by Haley Travis
Next Guy Through The Door
By Haley Travis
Copyright 2020 Haley Travis. All rights reserved. Cover design by Lexie Renard.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted or duplicated in any form whatsoever without express written permission of the author. This book is intended for sale to adults only. This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual people or specific locations or details is completely coincidental, or intended fictitiously. All characters are over 18, no sex partners are related, all sex is consensual. This is fantasy. In the real world, everyone practices safe sex at all times. Right? Right.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 ~ Lindsay
Chapter 2 ~ Dale
Chapter 3 ~ Lindsay
Chapter 4 ~ Dale
Chapter 5 ~ Lindsay
Chapter 6 ~ Dale
Chapter 7 ~ Lindsay
Chapter 8 ~ Dale
Chapter 9 ~ Lindsay
Chapter 10 ~ Dale
Chapter 11 ~ Lindsay
Chapter 12 ~ Dale
Epilogue ~ Lindsay
Other Stories and About the Author
CHAPTER ONE
* Lindsay *
It’s great when your close friends pitch in to help you when you need it. It gets to be a bit much when they start pushing you to do things you’re not quite ready for.
“Lindsay, we’ve heard you talk about wanting a boyfriend for two years now,” Nadia said, swirling her margarita emphatically. “If it’s something you really want, you’re actually going to have to apply yourself. Do something. Anything.”
“Absolutely,” Charity agreed. “You say that you get nervous around guys, so it just means that you need more practice. I used to get nervous at every single meeting with my boss. Now I’m completely relaxed. Well, pretty much.”
Staring down into the fancy glass of green slushy ice, I nodded. “You’re both right.”
“Oh my God,” Nadia laughed. “Say that again but a little louder.”
I shot her a look. Ladies night Thursdays often got a bit rowdy at our quiet pub, but she couldn’t possibly expect me to get loud as well.
Rolling my eyes, I slowly and clearly said, “You two are right. I’m going to need to talk to guys if I want a boyfriend someday.”
“There you go,” Charity said brightly, patting my hand. “You should do it right now. You just made up your mind, so you should jump on that action. Stay with the momentum.”
My two best friends both read a lot of those motivational books, and it trickled down into their everyday conversation.
“Yes, absolutely,” Nadia agreed. They both started looking around the room. Then Nadia pulled a face. “Dammit. We already know practically everybody here. It’s not the same if she goes to chat with a guy who is married, or one of the regulars.”
“It has to be a stranger,” Charity agreed. “That will be a great challenge for her.”
“It doesn’t have to be anything serious,” Nadia said. “She just has to go talk to him for five minutes. Just to break the ice and get over the awkward part.”
“You’re right,” Charity nodded quickly. “As soon as her fear response starts declining, and her heart rate returns to normal, she’ll realize that the panic was all in her head. This is going to be a really important learning moment.”
“So she has to talk to a strange man for five minutes,” Nadia grinned, taking a huge sip of her drink. “Should be easy.”
“Guys, you’re insane,” I giggled. “I can’t just do that, you know. Here. Now.”
Charity reached over to fluff up my hair. “Of course you can. Think of it this way – he’ll appreciate the attention. All guys want to think that they’re god’s gift to women. So if a cute thing like you went over to chat them up, it’s going to boost his ego.”
I could feel my lips pressing together hard, like they always did when I was terrified. “What if I go talk to somebody and he’s married?”
“Look for a ring. If he’s wearing one, order a drink while you’re there and come back right away,” Charity said.
“What if he’s really boring and I don’t know how to make him talk?” I said, my voice nearly shaking.
“You try your best for a minute, then come back to us,” Nadia said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Staring down at my margarita, I replayed all of the times that my friends had given me good advice and I hadn’t taken it. They really had listened to me vent my problems for the past few years, and always tried to help. They both seemed so delighted by the idea of me taking a chance and doing something outrageous, that I sort of felt obligated.
Trying new things was one of those important steps in the process of becoming less shy. Or at least, that’s what the books said. If I were able to break my normal habits for one evening, it could set me on an entirely new path.
“If I did this,” I said slowly, noticing how their eyes became wide and excited, “It would have to be a total stranger. If I embarrassed myself in front of one of the regulars, I’d have to run into him over and over. That would be humiliating.”
“You’re right,” Nadia said quickly, almost bouncing in her chair. “And you’re going to have to do it quickly. The more you think, the more you’re going to talk yourself out of it. Just do it. It’s a tiny thing. Get it over with.”
Looking around the pub, I saw a nice mix of regular people having a drink after work. There was a table full of cute geeky guys who may have been software developers or something. There was a cluster of men in suits in a far corner. There were many couples and mixed groups of people.
Seeing the couples reminded me of why I wanted a boyfriend. Someone who would never abandon me. I wanted to be half of a team, and always have someone right there. To truly share our lives.
Nothing was frightening about this. They were just people. Everyone was used to conversations. A man probably really would be amused by a random girl coming over to chat him up for a moment.
They were absolutely right. I had to do it immediately. If I thought about this any longer, my fingers were going to start to shake.
A couple left, causing the tiny bell over the door to ring. Taking a long slow breath, I tried to center myself. I took the last sip of my drink, knowing that I could use the excuse to get a second one if I had to get away from the guy.
“The next guy through the door,” I said softly.
“Oh my god, I’m so proud of you!” Nadia squealed.
“Your choice is made,” Charity said quickly, fluffing my hair again. “Too late to back out. Use the nervous energy and turn it into excitement.”
I nodded, feeling like my face was going numb. Trying to take deep, slow breaths, I told myself that this bar usually wasn’t very busy on Thursday nights. There weren’t a lot of people coming and going. It could be at least half an hour before someone...
A man walked by the front window. My breath caught. The door opened as he walked in, the tiny bell tingling over the smattering of voices filling the room.
As my mouth fell open, Nadia breathed, “Holy shit.”
The words may as well have fallen from my own lips. He was flat out gorgeous. His dark eyes flashed in the dim amber light. His cheekbones and jawline were sculpted, enhanced even more by his slightly tanned skin. His thick, wavy dark hair, tight black t-shirt and leather jacket gave him an edgy look, making his broad shoulders seem even wider. It wasn’t until he passed one of the servers that I realized how tall he was.
Glancin
g around the room, he didn’t seem to be looking for anyone in particular. Striding to the far end of the long wooden bar where it was quieter, he pulled up a stool and sat alone. There was an empty stool beside him, and no one around for several feet.
My legs straightened as I stood up. Taking a slow breath, I tried to ease my shoulders lower.
“Hold on,” Charity grabbed my hand. “Do you know what you’re going to say?”
“Not in the slightest,” I admitted. “But if I don’t go right now, I never will.”
CHAPTER TWO
* Dale *
I couldn’t believe such a beautiful girl was walking straight toward me. I had noticed her the second I walked in the door, but after seeing the rest of the people in the pub, I didn’t want to draw attention to myself.
This wasn’t really a biker jacket, scruffy hair sort of place. These were respectable looking people, and I didn’t really fit in. That didn’t matter. I was supposed to be meeting my business partner for a drink, but he had sent me a text moments ago canceling on me at the last minute. Since I was already so close, I didn’t see any harm in having a drink alone, just to unwind.
But this beautiful little treasure seemed to be headed my way. Her short, choppy black hair almost gleamed blue as she walked under a light. She was a bit short, with wide, thick curves that actually made my mouth water. A shapely goddess with creamy breasts shown to perfection in her slightly low cut blue dress.
As she came closer, I could see that it matched her deep blue eyes. She licked her pretty rosebud lips nervously, then came over to stand right beside me.
“Hi,” she said softly. Then her lips pressed together in a straight line.
“Hi,” I said, turning toward her.
I saw her fingers twitching nervously, and wanted to put her at ease. “Would you like to sit with me?” I asked.
She nodded, sliding onto the stool beside me. It looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t quite figure out how to word it.
“I’ve never been to this place before,” I said, smiling. “Are you the welcoming committee?”
She giggled slightly, and I could see her girlfriends back at their table carefully staring at us while trying not to be caught looking.
“I’m Lindsay,” she said, holding out her hand. Her short nails were a dark purple-black.
“I’m Dale,” I said, shaking her hand gently. Then I held her fingertips up to the light. “Micro-sparkles,” I said. “That’s a really nice finish.”
She shot me an odd look. “You’re into nail polish?”
I laughed. “No, but I like different kinds of paint.”
The bartender came over, looking at us a bit strangely. “May I buy you a drink?” I asked.
“Sure, thank you. Margarita, please.”
“Woodford on ice,” I told him.
Lindsay’s pretty doll-like face was turned up toward me, and she still looked nervous as hell. Flicking my eyes over her shoulder, I could see her friends whispering frantically.
“Lindsay, don’t look behind you, but your friends are staring. If this is some sort of bet, you can just tell me what it is, and I’ll help you win. Okay?”
Her mouth fell open in shock.
“As long as it’s not one of those prank shows,” I chuckled. “I don’t want ice water or slime dumped on me or something.”
Her laugh was sweet, like bells ringing through the air. “I’d never do that to you,” she said softly.
“I’m shocked at what you already do to me,” I said, surprising myself.
She looked utterly stunned. “I haven’t done anything,” she stammered.
I knew it was a completely cheesy move, and I did it anyway. Picking up her hand, I placed it flat against my chest. “You can’t feel how fast my heart is racing just from looking at you, gorgeous?”
Her cheeks instantly flushed pink, but she held her hand against me for a few heartbeats before snatching it away.
My drink arrived first, and she looked at it curiously. “Is that whiskey?”
“Yes.”
“It’s more auburn than I would have thought.”
Sliding the glass over to her, I said, “Try a sip if you like.”
She flashed me an adorable grin, picking up the glass and swirling it while she took a cautious sniff. Her nose crinkled.
“Think of a campfire in the forest,” I suggested, “Then take two tiny sips.”
She did, looking confused at first, then contemplative. “It’s not my thing, but it’s a lot more flavorful than I would have expected.”
The bartender set a margarita in front of her, and she smiled. “Fruity and tart is a bit more my speed.” She slid it over to me first. “Do you like these?”
“I’ve never had one,” I admitted.
Her purple sparkle fingertips shoved it closer. “Try it.”
I took a sip, making a face as if I were in complete agony to make her laugh. Then I took another sip and raised an eyebrow. “Not my thing, but I get it. If you were on a patio somewhere tropical, this would be super refreshing.”
“Exactly,” she smiled.
I slid my stool a few inches closer to her, needing to feel her almost against me. “So, Lindsay,” I asked, “Are you going to tell me about your giggling friends? Are the three of you trying to pull a heist, and you need a driver with a fast car?” That adorable laugh was almost more than I could take.
“They mean well,” she said. “But sometimes they’re a bit pushy. See, I’m really shy around men, and they’ve been encouraging me to try to learn to talk to guys.”
My bottom lip thrust out in a dramatic pout. “I’m just a science experiment to you? And here I thought we were bonding over cocktails like a real couple.”
Lindsay giggled again, leaning in a bit closer. “Well, I’m really glad that it forced me to come talk to you.”
“So am I.” Sliding an arm around her back, I held her against me. “Is this all right?”
She nodded eagerly.
“I saw you when I first came in, but I would never have the nerve to go talk to a girl when she was in a group. And yet here you are, brave enough to walk over to a strange man.” I flashed her a wink. “I’m completely impressed by how bold you are.”
“I’m not brave,” she whispered. “I’m still completely shaking.”
Holding up her hand, I saw that her fingers were indeed twitching. Taking her hand in mine, I kissed the back of it, watching her eyes as she smiled. Then I turned it over to gently kiss along the inside of her wrist. Those deep blue eyes opened wide, then I watched a shudder flow through her.
Taking a sip of whiskey, I chilled my mouth, then kissed her inner wrist again, sucking gently at her tender skin. This time she gasped, and I could just imagine the soft noises she would make in my bed someday.
“Lindsay, I really like you,” I said, hoping that it sounded more seductive than aggressive. “Will you come out with me tomorrow night?”
She nodded dreamily. “You mean like, dinner or something?”
I grinned. “Or something. You’ll have to trust me.”
Pulling out my phone, I created a new contact for her, holding it up so she could enter her number. I sent her a text immediately but didn’t hear anything.
“Oh, my phone is in my purse back at the table,” she said. I glanced over to see her friends nearly jump from a sound on the bench beside them.
Then my phone beeped, and I rolled my eyes. “Lousy timing,” I said.
Lindsay sat up straight again, taking a few sips of her drink as my phone beeped several more times. Scrolling through my texts, I cursed under my breath. “I’m so sorry, I have to leave. There is something literally falling apart that I need to put back together.”
“I understand,” she said softly.
“Now you have to make a big decision,” I said with a grin. “You wanted to impress your friends with your bravery. How far are you willing to go?”
Her eyes grew wide. “
What… What do you mean?”
Leaning in, I kissed her temple gently, then whispered in her ear, “I’ve needed to kiss you from the split second I saw you. I really don’t want to be pushy, but–”
Her face spun, her lips catching mine in a blink. Her sweet mouth was so soft and warm, and I pulled her against me as our kiss deepened. I knew it was too much, and I knew I should move away, but I just couldn’t.
Her delicate fingers wound around the back of my neck, holding me against her tightly. It felt like we were melting into each other, and I didn’t want the moment to ever end. Then she suddenly pulled back, blinking up at me, nearly breathless.