Kay Harris's Blog, page 3

Diary of a Secretary - Part 4

Need to start at the beginning? Click here for Part 1 then use the link at the bottom of each post to advance to
the next chapter.

 

 

 I fiddle pointlessly with the hard hat that is perched haphazardly on my head like a bowling ball. There is no use. I will never look like anything but a complete weirdo in these things.

 

 

Claude, on the other hand, looks like a model in the latest construction sheek magazine. The bright yellow dome sits atop his head like it was made to be there. It only makes him look all the
more rugged, work-hardened, and sexy.

 

“I am so glad we did this,” he says. “I can see the vision so much better in person.”

 

When Claude had first suggested we take a tour of the Cimmeron building, still very much under construction, I thought it would be the opposite of helpful. Without the finishing touches, it’s
just wood and steel. I didn’t think it would help either of us picture what should be inside it.

 

I was wrong. Somehow, what was only a two-dimensional design on paper has come to life when seen in person. I can easily visualize the end product, the way the halls will look, the rooms, the
massive entryway.

 

I take a few more shots with my camera while Claude does something on his tablet. “You were right. But then I again I should have known. You are a professional after all,” I concede.

 

This is our third official meeting and while things are nowhere near personal between us, they are less stiff. Claude smiles at me. “As are you, Janice.”

 

“I’m just a secretary,” I remind him as I put the cap back on my lens and turn to head toward the elevator.

 

“Don’t sell yourself short,” he says, coming up to walk beside me.

 

“How long have you been doing this anyway?” I ask. I wonder why I haven’t asked before. Claude doesn’t look a day over thirty, he’s got to be relatively new to this.

 

“My partner and I started this firm right after I graduated from college. It was a huge risk.”

 

Ah ha! Partner. I knew it! The hot interior designer simply couldn’t be straight. Life just isn’t that good to me.

 

“She’d been working in a firm for a few years, so she at least was a little more experienced. We got some seed money from my parents. That’s why my name is first on the sign.” He smiles coyly as
he pushes the button to call the elevator.

 

Wait. What? Did he just say ‘her’? I look over at him, trying to keep my jaw from falling off my face. “Um…so…Dunlop is your…?”

 

“Sister-in-law.”

 

Instinctively, I look at his left hand. And he catches me doing it. He holds it up. “Not married. It’s my older brother’s wife. I’m single.”

 

“Oh,” is all I manage to get out.

 

Fortunately, I am saved by the ding of the elevator arriving. Claude and I step in. I am still contemplating the fact that Claude is single, though still possibly gay, when the elevator doors
close fluidly.

 

Claude and I are alone in the elevator as it takes us from the very top of the Cimmeron building back down to the lobby. It’s the first time we haven’t been jammed in here with a bunch of
construction workers. I am just starting to appreciate that when the elevator stops.

 

My eyes snap to the digital display. Instead of indicating what floor we’re on, it’s blank. I look at Claude.

 

“It appears we’re stuck,” he says.

 

Stay tuned for Part 5...

Diary of a Secretary - Part 3

Need to start at the beginning? Click here for Part 1 then use the link at the bottom of each post to advance to
the next chapter.

 

 

 I tug on the fitted blazer of my suit. I never could figure out why they make these things so short. I have a long torso, and it always feels like my clothes are fit together like a set of
children’s toy blocks, with no overlap to spare. I wouldn’t mind a couple extra inches to prevent an accidental tummy share.

 

 

I hear the sound of a door and look up from where I am contemplating my clothing to see a man enter the lobby of the offices. When I’d first entered the building that houses Goreman and Dunlop
Designs I had been greeted by a smiling, adorable, effeminate man in skinny jeans and a sweater who told me that Claude Goreman would be out to greet me shortly.

 

I expected an equally effeminate, obviously gay man to step out of the office. Right or wrong, that’s how I pictured the interior designer I was supposed to be meeting.

 

Instead, what could arguably be considered the most gorgeous specimen of manhood waltzes into the room on long legs. Well over six feet tall and built like a mountain, the man approaches, his
broad chest getting almost as much attention from me as his chiseled, beard-covered face. Dark eyes peek out beneath nearly black hair that hangs just a little too long. And a faultless smile
graces his strong jaw.

 

No way this is Claude the interior designer.

 

“Hi,” he says, holding out one massive hand. “You must be Janice. I’m Claude.”

 

Oh. My. God.

 

I manage to reach out my hand and tuck it into his. His firm, but gentle, shake doesn’t last nearly as long as I would like.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Janice. I understand we’ll be working together on the Cimmeron building project.” His voice is deep and rich, like dark maple syrup being poured slowly on thick
buttery pancakes.

 

Get a grip, Janice!

 

I force myself to move, nodding weakly. He asks me to follow him and I make my feet tread across the carpet in his wake. In fact, it’s impossible not to. I am drawn to him like I’m a little
magnet and he’s the giant refrigerator I cling helplessly to.

 

Claude and I settle into a small, rectangular conference room. He sits me opposite himself at a varnished oval table. One wall of the room is a floor-to-ceiling window with views of downtown. I
can even see my office just a few blocks away. The other three walls are adorned with pictures of the interiors of various buildings.

 

I might pay more attention to my surroundings, but it’s hard to do with a giant piece of eye-candy sitting in front of me.

 

We talk about the project, the general outline of how we’re going to proceed, and schedule the next few meetings together. When I get up to leave, Claude comes around the table and takes my hand
in his, again. Only this time he holds on to it.

 

“I am really looking forward to working with you, Janice,” he says. A sparkle in those warm liquid eyes makes my stomach get up and float away.

 

“Um…” I swallow hard. “Me, too, Claude. Me too.”

 

I rip my gaze away from his, pull my hand back, and turn around to leave.

 

I am so screwed.

 

Stay tuned for Part 4...

Diary of a Secretary - Part 2

Need to start at the beginning? Click here for Part 1 then use the link at the bottom of each post to advance to
the next chapter.

 

I sit in Hayden Morrison’s regal office and stare at his handsome face across the desk. Hayden is the Vice President of something or other. I don’t know exactly what or whom he’s in charge of at
the company, but he definitely has enough power in his name alone to do away with me for one tiny miss-step. So it’s safe to say, I’m nervous, like shaking-in-my-discount-heels nervous.

 

“So the thing is,” he begins. “Clarice is on maternity leave.”

 

I nod. Clarice is the woman who handles all the interior decorating at the Morrison properties. I don’t know what her actual title is, just the gist of what she does.

 

“Tracy Kimble was supposed to take over for her,” he continues. “But she’s really overloaded with her own job right now and she has a parent with health issues…”

 

We’ve all seen how frazzled the tiny sprite of woman has been lately. I’ve been bringing her coffee every morning out of sheer pity.

 

“So I need to find someone else to cover for Clarice. Most of her workload can be put on hold. But we have to get the work done on the Cimmeron building right away to stay on track.”

 

Surely, he isn’t talking about me. Maybe he’s asking my advice about whom he should assign. But that’s just as weird. I have an Associate’s degree in photography and I’ve spent the last eight
years serving as a secretary. I’m a damn good secretary, but still. What the hell do I know about interior design?

 

“Yes, sir? How can I help?”

 

“I want you to do it. Candace is gone. And as far as we know, she isn’t coming back.” A strange look crosses his face as he says this. “We need you to cover for Clarice for three months, then
we’ll find you a good assignment after that.”

 

“With all due respect, Mr. Morrison. I don’t have the qualifications—”

 

“It’s easier than it sounds,” he says, interrupting me. “All you have to do is meet with the contracted designer. He’ll have a whole stack of work-ups and reports and all that crap. You will
summarize it into a ten-minute presentation and make a recommendation, which you will present to me for a final decision.  You’ll take the final
decision back the designer. We do this dance once or twice a week for all the little decisions about fabrics and colors and all that jazz. Easy peasy.” He waves a hand dismissively.

 

I stare at him, my eyes unable to blink. Is this really happening? “Um…I guess I could do that.”

 

“Of course you can,” he says enthusiastically. “It’s basically a liaison job. And it comes with a raise. Did I mention that? A permanent raise, not a temporary one.” He pauses for dramatic
effect. “Twenty percent…So, are you in?”

 

Despite my reservations, I can’t turn down this opportunity. “I’ll do it,” I say enthusiastically.

 

I just hope I don’t live to regret this…

 

Stay tuned for Part 3...

Diary of a Secretary - Part 1

Janice is a side character in my upcoming novel "Don't Let Him Go" which will be released this spring by The Wild Rose Press. This is her story...

 

My boss, Candace Gleason, is missing. Well, not like call-the-FBI missing. More like, what-the-hell-is-going-on-with-her-personal-life missing. She gave her two weeks notice out of the blue then
promptly called out sick all the next week.

 

As the secretary to one of a handful of corporate lawyers at the real estate firm Morrison and Sons, my job can be pretty high-stress. I’ve been known
to make the impossible happen on a timeline of insanity. But with no boss for a whole week, I’m at loose ends.

 

In addition to answering her e-mails, the occasional phone call, and canceling her meetings, I mostly wander around the office and try to deflect all the crazy rumors about where Candace is.

 

I’m pretty sure she took off because she fell for the boss’s son, Jack. I’m pretty sure her personal life is a complete disaster. And I’m pretty sure none of the off-the-wall theories going
around the office are correct.

 

The one person who knows what’s really going on is the boss’s other son, Hayden. But he’s been completely closed-lipped about the whole thing. In fact, he hasn’t said much to anyone
lately. I suppose that’s why it is such a surprise when he strikes up a conversation with me in the lobby of the 26th floor of our building.

 

“Hi, Janice, right?” He says, coming up expectantly behind me.

 

I whirl around, nearly knocking into him with my camera, which is in mid-motion as I quickly pull it from my face and down toward where it hangs on my chest.

 

“Um…Mr. Morrison. Hi,” I say, practically shaking.

 

He looks me up and down, pausing on the pricey camera hanging from my neck. “What you doing?” He asks, not unkindly.

 

“I, um, I take pictures.” And apparently, talk like an idiot, too. “It’s a hobby of mine. And I thought the light looked really good in here.” Great, admit to the boss’s son that you’re bored so
you’re goofing off with your camera. “And I thought the pictures would be good for the company newsletter.” I am sweating like a pig!

 

“That looks like a nice camera.” He scrutinizes my equipment, then looks out the window. “And I wouldn’t know good light from bad light. But you seem to.”

 

“Um?” What the hell was his point?

 

“Maybe photography is more than just a hobby for you?”

 

He’s hit the nail on the head there. It isn’t a hobby. It’s a lifelong passion. “Yes,” I say simply.

 

Hayden Morrison seems to be thinking hard, real hard. I contemplate making some excuse and walking away, but I’m not really sure how to do that, especially since he is still staring at me.

 

I am not bad looking. I have long brown hair that nearly reaches to my waist. I am not too skinny, but I have nice curves. My facial features are kind of plain, but I have these bright hazel eyes
that everyone freaks out over all the time. I’m all right, pretty even. But I’m no match for a built, chiseled stud like Hayden. So I can’t figure out why he’s looking at me with so much
contemplation on his face.

 

“Come to my office,” he finally says.

 

I am befuddled and confused. But I’m unable to do anything other than follow as he turns on his heel and walks out of the lobby.

 

Stay tuned for Part 2...

Book Review - A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights

 

I was struggling to get into the Christmas mood this year. Maybe it was because we've been really busy at my house, or because I'm traveling over the holidays. Whatever the reason, I just wasn't
feeling it.

 

So I did what any good bibliophile does, I picked up a book. And being a romance junkie, naturally I picked up a holiday romance book. I chose Peggy Jaeger partly because as an author who
has recently signed with the The Wild Rose Press I want to read works by other "Roses." 

 

And it absolutely did the trick!

 

A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights is novella length (meaning no matter how busy you are over the holidays you have time to read it.) It's relatively clean (maybe my mom wouldn't approve,
but most everyone else would.) And it is witty and fun (effectively taking me out of Grinch mode.)

 

Our heroine is the baby in a large and hilarious Italian family. Looking for her future and seeking out love, Gia is open to the feelings she suddenly has for the new guy at church, Tim Santini.
And when I say feelings, I mean instant attraction, hot under the collar, sizzling sensations just from a touch or a look -- all that good stuff. 

 

But Santini is off limits (no spoilers as to why!). As Gia navigates the holidays, a funeral, and a new baby niece, she also has to tread carefully as her feelings for Santini ebb and flow.
Strangely she's wildly attracted to him one minute and the next...nothing. All the while her Catholic guilt is killing her because she shouldn't be interested in a man like him to be begin with.

 

I absolutely loved this modern Christmas tale rife with comedy, love, family, and (I promise) a Happily Ever After. 

 

You can check out this book and Peggy's entire collection at https://peggyjaeger.com

Fiction Infatuation - Desmond O’Quinlan from A Highland Moon Enchantment by Mary Morgan

I first had a crush on Desmond when he stepped into the scene in Dragon Knight’s Axe, Order of the Dragon Knights, Book 3. Tall, with black
hair and eyes that mirrored the green hills of Ireland, I followed him everywhere. He’d open his mouth to speak and I would swoon. He’s the second O’Quinlan brother out of three, but he took
charge immediately. Quiet, stubborn, and fiercely loyal. When he demanded his own story, I tossed aside everything. What’s not to love about this Medieval Irish Warrior?  

 

Ailsa snorted in disgust. “He kens I can protect
myself. If I want to speak with someone, I dinnae need a guard.”

 

Desmond leaned close to her ear from behind.
Ailsa could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck and she shivered. “Ye would if someone wished to steal a kiss,” he whispered softly.

 

His words skimmed across her face in a soft
caress, and she tried to breathe. She found her body heated and her tongue frozen.

 

Swallowing, she turned her head to the side. The
man had silently left the area. Ailsa placed her cool hands on her heated face. He had never touched her, but his words sent a longing of desire—to be kissed.

 

Out of all my heroes, Desmond was the most
controlled when it came to his lustful emotions. I kept stomping my foot, begging him to steal a first kiss. Yet, he behaved like a chivalrous knight. And when he did seize the moment, I melted
along with the heroine.

 

“For the first time in my life, the choices I
make are my own. I grow weary of trying to please so many. This night I am here of my own free will. If the burden of taking me to your bed is too much, then I will leave. There shall be no
regrets come morning, Desmond O’Quinlan. I have nae wish to leave ye plagued with guilt.”

 

He smacked the stone with his hand. “Then there
will be none.” His eyes roamed over her body as he strode toward Ailsa. Grasping her firmly around the waist, he cupped her chin with his other hand—rough, strong, and warm. “I have never yearned
for another as I do ye.”

 

“Nor I, Desmond.”

 

With a growl, he took possession of her mouth,
thrusting his tongue deep and igniting a firestorm within her body. She willingly surrendered to him, opening fully to the kiss. Clinging to his shoulders, she dueled the dance of desire with
him, slanting her mouth to capture more of the man. His wild fury sparked hers, and she slipped her hands under his tunic, exploring his hard, hot, muscular body.

 

Get your copy of "A Highland Moon Enchantment"
here: 

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0767QVJBX/

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-highland-moon-enchantment-mary-morgan/1127176325

Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-highland-moon-enchantment/id1294140045?mt=11

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Highland-Enchantment-Order-Dragon-Knights-ebook/dp/B0767QVJBX/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Highland-Enchantment-Order-Dragon-Knights-ebook/dp/B0767QVJBX/

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/d/Highland-Enchantment-Order-Dragon-Knights-ebook/B0767QVJBX/

The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5347-a-highland-moon-enchantment.html    

 

Award-winning Scottish paranormal romance author,
Mary Morgan, resides in Northern California, with her own knight in shining armor. However, during her travels to Scotland, England, and Ireland, she left a part of her soul in one of these
countries and vows to return.

 

Mary's passion for books started at an early age along with an overactive imagination. She spent far too much time daydreaming and was told quite often to remove
her head from the clouds. It wasn't until the closure of Borders Books where Mary worked that she found her true calling--writing romance. Now, the worlds she created in her mind are coming to
life within her stories.

 

If you enjoy history,
tortured heroes, and a wee bit of magic, then time-travel within the pages of her books.

WEBSITE:  http://www.marymorganauthor.com

BLOG:  http://www.marymorganauthor.com/blog

TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/m_morganauthor

FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/MaryMorganAuthor/

FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/mary.morgan.564

GOODREADS:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8271002.Mary_Morgan

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Morgan/e/B00KPE3NWI/

PINTEREST:  www.pinterest.com/marymorgan50/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/marymorgan2/

BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-morgan

Blind Date part 10 - Happily Ever After

 

Catch up with the story! Chapter one is linked here. Chapter two is linked here. Chapter three is linked here. Chapter four is linked here. Chapter five is linked here. Chapter six is linked here. Chapter seven is linked here. Chapter eight is linked
here. Chapter nine is linked here.

 

THE BLIND DATE

Chapter ten - Happily Ever After

 

 

I walk into the house feeling light on my feet, despite the paper bag overflowing with groceries balanced in my arms. I can barely see over the lettuce exploding out of the top.

 

“Hey, whoa. Let me help.” I feel my burden released as Marty grabs the bag and transfers it from my arms to the counter. He immediately starts unloading the salad fixings.

 

"I forgot the stupid reusable bags again," I complain.

 

He shrugs, used to this habit of mine already. “You’re just in time. Kyle texted me to say they are on their way. We’re gonna have to whip up this salad real quick.”

 

“It can wait,” I say, standing in the middle of the kitchen with my hands on my hips, a pout gracing my lips.

 

Marty looks up from the bag and turns to me. He takes the two steps it requires to wrap me up in his arms. “Sorry.” He leans down to kiss me. “Welcome home, sweetheart.”

 

This little ritual started when I moved in with him last week, and I am hoping it will never end.

 

“Better,” I say, smiling up at him. “Now get back to work. We have guests coming.”

 

He laughs and turns back to fixing the salad that will go with the spaghetti we’re serving, while I open a bottle of wine. Tonight is our monthly get together with our friends and this time we’re
all bringing dates.

 

Shawna and Chris didn’t work out, but Shawna did light a spark with one of the candidates she’d been interviewing for Cindy. Cindy is still dating the man she met when she went on her blind date,
only it isn’t the guy Shawna set her up with, but the waiter who served them. Kyle and Hyler worked out great.

 

And me and Marty, three months later we are as happy as ever. I look over at him and he seems to have stopped chopping vegetables in favor of staring at me.

 

“What’s up?” I ask, approaching him.

 

He is leans up against the counter, a brilliant smile on his face, his hands both stuck in his pockets. “Well. There’s something I want to talk to you about before everyone arrives.”

 

“You better hurry.”

 

“Yeah. I guess so.” He looks down at the linoleum flooring covering the kitchen. “Let’s go to the living room.” He pulls one hand out of his pocket and takes mine as he pulls me into the other
room.

 

As soon as we hit carpeting, Marty drops down on one knee and pulls his other hand out of his pocket, revealing a shiny diamond ring.

 

“Oh my God!” The exclamation slips out of me without thought or warning.

 

“Is that a yes?”

 

I take a deep breath, then another. “Ask first.”

 

He chuckles. “Okay. Bea, I love you. I’ve always loved you. We may have only been together for a few months officially, but I’ve been waiting thirteen years to ask you this: Will you marry me?”

 

I drop down on my knees and throw my arms around him. “You bet I will!”

 

THE END

 

If you enjoyed "Blind Date" check out my full-length romance novels here.

 

Thanks for reading!

-Kay Harris

 

 

Blind Date part 9 - Revelations

 

Catch up with the story! Chapter one is linked here. Chapter two is linked here. Chapter three is linked here. Chapter four is linked here. Chapter five is linked here. Chapter six is linked here. Chapter seven is linked here. Chapter eight is linked
here.

 

THE BLIND DATE

Chapter nine - Revelations

 

When I see my blind date sitting there waiting for me, I turn to Marty in a panic. “I’m sure he’s very nice, Marty. But Hyler Green, he’s not for me.”

 

Marty smiles and leans toward me. We’ve stopped about ten feet away from the table and I can feel Hyler’s eyes on us. Marty is so close to me now that he might as well be about to kiss me. If my
date weren’t sitting a stone’s throw away I would think he was.

 

“Why, Bea, why?”

 

Marty wants me to tell him the truth. And I’ve reached the point of no return. There’s no way I can spend the evening on a date with someone else, even if he is a super hot, super successful
hockey player.

 

I take a deep breath and spill. “I am interested in only one man.” He looks thrilled to hear this. A wide grin spreads across his face and it gives me confidence. “I only want you, Marty,” I say,
my voice low.

 

“Thank God,” he says on a breath. Then he leans down and makes that small amount of space between our lips disappear.

 

We’re standing in the middle of the restaurant, steps away from my date, Marty is thoroughly kissing me, and I am having a hard time caring. Marty and I are fused in this moment. We are of one
mind. We want the same thing—each other.

 

When Marty breaks away from me I try to focus. “Good. Because Hyler is not your date,” Marty says, his voice husky.

 

“No?”

 

“No. He’s Kyle’s. I helped Cindy out and found the perfect date for him.”

 

My brain is still trying to process that when Marty turns me so I can see Kyle coming toward us from the front of the restaurant. Marty greets him with a quick hug. “Okay, Kyle, there he is. Go
on over and introduce yourself. You don’t need my help.”

 

Kyle doesn’t seem surprised to see the hockey player there, so Marty must have informed him of his date ahead of time. Kyle’s eyes sparkle as he looks past our little gathering and waves shyly at
the man sitting in the booth.

 

Kyle turns back to us. “No problem. First though, Marty, let me introduce you to your blind date. The perfect woman for you, the woman I’d bet my meager fortune that you’re going to marry
someday.” He claps his hand on my shoulder. “Beatrice Beckman.”

 

Next (and final) chapter coming soon...

 

Meanwhile you can check out my full-length romance novels here.

 

-Kay Harris

 

 

Blind Date part 8 - Walking In

 

Catch up with the story! Chapter one is linked here. Chapter two is linked here. Chapter three is linked here. Chapter four is linked here. Chapter five is linked here. Chapter six is linked here. Chapter seven is linked here.

 

THE BLIND DATE

Chapter eight - Walking In

 

“Wait. Hold up,” I say, feeling like my life is spiraling out of control and the only way to put the brakes on it is to grab hold of Marty’s arm and hang on for dear life.

 

Marty turns. The door to the restaurant is framed behind him. We’re standing on the sidewalk in the waning evening light and I am trying to will this all to stop.

 

“What’s wrong, Bea?” he asks, innocent as can be.

 

“I don’t want to do this,” I admit.

 

Yes. I probably should have ponied up the guts to admit this four days ago when Marty set up this blind date, or even every day since then. But I didn’t. And now here I am, about to go meet my
blind date, when what I really want is to play tonsil hockey with my best friend again.

 

Marty cocks his head to the side. “Why not?”

 

Okay, so now is the time. I have to tell him that after over a decade of friendship I have realized that I am completely, madly in love with him. I should just admit it, say it out loud. Right
now.

 

“Um…I have a stomach ache.”

 

Marty stares at me for a long moment, his head still cocked to the side like an adorable puppy. Finally, he straightens up. “I don’t believe you.”

 

“What?”

 

“Bea,” he says, placing his hand on my cheek. “Do you trust me?”

 

“He hasn’t been this close to me since he kissed me in my kitchen. And I am loving it. I can’t really think. So I just nod.

 

“Of course you do. Because you know I have your best interests in mind. I have found you the perfect man, Bea. He will give you all of his attention, pay attention to all of your needs, and when
it comes to being intimate…he will rock your world.”

 

My mouth drops open. How can he even talk about me and another man like that?

 

Shocked into silence, I am a rag doll as Marty pulls me into the restaurant. He speaks briefly to the hostess, though I am unable to pay attention to what they are saying. Then he ushers me over
to a curved booth.

 

And there he is. It’s Hyler Green. He and Marty played in the minors together and Hyler has gone on to play in the NHL. He’s hot, beautiful really, with an immaculate face, despite the scar over
his left eye, or maybe because of it. He’s known for being a ‘good boy.’ Unlike so many hockey players, he does not have a reputation for being a player off the rink.

 

He’s perfect. And at the same time. He’s not. Because he’s not Marty.

 

Next chapter coming soon...

 

Meanwhile you can check out my full-length romance novels here.

 

-Kay Harris

 

 

Blind Date part 7 - Arrangements

 

Catch up with the story! Chapter one is linked here. Chapter two is linked here. Chapter three is linked here. Chapter four is linked here. Chapter five is linked here. Chapter six is linked here.

 

THE BLIND DATE

Chapter seven - Arrangements

 

“I’ve set your date,” Marty announces.

 

My stomach falls into the floor. I can’t explain exactly when it happened, but I stopped wanting to go on a date with anyone, anyone other than my best friend, that is.

 

It’s a bad situation, sure. Impossible even. But there it is.

 

“Oh. Um, when?”

 

“Saturday,” he says. He is literally bouncing on his feet. He looks so happy about this, and it’s killing me.

 

“Oh. Um. I’m not sure I’m free,” I say, desperately searching around in my head to see if I can find a decent excuse to not show up.

 

Marty moves around the island in my kitchen. I am sitting on the bar stool and he is standing in front of me. He takes his index finger and plants it on the underside of my chin.

 

I am staring down at my bare feet, trying to disappear. But Marty won’t let me run from this and he pulls my chin up with that one finger so I am forced to look at him.

 

His eyes are dark and serious, but there is a curl to his lips that indicates amusement. “I don’t buy that.”

 

I shrug weakly.

 

“What are you afraid of?”

 

I swallow hard. What can I say? That in the last few weeks I’ve come to realize that I want my best friend. That I’ve come to understand that the person with whom I the most comfortable, the
happiest, and the most deeply understood, is the only person I am interested in having a relationship with?

 

I can’t say these things, because Marty is my friend. And while I may feel an attraction to him, it’s not mutual. I am pretty sure of that. And if I
were to just reach up and kiss those amazing lips…it could end in disaster.

 

What if there was no spark? What if Marty freaks out and runs away? What if my attraction fades when faced with the realization that kissing my best friend is like kissing my brother?

 

With every reason in the world not to, I do it anyway. I lean forward so that my lips are almost, but not quite, touching his. I close my eyes, waiting to see if this moment will change
everything, or if Marty will pull back and I will make some crazy excuse for my behavior.

 

He doesn’t pull back. I feel his breath mingling with my own. My lips part, and then he’s there, pressing his own lips against me in a searing kiss.

 

It doesn’t stop, that kiss. Not for an eternity. Marty and I are fused together and it’s everything I wanted it to be and so much more. There’s spark all right. There’s passion. There’s
intensity. There is most definitely no brotherly anything.

 

Even as Marty ends the kiss and pulls away from me, I want more.

 

He smiles, it’s soft and genuine. “I promise you won’t be disappointed.” Then he straightens up, grabs his keys off the counter, and he’s gone.

 

Next chapter coming soon...

 

Meanwhile you can check out my full-length romance novels here.

 

-Kay Harris