The Reluctant Gigolo by Grace Risata
It’s been said that love sneaks up on you when it’s least expected.
Whoever came up with that phrase was spot on in my case. After being stood up by a blind date, I accidentally met the man of my dreams.
The only issue?
He’s a former male escort… an ex-gigolo… a retired prostitute… a… well… you get the picture.
Complicating matters is my socially awkward best friend and partner in crime, my overprotective obnoxious brother who does not approve of my budding relationship, and a few other major players that do their part to stir the pot.
With the deck stacked against us, what’s it going to take to find my happily ever after?
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Author SiteAbout the author:
I would first and foremost like to thank everyone for taking the time to give my stories a chance. My goal is to take you out of your world, and all the stresses that go along with everyday life, and bring you into my world of romance and humor. I have a special weakness for hot alpha males and the feisty heroines who love them. Above all else, I hope you got a laugh out of my book. I aim to incorporate as much comedy into my romance as is humanly possible.
Here is a short sample from the book:
The sound of the bell jingling as someone walked into the restaurant instantly drew my attention away from the text screen. Since I was seated facing the door, I had a great view as the man entered and promptly took the very first booth by the entrance, which happened to be right next to mine.
The newcomer tossed a briefcase on the table, slid into the seat with his back to the door, and waved to the waitress.
“Hi, Rosie. I’ll have the usual, but add a strong cup of coffee and keep them coming. I’m studying for an important exam.”
I stared at the guy while sizing him up. He was dressed in black pants, white button down shirt slightly rolled up at the wrists to expose tan skin, black glasses that gave him a nerdy professor look, and topped off with a red baseball cap tightly perched atop his head. He appeared to be in his mid to late thirties, so I was curious as to what exam he might be taking.
Nothing about him screamed, “I am Rudy, your date,” but I decided to ask anyway.
“Um… excuse me, sir, but your name wouldn’t be ‘Rudy’ by chance, would it?” I asked shyly, half hiding my face behind the large plastic menu.
The man turned his attention on me and quickly shook his head.
“No. You have me confused with someone else,” he insisted coldly, pulling the hat down in an effort to conceal his identity as though part of the witness protection program. “A lot of people mistake me for other people. I look familiar.”
Huh? Who mistakes people for other people? Well, one random stranger sharing an elevator ride once told me I looked like Chelsea Clinton, but I don’t consider that a compliment. The lady meant that I reminded her of the frizzy-haired girl who hadn’t yet transformed from an awkward adolescent into a polished adult. My large ski slope nose didn’t help matters in the slightest.
But I digress.
“I didn’t mean that you looked familiar,” I explained patiently, somehow feeling the need to elaborate. “I’m supposed to meet someone here and I don’t know what he looks like.”
“It’s not me.”
“Yeah, I figured that out, thanks. You’re not wearing tan pants, a blue blazer, or holding a rose.”
This confession suddenly piqued his interest, because the man’s lip turned up in amusement.
“Don’t tell me… a blind date? You met on a matchmaker app and hope to fall in love at first sight?”
“No,” I sighed, glancing at the time on my phone and realizing Rudy was now fifteen minutes late. “It was a set up. A co-worker of my client. I think love at first sight is out of the question at this point. I can’t handle tardiness.”
“Let me give you a little bit of advice,” he offered. “Any man that invites you to a dive like this and then doesn’t have the decency to show up on time… he’s not a great catch by any means.”
“How did you know he’s the one that picked the place?”
“I come here all the time and I’ve never seen you before. You would have chosen a place that you’re familiar with for a first meeting.”
Wow. He was rather intuitive.
Not willing to admit that I felt like a complete loser or that I’d potentially been stood up, I sullenly examined the menu. The night wasn’t getting any younger and my stomach was growling.
Another ten minutes passed, no word from Rudy, four texts from Carla, and the situation was beginning to bother me. It didn’t help matters when the mysterious stranger’s food arrived smelling like Heaven on a plate. He saw me ogling a particularly long French fry on the way to his mouth, and shook his head at me.
“What time was Mr. Right supposed to show up?”
“Eight o’clock.”
“What time is it now?”
“Almost eight thirty.”
“What are the excuses he keeps texting you?” he asked, obviously hearing all the dings from Carla’s messages and assuming they were from my missing date.
“That’s not him. It’s my best friend checking up on me.”
“Why do you keep frowning at the phone instead of replying to her? Good friends that genuinely care are hard to find.”
“Why do you keep spying on my business?” I retorted, surprised that he was paying any attention to the pitiful lady that had been abandoned by her date.
“Because I would like to eat my meal in peace without looking up to see you drooling over my food,” he admitted suavely, raising an eyebrow as though daring me to deny that’s exactly what I was doing. “Rosie, can you please come over here and take her order? Her date isn’t going to show up and the poor thing is about to starve to death.”
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