Hi, it’s Tuesday, it’s Teaser Tuesday!
This week I have a teaser from Saying Yes, my most recent novella in the Taking Flight series. Yes, it did come out last Tuesday, and, yes, you can buy it, download it, and read it immediately. If that’s your thing.
(I hope that’s your thing.)
Happy reading!
I haven’t fully let myself think about the fact that I’m going out in New York City. Not only will it be my first bar experience, but it’s a bar in New York. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m sure it’ll be nothing like the quiet, classy bars that line the streets in Vail. Mostly, I hope that they actually let me in and that I don’t seem completely like a newbie.
“Y’all heading to Green Light?” Dan asks.
“Yep. Figured it’d be a good place to start Kip off.”
“Have you been?” I ask Dan.
“Once,” he says, grinning at me. “I got hit on more than I have in any other place in my life. It was a nice ego boost.”
Luke and Jack both laugh, and that’s when I realize, somehow for the first time, that we’re going to a gay bar. For some reason, that makes me insanely nervous. And intimidated. I look back in the mirror, scrutinizing my outfit, wondering if maybe I should try a little harder. Or if I already look like I’m trying too hard.
“You ready?” Jack asks me.
“Um.”
“You’re ready,” she says. “Come on. Rufus is waiting for us downstairs.”
I nod and grab my wallet, phone, and Dan’s set of keys that he’s graciously letting me borrow for the night.
“You good on cash?” Luke asks, and I nod. “Okay,” he says. “Don’t get so trashed that you’re puking through brunch tomorrow.”
I nod again, feeling all of the nerves throwing a rave in my stomach. My brother gets up from Dan’s desk chair and crosses the room to me in two steps.
“Let yourself have fun,” Luke says quietly. “You deserve it.”
“Thanks,” I say.
“And Kip? Don’t be too nervous to tell Rufus how you feel.”
“But—”
“Wouldn’t you rather tell him instead of wondering about what might have happened if you just talked about things with him?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly.
“Try not to think about skiing tonight,” he says. “Go out, have a good time, and if you’re feeling it, go for it.”
At the thought of going for it with Rufus, I suddenly feel like I can’t breathe, but somehow exhale a shaky breath.
“We’ll see,” I say, sounding as nervous as I feel.
“All I’m saying is don’t hold yourself back because you’re nervous or scared.”
“Right,” I say. “Thanks, Luke.”
“Anytime, Kippering.”
“Did he just call you Kippering?” Jack asks, and with that I realize that both she and Dan heard our entire conversation even though we were speaking in hushed tones.
“Yeah,” I say. “Kip is short for Kippering.”
“And here I was thinking Rufus called you Kipper just to be cute.”
“He calls you Kipper?” Luke asks, looking amused by this.
“I thought he only said that to me,” I say, my face flaming again. I desperately need to learn how to keep myself from being embarrassed by everything.
“It’s cute,” Jack says. “Adorable, really.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I say. “Let’s go before you make me feel any more infantile.”
“Have a good time,” Dan says as Jack grabs my hand and we walk to the elevator.
“Really, there’s no need to be nervous,” she says. “Green Light is fun. I promise.”
“Okay,” I say, my heart hammering in my chest anyway.
In the elevator she talks about how if we get bored there are tons of great bars around the area that we could hop over to instead, but all I’m trying to do is focus on breathing. Why am I this nervous?
The elevator doors open, we step out into the lobby, and my eyes immediately train on Rufus, who is wearing a tight-fitting black T-shirt and jeans. Nothing remarkable clothes-wise, but with his dark hair and his perfect face and that five o’clock shadow, he looks like the best bad boy you’ve ever laid eyes on.
I’m not proud to admit this, but my mouth watered a little upon seeing him.
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