Date Night (Wish Come True Book 1)
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Authors: R.C. Matthews
Date
Night
By
R.C. Matthews
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Edited
by: Nas Dean
Copyright © 2014 by R.C. Matthews
All rights reserved. By payment of the
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stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in
any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or
hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of author, R.C.
Matthews.
This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events or locales in
this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used
fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or
dead) is entirely coincidental.
DATE
NIGHT
(Wish Come True Series #1)
R.C.
Matthews
Ever
since Jordan Billette’s father, Jeremy, died unexpectedly when she was eight
years old, Jordan and her paternal grandmother (‘Grannie’) have shared a
special bond by creating a tribute to Jeremy: a scrapbook that documents the
important milestone of Jordan’s life from her first report card with letter
grades, to her first kiss, to graduating from college.
Upon
graduating from college, only one significant milestone remains; her wedding
day. When Grannie is diagnosed with aggressive cancer, she makes one dying wish
to Jordan. Grannie wants to watch Jordan walk down the aisle. Not engaged? Not
even dating? No problem. Grannie has a plan. She signs Jordan up for
a dating service—dinner dates twice per week will surely turn up a soul mate!
JT
Murphy has been best friends with Jordan’s older brother Jared since they were
in diapers. Grannie wisely insists Jordan meet her dates at the restaurant
where JT waits tables because she needs protection from unworthy jerks. JT is
more than happy to help; Jordan is like a sister to him. So why does her smile
light up his evening whenever he sees her and why is he noticing that she has
curves in all the right places? As the wedding draws near…JT wonders if it’s
his heart that needs protecting…from the pain of potentially losing Jordan
forever.
R.C. Matthews was raised in the Metro-Detroit area by deaf parents
along with four siblings. She graduated from a liberal arts
college with a B.A. in Accounting and German and continues to work as a
certified public accountant. She enjoys traveling with her loving
husband and children, reading, down-hill skiing, and playing board games.
Talisman and LIFE are high on the list of
favorites
at her home.
Acknowledgments
I
would like to give a special acknowledgment to my best friend, Marsha, whose
suggestions after reading the first draft of Date Night made it into the story
it is today. Her guidance was simple…more, more, more interaction between the
hero and heroine.
Out
of
this plea came the first half
of
the chapter
Before Midnight, parts
of Chocolate Fudge Sundae, the entire That’s LIFE and the entire The Unveiling.
I wasn’t
going to unveil…but she claimed it would be cruel not to include it. When it
was all said and done, the story was much fuller and richer as a result of her
input. Thank you Marsha for being there for me and reading all of my stories;
it means the world to me.
One
more thing…I laughed a lot while writing this book. It is my sincere hope that
the reader will too!
This book is dedicated to my niece,
Jordan, who inspired me to write this book. Yes–I did steal her name for my
heroine…and maybe a few of her outfits. May you someday find your very own JT
with whom you can laugh daily and live your life to the fullest.
Beef Jerky
Big
Ben’s Brewery
Royal
Oak, Michigan
J.T.
Get your filthy hands off of her!
I breathed deep as my eyes narrowed
on Jordan and the newest ‘flavor of the week’ being escorted to their table.
Watching her closely as she walked along the aisle, I detected a slight
stiffness in her gait. Her long, dark brown hair wasn’t bouncing in the usual
way.
If Beef Jerky didn’t remove his hand
from her lower back in a nanosecond, I was going to be forced to take matters
into my own hands. And Jordan wouldn’t be happy with me. But there was no help
for it. Grannie had given me express orders. She didn’t want her little girl
coming home with an asshole for a grandson-in-law. All right, maybe those
weren’t her exact words, but close enough. One thing was for sure; only
assholes feel up a woman on their first date.
The second Beef Jerky caressed
Jordan’s lower back like he owned her, I grabbed three plates of piping hot
food off the counter and strode towards them. When Jordan caught sight of me,
her eyes lit up the room like stars on a pitch black night, and a brilliant
smile spread over her face. It almost made me regret what I knew I had to do.
Almost.
I bumped shoulders hard with Beef
Jerky a second later, effectively dislodging his hold on Jordan. “Pardon me,” I
said, glancing back. “It’s a tight fit through those tables.” My smile widened
to a face splitting grin when I heard the hostess apologize profusely to Beef
Jerky.
I set the hot plates down at table
sixteen. “Enjoy your meal. Let me know if there’s anything else I can get for
you.”
I gave a curt nod of my head…waited a
few seconds for a response…all set. I turned and made a bee-line for my newest
customers.
“Hey Jordan.” I gazed directly into
her chocolate brown eyes. The color was so dark it nearly blended in with her
pupils, rich and mesmerizing.
She shook her head lightly at me with
pursed lips that attempted to hide the smile tugging at the corner of her
mouth. She knew
exactly
what I was up to but for some reason she had
decided to let me off the hook. Perhaps this date started off on the wrong foot.
“Good to see you, again,” I said with
a grin and then covered my chuckle with a cough. “What is this? Like the sixth
time in three weeks?”
The sparkle in her eyes flickered and
then ignited into flames. Hmmm. It looked like I was pushing my luck. I knew I
shouldn’t tease her in front of her date but it was just too much fun. Someone
had to keep it real for her.
“JT Murphy, this is Bryan Jones,”
Jordan said in a sweeter than honey voice while turning to her date. “Bryan
this is my brother’s best friend JT.”
A flash of surprise gleamed in Beef
Jerky’s eyes. At least I had gotten the initials right this time. Maybe I’d
start calling him BJ as my own private joke. Bryan stared directly into my eyes
while firmly shaking my hand. I knew when I was being sized up and I didn’t
like it one bit. BJ had a little touch of the control freak in him. Grannie
wasn’t going to like my report tonight.
“So can I get you two an appetizer or
a drink?” I asked, pulling out my order pad.
“Would you like an appetizer Jordan?”
Bryan asked in gentleman-like fashion. “I’ve never been here but if you want
something then I’m game.”
“The potato skins with extra bacon
and sour cream are her favorite,” I said, tapping my pen on the table to the
rhythm of the background music. Jordan’s brows furrowed and she tossed me an
irritated glance. Crap. Did I just say that out loud? Oh, well. It was true.
“I’m more in the mood for nachos or
chicken wings tonight,” she said, addressing her date. “They’re both really
good. Do you want to pick, Bryan?”
“Mild chicken wings sound great—with blue
cheese dressing. And bring me whatever you have on tap that’s light. Don’t
forget the water.”
“No sir.” I shook my head in
acknowledgment. Hadn’t he just watched me write it down? What an idiot. “I
won’t forget. Corona Light for you Jordan?”
“Sounds great. Thanks JT.”
I input their order in the kiosk: one
beer on tap, one Corona Light and half spicy/half mild chicken wings. Beef
Jerky hadn’t even asked Jordan what kind of wings she liked. If he had, then
he’d know she preferred her wings spicy. Good thing I knew her so well and
could reduce her suffering through these dates. At least the meal would be
good, if not the company.
I stopped by table eighteen to clear
their plates before heading back to Jordan’s table with their drinks. Her peal
of laughter on my way over inspired a chuckle of my own. I had always loved
Jordan’s laugh, not just for the rich timbre of her voice, but because of the
way it made her eyes shine. So BJ had a sense of humor, huh?
“Have you decided on dinner?” I asked
Jordan and then turned to Bryan. “Or do you need another minute?”
I was smart enough to know Bryan
would be leaving the tip tonight. As much as I didn’t want to care, I needed
the tip to help pay for my Master’s degree or I’d be hustling tables at a
restaurant the rest of my life. The college fund my parents had left me had
dried up and there was no way I was dipping into my brother’s college fund,
even if Derek had told me to do it. Just one more year and I’d finally be done
with my studies and could start earning real money.
Jordan gave the menu one last look
before snapping it shut. “I’ll have the steak fajitas.”
“With extra guacamole,” I said and
wrote it down. “Great choice.”
She flashed me one of her genuine,
full white teeth smiles and my heart thudded hard in my chest. Why didn’t any
of the women I dated ever give me a smile like that? On second thought, it was
probably a good thing or I might be wrapped around her finger. I gave Jordan a
wink and smiled back.
“What about you Bryan? What can I get
for you?”
“I’ll have the Asian Chicken Salad,
dressing on the side please. And hold the cheese.”
“You got it.” I walked away and
waited until I was a safe distance before letting out a snort. What kind of man
eats salad for dinner? Dressing on the side and hold the cheese; health nut. Another
check mark on the ‘cons’ for the Grannie report.
I stood by the counter perusing my
tables to make sure no one was in need of anything as I waited for my orders to
come up. It only took a few seconds before my gaze wandered to Jordan. Nothing
else in the place was as interesting as her table. What were they talking
about? Oh to be a fly on the wall. The smile on her face wasn’t fooling me; her
body language was telling another story. She was a smart girl…very perceptive.
She knew Beef Jerky was an asshole too and was just waiting out the date.
“Hey, JT,” Chloe said. She punched me
playfully in the arm and stood next to me at the counter. “Isn’t that Jared’s
kid sister at table fourteen?”
“Yep.” I crossed my arms over my
chest and glanced over at Chloe.
She was one of my favorite
co-workers. Short and perky. But with a lot of grit to her. She didn’t take
crap from anybody and she knew how to work the tips. I had even coaxed a few of
her special tricks out of her, though the smiley face idea wasn’t for me. It
seemed more like a chick thing. But I knew how to charm the ladies when needed;
though truth be told, I didn’t put much effort into it these days. My focus was
squarely on getting through school to secure my future.
I gazed at Jordan. “She’s not much of
a kid anymore. Just finished up her last semester at Grand Valley State and is
back for the summer until she figures out where she can get a job. I hope for
her mother’s sake she finds something in the area. Everyone missed her the last
four years while she was away.”
No. She wasn’t a kid anymore. That
was for damned sure. Her white button down shirt pulled slightly in the chest
across her full bosom. And those long legs of hers filled out a pair of skinny
jeans just fine. A strange knot formed in the pit of my stomach watching her.
It was nice to have her back in town. We’d had a lot of laughs over the past
three weeks during her twice weekly dates at the restaurant; even hung out a
few times afterward. Her brother Jared was pretty busy with summer classes
these days but Jordan had extra time on her hands while she interviewed for
teaching jobs for the fall.
If she wasn’t my best friend’s kid
sister and I had a penny to my name to support her, then I was certain I’d be
signing up for the
stupid
dating service Grannie was paying a fortune
for, to help search for Jordan’s soul mate. I didn’t believe much in soul
mates. But whoever eventually called Jordan his wife was going to be one lucky
guy.
***
Jordan
I could feel the stiffness in my shoulders
but I hoped my smile seemed genuine. Anyone who knew me well would recognize
the difference. But I had just met Bryan twenty minutes ago for the first time.
And already I was wishing the date was over. What a possessive and
self-centered jerk. I hated it when men got too familiar with my body on a
first date or second or third. I knew I should’ve scolded JT for his antics
when we arrived at the restaurant but I secretly wanted to fist bump him.
Just another hour…I could handle it.
“So tell me Bryan, what do you do for
a living?”
“I’m a male entertainer.” He relaxed
back into his seat and gazed down at me under hooded eyes. “Have you ever
been?”
I was sure my face must resemble an
owl with eyes the size of half dollar coins and I fought the urge to burst out
laughing. No wonder he walked around like he owned me already. Even I had to
admit the guy was quite a looker. He must be used to the ladies drooling all
over him. And by the tone of his voice he seemed quite pleased with himself and
his career choice.
I cleared my throat. “Um…sure, I’ve
been once with my girlfriends for a bachelorette party. Actually it was just
last month.” Heat began rising in my cheeks thinking about it. What an eye
opening experience. Well at least the evening wasn’t going to be a total waste.
I couldn’t wait to hear more. “So do you have a stage name? That’s what they
call it, isn’t it?”
“Smart girl,” he said and flashed a
lewd smile. He leaned into the table and spoke quietly as if sharing a trade
secret. “They call me Sergeant Pecker.”
A peal of laughter burst out of me
and I covered my mouth almost instantly. I could feel red hot flames of
embarrassment licking up my neck and singeing my cheeks. “I’m sorry to laugh
but that’s so awesome. Where do you guys come up with those names?”
Before Bryan could share the
interesting details, JT appeared with our drinks, ready to take our order. I
picked up the menu again, relieved to have a few minutes to collect my wits,
and then giving it one last look, I decided on the steak fajitas. Just as I was
about to remind JT I wanted extra guacamole, he said it out loud and wrote it
on his order pad. I loved coming here to eat every week. The food was amazing
and JT knew exactly what I liked and how I liked it. It was wonderful to be
home again. I felt happy and flashed him a smile to let him know.
As JT took Bryan’s order, I marveled
at JT’s ability to maintain a positive attitude no matter what the situation. I
knew it was a lot to ask of him to watch over me while I brought male after male
into the restaurant in my search for
‘The One’
. I tried my hardest to
ensure the date was enjoyable, even if the guy was a total jerk. It could mean
the difference between a great tip and a crappy tip for JT. And whatever it
took to ensure he got a great tip, well, I was willing to do it.
The way JT had raised his younger
brother ever since his parent’s tragic car accident five years before was
admirable. He’d only been nineteen years old at the time. It was a lot of
pressure for a teenager. But look at him now; one a year away from becoming a
certified public accountant with an offer already in the bag. And Derek would
be graduating high school in a week. I felt proud of them. When JT walked away
to put in our order, I turned my attention to Bryan.
“You’re making me feel guilty for
eating steak fajitas,” I said with a smile. I couldn’t resist the urge to
continue the entertaining conversation about his occupation and felt confident
I’d be able to keep it going for most of the date. “But I guess you have to be
careful of what you eat to keep those muscles lean.”
“Exactly!” His expression bespoke of
his daily personal sacrifice at the hands of his profession. I could only
surmise that he took his work very serious. “You have
no idea
how hard I
have to work to keep these six pack abs. Do you want to see?”
“Um…maybe another time,” I said after
forcing down my gulp of beer. Was this guy for real? We were in a public
restaurant. No. I didn’t want to see his six pack abs
here
; though I
wasn’t completely against taking a peek outside for curiosity sake. “So tell me
how you prepare for your routine every evening.”