Verdant

by Jordan Castillo Price

Watercooler gossip reveals that everyone in Colin's office gets lucky before they embark on yet another day of files, faxes, and covert games of solitaire. Everyone but Colin, that is. Colin's live-in boyfriend Rand is creative, gorgeous, and entirely too self-sufficient. Colin can hardly remember the last time they did anything fun together, let alone got down and dirty before his daily commute. Colin is sure he's about to face another morning brag session when he gets to the office, but instead he finds the building eerily deserted. The radio has been taken over by the Emergency Broadcast System, and Colin must rush back to make sure nothing's happened to Rand. Luckily, Rand is okay. Even better than okay. And he's been dying for Colin to get home.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, LGBT, Erotica

13 pages, ebook

First published October 31, 2007

About the author

Author and artist Jordan Castillo Price writes paranormal sci-fi thrillers colored by her time in the Midwest, from inner city Chicago, to various cities across southern Wisconsin. She’s settled in a 1910 Cape Cod near Lake Michigan with tons of character and a plethora of bizarre spiders. Any disembodied noises, she’s decided, will be blamed on the ice maker.

Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who's plagued by ghostly visitations.

Reviews

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a turn of words typical of romance that irks me to no end: I didn't know where I ended and he began and its many many variations. Even the best authors can't resist these words at least once in their career. So I am giving this short story 5 stars because, apart from the usual incredible imagination of JCP, it has this gem:

I'd started breathing so hard that I couldn't tell where I left off and the porno movie began.

It's pure genius and I feel forever vindicated because whenever I find those darned words again, I'll have this to fall back to. Thank you!

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Lady*M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was weird little story. Hot too, but mainly JCP's voice is easily recognizable. Still, it seems unfinished or like it's missing a part somehow. Not bad, but not among author's best.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Holy crap. The apocalypse was coming and I’d been busy complaining to a CD about my sex life.”

4.5 stars. What the fuck did I just read? That ending…mind blown but also WHAT? This was awesome and I would totally read it again. Sexy, hilarious, and so incredibly strange. The main character Colin is a riot and I liked him and his boyfriend Rand's chemistry. I’m still stuck on that ending though because again I ask WHAT? I need answers dammit!

[Sarah Baines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing short story

Verdant is an amazing short story. This would be totally awesome expanded and set within the PsyCops universe!!! Jordan Castillo Price is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure I've read this before so it was very predictable for me but I still liked it. I'm not sure why the reviews are so low. It's pretty good for an extremely short story. Hot, too.

[Ayanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really get it. It feels incomplete, but in itself, it DOES tell a story of sorts. We're just left without a lot of the details. It's like a teaser...
I can't tell if this one is one of those ones where you just take it as is and that's it or if there really is something more that we ought to know. It's complete enough to be, kind of, but also...idk
I'm completely befuddled by this.

I will say, though, that it's pretty impactful for 10 pages (actually, more like 7 because of cover, publication info, and some random unused last page...)

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt like there were too many gaps in the premise for it to work out in a short story. Don't get me wrong, I think that a short story can deliver an idea with just as much (if not even more) punch as a doorstopper - but I also think it takes careful crafting. Here, it feels like it's not pared down enough to deliver the impact along the lines of "Last Man on Earth", but also not detailed enough to pass without causing some confusion. I'm also getting a nagging feeling it might be referencing some concept I'm not familiar with.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A paranormal short bu Jordan Castillo Price.


Colin works in an office where people seem to stand around a watercooler and talk about sex. His sex life with his live in boyfriend seems to be a little lacking. Then everything changes.

Think Twilight Zone only sexier. Another instance of a story that I would have liked to have read a little more of. These under 10 page short stories are good, but I always feel a little cheated out of some character/plot stuff.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you and your partner had been drifting apart for a while, but suddenly you come home and they want you in every way you've wanted.....but they may not be the same person any more. Would it matter? That's what Colin has to decide.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story is a bit weird (I have a bit hard time to put the context in terms of timeline and situation) but hot as well.

[Sandra]

$0.99 on Nook

[Desinka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short but enjoyable read. A perfect valance of humour, emotion and steam:) I wish it was longer!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was pretty cool.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird but hot. Ending was really weird.

[Gwendolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twist!

[Hill *Romance Newbie* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tag: ??????

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, this was really weird. The ending especially so.