UnLucky in Love_Final

by Hart, Cary

  I have no clue what to do. Jack is sweet, attentive, has manners…but something is off, and I’m not sure I can put a finger on what it is.

  “Thank you, and if you ever want to further discuss that one issue,” Jack turns to wink at me, “call the office and we’ll work something out.”

  Cynthia giggles, and it’s not the cute kind either. This is like nails on a chalkboard. “I would love that.” Cynthia reaches for the table and stands. “By the way,” she directs her attention to me, “I love your nose. Nice work, Doctor.”

  “Oh no,” I shake my head, “this is mine.”

  Cynthia walks backward toward the bar. “Of course. Paid in full.” Cynthia beams as she spins around and sticks her chest in another willing victim’s face.

  “Hey, Jack.” A platinum blonde bimbo waves as she passes by.

  “Kat.” Jack nods at her boobs.

  Maybe he isn’t really staring at their chests. Maybe I’m just being a paranoid first date freak. That has to be it. I mean, we are in a place known for their wings and waitresses. Heck, I even linger a little longer than normal. How can you not when everything is eye level?

  “I know what you’re thinking.” Jack smiles as his eyes light up with confidence. It’s as if this man is on a game show and knows the answer to the million-dollar question. “The answer is yes. However,” Jack holds up a finger, “she had a reduction and lift.”

  “A reduction, but she’s…I mean…” How do you politely say, “But she’s huge?”

  “Kat was having major back issues due to having double-Gs.”

  “Oh, wow.” I look down at my Cs. I can’t even begin to imagine.

  “Yeah…most girls want what you have, they just don’t realize it. They come in determined on Ds and I try to talk them down, but when they make up their mind, there is usually no changing it.” Jack’s smile is kind and less creepy this time.

  I’m sure I was just letting my mind wander places it shouldn’t have gone. After all, Jack did somewhat inform me of where we were going. I just didn’t add two and two together.

  “That’s interesting. This is all new to me,” I confess.

  “I chose this field not because I want to improve their physical appearance, but to increase their self-esteem. I’m more than just breast enlargements. I’ve worked on trauma cases, cleft lips, burn scars, and in this case, a breast reduction.”

  “I’m sorry. I really didn’t know.”

  Now I feel like an ass. Jack isn’t some perv who looks at boobs all day long. This man is only interested in how to make others feel good about themselves.

  “Kat wasn’t a happy girl. In fact, the first time I ever saw her smile was after surgery, and it wasn’t from the drugs.” He laughs. “Her frame was too small to carry that kind of weight, so we reduced and lifted.”

  “Dr. Hunt? Are you talking about me again?” Kat purrs as she stands there with her hip cocked out and eyebrow raised.

  “Yes, sweetie. I am.” Jack reaches out to rub her arm. “I was just telling my date here how it’s great to see you smile.”

  “Well…” Kat turns to me, her smile beaming, “I owe everything to this man. He truly is amazing, and I haven’t,” she points to her mouth, “smiled this much in forever. Actually, I think it’s permanent now.”

  “I’m so happy for you.”

  And I am. She’s oozing confidence.

  “Looks like you’re finished.” Kat takes our plates. “Should I send Cynthia over? Need more drinks? Maybe dessert?”

  Jack doesn’t wait for me. “I think we’re good.”

  This disappoints me. I usually like the option of declining my own dessert. Coming from a man and plastic surgeon, I can’t help but wonder…

  “I have something else in mind.” Jack winks, reaching across the table to take my hand in his.

  Oh! Disappointment—poof, be gone!

  “Oh!” Kat waggles her brows. “Well, I’ll have her bring the check then. See you guys later!” Kat calls out as she vanishes around the corner.

  “So?” I use my most seductive voice as I lean across the table. “What’s this something else?”

  “Well, it’s something I’ve really never done before,” Jack admits, almost unsure of his decision.

  “Really? So I’m the first?” I bat my eyelashes.

  “Yes, I can honestly say no one has made me ever want to do this.” Jack stands and offers his hand, once again proving he’s the perfect gentleman. “What do you say? Ready to get out of here?”

  “I thought you would never ask.”

  CHAPTER 15

  CLOVER

  First Hooters, and now Victoria’s Secret? This has to be the oddest date I’ve ever been on.

  “Clover Kelly, will you try on lingerie for me?” Jack holds the glass door open, waiting again for me to make a decision.

  Is this even normal? I mean, sure, if you’re in a committed relationship, but even then? Jeffery always hated these kinds of places. Even when I tried to shop online, he would get irritated, and say, “Get whatever you want. It doesn’t matter to me.”

  So, is Jeffery the norm, or is this?

  “Dr. Hunt…I would be honored.”

  What are the words coming out of my mouth? I wouldn’t even wear the matching black bra and thong set CJ laid out for me, and now I’m going in here to try things on for this man?

  Clover, he’s a doctor. He makes boobs for a living.

  I swear, my subconscious is at war with itself.

  Is this right or wrong?

  Sleezy or fun?

  Will he expect more or nothing at all?

  Gah! What did I get myself into?

  “Clover!” A shrill, way-too-perky, I’ve-heard-that-voice-somewhere calls out my name. “Is that you?”

  Oh God! This can’t be happening.

  I don’t want to turn around. If I do, I won’t be able to pretend this isn’t happening. There’s only one thing to do—look for bras.

  “What do you think of this one?” I hold up a little lace-up bra.

  “Clover, I think your friend…”

  “The bra, Jack!” I practically shove it in his face, slightly irritated he isn’t catching on.

  “Well, it’s a little pink,” Jack responds. “Clover…”

  “What?” I spin around, ready to take all my frustrations out on my date. You know, end it before it even begins because anything would be better than coming face to face with Angel—and when I say Angel, I don’t mean Victoria’s, but Jeffery’s bimbo baby momma.

  “It is you.” Bimbo bitch scans me from head to toe. “Aw! Don’t you look cute. It’s soooo—pink.”

  “I happen to think pink is sexy.” Jack catches on and moves in a little closer and holds the bra up in front of me. “What do you think? This really complements her skin tone and will only enhance her natural, oh-so-perfect breasts. Don’t you think?”

  Angel, the boyfriend stealing asshole, stands there with her mouth hanging open and an armful of thongs.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t introduce myself.” Jack holds out his hand knowing her hands are too full to take it. “I’m Dr. Jack Hunt.”

  “Sorry.” Angel holds up her arms. “Wait! Did you say Dr. Jack Hunt? The Dr. Jack Hunt? Plastic surgeon to the stars?”

  “Well, I have consulted with a few celebrities, but I wouldn’t go that far.” Jack awards her with a cocky grin.

  “Honey, I think I would like to try all these on.” I grab one of every style, not caring if they’re my size or not. “Want to come watch?”

  “Well, Angel, it was a pleasure to meet you, but we have a dressing room to reserve.”

  “Yeah…same here.” She seems confused as she pulls out her phone, and we take that as our cue to head to the back. “Jeffery, you won’t believe who I ran into,” we hear Angel whisper.

  “Do you want to tell me what that was all about?” Jack raises an eyebrow. “I’m guessing she’s the reason why you’re here?”

  “Hold
that thought.” I hand everything to the clerk who is checking shoppers into the dressing rooms. “I think I may have grabbed the wrong size. I actually need a thirty-two C.”

  “Thirty-four C,” Jack corrects, and the clerk and I look at him. “What? I know my stuff.” He winks.

  “He thinks because he’s a plastic surgeon he knows me.” I laugh.

  “Oh!” the clerk nods.

  “No! Wait. These are real.” I wave my fingers between the twins. Twins? Now I sound like CJ.

  “Sure.” She winks. “I’ve heard that a time or two. How about I just grab my measuring tape.”

  “For crying out loud, just grab me a thirty-four C.”

  “Trust me on this,” Jack leans in and whispers.

  “I’m trusting him.” I throw my thumb over my shoulder at Jack. “But not because he’s my plastic surgeon, because he happens to think my breasts are perfect in their natural form and has been staring at them all night,” I blurt out, immediately regretting it. My shoulders slump and my face drains of all color. “I mean…”

  Jack belts out a belly shaking—errr—ab-rippling laugh. There is nothing shaking on that solid surface.

  “Can you point us to our room?”

  “Sir, this isn’t a hotel. I will show her to the room, and you can take a seat just outside on the bench.” The clerk radios something over the headset she’s wearing, then walks us back. “I had to say that back there,” she whispers. “Most guys just sneak in. You know, to help their lady friends out.” She hands Jack all the garments that should fit and runs off to exchange the ones that won’t.

  “Looks like it’s just me and you.” Jack gives me one devilish smirk.

  “So it seems.” I grab the lingerie from his hands, step inside the room, and let the door fall shut. “Let’s see if you’re right and I’ve been wearing the wrong size all these years?” I call out above the door as I unwrap my dress, letting it fall from my shoulders.

  “Let’s do,” he agrees, the door flying open.

  “Jack!” I screech, trying to cover myself the best I can. The fact that this man has probably seen hundreds, maybe even thousands, of women in their naked form doesn’t make one bit of a difference.

  “I thought this is why we’re here?” He cocks his head to the side. “For a little one on one?” He reaches for my hands. “Let me see this perfection.”

  Crap! What to do? I proclaimed to all of New York I wanted to get lucky, and now that I have a guy showing interest in just that, I’m shying away.

  Baby steps, Clo.

  “Listen, I know why you think I’m here, and I guess I am, but there is a reason behind this whole dating ordeal, and it has to do with my ex and that pregnant bimbo out there.”

  “She’s pregnant? You couldn’t even tell she was showing.”

  “Seriously, Jack?” I throw my hands on my hips, letting my dress fall open. “You can tell these are real, but you couldn’t tell she’s with child.”

  “For one.” He whistles.

  “Shhh!” I peek my head out the door. “They are going to hear you.”

  “Well, how could I notice her when you are standing right next to me?”

  Jack wins!

  “Fine. How about you sit out there, and as I loosen up, maybe just maybe, we’ll have our own little fashion show?”

  Jack lifts my hand and feathers an ever-so-gentle kiss before he turns and walks out of the room.

  As I’m about to try on the pale pink set, Austin tries to FaceTime me.

  No way, buddy. I click the little red button. There is only room for two on this date.

  However, Austin isn’t getting the hint. He calls a couple more times before a text chimes.

  Austin: What the hell?

  Jeez…I wonder what crawled up his butt?

  Me: ?

  Austin: First Hooters, and now Victoria’s Secret?

  Me: OMG! Do you have Thomas reporting back to you?

  If he doesn’t stop trying to control this process, I’m going to skip the car service and take a cab—or even better, walk.

  Austin: What? No! Twitter, Clo. It’s everywhere. Hold please.

  I wait as the three bubble dots appear right before the pic comes through.

  Jack Hunt @dOc_knOckers

  My real-life Hooters and now Clover’s Secret. #shhh #unluckyinlove #hotlinehookup #bejealous #luckynight

  Holy crap. It’s a picture of my dressing room with some kind of four-leaf clover emoji plastered all over it.

  Austin: So? Care to explain this?

  No! Actually, I don’t. Since when did this whole protective father thing start happening? Austin’s never been this way before.

  Me: Nope. Sorry, I’m busy.

  I lock my phone and start to stick it in my purse as my horns make an appearance. Swiping it back to life, I decide to take a little photo.

  Pushing down my bra straps, I snap a picture from the shoulders up for a little tweet of my own.

  Two can play this game.

  Hotline Hookup wants three tweets…well, here is number two.

  Clover Kelly @UnLuckyInLove_13

  The Dr. is just what this girl needed. Who’s ready to play dress up? #unluckyinlove #hotlinehookup #ifoundmywings #ormaybehorns

  My phone goes off with a string of chimes, which I’m sure a couple are from Mal and CJ rooting me on GIF style. The rest from Austin, the overprotective best friend who seems to think I’m in over my head.

  “Miss?” The clerk raps on my door. “I have those pieces in the size you requested.”

  “Oh, thank you.” I crack the door and grab the pile of lace and silk. “I really think the super sexy navy plunge teddy would look amazing on you.”

  “What? I didn’t’ grab…”

  “I did.” Jack stands and sticks his hands in his pockets. “I hope that’s okay?”

  Try the eggs.

  I have walked the straight and narrow for so long, I’m ready for a change. Maybe modeling shows and stripteases are in my near future?

  “It is.” I can’t help but smile. Jack is trying so hard to win me over. I guess I never really put the shoe on the other foot. Jack is first, but he won’t be my last date. I’m sure that has a huge part in the way he planned our date. He wanted to stick out, to show me he was different. And it worked. “I’ll try that one on first.”

  “I’ll be right here,” Jack whispers, but his voice echoes off the bare walls.

  That’s the thing. He is right here. So, I’m going to live in the right now.

  Be bold.

  Be beautiful.

  “I hate that this date is almost over,” I confess as we pull up to the studio tower.

  Even though my date with Dr. Jack Hunt had several weird-ish moments, the not so weird outweighed them.

  He’s classy, honest, attentive, has manners, extremely good-looking, has a great job—the list goes on and on. There are so many more reasons why I should fall for a man like Jack Hunt than to not to?

  “It doesn’t have to end…” Jack opens the door to the lobby where we are supposed to say our goodbyes and post our final tweets.

  What does that even mean? Is he going to offer me a nightcap—aka a roll in the sack—at his place? Will he ask to go back to mine? Because that will not fly with Austin—or Kramer, for that matter. Heck, he thought Austin was an intruder in his own home. Or maybe he just plans on asking me out on another date and ending this one with a memorable kiss.

  Ah! A kiss.

  It’s been forever since I’ve had an exciting kiss. Jeffery hated any sort of PDA, and that included kissing. So, to say I’m a little rusty is an understatement.

  “How about we take our goodbye picture by the sign and get the tweets out of the way?” Jack suggests, reaching for his phone.

  “Perfect.” I follow behind, my heels clicking against the marble floor.

  “This will work.” Jack spins around and swoops me into his arms.

  My hands fly up to his firm che
st. “I think so.” I giggle.

  Jack pulls me in closer with one arm as he holds his cell out in front of us with the other.

  “Oops!” Jack swipes the phone to the left. “I may have snapped a memento, but only from the chest up and neck down,” he defends. “I hope that’s okay. I know I should have asked, but since your face wasn’t included, I didn’t think you would care.”

  “Um…”

  How do I feel about this?

  My first instinct is to grab his phone and delete the pic, but my second is excited. Out of all the boobs he’s seen, he loves mine the most. Like maybe he’ll try to model others after mine?

  “I’ll delete it.” Jack swipes it back as his thumb hovers over the delete button.

  “No!” I reach for his phone. “I mean, it kind of makes me feel good that you want to look at me.”

  “It does?” He almost sounds shocked.

  “Yeah, I love it when your eyes are on me. It makes me feel special…wanted.”

  “Oh…I want you all right.” Jack lets his eyes trail down to his favorite spot.

  “You’re insatiable.” I smack his chest as I throw my head back and burst into a fit of laughter just as Jack snaps a picture.

  “Perfect.”

  “Let me see.” I lean in to sneak a peek as Jack types his tweet, but he quickly covers his phone. “You’ll see it soon enough.” He winks.

  “Fine. I’ll snap my own.” I pose for a quick thumbs-up selfie, type out a little about my date, and hit send.

  Clover Kelly @UnLuckyInLove_13

  @dOc_knOckers was more than I could have imagined. #unluckyinlove #hotlinehookup #willheorwonthe #gettinlucky

  “There. All done.” I tuck my phone away in my purse and set it on the granite top of the information desk. “Now, where were we?”

  “Clover.” Jack places his hands on either side of my face, his thumbs gently caressing the cheekbones he admires so much. “You are absolutely perfect.” He inches closer.

  Yes, Jack. Kiss me!

  “Spending just one night with you isn’t enough.” His hands slowly work his way to my shoulders, igniting a spark that’s about to explode. “I need more.”