It's Been Such a Long Time

By Davina Lee

Amanda Johnson leads a comfortable life. She's married to a successful businessman and her daughter is grown and off blazing her own bright trail in the business world, leaving Amanda free to fill her days volunteering at the local charity thrift shop. It isn’t an exciting life but it's secure, and most days Amanda is content to accept the path that she has chosen.

But all of that changes one day when a woman walks in with a crate full of LP records to donate. As Amanda flips through the stack, there's one album in particular that drags her back to an alcohol-fueled senior year summer outing and a bonfire where she kissed a girl on a dare. She doesn't know it yet, but that very same girl is standing in front of her, all grown up now and peering into Amanda's eyes over a crate of vintage vinyl.

There's a flash of recognition and Amanda begins to wonder what her life would have been like if she had followed her heart instead of everyone's expectations. What if she had turned left instead of right, zigged instead of zagged? Would she be happier than she is now? And when given the chance to do it all again, will she have the courage to change her decision and follow her heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Dec 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781634867900

Book preview

It’s Been Such a Long Time

By Davina Lee

Published by JMS Books LLC at Smashwords

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2018 Davina Lee

ISBN 9781634867900

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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It’s Been Such a Long Time

By Davina Lee

Madison, WI—Present Day

I stand at the front counter of the little thrift shop where I volunteer almost every day. I’m running my fingers over a bunch of dusty old records in a scuffed-up plastic milk crate, pausing to look at each one as I flip through. Normally I don’t inspect every donation that comes our way in this much detail, but this one is different. This is the music I grew up with.

I continue flipping through the collection until I land on a familiar album cover with a flying saucer-looking spaceship on the front and the band name Boston under its dome. I can almost hear the sound of guitars in my head. I slowly raise my eyes from the LP dust jacket and settle onto the face of the woman who still has her hands resting on the milk crate.

She could be just another random person here to make a donation, but there’s something oddly familiar about her. Those enchanting green eyes peeking out from under her blue Milwaukee Brewer’s ball cap, and those full honey-colored lips, I’ve seen them before. I’ve kissed them before. And I remember they tasted like beer.

Marianne? I say. Marianne Hoffman?

I see the corners of her mouth begin to turn up as the flash of recognition spreads across her face.

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Somerset, WI—Late July 1979

I rolled off my inner tube and hit the cool clear water of the Apple River with a mild kerplunk. Most of my classmates had already cleared the final bend and were already on the shore. Some were standing around chatting, with beers in their hands. Others were more active playing catch or Frisbee. A few had even organized a slightly drunken sand volleyball match.

I squinted against the glare of the sun on the gently rippling water as I stood knee-deep in the river wringing my hair out. Before I finished, Brad was already behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and nibbling on my neck.

Get a room, someone hollered. Brad didn’t look up but did raise his middle finger in the general direction of the voice. A wave of laughter and heckling ensued.

Don’t let your tube get away, lover boy. I twisted around in his arms to face him, draped my hands over the back of his neck, and grinned. You’ll lose your deposit.

Shit! Brad exclaimed and went splashing off after it.

I waded through the shallows and onto the muddy riverbank, my toes squishing in the cool muck until I crested the rise to stand on the grassy shore. Some girl I didn’t know took my tube in exchange for a towel, and a guy I assumed was her boyfriend handed me a beer. Brad eventually caught up, with his tube slung over his shoulder, and was treated to the same.

Hot dog or bratwurst? someone called out. I looked up to see my across the street neighbor, Kevin, looking my direction with a pair of tongs raised in the air. I’m not sure who appointed him master chef, but for every