Bedtime Diaries

By Keyana Spencer

Love Conquers All: Chris ended his relationship with Zuri abruptly after accepting an out of town promotion. Zuri was left alone to make some important decisions about her life and decided to take a huge risk. Chris eventually realized he made the biggest mistake of his life by leaving Zuri. He is now willing to go to any lengths to prove his love for her. Will Chris go too far? Is it already too late?

His Lover's Estate: Kamille decided to play hooky from work. She visited her favorite coffee shop, and spotted her husband, Angelo, locking lips with another woman. Kamille tracked her husband's whereabouts for the complete truth since he had been lying. She eventually discovered the truth and planned her next move accordingly. Angelo finds himself in a life-threatening bind and only his wife can save him. After the heartbreaking roller coaster Angelo takes her on, will Kamille be able to put her feelings aside to save his life?

Exclusively Hers: Yasmin and Zoe are sisters who were both single and searching for love. They both meet someone special around the same time and things get serious pretty quickly. When the sisters invite their lovers over for dinner at their parent's place, an unbelievable secret surfaces. Yasmin has forgiveness in her heart, but Zoe is angry enough to kill. Will she let her feelings get the best of her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Keyana Spencer
• Release date: Mar 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370828883

Keyana Spencer

A California native, Keyana grew up in the Bay Area and thrives on digging for different meanings in every situation. She appreciates all forms of communication and loves sharing ideas with family and friends no matter how ridiculous or farfetched they may sound. She developed an ear for music when her grandmother gave her piano lessons at the tender age of seven. In the years to follow, she developed a passion for music, and her mother kept her in piano lessons throughout her elementary and junior high school years. She, hence, learned to play gospel, classical, and jazz tunes. Heading to elementary school one morning, she discovered she could sing while walking to the bus stop. On the school bus later that week, she and her friends selected popular songs played on the radio and competed with one another to see who could sing them the best. In high school, writing songs and poetry was a favorite pastime. She has collected her own pieces of writing throughout the years and finds it therapeutic reviewing her transition from a girl to a woman. A lover of traveling, her favorite places to visit are New York City, The Bahamas, and Honolulu. She fell in love with New York City for it being risky, fast paced, and a great place to shop. She finds the islands of the Bahamas beautiful, serene, and the perfect place to get creative juices flowing. Finally, she feels Honolulu is absolutely the best place to photograph! After attending a private college in Raleigh, North Carolina and later taking additional courses at Fresno State University, she came back to the Bay Area in search of the perfect career path. Once realizing she was free spirited and not one to punch a clock for an employer, she began investing in business opportunities for herself and ran with the notion that “punching a clock” should be an option instead of a requirement. Shortly thereafter, she found that her personal formula to freedom and happiness was using life’s lessons and experiences in her creative writing.

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BEDTIME DIARIES

Keyana Spencer

Bedtime Diaries

Copyright © 2017 by Keyana Spencer

All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author, except for brief quotations embodied in reviews.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the property of the author and your support and respect is appreciated.

This book contains mature content and is intended for adult readers.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental.  The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Editing: Twenty-First Street Urban Editing & Publishing Group

Table of Contents

Story 1: Love Conquers All

Story 2: His Lovers Estate

Story 3: Exclusively Hers

Introduction

Author, Keyana Spencer, is someone who enjoys diving into a juicy read with a cool glass of wine or just before hopping in bed for the night. Since she knows many others share the same pastime, she created three unique short stories sure to keep you entertained. Strap in as Bedtime Diaries will keep you wondering what happens next.

Love Conquers All: Chris ended his relationship with Zuri abruptly after accepting an out of town promotion. Zuri was left alone to make some important decisions about her life and decided to take a huge risk. Chris eventually realized he made the biggest mistake of his life by leaving Zuri. He is now willing to go to any lengths to prove his love for her. Will Chris go too far? Is it already too late?

His Lover’s Estate: Kamille decided to play hooky from work. She visited her favorite coffee shop, and spotted her husband, Angelo, locking lips with another woman. Kamille tracked her husband’s whereabouts for the complete truth since he had been lying. She eventually discovered the truth and planned her next move accordingly. Angelo finds himself in a life-threatening bind and only his wife can save him. After the heartbreaking roller coaster Angelo takes her on, will Kamille be able to put her feelings aside to save his life?

Exclusively Hers: Yasmin and Zoe are sisters who were both single and searching for love. They both meet someone special around the same time and things get serious pretty quickly. When the sisters invite their lovers over for dinner at their parent’s place, an unbelievable secret surfaces. Yasmin has forgiveness in her heart, but Zoe is angry enough to kill. Will she let her feelings get the best of her?

Love

Conquers

All

Chapter 1: Off the Beaten Path

He walked out. But not before one last glance in my direction. I couldn’t stand his expression of indifference, and it killed me that nothing I said or did was enough. My pleading eyes, my tender touches on his shoulder and professing my love for him were just failed attempts and had not altered his decision to break up with me. I’d never known him to be so cold. I thought he loved me as much as I loved him.

After enough time to think about and absorb what just happened, the truth finally surfaced and crept its way into my reality. Alone in my bedroom while my tears left puddles of sorrow bleeding through my satin pillowcase, my feelings were shattered. Fucking unbelievable how it was suddenly over after three years of working on things and progressing. We struggled together and overcame trials together. We even took our first trip to Italy, scouring the night scene of Milan where we kissed in the streets without a care in the world.

It felt impossible to accept Chris’s sudden change of heart because I hadn’t seen this day coming. I just didn’t want it to be over. In fact, I put my pride aside to fight for our relationship and practically begged him to stay. All the while, Chris was straight-forward and a little too harsh in expressing that I wasn’t included in his future. The break-up hurt me to the core, and I wondered if he could be seeing another woman.

It was just last month we talked about buying a home together and possibly having children. He told me I’d make a wonderful mother and wife. So, we began making plans and even took a few necessary steps in making them happen. Why go as far as meeting with a realtor with me if he wasn’t all the way in.

The migraine pulsing through my temples just wouldn’t go away. I was overwhelmed and confused, but the cleansing would begin with me accepting that I had to reorganize my life and start over. Bedridden that entire day, I cried, reflected, and most importantly, I decided on my next move.

The next morning, something had changed, and I realized it as soon as I opened my eyes. What I realized is that prior to my relationship with Chris, I was more in tune with myself. I took more time to enjoy simple things like a relaxing massage or a refreshing jog at Mountain Lake. I’d been so wrapped up on a new life with Chris, I completely forgot about the wonderful life I lived before him.

My mother took me to Mountain Lake often as a child. Some days, we’d pack a picnic basket of sandwiches and fresh fruit to enjoy a day of fishing at the shore. Other days, we’d walk around the lake watching joggers, skaters, children feeding the ducks, or competitive teenagers on the basketball court. The best part about walking around the lake with my mother was discussing goals and ideas. She made me feel that nothing was too far-fetched or out of realm.

Although I could be open with my mother about anything, I did not feel like informing her of the break up just yet. In fact, I wasn’t ready to even tell my best friend, Nylee.

The bottom line was that I needed the old Zuri back, and this was ever so clear now. The cute, lively one that loved to socialize freely. The one who never missed a chance for a day at the salon for facials. The one who loved the woman she was.

The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful morning. Even with only two hours of sleep, I was up much earlier than usual. No, I was not miraculously over Chris, but I wasn’t in my feelings as much as the night before because I realized the old Zuri was coming back. I was starting to feel so alive.

I pinned my hair up and left a few spiral curls hanging down in the back; a quick Updo hairstyle that was different from my usual styling. I dazzled myself in just a little makeup, and I contoured my face to bring out the features of my delicate nose and juicy lips. I brushed on a touch of eye shadow, but not my usual grays and neutral tones. Today, I used different shades of gold with olive undertones. I finished adding mascara and decided on a vibrant, fuchsia-colored lipstick.

I felt like driving off the beaten path. So, instead of wearing my usual jeans and oversized t-shirt, I slipped into a stretched pencil skirt and a silk button up blouse. I left the top three buttons undone and the warm breeze kissed my chest and uplifted my spirits. It wouldn’t be long before I realized being single wasn’t too bad. After all, I was a great fucking catch and anyone would be blind not to see that.

I picked out an oversized wooden bangle bracelet and gold Africa-shaped earrings. After stepping into a pair of stilettos, I gave myself a once over in my full-sized bedroom mirror.

Damn, she fine, I said out loud to myself.

I was fierce and beyond satisfied with my look, so I sashayed out the door feeling enlivened and high on the moment. For the first time in ages, my mood danced with being naughty, it welcomed being flirtatious, and it climbed all over spontaneity. I thought of my mother and was reminded that even my most untamed desires could be a mere stone’s throw from reality, and fear would not stop me.

I touched up my lipstick before entering the building. I took the elevator up to the twelfth floor with my heart pounding through my chest. I was nervous, but I needed a drastic change in my life and now was the time.

My body was warm all over, so much that I began to perspire. Even so, I was trembling as I walked up to the microphone. I took a deep breath and announced; "I’m Zuri and India Arie is my favorite singer, so I’ll be singing, Ready for Love. Thank you for this opportunity."

In my head, I was hyperventilating and thinking of ways to change my mind at the last minute. For at least seven seconds, I seriously thought I’d just run offstage like, fuck it, I’ll never see any of these folks again, anyway. Was I really auditioning for the world-famous musical, Love Conquers All, right now? What the hell was I thinking? Love doesn’t conquer all or me and Chris would still be together.

Thousands of contestants from all over the world had put so much on the line in hopes of fulfilling their dreams, but only twenty-eight of those contestants would be chosen for a role.

The music played, and it added a serene eloquence beneath my voice. I smothered the song with my scent and poured my heart and soul onto the words. This song meant the world to me and I couldn’t think of any other piece of art in the world that could sum up how badly I needed love that very moment.

I wasn’t going to cry. But the break up with Chris flashed into my head at the end of the song. His decision to leave me was just so fucked up. Many unanswered questions consumed my thoughts, and I was simply left without understanding.

Most importantly, I was dying to know why he didn’t ask me to move with him to New York City when he was promoted, and what made him come to such a firm decision to leave me without wanting to work it out. Must be another bitch.

The song ended, and I looked up at both judges awaiting a response. They seemed to be zooming in on my stage presence, and I was definitely tense, so I just stood there and mustered up a confused smile as they stared at me without saying a word. Okay, they ‘re going to send me home. No big deal. I’d already created my list of top five things to scratch off my bucket list; things that could possibly get my singing career off the ground in case I wasn’t selected, and I would try each and every one of them until the perfect opportunity presented itself.

For what felt like forever and a day, I waited intently with eye to eye contact with the judges. I was freaking out and internally preparing my ‘thank you’ speech after being sent