Page 3 of Devoted Love: A BWWM Romance

"I'll do it, Jordan. But like my man says, ‘I said what I said.' Any man stupid enough to pass on you isn't worth it." She lifts my chin and stares me straight in the eyes. "Got it?"

“Got it.”

We turn back to the shenanigans between the rest of the guys. I'm the youngest at the table. Charlee saved me from a gang of girls bullying me during my freshman year in high school. She threatened to catch a case, and none of them were crazy enough to mess with her. Then the rest of the guys pulled me into their fold.

They’ve never asked me to change through high school, college, or grad school. I could always count on them, even when my family dismissed me as the “weird one.” My guys never falter like tonight.

We’re more than friends, we’re family. Which means more than they’ll ever know. I settle in and drop my head on Harper’s shoulder. She wraps a hand around my face with a soft hug before jumping back into the conversation.

The laughter and smack-talking fade as I think about him. Ryker Colin is nothing like the men I've dated in the past. He's high profile, I'm quiet. He's a managing partner of a prestigious law firm, and I'm an invisible contract programmer. He's the life of the party, and I'm the wallflower.

Will it work? I don’t know. There’s something about him that makes me want to try. And what if he prefers the fairy tale over goth?

I guess it’s like coding. You never know what you’ll get until the testing begins.

I tune back into the chatter around me. As for my makeover, it took them less than twenty minutes to distribute their roles. Leave it to my guys to devise a plan to make me an epic Black fairy for Halloween. That’s Black Girl Magic at its finest.

Will Ryker take the bait?

The processor between my ears is trying to workout out the probability of this actually working in my favor. It's insane. It's by far the craziest plan I considered to get a guy's attention. But it's worth a shot.

Isn’t that the fun of fairy tales? The girl gets the guy. The guy kisses the girl. And they walk off into the horizon, happily ever after.

Right?

But the girls in those stories aren’t awkward or tatted. I close my eyes as my heart threatens to leap out of my chest. I have to try. I turn my mind from my internal debate back to the laughter around me.

Taylor and Charlee stand and have an old school dance-off. They hit the running man, the cabbage patch, and Charlee's bump knocks Taylor out of the game. We clap, and I know without a doubt, my life is good. So, come what may I'll be alone, but all right.

Ryker’s gentle smile and the touch of his hand activated something in me, and this is my response. My nod to whomever or whatever decides that a man and a woman are meant to have that picture-book ending. So, I’ll leave it to fate to make the next step.

I can’t guarantee the outcome, but I believe there’s magic involved in this thing called love. My guys are evidence that lovers can meet and marry. Lovers can love and hate and love again. Lovers can accept the loud, the gentle, the highs, the lows. But I can’t have love if I’m not willing to step away from my walls.

It’s time for the wallflower to bloom or cast a spell, even if only for one night.

Chapter 2

“Are you sure about this?” I glance across the table at Erik. My mind runs through thousands of hurdles he’ll need to clear to make this happen. “Running for a state representative seat is a major undertaking.”

Erik called a private meeting after hours, off the clock, and away from the office. I brought my assistant, Sarah, along because she manages my schedule and the logistics of my life. I don’t have to look over at her to know she’s ready to cut off this request. I manage one of Texas’ largest boutique law firms—Colin, Baker & Garrett. Erik Garrett is more than a partner in the firm, he’s my friend.

“Yes, and I believe I’ll get it with you as my campaign manager.”

The air swooshes from my lungs as the words hang between us. If I ever ran another campaign, it would be too soon. Admitting this, even to myself, summons the spirit of my overbearing father. The thunder of his voice, Cowards, never win, invokes a cold chill through my body.

“I’m retired.” I remind him.

"But, you're the best."

I don’t break eye contact as I search the depths looking for any hesitation. His gaze cuts to the side. That’s not what I want to see.

"Sarah, give us a moment alone." She stands, gathering her note-taking devices before leaving us alone. I watch out the corner of my eye until the door closes behind her.

We’re using a small meeting room in Torsion, a formal restaurant I own in downtown Austin. Few people know about my expanding business ventures in the city. This purchase was a matter of convenience. I don’t cook and it’s minutes from the office. Having open access to the kitchen, the staff, and the meeting rooms make maneuvering around my busy schedule possible. I usually dine in for breakfast and dinner and have my lunch delivered to the office. It’s etched into my day to eliminate physical setbacks.

In my mind, tonight was a pit stop before heading to The Dungeon for a few hours to show my support before going home to review case files. It's Halloween, and the owner, X, is hosting a masquerade ball. X was a manager for this restaurant for years until he left me and took one of my best attorneys with him. Now, I consider them both dear friends.

I turn my thoughts back to the matter at hand. My mind runs through every client, every commitment, every responsibility.

---