AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Welcome to Palette and Vino! Are you here for the First Date Paint and Sip?" she asks, her eyes twinkling.
First Date Paint and Sip? Fuck me. "Yes, I am," I reply, offering my best attempt at sounding confident and cool when I’m really a fucking fish out of water. "Actually, it's my first time. I’m Sterling Midnight."
"Good evening, Mr. Midnight. It’s actually our first time holding this particular event," she offers, clapping her hands together. "You're going to have a great time. Let me show you to your spot."
She leads me through the maze of canvases, each one a burst of colors and varying degrees of artistic expression. I notice that most people look like they’re in the same boat as me, wondering what the unusual evening will bring.
I’m so busy checking out this strange establishment that I barely notice when the hostess stops next to two canvases. “Here you go.” She smiles at me. “Your guest isn’t here yet. Hopefully, she won’t be too long.”
I sit on one of the stools and busy myself checking out the tools laid out for us. Glancing at my watch, I see my blind date is five minutes late, and I wonder if I’m about to be stood up on my first date in forever. I pour myself a glass of wine, wishing it was my usual scotch, and down it, telling myself beggars can’t be choosers.
Ten minutes later, I’m about to call this date a loss when I glance up and feel the earth shutter to a stop. Standing at the hostess stand is the most stunning goddess I’ve ever fucking seen. Her curly red hair cascades over her shoulders, framing her heart-shaped face. Bright green eyes, interspersed with specks of gray, sparkle with curiosity. Freckles dot her nose and scatter across her cheeks, adding a touch of charm. Her figure is curvy, with lush hips that enhance her graceful silhouette. My cock turns to stone as the curvy little beauty heads straight for me.
If that’s my date, I owe Adam a big goddamn raise. My heart pounds in my chest as the hostess stops next to me and turns to my date. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.” She smiles at the hostess while I attempt to control my racing heart.
CHAPTER 2
GINNI
"What is everyone working on?" Daniel Clifford’s dark eyes sweep around the newspaper breakroom, his pen tapping against the table.
"Keeping this place running." Elysa Tremaine tosses her raven hair over her shoulder, batting her lashes at her boss.
He shakes his head at his sassy receptionist, though a smile twitches on his lips. He’s a good boss. As a freelance journalist, I’ve spent time at a lot of different newspapers around the country. I never stay in one place for long, preferring to travel from place to place to experience everything life and journalism has to offer. I guess that's what happens when you grow up in foster care with no roots.
Daniel is one of the better bosses I’ve come across. He can be a stickler, but he always does right by his team and never complains when they give him crap. It says a lot about his character.
Elysa’s best friend, Leia Bayliss, hides a smile behind a coffee cup. "I'm driving up to the Granite Hills fire," she says, her voice soft. "Chief says it's bigger."
A hush falls over the newspaper staff, everyone's thoughts on the wildfire raging not far away. Half of the Silver Spoon Falls Fire Department is helping battle the blaze.
“I’ve got the Falcons game tonight,” Ezra Wells, the sports reporter, mutters after a moment.
“Which they’re going to win,” Leia quickly adds. Her husband plays for the team.
"What about you, Ginni? Is there anything you want to tackle?" Daniel cuts his eyes in my direction.
I actually came to town specifically to write a story, but I haven’t shared the details with anyone yet. I’ve been keeping it under wraps, hoping to smooth my way and learn the lay of the land before I started picking at threads.
But I’ve been here for several weeks now, and I’m dying to get to work. If this is my chance to net an assist from the team here, I’m jumping at it.
“Actually,” I say, my heart hammering against my ribcage, “I’m already working on a story.”
“What’s the story?”
“It’s about the billionaires in town,” I say as casually as possible, striving to keep my voice level. I know everyone here considers me a team member of sorts, but I’m still the new girl. The billionaires in this town are their friends, family, and neighbors. They’re protective.
“What kind of story?” Leia asks, her eyes automatically narrowing. She’s connected to quite a few of the billionaires in Silver Spoon Falls.
“Nothing bad,” I promise, fidgeting with my fingers under the table—a nervous habit that refuses to die. “This town has almost as many billionaires as NYC or Los Angeles. I’d love to know what draws them to Silver Spoon Falls and how so many of their businesses become so successful here.”
From everything I’ve been able to tell, it’s not through cheating the system. I’ve poured over records, and most of the men here are legitimate. But something about this town… Well, I don’t understand it, and it’s driving me crazy.
Leia nods at my explanation, relaxing slightly. “That’s just Silver Spoon Falls,” she says as if that explains everything. But it doesn’t. Not to me. I have questions. So many questions.
An hour later, my phone dings with an incoming text. I don’t recognize the number, but I hit the notification to open it.
