99 cents! If you like things sweet with a touch of spice, this is your story. Grab it now and cuddle up to a cowboy!
“WANT ANOTHER FLUFFY Critter?”
Alex
Cooper shook her empty glass and winked. “We’re in Vegas, aren’t we?” She pulled the down the arm of the machine
getting a ding ding in response.
“Good
thing we have a room.” Tara waved over a nearby waitress who happily obliged. “You
haven’t had alcohol since…?”
“A
year.”
Tara’s
eyes widened. “That’s a long time.”
“I
think I deserve this.”
“Of
course you do.”
Alex
nodded and stretched a kink out of her back. They’d been sitting at the slot
machines for a while. “I’m so glad you invited me along on this adventure. I
can’t believe I almost said no. Too bad I must leave tomorrow because I’m
already dreading it. Is it too late to come down with an illness? The flu
maybe? Jen from work has been out sick for a week. I could blame it on her.”
“You really do hate the idea of visiting your
parents.”
“I’d
rather have my teeth pulled.” Alex leaned against the slot machine as she grabbed
the handle and pulled down again. The display spun and the music chimed. Nothing.
“A little luck here might ease the pain.”
The
waitress brought their drinks and Tara clinked
her bottle against the rim of Alex’s glass. “Well, then cheers and here’s
hoping you win big. Or at least get a buzz and forget about tomorrow.”
Sipping
the sweet and tangy cocktail, Alex licked every drop from her lips. “I could
drink a ton of these and not get drunk. They are delicious. I wonder if they’d
give me the recipe?”
“Sure
you could.” Tara wagged her eyebrows. “You haven’t peed yet have you?”
“What does peeing have to do with my cocktail?”
Alex wrinkled her nose.
“Pee once and you will be a goner.”
“Interesting.”
Alex swirled her straw and took another sip. “Just remember, we agreed not to
do anything stupid. A buzz is never an excuse for stupidity.”
“We’re
only here for one night. I say we live a little.” Tara shrugged and gave her
long curls a toss over one shoulder. “You did remember to pack up the condoms,
right?”
“A
girl always has to be safe, but I won’t be using them. One night here just
doesn’t seem to be enough though. All the lights, the joy…this is what the
holidays are all about. But I’ll catch a flight home where the holiday becomes
a winter wonderland massacre.” Alex twirled her finger and rolled her eyes.
“Girl,
you know it’s not that bad and you should be glad you’re getting a break. Too
much work makes a woman boring. Just think…a vacation. You can sleep in, relax
and do whatever it is that you do in snow-covered Montana. I hope you bought a
cute pair of snow boots. The ones with the fringes and balls we saw last week.”
“It’s
not the time off that I hate. I get to travel to my hometown where I’ll be tortured
because of my relationship status. What’s wrong with being single anyway?” She
sighed. “And even if I did have a viable excuse not to go, I’d still feel
guilty if I missed the holiday with my folks. My little sister Stacy has news
to share. I’m sure she’s going to announce that she and her high school
sweetheart have finally decided to tie the knot after six years of dating
bliss. I’ll have another ugly maid of honor dress to add to my collection. I
can already see the remorseful glances directed my way from the wedding guests,
especially my Aunt Patty... “poor girl, always the bridesmaid, never the bride”.
My mom tells me all the time that my eggs are drying up at the speed of a race
horse and I’ll end up with ten cats that I refer to as my kids. I think cats
are easier than men. They don’t argue. Leave the toilet seat up. Or cheat.”
“Sweetie,
I think you’ve had too many of these.” Tara reached over and pushed Alex’s
glass to the side. “First, you sound as if thirty-two is the end of the world.
You’re still young with lots of time for relationships and family. Your parents
are awesome—a little kooky and intrusive—but they have your best interest at
heart. It’s only normal for them to want you to marry so you can pop kids out
one after another—real kids, not cats. Having a baby around can make people
feel younger.”
Alex
rolled a tendril of her hair around her finger. “Are you siding with them?” She
hiccupped.
“No, I’m on your side.”
“I
know…I know what you’re saying. They love me. I love them. But going home for
Christmas only means I’ll feel like a bigger disappointment. They never
understand that I have a career and no time for a relationship. By the time my
mom was my age she was married for over ten years with two kids. She’s a
superwoman and I’m…well, just me.”
“Times
have changed.”
“Try
telling them that.” Rubbing her temples, she groaned. A nagging throbbing
started in her forehead. Why did she do this to herself? Worry herself sick
over facing her parents without a ring on her finger, or even a boyfriend. Alex
had always been the people-pleaser. She’d even said “yes” to Trevor Yates when
he’d asked her to the junior prom. Her mom had been happy, but Alex had spent
the night listening to him go on and on about the chess club.
“Let’s
face it, there are some advantages to being single—not needing to shave your
legs every day, wearing granny panties whenever we want and going to bed with
zit cream smeared all over. Downside—I miss sex, a lot.”
“Is
that all you miss about a relationship?” Alex laughed.
“I
miss a man when my vacuum gets clogged. Or when the drain stops up.” Tara pulled
the lever on her machine and sighed. “Neither of us are winning tonight.”
“The
night isn’t over yet.” Dropping more coins into the slot, Alex rubbed her hand
together.
“If you would have listened to me in the first
place, this wouldn’t be an issue.”
Alex
looked at her friend. “What are you talking about?”
“I
told you…online dating for the holidays is the way to go. Find a suitable
companion for the parties and family gatherings. After the holiday ends, part
ways with a thank you and good luck. Heck, if you’re lucky, you find someone
who is mouth-watering sexy and you’ll get two bangs for your buck, if you know
what I mean.” She rolled her tongue over her bottom lip.
“Oh I could see that now. Mom and Pop, I’d
like you to meet my date for the holidays. He likes long walks on the beach,
the outdoors, and women who are lonely enough to find a date online.”
“You
shouldn’t knock it until you try it.” Tara thrummed her fingers on her bottle.
“Have
you registered with a dating
site?”
“No
way.”
“So,
you want me to try it out and tell you how it works?”
Tara’s
eyes widened and her mouth slightly parted. “Don’t look, but sitting behind you
is a couple of cowboys who I wouldn’t mind getting under a mistletoe this
holiday.”
Not
heeding her friend’s warning, Alex swiveled on the stool and immediately saw
them—easily spotted because they were the only two cowboys in the casino. She made
eye contact with the one wearing a brown hat and her toes curled. Blue eyes,
chiseled jaw line and a smile that could knock a woman’s panties off—and that
smile was directed her way. Her throat tightened and she brought the straw to
her mouth, taking a long drink.
“See
what I mean? Yum.” Tara sighed longingly.
“Yeah,
they’re both cute.” She twisted on the stool and pulled the slot lever. Ding. A sea horse and two stars. Her
luck wasn’t hitting.
“That’s
it? Just cute? You don’t know a good thing when you see it.”
“A
lot of people are lonely around this time of year and want a warm body and a
glass of eggnog to snuggle up with. I don’t want to be anyone’s warm body. And
I don’t particularly like eggnog.”
“Yeah,
who’d want to be a man’s warm body? Sounds horrible,” Tara murmured. “A little
bit of yum-yum in cowboy hat and boots would be too hollow for someone like you
who’d rather tug on a slot lever instead of a man’s co—”
“Tara!”
Alex blinked and shook the ice around in her almost empty glass. “I don’t have
a problem with tugging on anything, but tonight I think we should concentrate
on having fun, excluding men. You don’t want to be one of those chicks that
wake up hitched to a stranger, do you?” There was a long pause. “Tara?”
“Who
said anything about getting hitched? I was talking about easing an itch.” She
rolled the tip of her tongue around the rim of her bottle.
“I’ll know if that bottle comes up missing.”
Alex laughed.
Tara
turned back to the machine. “Come on winner! If I can’t have sexy cowboy then
cash would certainly take away some of my loneliness.”
Alex
caught another side-glance of the brawny cowboy who was still watching her. Her
stomach did a flip and her fingers shook. He was on the prowl and she refused
to be the hunted, but a little flirting wouldn’t hurt.
