The Dating Series

by L. P. Dover

  “Yeah, you know I’ve wanted to do that from the first day I ever met you and you took Laura from me. Too bad it’s taken me this long to tell you how I truly feel.” I pull my car door open and toss my bag inside. Shawn is doubled over and people are watching. I should care, but I don’t. I get in, slam the door and bring the engine to life. But, before I put my car into drive, I push the auto button on the window and wait for it to go down. I lean out and say, “You’re a douche.” And drive off.

  I feel exhilarated and humiliated. Two contrasting emotions. Going home isn’t an option, so I head to the bar. It’s the last place I want to be, but the only place that is going to block out any memories I have of Laura and that is what I need to do right now. I tell the bartender that I need the bottle of tequila, without the limes and salt.

  I’m deep into the bottle when someone sits down next to me. Her perfume takes over the wretched smell of tequila. She orders water because she’s smart.

  “What do you want?” I slur.

  “You,” is all she says.

  Nine

  Laura

  I heard and saw everything in the parking lot. Shawn and Jude had no clue I was watching them. The last thing I expected to see was Jude laying into Shawn and breaking his nose. I heard the crack from where I stood. Shawn had no right to say the things he did to Jude. I’m not his wife anymore and nothing he says or does will change my mind to take him back. Especially now. I want to get back in my car to follow Jude, but I have to settle things with Shawn once and for all.

  Blood seeps through his hand as he stumbles to get to his car. “Did you fall on your face?” I ask, coming up behind him.

  Growling, he jerks around and glares at me. “That fucking cocksucker of a boyfriend of yours broke my nose.”

  “I think you deserved it.”

  He untucks his shirt and uses it to wipe the blood off his face. “I told him the truth. You’re my wife. We deserve a second chance.”

  “Ex-wife,” I correct him. “And there are no second chances for us. I love Jude.”

  Shawn stares at me in disgust. “Seriously? He’s a teacher that only makes like thirty grand a year.”

  I shrug. “Don’t care. He makes me happy.” Jude could make only ten grand a year and I’d still love him. Just the thought of him makes me smile. “Goodbye, Shawn.”

  “Laura, wait!”

  Turning on my heel, I march to my car and speed out of the parking lot. I don’t know where Jude went but it shouldn’t be too hard to find him. Boone isn’t exactly a big town so just a few minutes driving down Main Street is all I need. There, sitting right in front of the bar is his Jeep. I park beside him and rush inside. He’s supposed to be teaching class, not in a bar being stupid. I already got the email alert on my phone with our Philosophy assignment from him. There’s no way in hell I’m going to type a ten-page essay on whether or not I think a bush is a small tree or just simply a bush. It was either that, or a ten-page essay on if we can see wind. How the hell can you write that long of an essay on those two topics? I know I can’t.

  I scan the inside of the establishment and Jude’s right there at the bar, elbows on the counter with his shoulders hunched over his drink. I know what’s going through his mind. He thinks I’m choosing Shawn over him. How he can even think that I don’t know? I’m angry that he’d ever think I would choose Shawn, especially after the time we’ve had together. He should know where my heart belongs. I’d given it to him completely.

  Taking a deep breath, I march up to him and sit in the seat next to him. “What do you want?” he says, his words slurring together.

  I stare right at him, but he has yet to look at me. He brings the glass up to his lips and pauses when I speak. “You,” I tell him.

  He looks over at me, eyes narrowed skeptically. “Why?”

  The man drives me crazy. I move closer to him and smile. “Because I love you. I always have.”

  His shoulders straighten. “Why do you want to be with me when Shawn can give you everything you want?”

  He reaches for his drink, but I push it away. “You make me happy, Jude. There isn’t a person in this world who knows me better than you.”

  “Exactly,” he scoffs, “and you still chose him. I can’t go through that again. You have no idea how bad you broke my fucking heart.”

  I take his face in my hands. “And you have no idea how much I regret that. I don’t want Shawn, Jude. The only person I’ll ever want for the rest of my life is you.”

  His eyes darken with need and he pulls me onto his lap. The bartender tries to hide his smile and fails. Jude grabs my chin and kisses me, his tongue claiming mine. It’s a good thing we’re the only two people in the bar. He breaks the kiss first and leans his forehead to mine. “You’re the only person I’ve ever wanted. I think I’ve loved you ever since we were five, the first time we met.”

  I smile. “I remember. We were in the cafeteria and my mom forgot to pack me my fruit. You ended up giving me your apple.”

  Jude tucks the hair behind my ear. “You looked so pitiful without your fruit. It was the best decision I ever made.” He slides his hand up and down my thigh, his smile lazy.

  “How about we get out of here? Although I have to say I don’t have much time. A certain professor sent out an assignment that’s completely and utterly ridiculous. It’ll take me all night to do it.”

  Jude stands and puts his arm around my shoulders. “Ah, don’t worry about what that fucktard assigned you. He’s not going to grade it anyway.” He’s still slurring his words and it sounds funny on him.

  “Come on, let’s get go. I have a feeling I’ll be sitting at your house while you sleep this off.”

  He twirls me around. “Not me. I’m ready for an all nighter.”

  I snort. “We’ll see about that.”

  Two weeks have passed and so much has changed. I got out of my apartment lease and moved in with Jude until I can find a house. Something tells me that Jude doesn’t want me to move out. If I’m being honest with myself, I kind of like living with him. Shawn accepted his loss, and luckily, has not bothered me since the day Jude broke his nose. Jude and I still laugh about it. He loves it when I tell him it turned me on to see him angry like that.

  Jude and I have visited all of our favorite hangout spots and even ate at our favorite restaurant, Macado’s. I got my usual club sandwich so I could dip it in ranch. Then, afterwards, we split the brownie sundae. It feels like no time has passed since I left. I never knew this kind of happiness existed. We spent four days and just drove all around the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping and hiking at various trails. Being with Jude makes me feel alive again.

  “Do you want a glass of wine?” Jude calls out from inside.

  I continue to rock in the double rocking chair on the back porch. “Sounds great,” I yell back.

  It’s a late summer night and with the sun gone, it feels amazing. Cool and calm. I can’t see the mountains in the distance through the darkness, but I know they’re there. All I can see are lights from the houses on the mountainsides and the stars in the sky. As kids, we used to stare at them all the time and see who could find the most falling stars.

  Jude walks out with my wine and a beer for him. He hands me my glass and I take a sip. “How may falling stars are we up to now? I think I was at fifty-three and you were at forty-seven? Is that right?”

  He sits beside me and we both rock together. “I kept counting after you left,” he says solemnly.

  A gasp escapes my lips. It just so happens that I did too. Every time I watched the stars, it reminded me of him. “What’s your number now?”

  He focuses on the stars and smiles. “A hundred and nine.”

  Mouth gaping, I stare at him in utter shock. How is that possible? When he meets my gaze, his brows furrow. “What’s wrong?”

  I hold a hand over my heart. “That’s my number too. I never stopped counting either.”

  His lips pull back slyly. “I should’ve known
you wouldn’t forget me.”

  I shake my head. “Never. Being here has been absolute heaven. I never thought I could be this happy.”

  “Same.” He pats my leg. “Even if I didn’t get stuck with your class, I have a feeling we would’ve run into each other one way or another.”

  “I would hope so. It all worked out perfectly.”

  “Speaking of class,” he says, taking a swig of his beer, “Guess what phone call I just got.”

  Brows furrowed, I stare at him curiously. “What was it about?”

  He shrugs. “Looks like I’m not your professor anymore. They got someone else to fill the position.”

  I snort. “It’s probably because of that ludicrous assignment you sent out. You probably had a gazillion complaints. Those kids hate you right now.”

  He bursts out laughing. “Yeah, maybe so. The good thing is that I don’t have to worry about us.” Leaning in close, he whispers in my ear. “Either way, I was going to pass you no matter what. Just don’t be flirting with your new professor.”

  “I don’t know,” I tease. “If he’s hot, I might not be able to contain myself.”

  “You better not.”

  He winks at me and I snuggle into his side. “At least we got our desk sex in before you got switched.”

  Jude chuckles. “I could’ve gotten into so much damn trouble over that.”

  “Oh, but it was fun.” Last week, after class was over, I shut the classroom door and locked it. I made sure to wear a skirt with no underwear so it’d be easy for us to have our fun. It was sexy and exhilarating. I laid down on the desk and spread my legs wide, showing him there was nothing underneath. The look on his face was priceless. We had our fun and walked out of the classroom like nothing was amiss.

  Jude’s pants start to bulge, and he repositions himself. “That it was. You might have to start visiting me in my office.”

  I nod. “That can be arranged.” We both laugh and I stare out at the stars. “Thank you for letting me stay here. It’s a lot better than the apartment. I just wish I knew what kind of house I wanted.”

  Jude rubs a hand down my arm. “You could always stay here… permanently.”

  My heart races. “What do you mean?” I’ve been waiting for him to bring up the subject. I just didn’t want to be the one to do it since it’s his house I’ve been living in.

  He takes a deep breath and kneels down in front of me. “I mean that you could stay, and we can see what happens. There was a time when we both wanted the same things in life. Now that I have you, I don’t want to waste any time.”

  “Waste any time with what?” I ask, murmuring the words. I want to hear him say it.

  He holds my hand in his. “I don’t have much, but I can offer you this.” He kisses my hand. “I love you and I will always love you. I may not have a fancy house or a fancy car, but I will do everything I can to make you happy.”

  “You already do.”

  “Does that mean you’ll stay? That, when you’re ready you might consider taking the next step with me?”

  It’s my turn to grin slyly. “What next step?”

  He narrows his eyes at me. “You love making this difficult, don’t you?” I waggle my brows and he chuckles. “Okay, fine. One day I want you to be my wife and have those three kids you’ve always wanted.”

  I slide my hand away from his and cup his face. “I would love nothing more than that. Whenever you’re ready, I will be too.”

  He leans up and kisses me. “You shouldn’t have said that. I’m ready now.”

  So am I.

  THE END!

  Praise for A Date for the Regatta

  Loving this dynamic duo and their wonderful dating series.

  —Michele McMullen

  Full size enjoyment in pint size stories. These two authors have really created something special here.

  —Marybeth

  This was a good story, and a great addition to the series, complementing the ones I've already read. This is a fun, light feel-good romantic comedy.

  —Ree

  Get ready to set sail for romance! Hot, and sweet with a splash of angst, this voyage is one highly satisfying ride. Five stars for this must read.

  —One More Chapter

  I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, secrets, and heartbreak.

  —Renee Entress

  One

  London

  “Do you have any idea how much I want you?”

  The sound of his voice lingers in my mind. I can still feel the way he touched me and the way he kissed me. When I close my eyes, the vivid memories of our night together flash through my mind. I’ve never had a one night stand before, and I should’ve known better than to give in to him. Max Richmond. I don’t know how or why he noticed me, but he did. Someone like Max is only after one thing, but he sure does have a way with words…and he knows how to treat a woman in bed. He has a way of making you feel like you’re the only thing he could ever want. Never have I ever been with a man who thought about my needs. Not even my ex-husband knew how to make love right. It was usually a wham bam, thank you ma’am kind of deal. If I happened to get an orgasm, then great, but if not, it wasn’t his problem. That might be why our marriage lasted only two years. We dated in high school and got married right after. The biggest mistake of my life. The asshole took all my savings and there was nothing I could do about it. Hence, why I’m now living with two women and have been working as a waitress at the Wesleyan Yacht Club for the past three years. My goal is to become manager one day, but I have to work up the ranks for that.

  Dressed in only my bra and underwear, I open my closet door and pull out the crisp, white button-down shirt with the Wesleyan Yacht Club logo printed on the front pocket. I’m supposed to wear it to work along with a pair of black pants or a black skirt. Most of the young women I work with wear the skirts and flaunt themselves around the elite men who waltz into the club. I could care less about impressing anyone. That’s why it was a shock when Max started flirting with me, and even more of a shock when he was waiting out in the parking lot for me after my shift, asking if he could take me out, which ended up being a night sail on his boat, followed by hours of pure bliss. It felt amazing, but then morning came, and I made sure to leave before he woke up. He probably doesn’t even remember my name. What really makes me nervous is being at the club. With the regatta coming up, I know he’ll be around with his yuppie friends. I hate this time of the year. I’m constantly reminded how I’m beneath people like him.

  My bedroom door flies open and Kim saunters in. Her light brown hair is sleek and pulled back in a low ponytail and she has on the same clothes I’m about to put on. We work together at the yacht club and it’s how we met. I was in a hard place financially, so she took me in as one of her roommates. I live with her and her sister, Holly, who is currently in school to be a dental assistant. Splitting the rent three ways makes it affordable, and it’s helping me to save more money so I can buy my own place one day.

  Kim walks over to my dresser and picks up a pair of my silver earrings. “Do you mind if I borrow these tonight?” She holds them up and stares at me through the reflection in my dresser mirror.

  Closing my closet door, I turn to her, grinning slyly. “Only if I can borrow your black sandals tonight.”

  She nods once. “Deal.” Her mouth gapes and she jerks around, her eyes trained on my chest. “What is that?” She points at the spot on my breast.

  I look down and sigh. There’s a giant hickey on my skin. Great, just what I need. “It’s nothing,” I say, sliding my arms into the sleeves of my shirt. I button it up quick.

  “That is not nothing,” Kim teases. “Who were you with last night? I heard you come in early this morning.”

  She knows who Max Richmond is. Everyone at the yacht club does. I know what she’ll say if I tell her it was him I was with. The words crazy and careless come to mind. “It was nobody,” I try to tell her.

  She bursts out
laughing. “Well, nobody left a huge ass hickey on your boob. You must’ve had a good night.”

  More visions play through my mind. Max and I in the cabin of his boat, him taking my clothes off, and laying me gently on his bed. It was seriously something you’d read about in a romance novel; it was that perfect.

  Once I have my pants on, I hurry out of my room and head straight to Kim’s to grab her black sandals. She follows close on my heels. “Why are you making this difficult? I want to know what guy put that glow on your face.”

  Rolling my eyes, I find her sandals in her closet and slip them on. “I can’t tell you. You’ll think I’m insane.” We’re running out of time and I want to get to the club early. To be a manager, I have to be on my game with no penalties. I definitely don’t want my boss knowing I slept with one of the members. Kim follows me into the hall and starts naming off men she knows. When she calls out Max’s name, I freeze. She grabs my arm and jerks me around, her eyes wide with mischief. “Seriously? Max Richmond? How the hell did that happen?”

  I never thought she’d name him. Now that she has, I can’t hide it. “I’ll tell you on the way to work. We have to go.”

  She bolts past me to the kitchen to grab her purse and keys. “Let’s go. I want to hear all the juicy details.” Once I have my purse and the house is locked up, we get in her little Toyota Camry and head toward the club which is only ten minutes away. “Spill,” she commands.

  Groaning, I look out the window. “Okay, fine. Max came into the club last night. I was busy working my own tables, but there were a few moments where we made eye contact. That went on the entire night. Then, after my shift, I walked out to the parking lot and he was waiting on me.”