Now or Never: A Last Chance Romance (Part 1) Read Online Free

blue eyes.  There’s gold stubble along his jaw.
    “What mystery is that?”
    “You’re here for the sex group,” he says with a grin.  He’s even more handsome than I remember from last week, and this, combined with the past hour of highly sexualized monologues that somehow in my mind became all about him, leaves me extremely flustered.
    “It’s not…that’s not…it isn’t a sex group.”
    “I walked by the room once.  The door was open.”
    “Well, it’s fiction.  It’s for writers,” I say, indignant.
    “Yeah.  Fiction,” he says as if he doesn’t believe me.  “What’s your name?  Or do you go by secret pen names in there?”
    I laugh.  “I’m Claire.  And for the record, I’m not a writer.”
    “You just like to watch.  I get it.” He’s teasing me.  I’m blushing and should make a graceful exit.  But I’m enjoying this guy’s attention way too much for my own good.
    “Yeah, well, excuse me.  I’m going to get some coffee,” I say.  “All that voyeurism can be exhausting.”
    “I can’t have caffeine after five o’clock.  Keeps me up all night.”
    I nod.  “That can be a problem.”
    “Wanna get a drink instead?” he asks.  I look at him, then glance around the room.
    “I thought you’re in AA,” I whisper.
    “Nah,” he says.  “I just come here to meet women.”

Chapter 4
    The waitress at The Pub seats us at a table for two near the bar and hands us laminated menus.  I see other women steal glances at him.  They’re probably wondering what he’s doing with me.  Hell, I’m wondering what he’s doing with me.  I have no illusions that this guy — a guy who trolls AA meetings for loose woman — is interested in me sexually.  I can only imagine he finds me amusing.  And you know what?  That’s fine.  It’s been a long time since a guy found me interesting — sexually, or otherwise.
    Of course, Patti would debate that.  She says the only thing standing between me and a man in my life is me.  But the truth is, it’s extremely difficult to meet a decent, available man at my age.  At least, that’s what I hear.
    “I think Guinness is the way to go at this juncture.  What say you, Claire?” Justin smiles at me.  So handsome.  Such bad news.  One of the pluses of no longer being a college kid — I actually have a clue.
    “I’m just going to have coffee,” I say.  He raises an eyebrow.  “Okay. Coffee with Bailey’s,” I amend.  When in Rome…
    The waitress is quick with the drinks.  I like pubs — the food, beer on tap, regulars at the bar watching the game, waitresses quick to sniff out the enthusiastic customers and the people who are slumming.  Center City is filled with these places and were home to me during college.  Walking in the door tonight, with this gorgeous man, I feel young.  I feel free.  If it weren’t for this health stuff hanging over me, I’d feel care  free.
    “To the YMCA,” he says, raising his glass.
    I give a wry smile and touch my glass to his.  “Really?” I say.  “That’s the best you can do?”
    He shrugs.  “Yeah.  Until you ‘fess up what you’re really doing there.”
    “What makes you think it’s not exactly what I told you?  I go to hear the stories at the Erotic Reading Salon.”
    He looks at me suspiciously.  “Fair enough.  What do you do for work?”
    “I work at Macy’s.  The counter manager at Chanel.”
    “Okay.  So you know a little bit about people, right?  A woman walks in, you decide if she’s a buyer or a browser, if she’s going to buy a lipstick just to cheer herself up, or if can you suck her in for a full make-over.”
    I look at him.  “That’s a bit cynical, but essentially accurate.  What do you do?”
    “I own a headhunting firm.  And, like you, I make money by assessing people and fulfilling a need.”
    “Okay.  So your point is?”
    “Looking at you, I don’t see you as someone who has nothing better to do on a Thursday night