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The steps creak with the cold as I take the two to my front porch which provides slight relief from the snow. The handle of the door is chilly against my gloved hand as I hold it in place to unlock it. With a clicking noise, it opens as I push through.
Dropping my keys on the table beside the door, I decide to take a shower to wash the day away. I’m in and out in less than twenty minutes. Decked out in my favorite PJs and donning my favorite holiday socks, I make my way to the kitchen to make yet another cup of white hot chocolate, aka the most magical drink this time of year. Slipping into the living room afterward, I flip the switch on my gas fireplace, and it lights up instantly.
I pull up my beta reader copy of my favorite author's newest book on my reader tablet, bundle up under a blanket on the couch, and dig in. Just one of the many perks of being a personal assistant to a USA Today Bestselling Author, first dibs on her newest book babies. It’s a gift I don’t take lightly. Now, if I could just snag one of these book boyfriends in real life, I’d be set.
It’s a Christmas story about two strangers who team up to be each other’s dates for every holiday event. The perfect ruse to get nagging families off your back. What started out as a fairly innocent cup of tomato soup and grilled cheese at a food court morphed into a little more than everyone expected. Who knew that so much time spent together would make even the world’s grumpiest grinches into the merriest of lovers?
What’s better than Christmas?
Falling in love. I keep reading, enjoying every steamy and swoon-worthy moment. Plus, the banter.
This is why I love romance. If only for a couple of hours, I get to piggyback on someone else’s fairytale.
Now, I do realize it’s fiction and it’s unlikely that things would ever go this well in real life, but that’s what makes it so perfect.
I've got a laundry list of things to do tomorrow for my author, including scheduling a release party, managing her reader group, and anything else she has for me to do. Being an author isn’t just about writing the book. It’s also about marketing and building a fanbase. I’ve learned a lot over the last several years, and even though it can be overwhelming, it’s so much fun.
An hour later, my stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten dinner tonight. I was too nervous to eat before the speed dating, and I’d forgotten when I got home. Grabbing the peanut butter and raspberry jam from the fridge, I make one of my favorites, PB & J.
I fill up my cup with milk and cocoa powder to make more of the microwaved deliciousness I crave. Taking little bites of my sammie, my fingers strum along the counter while I wait. A ding resonates throughout the kitchen and my hot cocoa is finally ready. I pull it out and drop a handful of miniature marshmallows on top, grab what’s left of my PB&J, and head back to the living room.
I really want to read more of my book before going to bed because I just got to the really good part. It’s the part where everything’s going really well, and the hero is Captain Dreamy, before shit hits the fan and it all goes down in a fiery ball of glory. My absolute favorite part.
Bundling back up on the couch with all my essentials, I dive back in. My PB&J is gone by the next chapter and I start sipping on my cocoa as it’s had just a couple of minutes to cool down and be at that perfectly drinkable temperature.
For the next couple of hours, I get lost in the story. This has to be, by far, my favorite from this author, and I cannot wait to tell her about it in the morning.
oliver
Willow.
I can’t get her name off my mind after meeting her. It’d been clear she was there for the speed dating last night, so she’s obviously single. The way she’d blown me off when I asked her for coffee confused me. I find that I’m a moderately attractive male in the prime of his twenties.
I’m a catch.
Her molasses-colored hair fell in perfect waves around her slightly rounded face. A slim body, but she had some curves, too. She was about average height and wore glasses that shaped her beautiful eyes. The frames were Tiffany blue with a tortoise brown front. But her eyes behind the frames… they were the palest shimmering gray blue I’d ever seen. For a minute, I wanted to swim in their depths. Get lost in them.
Her voice could put someone to sleep, but not in the boring way. In the she-could-really -lull someone to sleep because her voice was so sweet and comforting. The touch of her soft skin against my hand shot sparks of electricity right through to every vein, lighting them up in a way I hadn’t felt before. Hell, it even gave an extra jolt to my cock, making it stand up and take notice.
She hadn’t given me any way to communicate with her after she’d seen me with Tessa. Maybe it’s why she was so quick to turn me down. I want to tell her Tessa is only my sister, but I have no clue where she lives or if she even lives around here. I guess my only hope is that she’ll show up at Sugar and Spice again.
Luckily, my job lets me work from wherever. So, although it might seem creepy, I’m just going to live there between the hours that it’s open.
The Keurig coffee maker gurgles, letting me know my brew is ready. I grab a to-go mug and fill it to the brim. The scent of java beans hits my nose and I inhale it like a drug. Coffee is my addiction. I could never be a tea drinker. There’s just something about a cup of coffee that tea can’t do for me. Coffee drinkers everywhere could attest to this fact.
Packing up my laptop and some paperwork, I bundle up, put on boots, and trekk out through the snow. Sugar and Spice is only three blocks away from the two bedroom luxury condo I rent.
I’m thankful for the foresight I had to buy an SUV because the ground this morning is covered in a couple inches of snow already and it’s still coming down. I slowly traipse along the sidewalk to my SUV and hop in. The engine roars to life and I put it into reverse, looking behind me as I back out of my parking spot.Hopefully the snow won’t deter her from coming out today.
Traffic moves at the speed of a snail, and I can’t help but tap my fingers on the steering wheel as I drive. The sounds of my mix playlist pump through my speakers.
I’m anxious to see if Sugar and Spice is someplace she visits often or if it was a one off thing last night. Finding a parking spot near the door, I park and get out, grabbing my stuff.
The bell on the door rings as I enter the tea and coffee boutique. The sound of grinding coffee beans and the smell of freshly made pastries attacks my senses. My stomach growls, letting me know it needs feeding. A table in the back corner of the store sits open and I walk over to put my stuff down so I can order. At the counter, I order only a chocolate chip muffin, seeing as I brought a mug from home. I pay the cashier and head down to wait for my order at the pickup counter, feeling like deja vu.
A couple of minutes later my food and drink are ready. Walking back to my table in the corner, I scan the surrounding area looking for the molasses-haired beauty I saw last night. No luck… yet. It’s still early. Maybe she just isn’t awake yet. I pull my computer from my bag and it loads up slowly as I wait. Multiple emails pop up, time stamped after I shut it down last night, so I get to work going through them.
Being a graphic designer gives me the opportunity to work from anywhere. An email catches my eye. It’s a personal assistant named W. Sanders, looking for someone to design her author's next book cover. Something I’ve done a time or two. I email back asking for specifics, an inspiration board, and a blurb to give me an idea of what type of cover this author is wanting.
