by Mari Carr
Georgie grinned. “So it’s settled. You’ll test the bedroom waters before signing on the dotted line. Hee hee.” Then she adopted a singsong voice that made the others laugh. “Someone’s getting laid this year, doo dah, doo dah.”
Josie nodded, still giggling. “Let’s face it, if you’re determined to tie yourself into matrimonial hell, there should be at least a few perks.”
Kristen threw her hands up in surrender. “Point taken. But I’m telling you right now, sex will not be a deal breaker for me.”
“Such a waste,” Josie shook her head, feigning disappointment.
Kristen closed her eyes and regretted being so forthright about her marriage plan. She should have just set a stupid goal for her friends’ sake—something like going to the gym more often or cutting carbs out of her diet.
Then in typical fashion, Georgie started recapping the things they’d discussed, ticking them off on her fingers. “So we need a guy who isn’t a workaholic like you. That way he’ll be home to eat dinner with you. He can’t want kids. And we think he needs to be shit-hot in bed, but you’re not fussed if he’s lame in the sack—silly woman. Sounds like a pitiful list. What are we forgetting?”
“Love,” Shelly added.
Kristen sighed. “Love doesn’t matter that much to me.”
Shelly’s mouth fell open in shock. “What?”
Kristen shrugged. “That’s not important. Georgie’s list was good enough. It’ll be hard enough to find a guy who fits those requirements by July.”
Zoey shook her head. “That list was a friends-with-benefits deal at best. The perfect description of roommates who might or might not fuck. That’s not a marriage.”
“Maybe not, but I’m nearly forty. I’ve spent a great deal of my life living on my own. While sappy words and roses and all that shit is fine on TV and in books, I don’t need that to be happy.”
“Then why get married?” Laura asked.
Kristen froze, unable to admit the truth.
She was lonely. Unbearably so.
So she hedged the truth a bit. “I told you. Companionship.”
Zoey walked over to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Isn’t that what we are?”
Kristen conceded. “On a smaller scale, yes.”
“So get a roommate instead.” Georgie folded up a throw blanket and laid it over the back of the couch. “You don’t need a husband.”
Kristen wanted something more permanent. She felt the need to tie someone to her who couldn’t leave easily. She was headstrong and stubborn and set in her ways. None of those attributes would make her an easy person to live with. She wanted something more binding than a lease.
Of course, to admit that aloud to her friends would make her sound slightly insane. So she took a different tack. “I think I’m saying this wrong. For now, I’m going to look for a man who fits the parameters we’ve just set. After all, July is only seven months away. Time isn’t exactly on my side. Then, if love comes…somewhere down the line, that’s good. Great, actually.”
Georgie frowned. “What happens if July comes and you haven’t met anyone? I’ve been in the dating world for a long damn time. Eligible, hot guys don’t grow on trees.”
Kristen laughed. “This coming from the woman who’s been engaged three times?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t marry any of them.”
“If I don’t find a guy by July, I’ll have to institute the back-up plan.”
Josie rolled her eyes. “Dear God.”
Kristen had filled them in on the back-up plan earlier when she told her friends about her goal to get married. “I know it’s not ideal, but at least it’s better than nothing.”
Laura groaned. “You can’t marry Jason. The two of you are like oil and water.”
Kristen shrugged. “I can’t bail. I signed the contract.”
Zoey released a loud burst of laughter. “I find it hard to believe a contract signed on a cocktail napkin is legally binding. Surely there’s a drunk as a skunk defense somewhere on the law books you can use to break the deal.”
Kristen wasn’t sure why she’d even brought up the silly back-up plan. God only knew if Jason even remembered making the deal, but she did. It had hovered in the back of her mind for five long years as one birthday after another passed and she found herself still alone.
Laura shook her head. “I still can’t believe you agreed to something like that.”
Kristen understood Laura’s dismay. After all, Jason drove her nuts on a good day. But she was explaining herself badly. She wasn’t viewing the back-up plan as a viable option as much as the impetus to get her ass in gear. Jason really was the last man on earth she wanted to marry, so it gave her a very good reason to take looking for someone else seriously. “I have no intention of marrying him. I promise.”
Laura only seemed somewhat appeased. “Okay. Good.”
Kristen stood and pushed the sleeves up on her cardigan, suddenly feeling warm and uneasy with all the attention focused on her. “You girls have so little faith in me. I don’t struggle for dates. Guys ask me out all the time. From this point on, I’ll just be more attentive and put forth a bit more effort in getting to know them.”
“In other words, you’ll stop cancelling to work late?” Zoey asked. “Can’t wait to see this.”
Kristen scowled, not wanting to admit the truth behind her friend’s words. Kristen was infamous for going out on one date, then cancelling every subsequent request until the man stopped calling. Jason had nicknamed her the One-hit Wonder. “Are we finished here? Speaking of dates, I have one with my DVR tonight. Still trying to catch up on the last season of True Blood.”
Laura grasped her hand, squeezing it. “I just have one more thing to say, then I’ll leave you alone about this. You’re selling yourself short. There’s so much to love about you, Kristen.”
Sometimes being practical, looking at life with eyes wide open, sucked, but Kristen was too tired to shield her cynicism or the depression that had set in a couple of months earlier. “I’ve been around the block long enough to know that the love you girls keep dreaming about doesn’t really exist. You, of all people, should know that, Laura.”
Her friend sighed sadly. “God help me if I ever adopt that attitude.”
“There’s nothing wrong with what I want. Companionship, friendship, spending my life with someone whose company I enjoy. That’s all I need.”
“You’re wrong,” Zoey asserted. “That’s nowhere near enough. True love is real, Kristen. And I bet this is the year we all find it.”
Kristen didn’t respond. Instead, she tried hard to mask the part of her that prayed her friends were right. “We’ll see, Zoey. We’ll see.”
Chapter One
In Delaware, when filing for an annulment, couples can check a box that says “because of a jest or a dare” when applying to dissolve their union.
Kristen grinned as Georgie tried to teach Laura how to dance. Nearly a month had passed since New Year’s Eve. A couple of hours earlier, Kristen had hopped in the car with her friends and headed to Blue Moon intent on making progress on her second-chance goal.
However, as far as putting a dent in her husband hunt, Kristen realized about three minutes after they arrived at the bar that tonight would be a bust. There was a college band performing and it had brought out a much younger clientele. Kristen definitely wouldn’t find a man here, but at least the night hadn’t been a complete wash. Laura was having a great time, looking more carefree and happy than Kristen had ever seen her.
Hell, if Kristen was being perfectly honest, so was she. They’d had a few shots, which had taken the edge off and loosened muscles that seemed to remain in a constant state of tightness these days. All of her stress had melted away in the happy haze created by vodka, loud music and laughter.
She was blessed with her girlfriends. They were easy to be with, and funny. Kristen spent far too much time with her head buried in law books or dealing with angry or upset clien
ts seeking justice. She needed this break.
She glanced at her watch, then toward the door. Jason had texted earlier about some forms she’d forgotten to sign before she left. Like a fool, she’d told him where she was, so he could stop by with them, even though the last thing she wanted during her night out was to see Jason. The eternal man-child took great pleasure in teasing her, claiming she took life too seriously. As a result, he’d made it his life’s mission to twist everything into a big joke. He’d have a field day when he realized she was tipsy and partying with a bunch of twenty-something guys.
Georgie headed for the dance floor with Laura’s dance instructor, Kevin, and the two of them were quickly joined by several of the other young men they’d met throughout the evening. Kristen envied her friend’s ability to let her hair down and lose herself in the moment. Georgie never seemed stressed out or anxious about anything. Instead, she walked through life with boundless enthusiasm and joy. Kristen kept hoping some of Georgie’s sunny disposition would rub off on her.
Swaying to the music, Georgie was surrounded by four hot guys all bumping and grinding to the fast beat. It was hot. Erotic.
Kristen dismissed the thought. Damn Josie and all her sex talk. It had seeped into Kristen’s subconscious, waking her up the past few nights feeling hot and bothered.
Laura stepped next to her. “Any promising prospects?”
Kristen shot her an are you kidding me look? It was Sesame Street out on the dance floor as they were surrounded by too many twenty-somethings.
“I have to admit, I can totally see you as a cougar.”
Kristen groaned. “Ugh. Hush your mouth. I do not have the patience to teach some hot young stud what to do. I fully intend to find myself a ready-made man, one with the skills required to make me come at the drop of a hat.”
“Then look no further,” a deep voice said behind them.
Kristen sighed as she turned. It figured Jason would show up at that exact moment. “Hell will freeze over before I have sex with you.”
Jason grinned. “No problem. I just bought a thermal hiking jacket from Patagonia. Bring on the cold, baby.”
Kristen tried to ignore the unexpected tingle Jason’s sexy tease provoked. Jesus. Time to get the vibrator out and nip this in the bud. If Jason was starting to look good, she was in worse shape than she realized. Then she noticed the man standing next to Jason. “I thought I told you to have Nick wait in the car. Georgie will go ballistic when she sees him here.”
Nick winked. “That’s why I came in. Where is my ex-fiancée?”
Laura pointed toward the dance floor.
Nick’s eyes narrowed when he spotted Georgie surrounded by her admirers, all jockeying for the best position for their dirty dancing moves. “Those guys are kids. Are they even old enough to be in here?”
Kristen held out her hand. “Give me the damn paper to sign, Jason, and then you two need to vamoose.”
Jason handed her a folder, a smug smile on his face.
Kristen took the pen Jason offered and signed the paper. “Don’t know why you wouldn’t just forge my damn signature like I told you to. God knows you sign my name better than I do.”
“And miss all this fun?” Jason took the paper and stashed it away. “Blue Moon is hopping tonight.”
Kristen wasn’t about to let them ruin what had been an awesome night. She turned toward Laura for support, but her friend quickly excused herself, heading for the restroom. Typical. Laura wasn’t fond of confrontation.
Jason raised his hand and waved the waitress over. “Another round of whatever these ladies have been having.”
The waitress nodded. “Lemon shooters. Coming right up.”
Jason’s eyes widened in surprise. “Shots? Seriously? You’ve strayed from wine?”
Kristen shrugged, secretly liking that she’d managed to shock her unshakable partner. He claimed she was as predictable as the tide. It was nice to prove to him that wasn’t always true. “What’s wrong, J? Afraid I’ll drink you under the table? You guys are about four rounds behind, by the way.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my partner?”
Kristen laughed. “Maybe aliens have taken over my body.”
Jason ogled her. “Maybe so. Not sure I’ve ever seen you look so hot. Did you intentionally miss those top three buttons? Because I can see your ta-tas.”
Kristen glanced down and started to close her blouse, but Jason caught her hands.
“Leave it. It’s sexy. If you’re on the prowl, those beauties will definitely do the trick.”
“Perv,” she murmured, but she left her blouse open, strangely flattered by what—in her sober mind—would have felt like a sexist comment and pissed her off.
Jason studied her face more closely and Kristen struggled not to blush. “Something’s wrong. You’re not yelling at me for being a male chauvinist pig.” Then he narrowed his eyes. “You’re drunk.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not.” Tipsy maybe and definitely knocking on the door to three-sheets, but she was not completely drunk. Yet.
“What the hell?” Georgie had spotted the new arrivals and broken free of the pack of college guys who looked lost on the dance floor without her. “What are you two doing here? It’s GNO.”
Jason frowned. “GNO?”
Kristen and Nick responded in unison. “Girls’ Night Out.”
Nick stepped closer to Georgie. “Looks more like the Babysitter Club out there.”
Georgie laughed, Nick’s obvious jealousy bouncing off her like she was made of rubber. “I was just warming them up for Kristen, seeing if any of them had future husband written on them. By the way,” Georgie said, looking at Kristen, “they all want kids. Sorry.”
Kristen laughed. “You asked them that?”
“Of course. That was pretty high on your list. Thought it was a good way to weed out the ineligible candidates right away.”
In Kristen’s foggy mind, Georgie’s logic made perfect sense. Man, maybe she should consider switching to water for the rest of the night. “That’s okay. I think we need to add a new item to the list anyway. The man must have been born within the same decade as me. Which means pretty much every guy in this bar is already out of the running.”
“What the hell are you two talking about? Husband?” Jason asked.
Kristen was saved from answering when the waitress returned with the shots.
Nick placed his hand over Georgie’s as she started to lift the glass. “Um, George,” Nick started, using his nickname for her. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
Kristen thought perhaps Nick was right. Georgie was too petite for the amount of alcohol she was consuming. A commitmentphobe from the word go, Georgie’s New Year’s resolution involved looking up her old fiancés—she’d had three—to see if she’d been wrong to call off the weddings. Kristen wasn’t sure that constituted a second chance as much as a rerun of the first failed attempts. She didn’t think any good would come from looking back, but Georgie was determined.
Kristen grinned as Georgie stared down the giant glaring at her as she lifted her glass. Sometimes Kristen wondered if the size difference was the reason for Nick and Georgie’s split. Her five-foot-two frame always looked funny next to Nick’s burliness. The guy had to be pushing six-three or six-four. It must have been awkward for them to kiss…and do other things.
“Nope. Not yet.” Georgie shook off his hold and held her glass up to Kristen. “Here’s to second chances and sexy college guys.”
Kristen grinned as she drank, perfectly aware that Georgie’s toast was her attempt at tweaking her ex for interrupting their night out. Apparently it worked. Nick growled, but then he lifted the vodka and drank as well.
Kristen glanced over at Jason. “You’re not drinking?” she asked as she gestured at the full shot glass in front of him.
He shook his head. “No.” He pushed his drink to Nick, who drank it as well. “Looks like you ladies are going to need a ride
home. We’ll take you.”
Kristen continued to nibble at the lemon she’d chased her drink with. “We can’t all fit in your Audi TT. It’s a two-seater.”
Jason gestured for Nick to hand him his car keys. “Keys.”
Nick dug them out of his pocket and gave them to Jason before turning his attention back to Georgie.
“We came in Nick’s FJ Cruiser. There’s plenty of room for everybody.”
Kristen started to giggle, which prompted Jason to give her a confused look. “What’s so funny?”
She explained through her laughter. “You. Being the grown-up. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this side of you before. It’s like we’ve stepped into some parallel universe where everything is reversed.”
Jason chuckled. “Yeah. Well, I have to admit I thought I preferred it the other way, but I’m learning a lot about you tonight. I had no idea you had a personality.”
She took a swing at his arm, trying to punch him, but he dodged the blow easily, capturing her hand. “Asshole.”
Jason was undeterred. He reached up and pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “You’re a cute drunk.”
Damn. His compliment caught her off-guard. It did that weird thing to her stomach. And her pussy again. Made her tingle. Want. Yearn.
“Um, Jason.” Nick captured their attention, distracting Kristen from her unnerving thoughts. Thank God. She’d give up alcohol forever if she discovered it made her want to sleep with Jason. Ew.
They looked over as Georgie swayed in Nick’s arms.
“GNO appears to be over,” Jason said.
Kristen nodded. “I’ll go grab Laura. Do you mind asking for our bill?”
Jason lifted his hand, waving the waitress over once more. “I’ll take care of it.”
Ten minutes later, they were all in Nick’s car, headed for home. Nick ended up carrying Georgie to the car, who continued to giggle and chatter in the backseat with him and Laura. Kristen had claimed the passenger seat, sitting quietly as the effects of the alcohol started to wear off, making her sleepy.
