The Promotion_A Reverse Harem Romance

by Mika Lane

  I rolled the lethargic rat over in my hands and listened to his heart and lungs with my tiny rodent stethoscope. I pressed on his abdomen to check for lumps or tumors, and he let out a sad little squeak. The tiny guy was sick, but he was going to live.

  “Good news,” I said, putting Cher back in his bag. “He has a respiratory infection typical of a rat. Some antibiotic drops will bring him around in a few days.”

  Sparkle sobbed. “Oh, thank god.” She reached for a tissue and blew her nose. After a deep breath, she began to calm down.

  Maizy looked from her sister to me. “Okay! It’s nothing really bad. That’s so great.”

  Sparkle sniffled loudly and nodded. “I…I know. I’m so relieved.”

  Wow. This Sparkle was one of a kind—some might even say a little out there. Cute, but it was her sister who intrigued me.

  A lot of women came through my practice. Not to say men didn’t bring their pets in. It just seemed, more often than not, that the task fell to the woman of a household. And sometimes their pets were not really sick—I seemed to have attracted a small collection of groupies. That kind of irritated me because it took valuable time that I could spend on animals that really did need help.

  “I don’t mean to take too much of your time, Doctor Varten, but do you mind if I ask you some questions about caring for a pet rat?” Sparkle asked.

  “Sure thing. Cher’s my last patient of the day. Let’s have a seat over here.” The sisters followed me to a small table in the corner of the office.

  While Sparkle lobbed a few rodent-related questions at me, her sister sat quietly, scrolling through her phone. When Sparkle stood to leave, her sister did, too. Her messy blonde hair and her heavy black glasses were a great combo.

  “Your dog is so sweet,” Sparkle said. The mutt had made himself at home, resting his big face on her leg.

  “Thanks. I see a lot of animals that need homes, and I’m not good at turning any of them away.”

  “How many do you have?” Sparkle asked.

  Ugh. This was always a bit embarrassing. I took a deep breath.

  “Well, I have five dogs and two cats. One snake and one lizard.”

  Both sisters looked at me like I was out of my mind. I didn’t blame them. You had to be out of your mind to take in so many animals, especially in the city. But when I saw a pet who was healthy and clearly had many happy years ahead of him, well, I wasn’t going to let him be put down.

  I walked them to the door. “So, Maizy, no pets for you?”

  “Oh, no, Sparkle is enough to take care of.” She laughed so hard her sister punched her arm.

  I wanted to see this woman again, and if she had no pets to bring by my office, I had to cook up some other excuse. So I took my chance while Sparkle was tickling Cher inside the bag and the dog followed her like he was in love.

  “Maizy, uh, I was wondering whether you’d like to get a drink with me some time?”

  To say she looked surprised was an understatement. But I was okay with that. You had to put yourself out there, and I did just that on occasion.

  She gave me a studied look, and I met her gaze head-on. She was free to turn me down—no harm, no foul. We were all adults.

  “Sure.”

  “Sure?” I asked.

  “Sure, I’d love to get a drink.”

  Well, then.

  She jotted her number on a piece of paper she’d pulled from her purse. “Thank you. That would be fun,” she said.

  Sparkle continued talking into her bag as they headed out the door.

  I finished the last of my paperwork while waiting for the night assistant to arrive, but I had trouble concentrating. Something about Maizy, and the quiet way she helped her distraught sister, had moved me. And it didn’t hurt that she was drop-dead gorgeous.

  The minute I got out to my SUV in the parking lot, I texted her.

  u free tomorrow night?

  To my delight, she texted right back.

  tomorrow night would be great. meet at arnold’s?

  I loved a woman who knew what she wanted.

  c u there

  Next day, all I thought about was Maizy. Through the six cats I spayed and neutered, to the stray mutt I de-loused, to the yellow lab that barfed all over my floor, Maizy—her blonde curls, big eyeglasses, long legs, and serious work look—was not far from my thoughts. I wasn’t sure what it was about her, but I sure as hell was going to find out.

  When I was done with my last animal, I zipped home to get the animal smells off me with what must have been the world’s fastest shower.

  I walked into Arnold’s, an old corner bar near China Town, and wouldn’t you know, Maizy was already there at the bar with her nose in her phone. But when she saw me, the phone went right in her bag, and she lit up with a huge smile.

  Yeah.

  “Good to see you again,” I said, settling into the barstool next to her.

  “Likewise. Did you see a lot of patients today?”

  I nodded. “I certainly did, but none as memorable as the rat named Cher.”

  She threw her head back with a delicious laugh. “Yeah, well. That’s my sister. She’s always been the eccentric one.”

  “And what about you?” I asked.

  “What about me?”

  “It sounds like you’re the responsible sibling. You never do anything crazy.”

  She snapped her head back. “What? How would you know?”

  Indignity had replaced her smile. I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing.

  “You’re cute when you’re mad,” I said.

  “Ugh. Don’t tell me that’s your best line.”

  Sassy. Just how I liked it.

  “Okay, then. Tell me the wildest thing you’ve ever done,” I said.

  She took a sip of her red wine, probably to stall for more time.

  “I shoplifted some gum when I was in middle school.” Satisfaction had replaced her indignity.

  But I wasn’t letting her off the hook.

  “Maizy, every middle schooler I’ve ever known has tried shoplifting. I wouldn’t put that in the wild category.”

  She tilted her head. “Okay, then. You tell me what you’ve done that was wild.”

  Fair enough.

  “I rode a motorcycle across Thailand into Burma, where I was chased back out by some military thugs.”

  “You’re making that up.”

  I held my hands up in the I swear I’m telling the truth gesture. “I really did do that. The summer after I finished vet school. I wanted to take a break before I started working. I wouldn’t do it again. Being chased by thugs, with guns, in a foreign country is no fun. I do not recommend it.”

  Yeah. Top that.

  “Well, there’s a lot said for being the responsible sibling,” she said defensively.

  I’ll say.

  I reached for her hand. “You were really patient with your sister. That was very cool.”

  A drop-dead gorgeous woman, with a hippy sister named Sparkle, who had a rat named Cher.

  I sure hadn’t seen this coming.

  Chapter 9

  Maizy

  Who would have known that when I brought Sparkle and her rat to the vet, I’d end up having a drink with a handsome new guy just twenty-four hours later? Seemed like the gods of dating were smiling down on me, in spite of the disaster of the matchmaking agency.

  But was I getting closer to having a significant other before my review?

  Maybe, maybe not. But I sure as hell was exploring every option before me.

  I’d been hanging out with some hot as hell men lately, but this guy just about put me over my edge. He had this tousled black hair and long-ish sideburns, some crazy thick eyelashes, and a slightly crooked nose.

  Maybe from those thugs who chased him out of their country?

  Who did that, anyway? Rode a motorcycle into a country where he didn’t know the lay of the land. Before you went to a foreign country, didn’t you check online to make sure it was
a safe place?

  I guess not everyone did that.

  But I did. Or I would. If I were going somewhere. Which I wasn’t.

  “How’d you know you wanted to be a vet?” I asked.

  He shrugged. He probably just fell into it. Guys did that.

  I, on the other hand, had to beg and scrape for every little thing I got. And even then, it wasn’t enough. On top of everything else, I was expected to be on the arm of a guy to really be complete.

  Such bullshit.

  “I always loved animals, wanted to help them. I liked science, so it was a natural path to follow.”

  I knew it. So much easier for men.

  “What about you?” he asked.

  “I’m a paralegal. It’s kind of like a junior lawyer. I’m assigned a senior partner, and I do as much as possible with our clients and their cases until she needs to take it over.”

  “Ah. Must be so different from what I do. Animals coming in, you never know what you’re going to get. And the owners can be even crazier than their pets.”

  “Kind of like my sister?” I asked with a smile.

  He tilted his head. “Let’s put it this way. I’ve seen more eccentric than your sister. But, this was the first time I had someone tell me they meditated with a rat.” He laughed and shook his head.

  The bartender dropped off another round of drinks, and Von took a deep draw on his beer. When he was done, there was a tiny bit of foam on his upper lip. I wouldn’t have minded helping him out with that, using my lips.

  Down girl.

  Instead, I handed him a bar napkin.

  “Oh, thanks,” he said, dabbing at the spot on his lip that I’d pointed out.

  “So do you ask out all the ladies who come in with pet rats?”

  “Only the ones who have a very beautiful blonde, eye-glass-wearing sister.” He swiveled on his barstool to face me.

  Shit. My heart went thump.

  Although I did think he was out of his mind for keeping so many pets. On the other hand, it spoke volumes that he cared enough about animals that he’d just take them in.

  I glanced at my watch.

  “Oh, geez. It’s getting late,” I said.

  I sort of hated to leave. I loved the way this guy looked at me. Like he could see inside me or something. Wow.

  “Yeah. I have to take the dogs for one more walk tonight.” He waved the bartender over for the bill.

  “This was fun, Von. I’m glad you took a chance and invited me out tonight.” He really was something. So tall and handsome, good manners, funny.

  He put his hand on my lower back as we worked our way through the crowded bar to the door.

  “Thanks for joining me. I’d like to do it again,” he said.

  “I’d like that. Let’s do it. I’ll let you know how Cher makes out. Poor little thing. Who knew rats could have respiratory problems?”

  “It’s pretty common. In fact, it’s how they often die in the wild when they don’t have anyone to take them to a vet like me.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. Mother Nature’s way of keeping the population in check, I guess.”

  “Exactly,” he said.

  He pulled open the door of my Uber ride, and I turned to wave as we pulled away from the curb.

  I’d kind of hoped he might have kissed me. But if all went according to plan, there’d be time for that later.

  When I got home, I found Sparkle doing a handstand in the living room. Naked, of course. If she didn’t care that people could see her through our windows, then I wasn’t going to worry about it, either. And actually, since we were in New York and practically lived on top of our neighbors, I pretty much saw naked people out my windows all the time. Once you’d been in the city for some time, nobody seemed to care. It was like the constant blare of car horns. After a while, you didn’t notice any more.

  In fact, I’d actually gotten bored of spying on the hot gay guy across the way who cleaned house in his birthday suit.

  “Hey, Sparkle.”

  She kicked her feet off the wall and landed on the floor, popping back into an upright stance.

  “Hey, sis. Good day?” she asked.

  “Actually, yeah. It was pretty good. Guess who I was just with?”

  “Oh my god! You saw Brade?”

  “No, I didn’t see him. Although he texted me. I just had a drink with Von.”

  “Von? As in Von the vet?” She looked completely confused.

  “That’s the one. Von the vet.”

  “What? Are you kidding?” she asked. “When did he ask you out?”

  “He got my number before we left his office. You were busy with the rat.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “The rat has a name, Maizy.”

  Oh, lord.

  “Sorry. You were busy with Cher. I guess you weren’t listening.”

  “Wow. You’ve got guys pounding your door down. That’s freaking hot. I mean, sis, you’ve needed some action for a while,” she said.

  “Gee, thanks. But now there are too many of them.”

  “What? Are you kidding? How can someone have too many guys?” Her eyes were wide with disbelief. She often looked at me like that.

  “Well, I can’t go out with four guys.”

  She tilted her head at me as if I’d just said the stupidest thing in the world.

  Had I?

  “You can go out with whomever the hell you want, Maizy. Don’t let that creepy boss at the law firm rain on your parade.”

  “Well, I don’t know. I mean, I like them all. And they seem to like me. First, there’s Anson, my boss’s brother-in-law, who is hilarious and totally buff with his gorgeous red hair. He looks like that prince from England, Harry. Then there’s Brade. You remember Brade, right? I believe you fucked his brother backstage at the concert they invited us to?”

  “Yes, I remember him, and I remember his brother even better. In fact, we’re going out this weekend.” She looked very comfortable, sitting bare-assed on my sofa, with having been called out on having sex at a concert with a guy she’d just met. “So, who else we got? Keep running through your inventory.”

  “Right. Okay, well, we have Cato from work. Tall, serious, adorable. I’ve been friends with him for ages but I’m seeing him in a different light lately.”

  “Okay,” Sparkle said. “Keep going.”

  “Last is Von. He’s super-hot with his black hair and long eyelashes. And what’s not to love about a vet? I mean, the guy can’t say no to a stray dog.”

  Sparkle broke out in a smile. “Seems he can’t say no to you, either.”

  “You’re funny. Seriously, how am I going to choose?”

  “What? Why do you think you have to choose? Go out with them all!” She rolled her eyes again.

  “Oh, yeah, right. That’d go over great.”

  “No, Maizy. Date them all and see who you like. Sleep with them and see who’s best in the sack.”

  “Ohmygod, you are crazy. I’m not a slut like you.”

  She settled back onto my cushy sofa. Still naked. Unfazed at having been called a slut.

  “You might not be now. But there’s hope for you yet.”

  The next day at work, for some reason, Eva the bitch kept sticking her head in my cube. God, that woman killed me. I mean, one minute she was destroying me with her slow, relentless torture, and the next, she acted like we were best friends.

  You couldn’t be friends with your boss.

  But that didn’t mean they have to be your enemy, either—did it?

  After about her tenth drive-by, she revealed her true intentions. She was probably getting a sore neck from craning it so hard.

  “Hey,” she started, like she was some kind of normal person. “Guess you’re seeing my brother-in-law tonight, huh?”

  Well, shit. Note to self: remind Anson to NOT tell her anything else about me. It was weird enough I was going out with a relative of my boss.

  I shuffled some papers on my desk, hoping she’d leave.
But she did not.

  “Um, yeah, Eva. I’m seeing Anson tonight.”

  She stood there, silent. Clearly waiting for me to say more.

  I wasn’t going to, though.

  “Okay, then.” Good lord, she was surrendering. “I’m sure you’ll have a very nice time. You know, Maizy, I usually only introduce him to the highest quality women. But I thought—”

  Was she bringing that up again? Insufferable was what she was. And I was about done taking her shit. I could be like that. Calm, cool, collected, but when you go a smidgeon too far—well, all bets were off.

  “Eva, it sounds as if you feel I’m beneath your brother-in-law, and that you’re doing me a favor by introducing us. If you really do believe I’m such a bottom-dweller, maybe I should call him and cancel.” I reached for my phone.

  “No!” She waved her hands frantically. I’d never seen her do that. “You misunderstood me.”

  I gave her the most polite stink-eye I would muster.

  Her composure returned. “Like I said, I’m sure you’ll have a nice evening.” She gracefully turned on her heel and headed back to her office.

  That’s right, bitch.

  Chapter 10

  Anson

  Damn if my sister-in-law hadn’t been all over me to call her paralegal, Maizy, for a date. I mean, I had every intention of calling. I thought she was a cool woman, very nice-looking, and I wanted to hang out with her. But Christ, it wasn’t like I was sixteen years old when I had to be prodded to talk to girls.

  I didn’t know how my brother put up with her. I also didn’t know why he married her, to be honest.

  I’d grabbed a cab from my office in the financial district over to the art gallery party where I was to meet Maizy. I’d offered to come by her office and pick her up, but truth be told, I was relieved as hell when she said no. I don’t think either of us wanted to run into Eva when we were together. She’d find some way to make it creepy and weird.

  I was really looking forward to seeing the lovely Maizy. It wasn’t every day I met someone as hot as her, with that wavy blonde hair and long, long legs. And she was smart, to boot.