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Chapter 1
The blue dress or the red dress? There is always the trusty black dress. Angelina stood in her closet debating. A quick check of the time told her she needed to make a decision. She couldn’t show up to a first date in her panties.
Another first date. The fourth one this month. She picked up the blue dress. The color complemented her eyes. The style made it look like her boobs were bigger. Having more than a twelve-year-old boy’s flat chest was never a bad thing.
Choosing it and snatching a miracle created by Victoria with all her secrets, Angelina hurried to get dressed. Snapping her bra in place gave her a lift of confidence. It didn’t matter how many angels lost their wings to create the lifting whatevers that made it look like she had more than an A cup. Even if she had to special order her size online and wait for delivery, the illusion of cleavage was worth every penny.
Tugging the dress over her head, she smoothed the material into place as she looked in the mirror. There wasn’t much she could do with the dark rioting curls on her head. Angelina used the same routine every other curly-haired woman on the planet used. A good gel, a hope for low humidity, and never ever, ever let a brush anywhere near it. Brushes angered the beast. Nothing good happened when the beast was angered.
Gliding the gloss over her lips one more time, Angelina dashed into the closet for shoes. This one was a no-brainer. The sparkly-heeled strappy sandals were her favorite. They made her legs look amazing and added a few inches. She might have lied and stood on the tips of her toes at the DMV to get them to say she was five foot three. For a short girl, inches were everything. She snatched the shoes, got them on, and a cute bow tied above her ankle as she ran toward the door.
After a quick check of her purse, she locked the door on her way out. She was going to make it. Being late made a bad first impression. To say she didn’t have a great track record would be an understatement. While she might not need a neon sign around her love life, a few orange barrels and caution tape wouldn’t be out of the question.
“Half an hour to get there. You have time. You can’t walk in there looking like a hot mess.” She tried to give herself a pep talk. “Breathe. This one has to be better than the last one.”
Angelina shivered as she sped toward the restaurant. Online dating was not for the weak. Any type of dating was not for the weak. The last guy she went out with was a convicted felon. Everyone deserved a second chance in her eyes. After some discussion, it might not have been an issue. He didn’t bother to mention it before they met for dinner. No, he waited to spring that one on her.
Actually, waiting wasn’t quite right. She was introduced to his parole officer just before he was carted away in handcuffs. Her date needed some cash to pay for his half of dinner, so he decided to knock off a convenience store. He did it on his way to dinner. A surveillance camera caught him, and the ankle monitor told the friendly officers where to find him. Angelina wasn’t sure what was worse, her date carted off in cuffs or the look of pity the officers sent her way.
He was just one in a long line of dating disasters. If he was looking for a mommy, sugar momma, baby momma, meal ticket, or a one-and-done, they were attracted to her. Angelina had no idea what made them seek her out. It wasn’t as if she was spinster desperate. Not that spinsters had to be desperate, but most had at least three cats and looked a little on the desperate side. Either way, she was allergic to cats and was only thirty-six. She wasn’t too old to find someone to spend time with as long as that time was spent without a piece of Plexiglas separating them.
Angelina pulled into one of the last parking spots available. She was always hesitant to park too close to other cars. No, her car wasn’t new, but it was newer. She bought the Escalade used. It was no slouch in the speed department. She used that feature more than once to escape a date gone wrong. A clear getaway path and room to maneuver easily were features she looked for when parking on a first date. She paused as she reached for her purse. How bad it was that she had a parking preference for dates?
Other people did that, right?
It was protecting herself and her investment. No one needed to know she got it for a steal. It wasn’t anyone’s business. She made her own money. She could spend it on a speedy getaway car if she wanted.
Angelina tucked her keys into her purse and proceeded through the thick wooden doors. She wanted to stop and snap a picture of the doors, but she forced herself to keep going. Good first impression, she reminded herself. Knowing she would leave through those beautiful ornate doors and get a second chance to snap a picture didn’t hurt.
“Angelina Davis,” she said as she smiled at the woman who waited behind a podium.
“Yes, ma’am. Your date was already seated in the tiki area. If you will, please follow me.”
The woman was gone before Angelina could answer.
“Good thing I don’t have to stop at the potty.”
Angelina followed her out to a patio turned into an island-themed paradise. The urge to reach for her phone to snap a few pictures hit her again. She was still contemplating how to do it without making a scene when they stopped beside a table.
“You must be Angelina.” A tall, dark-haired man stood holding out his hand.
“Yes,” she smiled as her hand was engulfed by his. “And you must be Jake.”
“Guilty,” he shrugged.
Angelina stiffened. Having a date get arrested in front of you couldn’t happen twice, could it?
Jake pulled out her chair and waited.
“Ever been to jail?”
Surprise was evident as he answered. “Only to visit a client. You?”
“Nope,” she breathed a sigh of relief. Taking the seat he offered, Angelina relaxed.
“Has criminal activity been a problem for you?” Jake asked as he sat across from her.
“Not me personally,” Angelina hedged. “I went out to dinner with a guy that got arrested while we were at the restaurant.”
