Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (Eight Fun, Romantic Novels by Eight Bestselling Authors)

by Violet Duke

  On the way to the shop I pass by a couple of corner markets with flowers outside. One in particular catches my eye. They have pink lilies. I pick up a bouquet for Fran and run inside to pay for them. I notice small packages of Swedish Fish at the register, so I get a couple of those, too. For me.

  Fran beats me to The Brew House by a few minutes, and when I get there she is chatting up Brad behind the counter. No surprise there. He’s cute and she’s like a moth to a flame. For some reason the idea of Fran and Brad doesn’t sit well with me, regardless of her relationship with Kyle. Brad’s eyes meet mine and he flashes those pearly whites. Shake it off, Gabby. There are more important things to think about, like green eyes and a giant…

  I hand Fran the flowers and her mouth drops open in surprise.

  “What’s the occasion?”

  I smile sweetly. “You’re the occasion.”

  She grabs me and hugs me hard. “Best friend ever.”

  I eye the glass display case for something sweet. A chocolate chip muffin will do the trick. “Brad, can I also have a chocolate chip muffin?” I look over at Fran. “Do you want anything else?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  We grab a booth and plop down. I’m waiting for Fran to say something, which takes all of about three seconds. “Gabby, every time I see him, he gets cuter and cuter, and that dimple is simply luscious. Can you set us up?”

  “What about Kyle?” I say with a raised eyebrow.

  Fran looks around the shop. “Kyle who?”

  “Very funny. I don’t even know whether he has a girlfriend or not.”

  “Girlfriend? I highly doubt that, with the amount of time he spends with you.” My face feels a bit tingly at the thought. “Anyway, who cares about that. I just want one night.”

  With a look of feigned revulsion, I knee her under the table. “Jesus, Fran, keep it in your pants, will you!” I pause for a second with teasing eyes. “So, guess who had her first wall sex ever?”

  A loud cackle escapes her mouth; I know it’s not as novel to her as it is to me. “So, which do you prefer, wall or bed?” she asks excitedly.

  “Well, wall was interesting, but a little too hard for my liking. I choose bed.”

  Fran snickers. “Oh, I’m sure it was a lot hard.”

  In mid-laugh, I notice something on her wrist. It’s gold and very sparkly. Grabbing her wrist, my curious eyes meet hers. “What’s this?”

  She touches the bracelet with a shy smile. “Kyle gave it to me.”

  My mouth drops open. “What? When?”

  “Last night,” she says, with a blast of color making her cheeks rosy.

  I can’t seem to close my mouth. “Fran, it’s beautiful.”

  She moves closer to me in the booth. “He’s really something, Gabby. He really gets me, you know, and I can be myself with him. When I told him about my dad he was so understanding and supportive. He didn’t say a word…he just held me. And for the first time, I’m not embarrassed about my scars. He’s always kissing them and telling me that they’re a part of me, and he loves all my parts.”

  I do a double take. “Did you just say love?”

  She sighs heavily. “It’s just a figure of speech, Gabby. You know what I mean.”

  Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I pull her to me. “I’m so happy for you, Fran. That’s exactly what you deserve.”

  We finish our drinks and start to leave when I pause. “Fran, give me a second, okay?” I motion to Brad. He walks over and my eyes meet his. “I just wanted to say thank you for…holding my hair back yesterday.”

  Brad’s sincere eyes caress my face. “Gabby, you don’t have to thank me.” He smiles. “I enjoyed it, actually, and I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Well, I am, and I really appreciate you coming over and you know, not being grossed out by my vomiting and all.”

  He laughs. “I didn’t say I wasn’t grossed out. Besides, I’m starting to notice we have this bonding thing over toilets.”

  The corner of my lips turn up. “Gee, thanks for that reminder; I appreciate it. I’ll see you later.” Brad’s expression changes instantly. His eyes look a bit sad and I’m not sure why, I did just thank him and all. “You alright, Brad?”

  He slowly turns away, waving the back of his hand at me as he starts for the back of the shop, his voice sounding distant. “Yeah, fine. See ya, Gabby.”

  Fran and I leave the shop and I can see the wheels spinning. “What was that all about?”

  I start twisting the ends of my hair and shifting on my feet. “You knew I was home sick yesterday. When you were at Kyle’s last night, Brad came over and took care of me. I just wanted to thank him.”

  With raised eyebrows, Fran responds, “Reallllly?”

  “What?”

  “Gabby, you’re doing that twirling thing with your hair, and you’re fidgeting.”

  “Yeah, so?” I choke out, a bit frustrated.

  “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

  *

  ROBBY’S IN RARE FORM today. He’s practically skipping around the office, raving about happy clients and fabulous new furniture. “Good morning, Gabby dahling.”

  “Good morning, Robby.”

  “How are you?”

  “I’m okay, you?”

  He shakes his head back and forth. “When am I going to hear great come out of those fabulous lips of yours? I want to hear that you’re doing fantastic, splendid, marvelous!” Robby’s always so optimistic–he wants everyone to be as happy as he is.

  “I’m working on it.”

  “Well, as long as it’s a work in progress, sweetheart, it’s all good.”

  I go back to dealing with the overwhelming sticky note parade marching across my desk. My cell phone rings and quickly transports me from post-it hell.

  “Hello, beautiful,” a low, husky voice calls from the other end.

  “Hey, Dane.”

  His voice springs up. “I’ve been thinking about you all day and wondering if I could see you tonight?”

  “Sure, that sounds great. What did you have in mind?”

  “Why don’t we go over to the Sky Bar and have a couple of drinks first, and then come back to my hotel? Sound good? Do you want to meet up at say seven?”

  Ooh, we’re actually going somewhere other than his hotel! “Great, Dane. See you then.”

  Immediately, I call Fran. “Hey!”

  “Hey, sweetie! What’s up?”

  “Dane and I are going to the Sky Bar tonight. Do you and Kyle want to come?”

  “Kyle’s taking me to dinner, but maybe we’ll swing by after.”

  “Cool. Hope to see you later.”

  *

  I’M PACING NERVOUSLY around my room trying to get dressed for tonight. It’s kind of ridiculous since we’ve already had sex many times, and I should be broken in by now, but I still want to impress the guy with something besides my sexual prowess. Meeting in public is exciting and a little scary. I mean, couples go out for drinks…oh well, I know we’ll end up in bed anyway. I try and shake my anxiety when my phone rings. I smile; it’s Brad.

  “Hey!” He sounds so enthusiastic and I can actually see his dimple.

  “Hey!” I respond with the same level of excitement.

  He chuckles. “I just said that.”

  I’m laughing inside. “You’ve got jokes, I see.” Grabbing my heels, I sit on the bed and slide them on, then walk over to my dresser and dig in my jewelry box for my gold earrings. I sho
ulder the phone to my ear and walk to the bathroom to brush my hair. I’ve become very good at multi-tasking. Must be all those sticky notes.

  “Always. So whatcha doing?”

  “I’m getting ready to head out.” In ten minutes.

  “Where to?”

  “I’m going to the Sky Bar. I’m meeting Dane there.”

  “Oh, okay.” His voice deflates and I feel a pang of guilt.

  Curiosity gets the better of me. “Why, what’s up?”

  I hear hesitation, and the line is quiet for a minute. “Nothing. Just thought we could hang out.”

  “Can we do it another time?” I’m starting to feel bad and try to sound upbeat.

  “Sure.” He sounds anything but.

  “Great. Talk to you later.”

  “See ya.”

  When I arrive at the Sky Bar, I’m greeted by the familiar smell of alcohol and body odor. My favorite combination…not. I don’t see Dane yet, so I push my way through the crowd of tightly packed bodies to get a drink. It’s just seven o’clock anyway. I plant myself on a stool and chat it up with the bartender. Sipping my drink slowly, I eye the door so I can make sure to flag Dane down. It’s really crowded in here and I’m not sure he’ll see me. When I see the door open, I’m sure it’s going to be Dane. But it’s not. It’s Brad. What on earth is he doing here? Then a tiny thought creeps in my head. You told him you’d be here; you practically invited him!

  I watch him walk in. He’s wearing tight fitting jeans and a white button down shirt. His brown eyes are dazzling, even from a distance it’s hard not to notice them. Walking in further, he appears to be scanning the room. He really is handsome and I’m finding it difficult to look away. Our eyes meet and he smiles, walking toward me with that slow, lazy swagger. I’ve never really thought of Brad as sexy, but tonight, he looks the part.

  When he finally reaches me, he smiles approvingly. “Gabby, you look really pretty.”

  “Thanks. You do, too. I mean, handsome that is.” Gosh, Gabby. Get a grip, you’re here to meet another guy. What the heck am I doing? “So, what are you doing here?”

  “I don’t know. I just felt like a night out.” He looks around, obviously searching for my date. “Where’s Dane?”

  “I’m waiting for him, he’s a bit late.” My eyes dart to the door again.

  “Well, then you have the pleasure of my company while you wait. If that’s okay with you.”

  I look around the room again. No Dane. “Sure, why not?”

  We sit and chat for a while. We talk about my life back in California and he tells me some stories about his family. I don’t chime in too much, I just let him talk. It’s strange, though. I feel so comfortable around Brad. Much more comfortable than Dane. And I’m actually listening to him. I laugh to myself. I guess throwing up in front of someone kind of breaks the ice. I like talking to him, though, so much so that I completely lose track of the time. It’s 7:45 and still no Dane. At this point, I kind of don’t care whether he shows up or not. My phone buzzes. Speak of the devil.

  Dane: Gabby, so sorry, got tied up at work

  Me: That’s okay

  Dane: Can I make it up to you another night?

  Me: Sure

  Dane: Great

  I close my cell phone and throw it in my purse.

  Brad looks over at me. “Everything alright?”

  “Yes, fine. Dane can’t make it, he’s stuck at work.”

  Brad turns away, failing miserably to hide his smile. He seems a little too happy about it. Surprisingly, I’m happy about it, too. I don’t mind spending more time with him.

  His dimple surfaces. “So, I guess we get to hang out after all.”

  “Yup, I guess we do.” I lean my elbows on the bar and sip my drink with a smile.

  He buys me another drink, and then another after that. We talk and laugh, a lot, and I’m genuinely happy that Dane canceled. After my third drink, I narrow my eyes and shake my finger at him. “Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?”

  “Who me?” he says with an unassuming smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  The alcohol is making me brave. “You know, when I first met you, I thought you were kind of odd.” I stifle a giggle. “Odd, but cute.” And getting cuter by the minute.

  He blinks a few times and his face reddens. “You know, when I first met you, I thought you were adorable. Clumsy, but most definitely adorable.”

  My face flushes, and I almost choke on my drink.

  After an hour of a lot more talking and a lot more drinking, I’m feeling extremely giddy. Brad is looking at me with those soft, dreamy brown eyes that, quite frankly, are hard to resist. I take a moment to really look at him. Everything is hazy; well, except for one thing. His lips. Pink, lush, full. There’s only one thing on my mind. Kissing them. Scratch that. I want to plunge my tongue into the farthest depths of his succulent mouth. Suddenly, my life’s mission is to become an explorer. Holy crap! Where did that come from? It must be the alcohol talking.

  The more we talk, the closer he gets. I can almost feel his breath on my face. At some point, his hand moves around my shoulder and his fingers graze my bare skin. I feel tiny goosebumps pop out all over. Holy crap. I hope he didn’t notice that.

  The music grabs my attention, and I pause for a second. “I love this song.”

  “‘You and Me’ by Lifehouse,” he says.

  “You know them?”

  “Yeah, they’re one of my favorite bands.”

  “Seriously?”

  “No, I’m lying to you,” he says with a teasing smile.

  “Ha ha. I can’t believe you like them. I don’t know anyone else who does. God, Jason Wade’s voice…it goes right through me. Plus, he’s kinda hot. There’s definitely something about a guy who can really sing.”

  Brad’s eyes hold a mischievous sparkle. “I’ve been known to hum a bar or two.”

  “Really?” I ask with an arched eyebrow.

  “Yup.”

  I set my hand on my hips. “Okay, well, let’s hear it then.”

  “Here?!” His voice practically squeaks. Apparently he’s not drunk enough to sing in public.

  “Of course, why not?”

  “Well…because I usually reserve it for the shower.” He laughs with that deep throaty voice. I bump his shoulder playfully and laugh with him. Brad looks over at me curiously. “So tell me more about what you like to do for fun.”

  “Well, lots of things, really.” Let the rambling begin. “I love the beach, hanging out with friends, reading, parasailing, photography, and then there’s my list.” That was a mouthful; nice work, Gabby.

  Brad puts his fist to his chin, trying to look as interested as possible. “What kind of list?”

  “It’s sort of like a bucket list. You know, things I want to do before I kick the bucket.”

  “So, what’s on the list?” His eyes light up and I sense he’s hoping he can help me cross something off.

  “You really want to know?”

  “Yeah, I’m interested.”

  “Okay. Things like traveling. Bora Bora, Italy, Australia, England. Things to do, like skating at Rockefeller Center, a gondola ride in Venice, snowmobiling, visiting the Space Needle in Seattle, helping to build a house for Habitat for Humanity, swimming with dolphins, a carriage ride in Central Park, jet skiing, going on a whale watch…and other stuff.”

  “You mean there’s more?”

  “Yeah. There’s always more, isn’t there? Trying new foods like duck, oct
opus, maybe bison. Your turn.”

  “I don’t have a list.”

  “That’s okay. We can make one.” I grab a napkin from the bar and a pen from my purse. What do you like?”

  Brad’s brown eyes meet mine. “I like you.”

  I drop my pen and sip my drink, eyes to the ceiling, trying to look as innocent as possible.

  “You know, Gabby, you’re super cute when you’re embarrassed.”

  My lips are frozen, so I do the best thing I can think of. I shut up and drink.

  Brad opens up a bit more and tells me some pretty funny stories about his old girlfriends. “Yeah, I told Susan my dad wanted to meet her, and she kept telling me how nervous she was and that she wanted to make a good first impression. So, you can imagine how surprised I was when she showed up to my house wearing a ridiculously short skirt and a low cut tank top.”

  “Oh my God!”

  “I know, right? She certainly managed to garner a lot of Matt’s attention, but my dad was mortified. That was the exact point when I realized she was a complete whackjob. It turned out she was after Matt all along.”

  “Oh Brad, that’s terrible.”

  “It’s alright. I’m glad I found out when I did.”

  It’s getting late, and the alcohol is really getting to me. “Brad, I think I’m gonna get going.”

  “Would it be okay if I take you home?”

  “Sure.” There’s nothing I’d like better right now.