ll have to decline.” 

Hurrying inside, she willed her feet to slow down as she headed toward the bank of elevators.

“This is ridiculous,” she inwardly scolded herself. “Why am I behaving like an awestruck teenager?”

“Because he’s fine, girl,” she said aloud.

“Thank you,” replied a voice from behind her.

Katherine swung around, and he was standing right there. She held her breath as he came closer with a slow, steady walk and locked eyes with her. With his gaze traveling from the top of her head to her sandaled feet, he said, “My name is Raheem, and I really hope you’ll tell me your name.”

Taking the time to take in the man who was Raheem, Katherine gathered her wits and stuck out her hand. “Katherine.” As Raheem shook her hand, the electricity of their connection caused her to tremble. “I really need to go.”

“Or you could stay,” he said firmly, continuing to hold her hand.

Katherine hesitated but then decided to return poolside with him. It couldn’t hurt to just talk, right?

Contributors: Celeste W., Thresa D., Ria G.