Love Discovered in New York (The Washington Triplets)
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Authors: Danielle Allen
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LOVE DISCOVERED IN NEW YORK
Copyright © 2014 by Danielle Allen
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, pirating, or by an information storage and retrieval system - except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or - without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Photo Credit: Photography Shutterstock
To Adrian, Andy, Ashley, Noelle, Christina, DaShauna, Lorenzo, and Joe. Because when you have supportive, hilarious, and thoughtful best friends who buy your novels as soon as they release and love them as much as you do, they deserve a dedication.
And to Olivia Pope… Because Shonda is a genius and I’m a gladiator.
To: Mya Washington
From: Dad’s Work Email
Subject: I just received your response card
Dear Mya,
I know you are still healing from the death of your mother. It rocked us all. And I know you disapprove of my relationship with Janet. However, I've decided to marry her. I know you and your sisters think it's too soon and probably too sudden after your mother's passing. But if you’ll just talk to me, I can explain why we’ve decided to marry at this time. I’ve sent emails to your sisters as well because I want the three of you here with me. I have no intention of choosing between my daughters and Janet. You three are a part of me and I want to welcome Janet into our family. You haven’t spoken to me since the funeral, but I'm begging you to call me, talk to me. I have so much I want to say to you. And please come back home for my wedding next month.
As the invitation stated, it will be held at Tillman Estates on September 15th. I hope to see you in six weeks, Mya. Please. Again, I’m begging you. It would mean so much to me.
I love you.
Dad
I GENTLY SCRATCHED MY FOREHEAD
with my freshly manicured fingernails as I re-read the email from my dad.
He chose her,
I thought as I shook my head in disbelief.
He had a choice between his children—his flesh and blood—and Janet—his whore. And he chose her. He’s seriously going to marry her! Who does that?
I refused to allow myself to be hurt by his actions. I refused to allow myself to be hurt by my father or any other man. Tapping into my anger, I could almost feel the cement wall I was building up around myself.
“Because if you can’t trust your dad to not be a screw up, you can’t trust any man to not be a screw up,” I muttered to myself.
Reclining back against the couch, I slammed my laptop closed as I moved it from my lap to the couch cushion beside me. My cell phone started ringing at the same time.
Snatching my phone from the coffee table, I snapped, “Hello?” I didn’t even bother masking my mood.
“What the hell is your problem?” Kelsey retorted, her tone matching mine. I smiled.
Kelsey Stone worked with me at Duke & Duchess, the newest hotspot in Brooklyn. Duke & Duchess had been around for the last few years, but when the cast of a superhero movie rented it out for a wrap party, it became a hotspot. We started around the same time, two years ago, before the attention, and became best friends.
“Sometimes I think the reason so many women are cynical when it comes to men is because they have a deadbeat dad,” I theorized as I stared an angry hole in the wall. I took a deep breath and attempted to lighten my tone. “What’s up?”
There was a distinct pause. “Do you want to talk about it? Nicks gave me the night off. We could go out. Sounds like you need it.”
A short, dry laugh erupted out of me. “Nicks called and asked me to cover a shift. I didn’t know it was yours so I took it.”
“Dammit!” Kelsey cursed. “I wanted to go to this bar in Midtown and pick up a sexy businessman.”
Running my hand through my thick mass of long, dark hair, I smirked. “When is that not the plan?”
“Hey! Sometimes I want a big, blue collar guy with rough hands.” She laughed. “But this week I’m craving businessman.”
Laughing along with her, I shook my head. “You are crazy!”
Ignoring my statement, she continued, “Since tonight’s a bust, let’s go out on Friday.”
“Are you going to be able to last twenty-four hours without your businessman fix?”
Sighing dramatically, she said, “I guess I’ll manage. But you, you need a businessman fix, too. Since you’ve been in New York, you’ve only been with one guy. And since that was over months ago, I think it’s time you graduated to getting yourself a fling. Or a sex-buddy. A friend with benefits. Something!”
“I haven’t come across any guys that have piqued my interest!” I protested, throwing a hand in the air even though she couldn’t see it.
“Well, since Graham left, you’ve been in a drought, my friend.”
Ah, Graham
, I thought with a small smile. Sexy, NYU graduate student, Graham was the perfect hook-up for me. He was too busy for anything more than casual, monogamous sex. And I didn’t want anything but casual, monogamous sex. It was a win-win for us both. He was always planning to move back to his home state of Texas, so there was never a fear that either of us would get too attached. We didn’t hang out; we just had sex. And when he graduated and moved back home seven months ago, we said goodbye and that was the end of it.
“Graham was safe,” Kelsey started. “If you were able to send a goodbye text and not even feel the need to see him before he left, you weren’t really into it. I think you need a fling to get you back on the metaphorical horse. And maybe, just maybe, a fling will lead you to getting into something more and cure you of your commitment phobia.”
“I’m not a commitment-phobe and I can’t just screw anybody, Kelsey! There’s some kind of magic that has to happen between me and a guy as soon as I meet him that lets me know that our sexual chemistry is right. If I’m going to have sex, I need it to be worthwhile. Life’s too short to waste on bad sex. ” I looked at the clock on the wall above the mantle. “Oh crap! I need to get ready to go.”
“Don’t overthink the fling you’re so desperately in need of. Whatever happens, happens. Just go with the flow. And don’t let Nicks convince you to work on Friday. We haven’t had a Friday off together in so long. We’re going out. We need this,” Kelsey stated firmly.
Rolling my eyes in amusement, I said, “Goodbye, Kelsey.”
“Later, Mya.”
Dropping my phone on the table next to my laptop, I wished I was able to go out with Kelsey. I needed to release pent-up anger and stress.
Friday, it is on,
I thought as I struggled to get off of the plush couch. My thoughts guiltily floated back to Graham and the text I sent instead of meeting up with him to say goodbye.
We weren’t serious at all and I was working the night he was flying out. I’m not a commitment-phobe,
I reiterated to myself silently.
Maybe Kelsey’s right. Maybe a fling could help take my mind off of things. Operation Fling Finder will be in full effect on Friday. And there’s no stressful situation that a hot man and a cold drink can’t solve.