Grant Rogers – I can’t thank you enough for being in my life. You understand how much this means to me, and your support never goes unnoticed.
Julie Sturgeon – Holy freaking amazing editing. You took the stress off and wanted nothing more than to help me develop this story into something I could be proud of. You did it and I couldn’t be more thankful.
Christa at Paper and Sage Design – Your covers are amazing and your talent is beautiful. Thank you for making this easy and enjoyable for me.
Allison Linhart, Alyssa Navarro, Kate Maxwell, Megan Phillips, and Trisha Butcher – Thank you for being there and for letting me go on and on about the books I write and the books I read. I love that you all have taken such an interest in this part of my life and I love having you to share these moments with.
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.
First Chapter of Date in the Dark
Read on for the first chapter of
Date in the Dark by Jami Wagner
Chapter One
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.”