Bridges

Bridges #1

by M.J. O'Shea

Official Description: With names like Dallas and Brooklyn they could've either been best friends...or worst enemies. The war started in third grade, with a surprise punch to the face, and lasted until the summer after high school when Brooklyn and Dallas are stuck working at the same store. At night. Together. It should've been a recipe for disaster. But instead of outright combat, they slowly start to notice that not only do they not hate each other, but perhaps they have more in common than either of them knew. Soon, amidst unexpected laughter and camaraderie, Dallas realizes that maybe the guy who used to be his number one enemy could actually be his perfect match.

Original Prompt:
Dear Author,
These beautiful boys have a story to tell. A story of firsts. The first stirrings of attraction, the first feelings of love, the first touch of another, the first forever...

Please tell us their story so that their love may live on...

Photo Description: A black/white photo of two naked teenage boys in a white bedroom. One sits on the bed facing right, leaning back into the other kneeling behind him. His lover's right hand is across his arm and chest. The left hand gently strokes his hardened penis as they both watch.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

Download the story, read it here or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Vol 1 or Don't Read in the Closet: GayRomLit Retreat 2011 Special Edition.
__________
Genre: contemporary
Tags: gay m/m, virgins, first love, enemies-to-lovers, high school, summer romance
Word Count: 14,012

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Short Stories, Young Adult, LGBT

37 pages, ebook

First published July 4, 2011

About the author

MJ O’Shea has never met a music festival, paintbrush, or
flower crown she can stay away from. She loves rainstorms
and a perfect cup of tea, beach days, music, bright colors, and
more than anything a cozy evening with a really great book.

She is from the Pacific Northwest. While she still lives there
and loves it, MJ has the heart of a wanderer. So she puts all
her dreams of far off places and extraordinary people in her
books.

Except for every once in a while when she does what all
travelers have to do on occasion… come home.

Reviews

[Exina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Dallas and Brooklyn have been enemies from first sight. But the last summer of high school, they are stuck working at the same store. At night. Together.

They agree to have a truce, but soon they discover that they get along pretty well, and actually like each other.

He was messing with the dials on his stereo. Soon, the distinct guitar style of one of my favorite alternative bands was pouring through the speakers.
“What? No Taylor Swift? Brooks and Dunn?”
Brooklyn shuddered. “Naw, man, I’m not into that stuff. Besides, that Swift chick—she’s a Yankee.”
I looked over at him. He was grinning. Oh my God. Brooklyn Thorn is teasing me… not torturing but honest to god teasing. I smiled back hesitantly. “Can’t trust us Yanks, can ya?”
“Yeah, you’re all trouble.”

Soon, amidst unexpected laughter and camaraderie, Dallas realizes that maybe the guy who used to be his number one enemy could actually be his perfect match.

His smile was huge and engaging. I couldn’t help but catch my breath. The last thing I needed was to notice that the guy who’d been my nemesis and sparring partner for more than half of my life was, well, hot.

Bridges is a heartwarming story about first love, especially considering Dallas and Brooklyn’s common history. I loved how they cosmically, unavoidably ended up together again and again.



Highly recommended!

Appears in Don't Read in the Closet: Volume One.

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Super simple sweet, chronicling a friends to lovers evolution from when it was meet hate at 8 years old to lust and love at 18.

A feel good shorty!

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written January 16, 2014

4 Stars - youthful sweet and cute about to discover that the lad you "pulled the cap off and threw a snowball on" might be your future love

Bridges is a short novella about two young boys, both with city-names (crazy parents?), and their lovely very innocent first love. ~ Very cute with high youth-recognition without ever becoming sticky and silly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dallas Thomason is moving to Sugarcreek, Texas (the last place he wanted to be) when he is in third grade. From the very first day Dallas met Brooklyn Thorn on the playground he "hated" him. A few fights and they are bitter enemies all the years through school.

...The years go by and so the summer before college they both want the same summer job in the supermarket.

‘Should’ve effing known. Brooklyn Goddamned Thorn. Was there no escape? That jerk would probably get the job too since he’d been on the soccer team and the football team with all the other town heroes and I was just a (scrappy) little bookworm guy with floppy hair and glasses (at least until I’d gotten contacts the year before). No one is ever recognized all over town for being good at schoolwork.’



‘I was starting to wonder if me and Brooklyn Thorn might just be stuck together for life. I have to say that was fine with me.’

Another wonderful short story to become soft and warm in the heart by. These free gay romances from the MM Romance Group often proves to be beautiful small gems very worth to read.

And I know there isn't any snow in Texas...

I LIKE - summer sweet and young tender love - just smiling...

~~~~~~~~~~

Freebie from MM Romance Group, "Hot Summer Days 2011".
See the letter and the lovely pic here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
and get the ebook to download here: https://www.goodreads.com/ebooks/down...

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Bridges is a YA/NA short that tells the story of childhood nemeses Dallas and Brooklyn, who grow up to become unexpected friends, and then surprisingly find themselves falling in love during the summer before they head off to college.

As is generally the norm for my M.J. O’Shea reading experiences, I found this story to be all things sweet, sappy (in a good way) and romantic.

I really enjoyed the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers evolution of Dallas and Brooklyn’s relationship, and although their story is quite short in length, it felt like enough for me, capturing all the perfect first love feels I want in a coming-of-age romance.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this nice little free story. Thanks M.J. O'Shea for this one. For a very short story, it feels pretty complete, which takes talent. Sure, it is HEAVY on the sappiness but I love a good enemies to lovers story. Combine that with a coming-of-age tale and virgins? You got me, you got me so good.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Fun Stars!

There is a thin line between love and hate! For Brooklyn and Dallas hate turns into mutual respect, and then love. Short, but not without with substance, it was sweet and complete! Love the play on the character names...you'll see! Cliche, but cute!

Thanks for the heads up on this one Heather!

[The Bursting Bookshelf of a Wallflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridges is another wunderful short of the Don't read in the Closet event of the m/m romance group and I really liked this enemies-to-lovers story.

Dallas and Brooklyn hated each other at first sight and they didn't miss one single chance to have a fight since third grade. However, during their last summer of high school, the boys are forced to work at the same little store. While Dallas isn't happy about being stuck with his nemesis, he isn't about to refuse the job. Surprised by Brooklyn's effort to be polite and even friendly towards him, Dallas suddenly realizes that he likes to spend time with the person he hated the most during all these years.

A sweet friendship starts to develop and soon transforms in something else. I loved the pace of the story and the way the main characters acted towards each other. And sometimes hate and love really aren't that far from each other.

Lovely short read about a twist of fate leading to first love! 4 stars!

[Marte - Thunderella · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 4 two-oh-eight stars ****

Beautiful young adult/coming of age story! :D

Recommended.

------------------------

A short story in the collection "Don't Read in the Closet, Volume One" from the MM Romance Group Hot Summer Event 2011.
Click HERE for the story online or   HERE  to download the whole collection for your reading device.

Prompt:

Dear Author,

These beautiful boys have a story to tell. A story of firsts. The first stirrings of attraction, the first feelings of love, the first touch of another, the first forever...

Please tell us their story so that their love may live on... 

Sincerely,

Moderatrix Lori 

genre: contemporary

tags: Virgins, first love, enemies-to-lovers, high school, summer romance

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great short story! It was sort of an enemies to lovers and sort of a friends to lovers. The MC's start off as enemies and then they become friends, and eventually lovers. It was nice to see the relationship develop and turn into something adorable.

Dallas and Brooklyn met in school and became enemies, they hated each other and couldn't stand to be paired together. But faith seemed to have other plans. They were always thrown together and both of them hated it. But then something changed and suddenly they found themselves becoming friends. Then, after a night in a tent, they became more.

This story really was amazing. One thing I loved is they were each others firsts. I don't know why I love that so much, but I do.

I loved the first person in the story, although I would have loved Brooklyn's POV too. Since it's a short, though, I'm glad we had the one because I wouldn't like to go back and forward over things. It flowed really well and I loved everything!

The ending made me laugh. I don't want to say why because it would spoil it for some people. But, yeah, it was a really great, fitting ending to the story.

[Britta ★ Nachteule ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Read as part of the free Don't Read in the Closet: Volume One anthology. Story #16***



Cute enemies-to-lovers/YA/first love story.

4.5 stars Recommended all the way!

Edit
So I read the sequel. Check out my review of "The Key".

[Alona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet short enemies-to-lovers, YA story.
Thanks Trisha for a lovely recommendation!

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is so GOOD!! I actually love how you write the story from Dallas's point of view, so we experience what he feels, how Dallas doesn't really aware that Brooklyn's has seen him in a different light since years prior and it takes him by surprise. I LOVE IT. My favorite line is probably this ...

I was surprised. I had no idea what I was doing, other than from, well, lots of research... and by research I mean the kind where you have to erase your internet history when you’re done so your parents don’t see it.

Yes, RESEARCH IS GOOD! Thanks for the story!!!

[Nikyta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this one was super cute. I loved that Dallas and Brooklyn kept getting stuck together even though they hated one another and then I loved that they became friends to lovers in the end. They were just too adorable. The sex scene was a bit too long for my liking and the story was a bit short but I still liked it. Hope there's more of these two to come someday.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

M.J. O'Shea knows the way straight to my heart and this hit hard and it was so damn good.

What is it about young boys, sexual tension and hot Texas nights that just hit THAT button for me? Brooklyn and Dallas have been enemies since the third grade. Regardless of their feelings for one another they keep finding themselves thrown together in situations that continually end with their non-friendly hands on one another. The summer after they graduate, they get jobs, together, stocking shelves over night. What do you do when your mortal enemy starts to seem not so evil and you start to see him different?

It felt kind of strange but for the first time since we’d met I didn’t look at Brooklyn and see the biggest asshole in the universe. I just saw a regular guy and it was kind of a relief.
We never brought up the subject of how we’d hated each other for nearly ten years. It would’ve made everything awkward when it was actually going pretty well between us for the first time ever.

I adored this story of self discovery and giving what you never considered a chance. Del and Brook were so damn sweet and they grabbed me from page one and the picture that inspired this story? It was perfect, the story was perfect...sigh...I am done.

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a nice and sweet story about two boys who have met since they were both in third grade. Since their last name begin with 'T', they were put in the same classes often. Both names are name after a location (Dallas and Brooklyn), which make them either best friends or sworn enemies. They became the latter. They were still enemies until the end of high school, when they were hired by a same store to work night shift. Slowly, they buried the hatches and became best friends. The rest of the book is on how they develop their relationship from friends into lovers.

I really loved reading this book. O'Shea's stories are sweet and nice, which I like. That this is a childhood 'friends' turn lovers make it even better for me.

[BevS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely little first-love story featuring Brooklyn and Dallas, former enemies turned friends and then lovers which is from a Goodreads event a couple of years ago, and recommended to me by Trisha. Loved it sweetie, the way they hated each other at first when they were at school and then growing up they decided it was better to be friends....5 stars from me and a huge grin at the end.

[Vallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love stories where we meet the characters as children! It's my absolute favorite theme to see the friends-to-lovers develop after years of friendship that started early on. And the author just nailed this one!!! So cute,so sweet,so romantic! I was right there with them, remembering what it's like to be a teenager again, to fall in love for the first time. Highly recommend!!!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a beautiful story - it made me smile and sigh!

Thankyou MJ :)

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
A nice story about friends to lovers that's surpisingly satisfying for such a short read. I planed to rate it with 4 stars, however, the last few pages were way too cloying for me.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can be found at Brief Encounters Reviews.

This was a very sweet, but not saccharine, enemies to friends to lovers story that hit just the right notes. It starts with Dallas and Brooklyn meeting in 3rd grade, where they promptly get into a fist fight and it’s downhill from then on for the duo, despite seeming to be flung together at every opportunity during their school years. Dallas isn’t even sure why he hates Brooklyn so much, they just do. It’s tradition so to speak.

The summer following graduation, where Dallas is chomping at the bit to get out of their small Texas town and off to university where he can be himself and away from his feuding/divorcing parents, he and Brooklyn end up both working night shift at a local grocery store. Before long, things change and they end up as friends. A suggested camping trip on Dallas’ trampoline (can you do that?) soon moves the relationship to the next level.

I liked that they were teenagers. They weren’t 30 year olds in 18-year-old bodies. They were kind of awkward and shy in their relationship, and the POV is Dallas, but his confusion as he moves from hating Brooklyn to becoming his friend was cute. It happens almost without his awareness, and then he wonders how much time they wasted. I also liked that while both boys are in the closet due in part to their small town and their parents, there is no big “ah ha” confrontation. Dallas’ father is away a lot and they spend time at his house, and even have sex there, but I hate the contrived “catch you and toss you out moment”. So it was nice to have a “normal” progression of their relationship.

The ending was cute and yes, I saw it coming, but it made me smile and they were just two nice boys you wanted to see happy. It would be interesting to see what happens to them now that they’ve left home. They are only three hours away, so Brooklyn would definitely have to face his family at some point, but still, fit was well done and I liked seeing them grow up together and change over time.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little surprised by how well this short story was written. Two boys who hated each other through primary and secondary school finally discover friendship and love during the summer before they go to college. Although the boys didn't acknowledge their feelings for each other until they finished school, the idea of the bullying jock harbouring a secret love for the more studious boy he tried to bully reminded me a little of the Norwegian short film, Benny's Gym (2007), although the protagonists in the latter were only beginning adolescence. I wonder to what extent bullying (especially when it's homophobic) arises from a desire on the part of the bully to suppress his feelings of affection towards somebody he cannot overtly identify with because of his social milieu and upbringing. In other words, that the bullying is to prove to others that the bully dislikes/disapproves of his victim when, secretly, he'd like to do the opposite. As somebody who was bullied as a teen, it does make me wonder if some of the bullies (not all of them, of course) craved my friendship but inverted that desire into hate because of fear of being cast out of their social group. If so, what a waste of energy and opportunity!

So, in this story, it's interesting to see how two youths can finally be friends - and more - once they have left the school environment, a place which so often proves to be psychologically and socially harmful to young people. It's a nice, positive, story that young and old alike can appreciate.

[L-D · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a short story, the author packs a lot of history and growth as well as feeling. I really enjoyed this novella a lot. Dallas and Brooklyn (yes, that's really their names but it's still 5 stars) are enemies since the day they met in third grade and had a scuffle on the playground. They remain enemies throughout high school even though their last names (both starting with the letter T) and the fact that they're both bright, ensure that they're in the same classes all through high school. I'm really impressed that the author is able to very nicely portray this bitter relationship, cover their eventual burgeoning friendship, and start them on the path to a great future in only about 40 pages. And this is a FREE story. Read it - you'll like it.

Don't Read in the Closet is a collection of short stories published for free for members of the M/M Romance Group. The best part of this series of shorts is that they were based on a photo and a reader request for a story. Here is the photo and reader request that inspired this story (Warning contains M/M situation and graphic nudity):

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

[Tara Spears · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is well written, well edited, and a quick easy read. The characters were pretty darn likable all in all.

I really, really wanted to love this... I loved the beginning, felt the author did a great job bringing us along through their school years together. Then WHAM they love each other. It was a bit too perfect for me. A bit too sappy for two guys who hardly spoke twenty words to each other their whole time growing up. And, no, I did not miss the tiny hint back in the sixth grade.

My other issue was with age appropriation. I was in some advanced (gifted) classes and can't remember a single one of us using some of the words the MC used in sixth grade. Let alone third.

A few extra pages as they discovered a friendship and I think I would have loved this, but it fell short of real life for me. However, I will say I adored the last two paragraphs, even if expected.

[Trix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, short story of enemies becoming lovers. Nothing overly dramatic (though I kept expecting the father to catch them in the act). Brooklyn and Dallas were cute while hating each other and they were cute when they became a couple. It was nice seeing them grow up and only in the summer before college actually get to know one another and fall in love. A nice happily ever after without too much angst, drama or hardship.

[A.E. · Rating 2 out of 5]

GOOD LORD! Well if you want to read a story that is straight MUSHY-SAPPY-CAN'T-DO-NO-WRONG love story then you found it. If this story was any more SWEET, I would have diabetes from page 10 and on. How can you crame that much SAPPINESS into 30 pages. What-the-hell? This books gets my "this-type-of-story-never-happens-review"

[Salsera1974 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dallas and Brooklyn have hated each other since middle school, but the summer after high school graduation, they drop the drama and fall in love. This is a sweet, but not too saccharine, enemies-to-lovers, first-love story that simply made me smile. Set aside 30 minutes and read this freebie. If you like young love, you won't regret it.

[TT · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute short story, not as much of the love hate pull in the story once we get past the beginning. More of a‘now I’m really seeing you for the first time’ experience and their resulting discovery of one another with tentative beginnings of a relationship and sharing their firsts. Very sexy and sweet!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good free short m/m romance about two guys who got off on the wrong foot with each other in grade school and remain enemies throughout high school. Then they end up working with each at the grocery store as overnight stockers...

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and sweet story about Dallas and Brooklyn. They've hated each other since third grade. Things change the summer after high school and they become friends. I adore reading about first loves; everything is so new and awkward. Very well written!! Loved it :)

[LauraSt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 cuddly stars

I loved this!
The story of two guys that were enemies since third grade and how they ended up putting aside their differences. It was cute and kinda sexy in an exploratory first time way.