Today is Take a Walk in the Park Day, when we are encouraged to stretch our legs at our favorite trail or neighborhood park. That’s an excellent suggestion, especially if the sun is out in your corner of the world like it is in mine. This optimistic internet page says it’s the perfect opportunity to maybe compose an original poem. No pressure or anything, just go out for a walk and write a poem. Right. đ
If you’re not a poet, maybe you can do what Jacke in They Met in the Park does. He’s found a remote corner in his neighborhood park where he likes to decompress and breathe for a few moments after work. And if you, also like Jacke, spot someone who’s cute, maybe take a chance and talk to them today (at a covid-safe distance ofc)? If it’s raining in your part of the world, you can offer to lend them your umbrella or just take a slow stroll and soak in the atmosphere đ
And should the urge to write a poem strike you, go for it đ
Can a spoiled little dog bring two strangers together?
The first time Jacke sees him, itâs a happy accident. Heâs taken refuge in a quiet corner of the park, decompressing after a difficult day at work, when the man, dressed in a fancy suit, passes by him walking a spoiled little dog.
As the days pass, Jacke notices the adorable pair several times. Heâs unable to take his eyes off the man whose first priority is the dog, even over his own comfort. And one day, when circumstances are right, Jacke takes a chance and speaks to the man. David.
Davidâs personality is as adorable as his outward appearance, and a short walk in the rain results in mutual attraction and a promise to see each other again. A second meeting in the park turns into a date, and Jacke starts longing for something he thought heâd never have; a partner. But does David feel the same? Will a chance meeting in the park turn into love?
Wohoo, it’s release day for the third and final Meet Cute Chronicles story: They Met in the Woods. They Met in the Woods opens with MĂ„ns being lost in the forest. Heâs spent the morning foraging for mushrooms and when we meet him, heâs got a basketful of yummy chanterelles and heâs ready to head back home and prepare a chanterelle toast for a late, decadent lunch. Unfortunately, heâs wandered wherever the mushrooms have taken him and is lost. And his phone battery is dead, so he canât use the map app heâs downloaded just for the occasion. But then he hears the sound of someone chopping wood…đČđđđłđȘđšââ€ïžâđš
MĂ„ns Elemander had A Plan. A researched and well-thought-out one, devised to help him avoid getting lost while foraging for mushrooms in an unfamiliar forest. But his cell phone battery didnât get the memo, died unexpectedly, and thwarted The Plan, leaving MĂ„ns with a basket full of mushrooms, but no idea where to go. Until the sounds of someone chopping wood reaches him.
MĂ„ns follows the sound and finds a quaint cabinâŠand its owner, Viggo Moberg. Viggo is kind, understanding of the situation, and willing to help. Heâs also smoking hot and their connection is instant, threatening to ignite and burn down the woods. Will the sparks burn fast and fizzle out, or will the attraction grow roots, just like the trees in the forest?
The battery is dead. Completely and utterly d-e-a-d, and I glare at my phone, shaking it a little as if that would help. But no. It stays black, not a single pixel lighting up.
Scowl deepening, I shove the blasted thing into my pocket so I wonât accidentally throw it into the nearest tree. Even if it would be satisfying to see it shatter against a wide, rough tree trunk, it wouldnât help my situation, and if a kind stranger happened to walk by with a power bank they agreed to lend me, itâd be very unfortunate if the phone was lying smashed in a million pieces.
With a big, dramatic huff, I plop my ass down where I stand, the low blueberry bushes cushioning my behind. I cross my legs at the ankles, rest my elbows on my knees and hang my head, letting out a long groooooaaaaaan thatâs bound to scare off any moose set on investigating whoâs being so noisy in their territory.
I had a plan. Well thought out, meticulously thought out. I filled my backpack with a vacuum flask of coffee, a tall stack of open-faced fried-egg sandwichesâthe superior food to eat on outdoorsy activitiesâmy mushroom book, brought the huge basket I bought second hand, and drove to a nearby forest Iâd learned online is the prime mushroom picking spot. And since I only moved to the area a couple months ago and donât know my way around, I made sure my phone was fully charged and marked the spot where I parked in the map app before heading out so I would be able to find my way back.
What I didnât take into consideration was that the new app I downloadedâexcellent for hikers according to the app storeâapparently drains the battery faster than if it was a human taking their first drink of water after being lost in the desert for a week. It doesnât help that my phone is getting up there in age, at least as far as cell phones go.
It also hasnât helped that itâs been a gorgeous fall morning; rays of sun filtering through the vegetation and keeping me company, the air crisp and clear, and the mushrooms plentiful. All that took me further and further into the forest until I have no idea from where I came.
Only when my basket was overflowing with mushroomsâthe internet wasnât lying when it suggested this spot for foragingâand my stomach was starting to demand attention since I finished my egg sandwiches hours ago, I decided to go back to the car, drive home and make chanterelle toast for a late lunch.
Too bad I canât wake up my freaking phone and find my way out of here.
What do I do now?
Until recently, Iâve been living in the city all my life and donât have any experience finding my way out of a forest if I get lost. But yes. Lesson learned. One should not rely too heavily on technology. For my next mushroom foraging session, Iâll have to find an old-school map, printed on actual paper, to have as a back-up. Are there even paper maps these days? And if there are, are there maps for forests?
So many questions, so few answers. And no phone to use for googling.
I heave out a sigh and look around. Thereâs an almost-uprooted tree that would have fallen if it werenât leaning heavily on its neighbor, and I know I walked by it on my way to my current position because I noticed its predicament. So Iâll just head in that direction, pay extra close attention to my surroundings and search for other clues I recognize. Iâm not a damsel in distress; Iâm a capable forty-year-old man who can find my way out of a benign forest. I can. Maybe if I tell myself enough times, itâll come true.
âFinally a plan,â I say as I jump to my feet. âEverything is better with a plan.â
I pat my pockets to make sure I have everything. Phone, check. Mushroom bookâI didnât want to pick any dangerous ones and accidentally poison myself to deathâcheck.
I pick up the basket and walk to the semi-fallen tree. Another tree, that I noticed earlier because its leaves are so intensely red, is familiar, and I walk toward it.
Great job, MĂ„ns. Youâve got this.
A little while later, Iâm forced to admit that âyouâve got thisâ was a bit optimistic, and that I, in fact, donât.
On Saturday, it’s time for the release of the third and final book in the Meet Cute Chronicles; They Met in the Woods. If you haven’t read either They Met in the Library or They Met in the Park, that’s totally fine because they’re completely standalone and only connected by the theme. But if you like meet-cutes, I strongly suggest you check out those books if you haven’t already. And that you pre-order Woods, of course đ
MĂ„ns Elemander had A Plan. A researched and well-thought-out one, devised to help him avoid getting lost while foraging for mushrooms in an unfamiliar forest. But his cell phone battery didnât get the memo, died unexpectedly, and thwarted The Plan, leaving MĂ„ns with a basket full of mushrooms, but no idea where to go. Until the sounds of someone chopping wood reaches him.
MĂ„ns follows the sound and finds a quaint cabinâŠand its owner, Viggo Moberg. Viggo is kind, understanding of the situation, and willing to help. Heâs also smoking hot and their connection is instant, threatening to ignite and burn down the woods. Will the sparks burn fast and fizzle out, or will the attraction grow roots, just like the trees in the forest?
Today is release day for They Met in the Park, the second Meet Cute Chronicles book. TMitP is a story about forty-somethings Jacke and David who meet in the park when David is walking his neighbor’s dog. It’s a quiet sort of romance about two men who thinks they’re not relationship material and have more or less resigned to being alone the rest of their lives. But then the cute, spoiled little dog is grumpy because it rains and David forgot his umbrella, and Jacke offers him to borrow his. And the rest is history. đ
Can a spoiled little dog bring two strangers together?
The first time Jacke sees him, itâs a happy accident. Heâs taken refuge in a quiet corner of the park, decompressing after a difficult day at work, when the man, dressed in a fancy suit, passes by him walking a spoiled little dog.
As the days pass, Jacke notices the adorable pair several times. Heâs unable to take his eyes off the man whose first priority is the dog, even over his own comfort. And one day, when circumstances are right, Jacke takes a chance and speaks to the man. David.
Davidâs personality is as adorable as his outward appearance, and a short walk in the rain results in mutual attraction and a promise to see each other again. A second meeting in the park turns into a date, and Jacke starts longing for something he thought heâd never have; a partner. But does David feel the same? Will a chance meeting in the park turn into love?
The dog stops, sniffing something interesting on the ground before continuing her slow meander.
âYou all right, there, Princess?â David says, but the dog doesnât acknowledge him.
âItâs a very fitting name for her. Maybe you should address her as âYour Highness.ââ
He laughs. âYeah. Probably.â
Far too soon, we reach the parking lot and stop by a new-looking hatchback. David tries to open the trunk while holding both Princess and the open umbrella but gets all tangled up.
âI can take it,â I say.
He smiles at me and hands me the umbrella. âThank you.â He grabs a towel from the trunk, crouches down and wraps it around Princess, and starts drying her off. I keep them protected with the umbrella, ignoring that the rain and the chill are finally getting to me. I can always warm up in the shower later.
When the dog is dry and back to her impeccable self, David opens the back door and lets her into a crate before turning back to me.
âThat was very kind of you. Iâd still be out there, struggling to get her to move, if it hadnât been for you.â
âGlad I could help.â
âYou should go home and warm up, though, so you wonât catch your death like my mom used to say.â
I smile. âYeah.â
âIâm sure your wife must be wondering where you are.â
âNo wife,â I say.
âNo?â
I shake my head.
âHusband?â
Another shake, but slower this time, followed by a slow gaze traveling along his body. Heâs mostly obscured by the overcoat, but heâs medium height and looks to be medium built, too. Heâs always well put together, even on the occasions heâs wearing more informal clothes. His classically styled hair is usually immaculate and his clean-shaven face sports a dimple on his chin.
I guess his looks could be considered pretty average, too; not classically handsome, not ugly. Nice.
But thereâs something about him that makes it impossible for me to take my eyes off him. Maybe itâs that heâs so unabashedly gay and does nothing to hide it, and I wish my teenaged self could have seen him. Maybe itâs the way he fusses over a little dog. Maybe itâs his smile or the quiet confidence in his movements or that he radiates contentment.
I donât know, but I like what I see.
His smile widens under my perusal and he indulges in the same. I let him watch. After spending over half my life doing manual labor, a lot of it outdoors, Iâm in great shape. Yes, my hair started turning gray early, so Iâm sprinkled with salt and pepperâboth on my head and in my stubbleâand I have lines by my eyes, but my body is nothing to complain about. Strong. Toned. Capable. A little tired sometimes, but it always recovers.
âI donât have a husband either,â he says and meets my gaze, bold and blatant.
âNo?â
âNu-uh.â
âWhy not?â
âNo one has applied for the job.â
I take another look at him. The dimple in his chin is adorable. I want to brush away the hair from his face and warm him up, kiss the blue tinge from his lips. âI find that hard to believe,â I say.
His eyes twinkle. âSame.â
âPeople have been applying, but no oneâs been hired.â
He steps closer. âOh? Why not? You picky?â
I shake my head. âWasnât hiring.â
His eyes crinkle with mirth. âYou a one-man company, then?â
âI have been, yeah.â I chuckle.
âHow about now?â
âNow Iâm starting to wonder if it wouldnât be nice withâŠanother employee.â
He bursts out laughing. âOh God, we took that analogy too far, didnât we?â
It’s only a few more days until the release of the next of the Meet Cute Chronicles books: They Met in the Park. Are you excited? I am! đ
Meet Cute Chronicles isn’t a series; the books are only connected by the meet-cute theme, so you can read this even if you haven’t read the first story in MCC, They Met in the Library. And I know authors say that all the time, that series installments can be read as standalones and then you start reading it and there are a gazillion characters that you don’t know and it makes you confused. But that doesn’t happen in Meet Cute Chronicles, I give you my word. đ
Can a spoiled little dog bring two strangers together?
The first time Jacke sees him, itâs a happy accident. Heâs taken refuge in a quiet corner of the park, decompressing after a difficult day at work, when the man, dressed in a fancy suit, passes by him walking a spoiled little dog.
As the days pass, Jacke notices the adorable pair several times. Heâs unable to take his eyes off the man whose first priority is the dog, even over his own comfort. And one day, when circumstances are right, Jacke takes a chance and speaks to the man. David.
Davidâs personality is as adorable as his outward appearance, and a short walk in the rain results in mutual attraction and a promise to see each other again. A second meeting in the park turns into a date, and Jacke starts longing for something he thought heâd never have; a partner. But does David feel the same? Will a chance meeting in the park turn into love?
