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Chapter One
There were one hundred things she’d like do right now, but going on a double date wasn’t one of them. Danielle Thomas knew from the beginning that tonight’s outing was going to be a dud, anyway. But her best friend Kate had been so worked up with “Operation Get Danielle Laid” for more than a week; she didn’t have the heart to balk on Kate’s plan.
Not even an “Uh-oh, I Told You So.”
Yes, their dates were reasonably good looking and all, but when Alan met her earlier, Danielle could tell he’d rather be paired with Kate. After all, Kate was model gorgeous. Tall, leggy, tan and blonde. Danielle was everything Kate wasn’t. Danielle had black hair, pale skin, and too generous of curves. She had a pretty face, though.
But people had been telling her, she would be an absolute bombshell if she shed about fifty pounds. Rude. Like she wasn’t trying. Anyway, Danielle had given up the idea of slimming down just to impress a guy. Because she didn’t need one. Ever. Not after that dickhole of a fiancé called off their wedding. So, Danielle put on her game face and pretended to enjoy the evening.
The sports bar where they were dining was situated on Miami Beach. The moon hung in a perfect crescent in the clear night sky. The air was thick with sea breezes and meats ripe on the grill. Their dates chose to dine outdoors where the tables were illuminated by lanterns and candle lights, and it was jam-packed. It was freaking romantic, actually. Not for a double date, though. Especially when Danielle’s blind date seemed to be rather somewhere else.
Well, newsflash, mister. I feel the same way too, Danielle thought ruefully.
Will, Kate’s date, seemed to think he would go home with her best friend tonight, judging from his cocky smile and attitude. Once every so often, he gave his friend Alan a sympathy smile.
Danielle resisted the urge to roll her eyes each time he did.
“So, how long have you been friends with Danielle?” Will asked Kate. His oily manner made Danielle itch to smack him on the head.
Kate sipped her Hurricane before answering, “Since high school. Originally my family came from Dallas, but dad transferred here in the late nineties. Our houses were next to each other and we went to the same school, so we’re naturally best friends. After high school, we went to different colleges, but for some strange reason, we ended up working at the same firm. We were destined to be besties forever. We’re even roommates.”
Danielle forced herself to smile to compliment Kate’s story so she wouldn’t stand as sour grapes.
“How interesting,” Will drawled with his lightly laced Southern accent. Ting became tang. “You know, I went to your company website and stumbled onto your department employee pictures. But I don’t recall I saw any of Danielle’s photos.”
“Oh. That’s because of the budget cut,” Danielle said rather quickly.
Kate lifted an eyebrow.
Will’s smile still gleamed in the dim light. “Budget cut?” he echoed.
“Yeah, I won’t fit in a group photo. They’d have to bring in a specialist for an aerial shot.”
“Danielle!” Kate admonished.
Surprisingly, Alan burst out a laugh and quickly recovered himself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
It seemed Will was too dim to catch on to the conversation. “Aerial shot?”
“Never mind. Danielle likes to joke around.” Kate hurried in with damage control.
Guilt sneaked into Danielle’s heart. She didn’t mean to sabotage this date with her self-deprecating jokes. She did it a lot to herself after Brian ended their engagement out of the blue. They had set a date, venue, and even hired a wedding planner. But then, Brian had acted weird when he came into the dress fitting. He said he liked the dress, not loved it, and Danielle didn’t think anything else back then. She was just elated she was going to marry Brian, the man of her dreams.
Then two days after the bridal shop visit, Brian sat her down and told her he couldn’t marry her. The reason: his grandmother, who was also the grand matriarch of his family, wanted Brian’s wife to wear Brian’s mother’s wedding gown. His mom died when Brian was a newborn, complication from a difficult birth. It was her dying wish that someday her son’s bride would wear her wedding gown when they married.
The grandmother was very adamant about fulfilling Brian’s mom’s last wish, even though many in the family thought the request was rather frivolous. Reality started peeling from the seams. Brian’s mother was a slender beauty. The gown was a bespoke Vera Wang. Danielle wouldn’t dream to fit into it. She asked if she could alter the dress. Brian’s grandmother flat out refused, said the dress was an important memento. They came from a wealthy family based in Boca Raton, and pretty much a mover and shaker in Florida.
Danielle was crushed. If that old hag didn’t want a fat girl as the bride of her only grandson, why didn’t she just say so? The whole business with fulfilling a dying wish was just a freaking ploy, and it hurt more than the truth itself.
And what made it hurt even more was that Brian hadn’t tried to defend her. After all, she was his freaking fiancée, wasn’t she? She was the girl he wanted to marry, not his grandmother. In the end, Danielle realized Brian didn’t want to get on his grandmother’s bad side. He was a trust fund baby, but he’d inherit the family fortune when his grandmother passed away. One thing she was certain about Brian: He’d been pampered all his l
ife. He wouldn’t survive if his lifeline was cut.
It was painful to realize she held little value to Brian.
She wasn’t chasing him for his wealth. She came from an upper middle class family. Her late father was a judge and her mother was a dermatologist. Her clinic was often frequented by celebrities. They were a respectable family.
Danielle waved at the waitress and ordered another drink. “Another zombie, please.”
Kate gave her another disapproving look.
“What? I like rum,” said Danielle.
She nudged Danielle’s shoulder. “I need to powder my nose. Can you come with me?”
Danielle sighed inwardly.
Kate threw a flirty smile to their dates. “We’ll be a minute, gentlemen.”
They sashayed between the busy tables into the restaurant and headed for the restroom. Danielle washed her hands while Kate pouted behind her. There were a couple other women using the facility, but her best friend didn’t seem to care. Kate scolded her immediately.
“What gives, Danielle?” Kate started. “I planned this date especially for you, and you keep sabotaging it. Enough with the fat jokes already.”
Danielle rolled her eyes. “Give it up, already. Even a village idiot can see Alan has no interest in me. He got buyer’s remorse and I don’t want to look like I’m desperate. Because I’m really not.”
“Honestly, Danielle, the only way you’ll ever get laid is if you crawl up a chicken’s ass and wait.”
Danielle snorted a laugh. And so did the woman next to her.
Kate gave both of them her signature death glare. Danielle sobered immediately. She blotted her face with oil paper and refreshed her lips with a swipe of lipstick. The woman next to Danielle left and Kate claimed her empty space.
“I told you I don’t need a date. I don’t need men,” said Danielle. “You keep pushing this issue on me. I told you I’m done with men in general.”
