#7 DANCING IN THE ATHENIAN RAIN - NA Romantic Time Travel

Name:  Katie Teller
Title: Dancing in the Athenian Rain
Genre: NA Romantic Time Travel

75 word pitch: 

Donna awakes in Classical Athens. Armed with only a note book of translations, falling in love with an Athenian soldier, the man who bought her to be his wife, is the last thing she wants, but is exactly what she needs.

First 500 words: 

My jeans chaffed against my inner thighs in the heat as I dashed across the street. Belinda power walked ahead, her mini skirt riding up until I could see her butt cheeks, then she tugged it down. "Hurry up, Donna."

"I'm coming," I answered breathlessly.

"You're so fat. Listen to you huffing and puffing."

"I had to pay for—"

"Blah, blah. Shut up."

I jogged up beside her. "What movie are we seeing?"

She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. "Why does it matter?"

"I was just wondering."

She scowled. "You're so needy, you know that?"

I lowered my head and stared at the footpath ahead of us. I couldn't respond. Scott said the same thing when I asked him if he loved me.

"I can't believe you asked him if he loved you," Belinda said with a snarl.

"I didn't... he told you?" I felt my cheeks flushing, and not from the early December summer heat.

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Yeah. You totally freaked him out. Seriously, what the hell? We've barely graduated and you turned eighteen like a week ago. Love, Donna?"

I ducked my head. "He wanted to... but I wanted to make sure..."

"Sex isn't about love, you bimbo." She forehead slapped me.

"Ouch!"

"You don't want to be a thirty year old virgin do you?"

I hesitated. To me, sex was lovemaking. "If I can't find someone who—"

She slapped me again. "You're such an idiot. Just keep your mouth shut okay? If you wanna keep your boyfriend, learn to just shut up."

I pursed my lips together, accustomed to her way of treating me. Sometimes I wondered if maybe I could find better friends, but no one ever seemed interested in me or what I had to say... except Dr. Stephens.

She shoved my shoulder. "Hello?"

"Sorry."

She rolled her eyes and climbed the stairs to the cinemas, me trailing behind.

We entered the gloriously air conditioned building, where the smell of popcorn wafted over me. I loved the movies. My favorites were the historical movies. They were actually doing a special marathon of Troy, Gladiator and Clash of the Titans. I hoped that's what we came to see.

Belinda tugged her skirt down, and adjusted her top to expose maximum cleavage. "You stink," she said to me.

I sniffed myself. The walk from the train station had made me sweat. "I'll be back."

I darted into the bathroom, snatched up some paper towels, and soaked them. I rushed into a stall to clean up. I didn't want Scott smelling my B.O. I hoped we'd make up and everything would be okay. We'd been dating for nine months, and despite a few temper tantrums on his part, we usually got along.

I sprayed on some deodorant, and headed out.

I saw Scott as I left the bathroom. His back was to me as he talked to Belinda, and there was another girl with them.