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Description
I'm counting down to Valentine's Day with a small series of Swirly Days comics, drawn on commission by from my script.

A more recent development in my Swirly Days series is that I gave Gabe a new love interest, Jayden. Now she can't resist rubbing it in Gawa's face that she has a boyfriend, at least around Valentine's.

I also posted a prequel short story to this comic:
Good things come,Gabe wiped down the espresso machine with a thoughtful expression, her mind consumed by the ongoing dilemma she faced. Jayden, with his roughed-up afro curls and charming smile, had a penchant for sitting by the window, engrossed in his accounting studies with a cup of black coffee in hand. Gabe couldn't help but notice his frequent visits and the way his eyes lit up whenever they met hers.«You should ask him out», Julie suggested. “I thought American women were strong and assertive” continued the French girl who had proven time and time again that she was hardly like a flower waiting to be picked herself. “You should wait for him to ask you out”, Gawa suggested. “He’s the one who went after you. He started this little game of yours, let him finish it.”So far, she had listened to Gawa. Between the easy-going French exchange student and her BFFs since their freshman high school year, there was really no competition. Gawa could get smug and downright obnoxious when commenting on her friend’s love life, but she usually had the right idea.However, both friends/subordinates were right about one thing. She was interested. Maybe not immediately, but the accounting major had grown on her faster than she cared to admit. He was twenty, she was twenty-two. Inevitably, Gawa had joked that Gabe was too young to become a cougar, but it wasn’t a problem. Jayden was more mature than a lot of guys in their mid-twenties. Especially those who had tried to hit on her before. Cushy Coffee was as good a hookup place as any, but hitting on its baristas would usually lead to disappointment, in some cases also banishment. Jayden never did anything deserving of a ban. He cracked harmless jokes, and she found herself instinctively laughing more and more of them as the days went by. He asked her about her job. And about her artwork, noticing she was sometimes doodling on her tablet by the counter during off-peak hours. He talked about movies, streaming, games, restaurants, and the best new gigs on the local scenes. Despite his reputation as a serious student, it seemed he found the time for a variety of leisure activities. He never volunteered information about his studies, but Gabe found herself asking him. At first out of politeness, gradually out of some real interest in that aspect of Jayden’s life as well. Yet meanwhile, she still had the hots for Anthony. How did she find herself torn between two black guys now, when she had never even dated one before? For that matter, how come she had never dated a black guy before? She lived in Newark. She had grown up in Brockton, which was hardly all-white, either. Was she afraid of black men, deep down? She refused to believe that. It was just a matter of fitting circumstances, surely.Anyway, it wasn’t as if skin color made Jayden and Antony two of a kind. They were very different. Jayden was serious, studious, fairly quiet much of the time, though he always seemed to find the words when he was chatting with her. A shy guy, but not in an awkward way. Anthony was talkative, confident, relaxed, and always seemed to have as much free time as he wanted, coming and going at hours that made the baristas wonder what kind of a side job or lecture schedule he was having at any given time.And he was a well-known player. The usually outspoken Julie had never gotten into details about the outcome of the evening when she agreed to meet him at the club. Some said she ended up in bed with his friend instead, some said that she slept with him, but that he never returned her calls. Whatever had happened, Julie usually turned and looked the other way, discreetly, whenever Anthony entered. And then he found a new girl to chat up. ,Gabe had never assumed she could change him; she wasn’t that naïve. She didn’t even think she’d be very happy to have been yet another one of his flings (or conquests, to be blunt), not afterwards. But for the longest time, she had been wanting him anyway, even if it was for only a few happy days or weeks. And whenever she became doubtful, his quasi-intellectual musings about meditation and mental healing would win her over again. Chantael, sole heir to the Cushy Coffee chain empire, and a good friend of Gabe’s, had her own assessment of the “spiritual” coffee shop Casanova. “He’s probably not even a poser”, she believed. “He seems to be genuinely into that alternative psychology stuff –“Gabe, who had been listening attentively to some of Anthony’s explanations, had to agree.“But he’s the kind of guy who thinks he can use his charm his way through life. If he has a long-term plan, it’s probably to marry, or at least move in with some rich lady who can provide for him. Well, it’s not going to be me. I know a gold digger when I see one. Gold diggers come after me all the time, Now, I sometimes date guys – and girls - below my income level and I don’t even mind spoiling them if they’re worth it. But I’m very clear about where the line is.” And being familiar with the barista gossip, she added: “I’ll spare you the speech about going for the steady, decent guy. Who am I to lecture? I’ve always been a thrill-seeker myself. But I don’t think it’s Anthony you’re waiting for.”**It happened about a week after Gabe had quietly made her final decision. It was an off-peak hour. Jayden had been sitting by the window for a little while. Gawa was on a break, Julie was cleaning the bathrooms. The coffee shop was nearly empty. Jayden looked around, very quickly, so as not to appear suspicious, but Gabe noticed. He got up, tightened his shirt, and began walking towards the counter, all very slowly. He put his hands on the counter.“Gabe?”“Yeah?”“Do you have a moment?”“Several. What can I do for you?”Jayden moved closer, with his eyes fixed on her, as if he wanted to make sure he had her full attention. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you…”His voice was sweet and warm, but confident. Gabe gave him a muffled smile, but her heart was pounding like a jackhammer. She was prepared. **

Description
I'm counting down to Valentine's Day with a small series of Swirly Days comics, drawn on commission by from my script.

A more recent development in my Swirly Days series is that I gave Gabe a new love interest, Jayden. Now she can't resist rubbing it in Gawa's face that she has a boyfriend, at least around Valentine's.

I also posted a prequel short story to this comic:
Good things come,Gabe wiped down the espresso machine with a thoughtful expression, her mind consumed by the ongoing dilemma she faced. Jayden, with his roughed-up afro curls and charming smile, had a penchant for sitting by the window, engrossed in his accounting studies with a cup of black coffee in hand. Gabe couldn't help but notice his frequent visits and the way his eyes lit up whenever they met hers.«You should ask him out», Julie suggested. “I thought American women were strong and assertive” continued the French girl who had proven time and time again that she was hardly like a flower waiting to be picked herself. “You should wait for him to ask you out”, Gawa suggested. “He’s the one who went after you. He started this little game of yours, let him finish it.”So far, she had listened to Gawa. Between the easy-going French exchange student and her BFFs since their freshman high school year, there was really no competition. Gawa could get smug and downright obnoxious when commenting on her friend’s love life, but she usually had the right idea.However, both friends/subordinates were right about one thing. She was interested. Maybe not immediately, but the accounting major had grown on her faster than she cared to admit. He was twenty, she was twenty-two. Inevitably, Gawa had joked that Gabe was too young to become a cougar, but it wasn’t a problem. Jayden was more mature than a lot of guys in their mid-twenties. Especially those who had tried to hit on her before. Cushy Coffee was as good a hookup place as any, but hitting on its baristas would usually lead to disappointment, in some cases also banishment. Jayden never did anything deserving of a ban. He cracked harmless jokes, and she found herself instinctively laughing more and more of them as the days went by. He asked her about her job. And about her artwork, noticing she was sometimes doodling on her tablet by the counter during off-peak hours. He talked about movies, streaming, games, restaurants, and the best new gigs on the local scenes. Despite his reputation as a serious student, it seemed he found the time for a variety of leisure activities. He never volunteered information about his studies, but Gabe found herself asking him. At first out of politeness, gradually out of some real interest in that aspect of Jayden’s life as well. Yet meanwhile, she still had the hots for Anthony. How did she find herself torn between two black guys now, when she had never even dated one before? For that matter, how come she had never dated a black guy before? She lived in Newark. She had grown up in Brockton, which was hardly all-white, either. Was she afraid of black men, deep down? She refused to believe that. It was just a matter of fitting circumstances, surely.Anyway, it wasn’t as if skin color made Jayden and Antony two of a kind. They were very different. Jayden was serious, studious, fairly quiet much of the time, though he always seemed to find the words when he was chatting with her. A shy guy, but not in an awkward way. Anthony was talkative, confident, relaxed, and always seemed to have as much free time as he wanted, coming and going at hours that made the baristas wonder what kind of a side job or lecture schedule he was having at any given time.And he was a well-known player. The usually outspoken Julie had never gotten into details about the outcome of the evening when she agreed to meet him at the club. Some said she ended up in bed with his friend instead, some said that she slept with him, but that he never returned her calls. Whatever had happened, Julie usually turned and looked the other way, discreetly, whenever Anthony entered. And then he found a new girl to chat up. ,Gabe had never assumed she could change him; she wasn’t that naïve. She didn’t even think she’d be very happy to have been yet another one of his flings (or conquests, to be blunt), not afterwards. But for the longest time, she had been wanting him anyway, even if it was for only a few happy days or weeks. And whenever she became doubtful, his quasi-intellectual musings about meditation and mental healing would win her over again. Chantael, sole heir to the Cushy Coffee chain empire, and a good friend of Gabe’s, had her own assessment of the “spiritual” coffee shop Casanova. “He’s probably not even a poser”, she believed. “He seems to be genuinely into that alternative psychology stuff –“Gabe, who had been listening attentively to some of Anthony’s explanations, had to agree.“But he’s the kind of guy who thinks he can use his charm his way through life. If he has a long-term plan, it’s probably to marry, or at least move in with some rich lady who can provide for him. Well, it’s not going to be me. I know a gold digger when I see one. Gold diggers come after me all the time, Now, I sometimes date guys – and girls - below my income level and I don’t even mind spoiling them if they’re worth it. But I’m very clear about where the line is.” And being familiar with the barista gossip, she added: “I’ll spare you the speech about going for the steady, decent guy. Who am I to lecture? I’ve always been a thrill-seeker myself. But I don’t think it’s Anthony you’re waiting for.”**It happened about a week after Gabe had quietly made her final decision. It was an off-peak hour. Jayden had been sitting by the window for a little while. Gawa was on a break, Julie was cleaning the bathrooms. The coffee shop was nearly empty. Jayden looked around, very quickly, so as not to appear suspicious, but Gabe noticed. He got up, tightened his shirt, and began walking towards the counter, all very slowly. He put his hands on the counter.“Gabe?”“Yeah?”“Do you have a moment?”“Several. What can I do for you?”Jayden moved closer, with his eyes fixed on her, as if he wanted to make sure he had her full attention. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you…”His voice was sweet and warm, but confident. Gabe gave him a muffled smile, but her heart was pounding like a jackhammer. She was prepared. **