Page 1 of September's Kiss (Loving the Curvy Girl)

Chapter One

~September Brooks~

“Oh my God I love this song!” I shrieked, grabbing my friend Geoff’s arm and tugging it hard. “Come dance with me.”

“Every drunk girl’s mating call,” he teased with a sigh, but he slid to his feet and followed me out to the dance floor.

“Shut up,” I whined, spinning around and smiling as my skirt twirled around me. “My baby sister just got married, and I’m officially a spinster. Give me this moment.”

“So…three,” he said, doing the white guy, hetero-shuffle in front of me while I danced happily.

“Three what?” I asked, rolling my eyes at his attempt to dance. At least he was trying for me.

“Three glasses of Chardonnay before you’re a train wreck. Just making notes.”

“I hate you,” I told him.

“I know,” he said, smiling at the familiar joke.

Geoff and I had been best friends since freshman year of high school, and he was used to be dragged to every life event I had to endure. His fiancée Kathy was a super good sport about letting me borrow him for fancy dress occasions.

Like my sister’s wedding.

Tonight was especially gracious of Kathy, considering she and Geoff were getting married the following Saturday, and I was sure there were a million things he should be doing instead of keeping me company.

That girl was a treasure.

The song changed and I had to bite my tongue to keep from crying out how much I loved this song, too. I’d give my sister this much, she’d picked an awesome DJ. The throwback hour he’d started was giving me all kinds of middle school vibes just then.

“Say it,” Geoff said, rolling his eyes.

“Ilovethis song!” I yelled, laughing in delight and clapping my hands.

Suddenly I felt as if someone were watching me. Of course, there were probably a lot of people staring at the bride’s plump sister living her best life out on the dance floor, but this felt different from that. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s what prey animals must feel when they’re being hunted.

I rubbed absently at the back of my neck and turned toward the bar. Where the largest, sexiest man I’d ever seen in my life was standing. He had a tumbler of brown liquid over ice, and while he wasn’t actually looking at me, I could see his eyes continually scanning the room.

My heart stopped for a moment, then immediately started beating like a jack rabbit’s, so hard I had to put a hand to my throat and pause to catch my breath.

“Ember, are you going to throw up?” Geoff asked sharply, stepping aside but putting a hand on my shoulder. “These shoes are rented and I have to wear them at my own wedding next weekend.”

“No,” I said. “Do you see that guy over there?” I nodded toward the bar. He started to turn but I grabbed his arm. “Don’t look!”

“Jesus,” Geoff muttered. “You’re cut off.” But he turned slightly, trying to look casual as he glanced around then back to me. “The brick wall? Yeah, kind of hard to miss.”

“Go find out who he is,” I insisted, unable to take my gaze off of him. If he turned back toward the dance floor he wouldn’t be able to miss me standing completely still staring at him, but I didn’t care.

“What?” Geoff all but squeaked. “No way.”

“You listen to me,” I growled, grabbing Geoff’s lapel and glaring up at him. “You go find out who he is right now.”

“Why?” Geoff pried my hand off of him and stepped out of my reach.

“Because, I think I’m going to marry him,” I said.

And I meant it.

Have you ever had a moment in your life, when everything around you stops and you can see something in perfect clarity? That’s how it was for me. I saw him and my world view narrowed to just him. Granted, he was hard to miss. He had to be six foot three or four and…well, brick wall was a pretty good description. He was so muscle bound that I was a little amazed that his tux fit so well.

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