Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Maddie:
What a way to meet my new neighbor. I accidentally swiped his dinner. My bad. How was I to know the delivery bag sitting outside my front door wasn’t for me?
Even worse, my smoking hot, irate neighbor just so happens to be my new business partner’s older brother.
When I become a bad girl, I go all the way.
Fischer:
My gorgeous neighbor steals my dinner then my heart. One look at Maddie and I’m a goner.
Now, I plan to make my little thief pay for her crime with a lifetime sentence.
In my arms.
If you like over-the-top, insta-love romance with a little bit of humor, and tiny amount of drama this Loni Ree short story is perfect for you.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER
ONE
MADDIE
“I’m done.” I sit back in the desk chair that was obviously designed for skinny women and wince. “My mind is mush and every muscle in my body aches.” Glancing over, I watch Allie, my longtime friend and new business partner, shake her head.
“Me too,” she agrees. “We’ve been putting in so many hours. But it will all be worth it when we reopen the brand spanking new Gatsby Books.”
“I can’t wait.” That’s an understatement. This has been a long time coming. In college, Allie and I belonged to a “dirty book” book club. We met in secret and discussed all the steamy reads we could find.
Over time, we grew close and dreamed about starting a bookstore together. Life happened and we went our separate ways after graduation, but the idea was always in the back of my mind. We kept in touch through email and calls, but I never really expected us to see our dream through. Until my friend emailed me about the old bookstore for sale in this cute Texas town. The opportunity was too perfect to pass up, and it actually came at the perfect time.
I was feeling out of sorts and ready for a change. Don’t get me wrong, landing the Feature Editor position at Curvy Cuties Magazine was a dream come true when I graduated from college. And working with my four best friends was awesome. At first. Until we started growing in different directions. Things changed and I started to feel restless as I watched my best friends fall in love one by one.
My bestie, London Valentine, had moved to Silver Spoon Falls after meeting and falling in love with Bender Valentine, the famous rockstar. She kept her position as Fashion Editor at Curvy Cuties Magazine but started working from home. In Silver Spoon Falls, Texas. London had been on my case for months to come to visit, and I finally decided to kill two birds with one stone.
I took a two-week-long vacation and came to the small Texas town. The timing was perfect. Allie had heard about a small bookstore that had recently closed in Silver Spoon Falls after the owner defaulted on his bank loan.
We toured Gatsby Books and fell instantly in love with the quaint little shop. It didn’t take long for us to purchase the foreclosed property from the bank for a great price. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the main investor at the bank is Cash Montoya. He’s the President of the Silver Spoon MC, where London’s husband, Bender, is also a member.
Within a few days, we had everything arranged for our new venture. We even decided to keep the original name since it goes with the town theme. Silver Spoon Falls is known for its welcoming atmosphere and quirky names. Like the Park Avenue bar, the Broadway Steakhouse, the Trust Fund Café, the Ritz Garage, and so on. We couldn’t see changing the name to something that clashes with the town ambiance.
When I returned home, I immediately gave notice at the magazine. Jenna, my friend and boss, nearly had a heart attack. It took some convincing, but I finally managed to soothe her ruffled feathers and assure her I’m not jumping into this blindly.
“Are Jenna, Emery, and Piper coming for the grand opening?” Allie asks me out of the blue.
“Yes,” I tell her. “And Marco, Emery’s husband, Wild, Jenna’s husband, and Dillon, Wild’s best friend.” The entire Curvy Cuties group will be here to support me. “London and Bender will also be here.”
“We should have a full house then.” Allie smiles. “Between my family and yours, it’s going to be nuts.” Just thinking about it causes me to break out in hives. I can’t wait to get this done so we can settle into our normal pattern.
As I yawn for the hundredth time, I decide enough is enough. “I’m going to order dinner, then I’m heading home to scarf it down and drop into bed.” Up until now, I’ve been an office worker. Twelve-hour days stocking books and getting this little shop ready to open are taking their toll on me. I haven’t had time to grocery shop or even unpack my kitchen since I moved in two weeks ago. “I’ll be back in the morning.”
“Sounds great.” Allie stands and stretches. She’s been pulling the same hours as me, but somehow, my beautiful friend always manages to look perfect and put together while I look like something a cat hocked up. “I’m going to finish up the inventory, then I’ll head upstairs.”
Allie chose to move into the upstairs apartment while I found a cute little studio apartment not far away. My friend offered me the second bedroom upstairs, but after years of living alone, I prefer to have my own space.
“See you tomorrow.” I wave and head out the door.