Lean On Me

In my upcoming release Pink Buttercream Frosting, my hero Aidn and my heroine Bailey each have a friend that appear in small roles.

Robert is Aidn's friend. They open the book with a conversation. They have known one another a very long time. They used to work together until Aidn went into business for himself. They have shared many things, women included. Robert knows what has hurt Aidn and he speaks with a frankness that lets the reader know how much this event has played a part in shaping Aidn. Robert says what he says and lets it go, for now.

They are best friends, Aidn and Robert. They trust one another and they are there for one another should the need arise. They are men though and are not emotional about it. They take jabs at one another verbally, but know that they other has their back. 

                                                            

Bailey's friend in this book is Jen. They, too, are best friends. Jen has been with Bailey through everything...her divorce, the start up of the bakery, and even her journey into BDSM. These two women know when something isn't right with other one. They are the friends that call one another at least once a day, more if there's illness, need, sadness, etc... They are there for one another and it comes out in this book. When Bailey is hurting, Jen is there for her, trying to get out of it, trying to get her through it, even though there is frosting to help with that!  When it appears that Bailey is perhaps going to be hurt again, Jen stands up for her, stands in the way, tries to help.

There is history there. There is support, love, depth. They would do anything for one another, close as sisters, and yet probably closer than...

However, they aren't 'I Kissed A Girl' close...grins

Friendship takes on many different forms.

Friends with Benefits. Oh my. Oh yum. If you can emotionally handle it. 

                                                                                                           

Friends that are more than with benefits. They share everything, including sex. Sometimes this comes becomes happily ever after.

                              

There's the 'I Kissed A Girl' type of friendship between women.

There's the friend we don't see or talk to but once in a blue moon, that we don't share most things with, but we still call them friend. I have a few of these, mainly from high school that have found me on Facebook.

There's the very best friend. You can't find this in pictures. This is the one you talk to nearly everyday. This is the friend you tell everything to, good and bad, the one you call when you need a shoulder or a drink, the one that calls when you're sick, the one that you couldn't do without. This is the kind of friend we all dream of. Some of us have found her or him, some of us have not. But, we need this friend. There should be, needs to be someone we can turn to no matter what hell we're going through or what high we have to celebrate. There should be someone in our life like that that is irreplaceable. It may be a different person in the different stages throughout our lives, but, there should be someone, always.

As humans, we need that connection. Even men. They need that person they can count on. Women need it, too. We need someone who understands us as no one else does. It can be a spouse, many say they are married to their best friend. But, if you're not married to someone you can share or tell everything, anything to, then you need and should have a best friend. A night out with your girlfriend. A night in. Time together. The one you can spill your guts to, that will be there with you in the hospital or in the courtroom. This is the one person that you would trust with your children if there were no one else...

My teenage daughter had a friend online for a few years. They would talk constantly, everyday, text, IM. If you could be inseparable online, they were it. Recently, this online friend began getting mean...rude...and my daughter was walking the proverbial eggshells more often than not, feeling bad abut things she had no reason to feel bad about. After a particularly unkind text message, she'd had enough. She told this friend off and blocked her from all online contacts. My daughter came to me later that night and told me how much better she felt for having rid herself of the girl, that no best friend should be like and if they are, then they aren't a best friend at all. Everything was always about the other girl, she didn't ask how my daughter's day was, how school was, or anything. It was all just about her.

I have to give kudos to my daughter for being so adult about it, so mature that she could stand strong enough against someone she at one time cared for and would have done anything for and I will say, her attitude in life, is much better now that she's rid herself of a negative force. That's what it was, too...negative.

We've all had that kind of friend, too. The toxic friend, that simply took and never gave. The poisonous friend that was always negative, that never had anything nice or good to say about themselves or anyone else. The mooch, the leech, the hanger on, the one that only wants to be friends with someone to get higher up the ladder.

Do you have one of any of these type's of friends? Do you have that very best friend? I've read about Mari and Sam here calling one another and talking for hours. They know things going on in each other's lives and Hot Body and Mr. Kane are even part of their friendship. They share many things. And to see them together, you know they are very very close. It's an almost envious thing to witness.

I started this post off talking about Pink Buttercream Frosting and that's what I'll end it with, too. The book comes out Tuesday, October 20 from Samhain Publishing.

Blurb:

Aidn Greer is a much-sought-after Dominant in the BDSM lifestyle with an unusual problem. He hasn’t owned a submissive in more years than he cares to think about. He’s bored with unchallenging women, yet mentoring other Doms and training subs has left him cold as well. He’s craving something other than plain old vanilla—a taste of something sinfully sweet that, for once, he can really sink his teeth into.

Professional cake baker Bailey Harris wasted ten years bored to tears with her marriage, enduring a job she hated, and harboring a secret desire for something passionate, fulfilling and dark. Then she found it…in the world of BDSM. Exploring on her own brought the kind of mind-opening experiences that led her to declare her independence—and exposed a yearning to find the one Dom for whom she’s willing to kneel. Permanently.

When Aidn and Bailey meet, it’s fire and ice. Sugar and spice. And an experience that satisfies every detail of both their fantasies. Almost. While the big, beautiful sub is everything Aidn wanted, her fierce independent streak could be more of a challenge than he bargained for…

You can go here to read an excerpt.

You can go here to read a review.

Here's hoping that you are the kind of friend to another that you wish and hope they will be to you.

~lissa