Page 1 of Falling For His Badass

Lizzy has terrible luck with men.

It's not that she doesn't attract good guys, she does. It's that she settles for "decent" ones.

Tired of making the wrong choices when it comes to men, Lizzy trusts her best friend, Tara, to take her away for the weekend.Lizzy knows that if she wants an all-consuming love, she's going to have to take a bigger risk to attract a different type of man.

But this road trip will yield dangerous results. Her panic button will be pushed, and before the first night is over, she will befalling for His Badass.

“But why?”I ask my best friend, Tara. “Why do I have to go with you?”

“Two reasons. One, you need to get out of the house. You’ve been sulking around long enough. Jack was an ass and doesn’t deserve a single minute more of your time.” She sits next to me and puts her arm around me. “I hate seeing you like this.” She hugs me tight and I lay my head on her shoulder. “Lizzy, you deserve better.”

“My heart is tired of hurting.” I confess.

“You need a change of scenery,andselection.”

Tara and I have been best friends since college and this isn’t the first time, she’s seen me down in the dumps over a dude. Some of the dudes I’ve dated, she’s liked, and some, she hasn’t. Jack was one she never liked and she was right. He was a decent dude, but a dud.

I ask my bestie. “What’s the second reason for going with you?”

“I don’t want to go alone,” she smirks at me. “Please?"

“Ah,” I laugh, “the truth comes out.”

Her eyes twinkle, “Please come, Lizzy. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

“I don’t know.” I try not to capitulate too easily. “What will I do while you are busy being John’s latest conquest?”

“Last. I’m going to be busy being John’slastconquest." She corrects me, while her mischievous grin smiles at me.

I nod and reword my question. “What will I do while you are busy being John’slastconquest?”

“Why don’t you go to The Lost Boys dinner show?”

“Tara,” I hug her, knowing she has given getting me out of my apartment a lot of thought, “that’s an excellent idea!” Then pick my phone up off the coffee table. “If I can get a ticket, I’ll come with you.”

She leans across the space and hugs me tight. “You can. They aren’t sold out Friday night.”

I laugh with her. “You’re the best!”

“I know.”

* * *

Three days later, Tara pulls up outside my apartment and my phone dings. *I’m here. Do you need help?*

*No. Be right down.* I grab my backpack, look around my apartment, then lock the door.

When I slide into the front seat next to her, she flashes her cute smile and her eyes twinkle as she greets me. “There’s my beautiful bestie. Glad to see your happy face is back.”

I grin. “No more Jack-asses for me! Let’s go!”

“Atta a girl!”

She backs out of the parking spot, puts the car in drive, and we leave our small town for the city and John’s house.

Tara and John met six months ago at the Medical Center where she is a nurse. He is a pharmaceutical representative and was there pushing a new drug to a staff doctor. Tara barged in on their meeting to announce that the Doctor’s wife had been in a car accident and was being admitted to the emergency room. The doctor left Tara to handle the transaction, she and John went out that night, and they’ve been dating since.

During the miles and miles of interstate highway, Tara and I talk about my dating woes. “So, what’s your advice for me this weekend? I’m obviously doing something wrong to keep getting Love Bombed.” I ask her.

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