Part
One
This was the
absolute last time she kissed anyone under the mistletoe. At least it would be
if Aaron Knight had any say in the matter—which he didn’t.
Standing alone
near the buffet table on the other side of the conference room, he took a gulp
of his drink. His eyes watered from the alcohol laced punch. Unless, of course,
Tyne Darling chose to kiss him under the sprig of holiday greenery. Hell, a
kiss from Tyne wouldn’t just make his night. It would make his whole damn year.
Aaron narrowed
his gaze on the lip lock still underway near the Christmas tree in one corner
of the room. For tonight anyway, the place was decked out in enough holiday
cheer to make him see red…and green. That idiot Northrup from accounting had
Tyne bent backward over one arm like some silver screen movie idol from the
Golden Age. Typical of a man who considered himself God’s gift to women.
As the kiss ended
and his two co-workers headed toward a small table by the floor to ceiling
windows overlooking the Los Angeles skyline, Aaron set his drink down with a
thump that sloshed its contents onto the white tablecloth. After finally
completing the ad campaign for a romantic comedy scheduled to release early in
the New Year, he had Hollywood on the brain. The project had been a rush job
that kept him and Tyne working until well after midnight most nights for the past
week. He’d hoped the long hours spent alone together would change the way she
looked at him. Apparently that hadn’t happened.
A sigh slipped
out as he swirled the ice cubes in what was left of his drink. Kissing him under
the mistletoe wasn’t something the woman he was crazy in love with would even
consider. After all, he was her buddy, her pal, the one she came to with her
man-problems. His fault entirely for falling into the role of best friend
instead of romantic lead. If he wanted to change her perception of him, drastic
measures would be necessary.
“What’s with the
intense look, Knight? This is supposed to be a party.”
Aaron glanced
over at the CEO of Gentry Advertising who ladled cranberry punch into his cup
then took a swallow. The holiday libation resembled the Kool-Aid Aaron had drunk
as a kid but tasted like someone had spiked it with a gallon of vodka.
“It’s pretty
potent. I wonder who’ll be the first to lose all their inhibitions after drinking
that stuff.”
Steven Gentry flashed a toothy smile. “Let’s
hope it’s Darling. The woman is smokin’ hot wearing that little red number.” He
gave her curvy figure a slow up and down perusal as Tyne pushed back her chair
and stood. “Hey, she even matches the punch.”
Aaron couldn’t
argue with the sentiment, but he clenched his fist at the leer accompanying his
boss’s words. “Tyne is always in control. She stayed cool even with those
producers breathing down our necks all week.”
“And your
Christmas bonuses will reflect the superb job you did getting that package
together in record time.” He slapped Aaron on the back. “Your work is
appreciated.”
His scowl
deepened as Steven walked away. Tyne also appreciated his work ethic and talent.
Not to mention his sense of humor and ability to listen. For all the good that
did him…
The object of
his intense scrutiny spun on one high black heel. A sleek fall of dark hair
swung around her shoulders as she scanned the room. When her gaze met his,
relief filled her big blue eyes. She skirted groups of chatting coworkers to
head straight to his side.
He raised one
brow as he took a sip of his drink. “Problem?”
“Why do I suck
so much at choosing men to date?”
“I don’t know.”
His lip curled as he set down his glass. “Couldn’t be because you go for glitz
over substance, could it?”
A sigh was her
only response.
He opened his
mouth then shut it. The tears she blinked away melted any urge to say I told you so. “What did that idiot
Northrup do now?”
“He’s not an…oh,
who am I kidding? Heath is definitely an idiot. A complete ass.” She gritted
even white teeth. “He baled on going to Yosemite with me for Christmas. At the last
stinking minute, no less.”
She crossed her
arms over her chest, which drew his attention straight to her breasts pressing
against the scoop neck of the red dress. With an effort, he dragged his gaze
upward. “That’s such a bad thing?”
“It pretty much
sucks.” She touched the punch stain on the tablecloth next to a platter of
shrimp and frowned. “My sister—make that my little
sister—is getting married in the little chapel in Yosemite Valley over the
holiday. Can you imagine anything more romantic?”
“Uh, am I
supposed to answer that?”
Tyne rolled her
eyes. “Anyway, now I don’t even have a date for the wedding.”
“Did Northrup
break the news before or after mauling you under the mistletoe?”
She grimaced.
“After. Definitely after, or I probably would have bit him. Damn, I should have
known something was up yesterday when he hedged about what time he wanted to
leave tomorrow morning.”
Aaron slid an
arm around her to guide her away from the buffet table as several members of
the management team approached. “Did he at least give you a reason for backing
out?”
“Apparently he’s
decided to go home to San Diego for Christmas, something about an old friend
being in town.” Her scowl grew. “I got the distinct feeling this old friend is female.”
“I hope you told
him to drop dead.”
Her breasts rose
on another deep breath. “Yep, I made it crystal clear we were over. Done.
Kaput. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out finished.”
Aaron could
hardly believe his good fortune. Tyne was never
single. She was so freaking gorgeous, men would swarm the second news spread
she’d ditched Northrup. If he ever planned to make a move, now was the time.
Except he sucked at making moves. Still, he had to try.
“If you want a
date for your sister’s wedding, I’ll go with you. Yosemite during the winter
must be spectacular.”
“We’re staying
at the Ahwahnee…or whatever it is they’re calling it now. The Grand something.
At any rate, the hotel is breathtaking, all decorated for Christmas.” She stared
up at him with wide eyes. “You’d do that for me?”
“Sure. I’ve got
nothing special going on. I’m not flying back to New England, so if you want—”
She grabbed him
and planted a great big kiss…right on his cheek.
Typical.
“You’re the
best. What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?”
He gave her a
long, slow perusal. “Maybe we’ll find out this weekend.”
* * * *
Stop by tomorrow for Part Two of All The Right Moves! For information and buy links for my books, check out my WEBSITE. And for those of you curious about how my photo shoot went, the finished product is below. Not too bad, despite the wind off the lake blowing my hair all over the place. It took about 50 shots to get a decent one, and I don't plan to update it ever!
15 comments:
It's all good, Jannine. The story and the picture. Fitting for a literary up and comer.
Nice work, Jannine, on the pic and the short story. As for your pledge never to update the picture...uhh...aging does happen, hate to tell you. Now that you know how to handle the challenge...you can do it again! I do like the settings of both your picture and the Yosemite destination for Aaron and Tyne. Staying tuned.
Lovely picture, Jannine. You look fabulous. The first part of your story was fabulous, too. It reminded me of a call I once got from my youngest son while he was at college. "Why am I always all the girls' best friend? The one they call when they need a shoulder to cry on or need a ride home from a party gone bad? It's like I'm this human teddy bear!" Your hero and Mike could have stood in the corner and cracked snide remarks together. He seemed that real to me. Well done.
Thanks, Margo!
Rolynn, I finally updated my profile photo from 2010 last year. But I didn't like the new one, and I needed one with the right pixel count, etc. for book jackets. Hence my adventure with a professional photographer. So, until I look a whole lot older, I'm afraid everyone is stuck with this one! LOL
That's funny about Mike, Vonnie. He eventually got the girl, so maybe there's hope for Aaron! Glad you're enjoying the story.
I'm loving this! Can't wait to see the sparks when he steps up. Also, what a wonderful setting you chose--Yosemite at Christmas!
Love the cliffhanger at the end. What's next? Cab't wait until tomorrow.
Alison, I so wanted to make this story twice as long so I could dive into the setting with more depth. Yosemite is the most beautiful place I've ever seen, without a doubt!
Glad you're hooked, Barb!
Great story, Jannine. Great picture, too. I guess we'll have to wait to see if Tyne sees him in a different light at Yosemite.
Definitely, Diane. Stay tuned...
And now I'm in love with Aaron. I hope I don't have to buy Christmas gifts for all these new fictional boyfriends!
Chris, if it's chocolate, I'll give you my...uh, I mean Aaron's address...
The photo is spectacular. Loved part one of the story. Now on to part two.
Thanks, Brenda. It's hard to miss with Lake Tahoe in the background!
Awwww, love it!! Aaron, bless his heart. I can't wait to see how the wedding trip goes! I'm intrigued, for sure. Love the pic. Great choice!
Thanks, Ally. The trip has its ups and downs. Stay tuned!
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