Just One Kiss: A Black Alcove Novel (The Black Alcove Series Book 1) (22 page)

And finally, thank you to
the readers, bloggers, and social media fans that have read
Just One Kiss
and are
spreading the word. Your support is the best thing I could ask
for.

Read on for the first
chapter of
Date in the Dark
by Jami Wagner

Allie

My couch sounds a lot more relaxing than
going to work. To curl up with a blanket, a book in my hands, and
to have, Bell, my black lab, snuggling next to me. It would be the
best way to spend the snowy day after Christmas. Instead, I’ve
somehow managed to be standing in the one coffee shop that’s trying
to find out how many people it can cram inside all at once. I
glance around. Not a single seat is open, and there’s someone
touching me on each side. It’s a tad bit overwhelming for seven in
the morning.

“Next in line!” someone
shouts over the madness, and the line that took me twenty minutes
to get through moves forward.
Awesome.
I’ve been here long enough
to count the exact minutes.
Please don’t
let this be a preview of how my day is going to go.
I love my job. I honestly do, but it would’ve been
nice to have today off. I could be spending more time with my
parents and sister. Not that I can’t see them anytime I want.
Holiday’s just seem to have an effect on me. I can never get enough
family this time of year.

The door chimes behind me
and another couple pushes their way inside. The cold chill of last
nights’ fallen snow blows inside with them, sending a shiver
through my body.
I can’t wait to have that
hot coffee in my hands.

I peek through the crowd and catch the sight
of Kelly’s cropped auburn hair bobbing between the people in my
direction. Ever since we graduated college, we’ve meet every
Tuesday and Friday for coffee before work. Nothing keeps us from
our coffee. Not traffic, an empty bank account, a holiday, or even
a late night with too much to drink. This, more often than not, is
how Kelly spends her evenings. It gets worse when she visits her
family or when the year is closer to coming to an end. And it’s the
exact reason she looks like she’s ready to puke.

I can’t believe she drank as much as she did
at her family’s home in Denver last night and still managed to
catch her flight home at four this morning. I thought for sure the
moment we made it inside the coffee shop - which engulfed us with
the smell of fresh-ground coffee beans – that’s she’d throw up on
the spot. She didn’t, but she did however go straight to the ladies
room. Now, with one hand on her forehead and the other on her
stomach, she stands next to me in line.

“I feel useless,” she says with a sigh,
flipping her crimson hoodie over her auburn hair.

“I ordered your latte with
two extra shots,” I inform her as she looks at me with gratitude in
her eyes. They aren’t
too
bloodshot, but she’s going to need all the
caffeine she can get today. Weeks ago, I tried to tell her that
scheduling any photo shoots the day after Christmas would be a bad
idea. From the miserable expression on her face, I bet she wishes
she would’ve listened to me.

“Maybe it’s time to stop drinking so much at
family events,” I suggest, and fail to hide my smile. This would
never happen. I’ve been around her family many times, and they know
exactly how to celebrate. I swear, their parties just get worse
every year.

“You’d think I’d be used to it by now,” she
says, rising on the tips of her toes and craning her neck to watch
as drinks are made behind the counter. The coffee grinder roars,
and she drops back to her heels. “Do you see those ladies sitting
over there?” she points toward the far right corner, where a group
of woman are gathering in a circle, smiling and laughing as they
talk. “Well, while I was waiting in line for the bathroom, I heard
the one in the pink sweater got engaged yesterday. I tried to sneak
a look at the rock, but my head wouldn’t stop pounding from the
noise of clicking keyboards and people sharing Christmas stories.”
She rubs her temples. “I’ve never understood why coffee shops are
the place to bring your computer. Do people really get that much
more work done being here than at home?”

“Free WI-FI and fewer distractions.” I
shrug. “It makes sense. Plus the coffee is good.” Another couple
takes their drinks and leave. Only six more people to go and our
drinks will be ready.

Kelly nods. “Right, right. Oh, hey, look
what I found on the bulletin board over there.” She beams at me as
if she’s forgotten she’s feeling ill and pulls a piece of paper
from her purse.

My eyes flash to the black flyer with bold
white type that she dangles in front of my face. I grab it from her
hand and read it.

Date in the Dark

Meet your mystery date with only five
minutes to spare!

December 29, 30, and 31st

Don’t have a date and think fate can bring
you and your perfect match together? Come to the Blind Date at 7pm
all three nights! Enhance your senses and dine in the dark with the
same person of the preferred sex. On the final evening, New Years
Eve, at 11:55, the lights come on to reveal the mystery.

Take a chance. You never know…you may find
THE ONE.

I blink a few times and
read the flyer again before looking up. I really need that
coffee.
Pronto
.
I’m losing it. Each time my eyes see the words “Date in the Dark,”
I read that my best friend wants me to date a complete stranger in
total darkness, and that can’t be right.

“Do you feel okay?” I ask, concern filling
my eyes.

“Ha-Ha, I’m fine. Stop looking at me like
I’ve gone mad, and just think of how romantic it could be.” She
closes her eyes and smiles.

“It’s probably a fake
flyer. No one with half a brain would partake in something like
this,” I rest my hands on her shoulders and look her in the eyes.
“How much
did
you
drink last night?”

She snatches the flyer, shrugs off my hand,
and crosses her arms. “Not that much, and we are totally doing
this.” Instantly her face beams with a smile that has “pretty
please” all over it.

I sigh as we step forward. She can’t be
serious. I’ve heard of these places where you dine in the dark.
You’re not able to see a single thing while you eat and that
doesn’t sound like fun for me. A giant mess full of embarrassing
moments is what it sounds like. I picture more food in my lap or on
the floor than actually making it in my mouth.

“It sounds like a setup for some crazy
psycho killer.” I shake my head. “Hey, I know how to kill a bunch
of people at once. Tell them they’re going to find love and put
them in a dark room.”

“If you showed any interest in finding a
date for New Year’s Eve, I might let up, but you haven’t, so this
is it. This is what we’re going to do. Unless…” She grins.

“No, don’t even say it.” I hold up my hand
and look away. “Real life doesn’t turn out like the books we read,
Kelly. I’m not going to fall madly in love with Parker, I can’t
even stand him.”

“How can you say that? You’ve never been on
a date with him and I know for a fact you avoid him at work. He
asked you out once, you said “no.” That’s no reason to stop talking
to the poor guy.”

“Alright fine, you win. I shouldn’t say I
can’t stand him if I don’t even know him, but I work with the man
and that’s all I need to put him on the ‘never going to happen’
list.”

“Oh, come on, who don’t you have on that
list?” She laughs and rolls her eyes at me. “Come on. Please.
Pretty please?” She pauses. “Either prove to me you want to find a
date, or we’re doing this.”

The entrance door chimes once again over the
chatter of waiting coffee lovers, and if the person walking in
isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is. Through the small space
available, I watch as the doorway fills with the same tall, dark,
and drop-dead sexy man that I see each day at work. Before I can
pull my eyes away, his piercing blue ones glance over the entire
shop. They land on me and my breath catches. Dark hair and blue
eyes have always been a weakness of mine. Parker is no exception
and this is the exact reason I’m always avoiding him.

Parker

“Dude, it’s going to take us forever to make
it through this line. I’d like to get to work before dinner.”
Miles, my brother, complains as he steps inside behind me.

The smell of fresh-ground
coffee fills the air, and I inhale deeply.
If only the smell alone could wake me up.

“Hey, isn’t that the chick you work with who
turned you down?” He nods in Allie’s direction.

I peel my eyes away before he can notice my
eyes haven’t left hers since we got here. “Yes.”

“Man, she’s hot. You should ask her out.” He
says, rubbing his hands together before breathing on them.

“You honestly think I haven’t thought of
that before?”

Miles laughs as we take a spot in line.

This place is packed and I can’t be late.
I’ve shown up past eight enough the last few weeks that sooner or
later someone is going to say something to me about it. And I don’t
feel like today should be that day.

“Let’s just find another coffee shop.” I
say, pointing to the door.

“Yeah, okay, but that girl is coming over
here. What’s her name again?” he asks, but before I can answer
she’s standing in front of me.

“Hey, Allie,” I smile as both her and her
friend stop.

“Parker,” she nods. “Did you have a nice
Christmas?”

“It was great. And yours?”

“Perfect.”

I keep the smile on my face as the four of
us stand in a circle. After we manage to glance at the other
awkwardly at least once, Allie speaks up.

“Alright, well, I’ll see you at work
then.”

“Yeah, see you there.” I watch as Allie and
her friend leave. Then, I return to my place in line.

“So, we aren’t leaving?” Miles asks behind
me.

“No, this place is fine.”

“Want to tell me what the heck that was
about? Please tell me you felt how weird that was. Have you two
never spoken with each other before?”

“We have, I told you. I asked her out
once.”

“And that was it? I’m guessing she said
“no”, but that doesn’t explain how either of you don’t know how to
hold a normal conversation. I mean, neither of you bothered to
introduce us. Her friend is smoking hot and I feel jipped, sort
of.”

I glare at my brother. “Yes, clearly she
said “no”. Well, it was more of a mumbled “I can’t” followed by a
quick exit and now, a dash in the opposite direction any time she
sees me.”

“I think you should try again,” he says.

I laugh and shake my head. “I don’t think
so.”

“I think you should reconsider.” Miles slaps
a hand on my shoulder. “We promised Sara that we’d both have dates
by the end of the day today, or we’d attend that stupid event Tim’s
parents are hosting. Dark Dating or some shit.”

I nod slowly. Who could forget the possible
chance of dating a complete stranger in the dark for three days? I
just don’t remember why I agreed to it. Not completely anyway. “I
know, trust me, I haven’t forgotten the deal we made with our
sister. She’s lucky we love her. Does she even care that we can’t
see our dates?”

“Sounds like she doesn’t.” He shrugs.

“This is just bullshit!” a man hollers from
his place in line and storms past us out the door. A few others
follow him, and we move up in the line.

“I’ll have a date by the
end of the day, don’t you worry.” I glance around the coffee shop
once again.
How can they fit this many
people in here?

“Anyway, like I said, I think you should
reconsider. I’m going to skip coffee today. Call you later,
okay?”

“Yeah, have a good day.”

Miles walks out the door and I move up in
line.

If only he knew how many times I reconsider
asking Allie out. He might actually be a bit disappointed on how
hung up I am on this woman, but if he worked with her, he’d know
exactly why. She’s smart, funny, and a great people person. She
helps anyone who asks her without hesitation. She has this soft
voice that can instantly make you relax, her laugh is always
contagious, and when she smiles, the entire room lights up.

Some people might call it obsession, but I
call it observation. We’ve worked together for over a year now and
it’s hard not to notice a woman like Allie.

* * *

I swing my coat onto the back of my chair
and set my coffee down in front of me. I look around to see
everyone has already taken their seats for our morning meeting. I
basically just ran here from the coffee shop to get here on time,
so I’m a little out of breath when I finally sit down.

“Mr. Louis, so glad you could make it
today.” Harold Martin, the Library Director, says tapping his pen
against the table. “Now, that we’re all here, let’s get
started.”

Great. Now, I’m on his
radar and I wasn’t even late.
Come on
Parker, you’re twenty five years old. Get it together.

“As you all know, we have the end of the
year upon us. Allie has kindly put together a few events to help us
celebrate and bring in more members.”

I steal a glance her way to find her
blushing. She does this anytime Harold points her out in front of
the others.

“Sadly,” Harold goes on, “Lynn is going to
be out of work for a few more weeks. This means, I need a volunteer
to help Allie get things in motion. Someone who can help her lead
the events and manage them while they’re taking place.” His gaze
circles the room. Not a single person speaks up.