Page 12 of The Hot New Bachelor in Town

Usually, this is rarely a problem. I travel from city-to-city regularly for work, so I’m quite skilled in the art of finding a bedmate to preoccupy myself with. But I suspect that won’t be a simple task here in Small Town.

Then again, this is Kiss County. If the superstitions are to be believed.

But then again, perhaps I shouldn’t get some poor girl’s hopes up.

It’s better than lying around here all night staring at the ceiling, though.

I throw on a T-shirt and a pair of jeans and I head downstairs. As I reach the front desk, the woman sitting there suddenly hops off her chair to greet me. She has long blonde hair and wears a red hooded sweatshirt that says Kiss County High School.

“Hello,” she says.

I recognize her.

The waitress from the diner.

“You,” I say.

She smiles. Definitely her. “Me,” she says.

“Mika, right?”

“Good memory.”

“You work here, too?” I ask.

“Yes. This is my family’s inn. I’m... the night manager.”

“Oh,” I say, smiling. “So, not only are you a waitress, you’re also a?—”

“Shameless opportunist,” she says. “Yes, sir. I am.”

“There’s that Small Town hustle again.”

“We’re a town of hustlers.” She bites her cheek. “Is there something I can help you with tonight, Mr...?”

“Cartwright,” I say, offering my hand. “Carter.”

She shakes it, her hand as lithe and soft as I thought it would be. “Mika Michaelson.”

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Mika.”

“You, too.”

“There is something you can help me with.”

Her pretty brown eyes perk up.

“I know I might be grasping at straws here,” I say, “but is there a place around here people hang out? A bar or a club, maybe?”

“There is,” Mika says with a nod. “You looking for some company?”

“I might be, yeah.”

“Well, the good news is yes, we have a pub. Sparks. It’s about a block away from Bruno’s Diner, so it’s not too far away.”

“Sparks?” I repeat.

“Chemistry. Attraction. You know, sparks.”

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