Outskirts Press, INC.

Embracing the journey of love from the beginning to new beginnings.

Whether capturing the rush of new romance or the lingering ache of a final embrace, Before and After I Do honors the full spectrum of devotion —celebrating connection, vulnerability, and the courage to forge hope from heartbreak. You’ll meet:

• The Dedicated Professional: Driven by ambition and the pursuit of perfection, she balances her career growth with the yearning for emotional fulfillment, questioning whether true connection can flourish amid daily pressures.

• The Romantic: Endlessly comparing her relationships with those around her, she finds herself at a crossroads. Faced with a pivotal choice between clinging to a familiar love or risking vulnerability for something extraordinary.

• The Couple: United by dreams of building a home. He struggles with the fear of failing as a provider, while she worries that their shared vision is slipping beyond reach. An unexpected encounter with a kind stranger reignites their belief in the path they have chosen, reminding them that partnership means weathering storms together.

The Wife: In the aftermath of marriage, she uncovers deception that shatters her sense of security. One night, she discovers the strength to confront betrayal with a resolve forged in solitude and self-compassion. As she pieces together a future from fractured trust. A tribute to beginnings, endings, and the beautiful possibilities that bloom. These tales invite readers to feel the warmth of rekindled hope and the quiet courage found in unexpected places.

I arrived at the hall in a beautiful, chocolate silk dress that hits just below my knees. I must show the gams off because, let’s be honest, they are killers. Wearing three-inch strappies that pinch my feet but look amazing, my stride is flawless. My silhouette is so sexy it would make my own shadow slap me.
            I glide into the door effortlessly. The soft music gets louder the further into the room I walk. Heads turn sharply as if you could hear spinal cords snap in sync. That’s right, I look good. I get the once over by several of the men wearing various cuts of tuxedos and curiously angry stares from the women. Haters.
            It’s not surprising that the want-to-be suitors hurry over to question my stats. Name, marital status and, of course, phone number. I coyly smile, toss my head back as I place my hand ever so lightly on my chest. I giggle with throaty, sexy tones as if to say, “Please don’t waste my time.”
            Suddenly, I feel a chill on my neck and the hair rises up like a magnet is pulling me. I place my hand on the nape of my neck and slick the hairs back down as I casually turn to see the cause of such a reaction.
            Through the crowd of dancers and minglers, well pass the turquoise dress that one patron should have thought twice about wearing appeared a pair of smoky, brown eyes, no hazel. I like hazel better. The long eyelashes cast a sensual shadow over his stare that made my skin moist.
            I ignored the other suitors and made an immediate about face, walking quickly but stepping long and gracefully. I needed to get to that stare. But I didn’t want to seem too eager. It’s all a game of who controls who. The attraction kept pulling me to him with such force but how I get there is under my discretion.
            His smooth, kissable lips sipped the amber liquid from the glass as I reached him. I strike a pose like nobody’s business. I give him the “you want me” stare and smirk lightly with my full, glossy lips. Slowly gazing over my body, his eyes reached my mouth and a deep moan escaped. He approves, but why wouldn’t he? His eyes connect with mine, his mouth parts open to speak, and a loud buzzing comes out. What the……?