Fluke, p.1
Fluke, page 1
FLUKE
ADRIANA LOCKE
Fluke
Copyright 2023 by Adriana Locke
Cover Designer: Kari March
Cover Photo: iStock
Content Editor: Marion Making Manuscripts
Copy Editor: Editing 4 Indies, Jenny Sims
Proofreader: Michele Ficht
Umbrella Publishing, Inc.
Copyright Law:
If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, this book has been pirated and you are stealing. Please delete it from your device and support the author by purchasing a legal copy. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above copyright owner of this book or publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked statue and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
To Michele Ficht,
Everyone should be lucky enough to have someone like you in their corner.
With love.
BOOKS BY ADRIANA LOCKE
Landry Family Series
Sway
Swing
Switch
Swear
Swink
Sweet
The Gibson Boys Series
Crank
Craft
Cross
Crave
Crazy
Mason Family Series
Restraint
Reputation
Reckless
Relentless
Resolution
Carmichael Family Series
Flirt
Fling
Fluke
Flaunt
Flame
The Exception Series
The Exception
The Connection
The Perception
Honey Creek Series
Like You Love Me
Dogwood Lane Series
Tumble
Tangle
Trouble
Cherry Falls
608 Alpha Avenue
907 For Keeps Way
Standalone Novels
Sacrifice
Wherever It Leads
Written in the Scars
Lucky Number Eleven
Battle of Sexes
The Relationship Pact (Hollis’s story)
The Sweet Spot
For an email every time Adriana has a new release, sign up for an alert here: http://bit.ly/AmazonAlertAddy or text the word adriana to 21000
DEAR READER
What can I say? I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book. The levity, banter, and shenanigans gave me a break from the heaviness that can be everyday life. I hope they do that for you too.
My goal for this story was simply to put a smile on your face for a few hours. The Carmichael men are swoony and steamy, while also being a little silly.
It was just what my heart ordered.
Thank you for choosing to read this book. I know you have a million choices out there, and I’m honored that you decided to give Fluke, and me, a try.
I hope you enjoy.
With love,
Addy
CONTENTS
Synopsis
1. Pippa
2. Pippa
3. Jess
4. Pippa
5. Pippa
6. Jess
7. Pippa
8. Pippa
9. Pippa
10. Jess
11. Pippa
12. Pippa
13. Jess
14. Pippa
15. Pippa
16. Pippa
17. Jess
18. Pippa
19. Jess
20. Pippa
21. Jess
22. Pippa
23. Jess
24. Pippa
25. Pippa
26. Pippa
27. Jess
28. Jess
29. Jess
30. Pippa
31. Pippa
32. Pippa
Epilogue: Jess
Chapter One - Crank
Acknowledgments
About the Author
SYNOPSIS
SEEKING AN EX-HUSBAND
I need a fake ex-husband.
Let me explain …
I may have let it slip to my new coworkers that I have an ex-husband. Now they’re fascinated with the details, specifically with him.
Why wouldn’t they be? He’s gorgeous, has exceptional skills in the bedroom, and is determined to win me back.
But there’s a problem. He doesn’t exist.
The bigger problem? I have to produce him to save my job.
This is where you come in.
I’m seeking someone to play a smitten ex-husband for two weeks. You’ll need to remember our love story—details matter when it comes to romance! I need you to be prepared to travel in-state at a moment’s notice. We may be in close proximity; sharing a bed may be required.
One more thing—kisses are essential for optics as necessary.
If this sounds interesting or, at the very least, entertaining, let me know.
Signed,
Your Future Ex-Wife
Buckle up for a steamy adventure between friends-turned-lovers in this new “fresh twist on a favorite trope” take on fake dating, close proximity, and romance in the workplace from USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke.
1
PIPPA
“Seeking a fake ex-husband.”
My words fall into the air, sounding just as ridiculous as I imagined they would. I sigh and lift a brow at Kerissa, my best friend and troublemaker extraordinaire, sitting across the table from me. The mischief in her eyes complements the smug grin on her face, and I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I need to rethink this attempt at crisis management.
“I can’t do this,” I say, slamming my notebook closed.
“And why not?”
I level my gaze with hers. “You’ve come up with a lot of bizarre things in your life, but this one takes the cake.”
“Takes the … wedding cake?”
She laughs at her joke—one that I don’t find especially funny under the circumstances.
How do I get myself into these situations?
I grab a couple of Cajun fries—the whole reason we came to Shade House for happy hour—and pop them in my mouth. Tables around us begin to fill with patrons ordering drinks and appetizers. I side-eye my root beer float and consider breaking down and ordering an amaretto sour. The only problem is that my problem-solving abilities go down with each drink. At this point, I need all the help I can get.
“We could use this as an excuse to throw a divorce party,” Kerissa says.
“Kerissa—”
“Will you just think about it? Hear me out.” Her eyes twinkle. “We’ll go to Savannah and get a room at Picante.”
I sigh happily. “I do love that hotel.”
“Right? We can hit up a Georgia Hornets game, get a massage, and shop. Maybe find a couple of unassuming bachelors to ravage for the weekend.”
“Well, I did see that Lincoln Landry is the general manager of the Hornets now.” I wiggle my eyebrows. “I’m thinking about buying a Hornets shirt with Landry on the back.”
She laughs. “They don’t have shirts with the GM’s name on them.”
“Oh, no. They do.” I point at her. “You can get them online. I’ve already looked.”
“How did you know all this, Miss I Hate Sports?”
“Because Lincoln Landry transcends baseball. He went viral last season for nothing other than a smirk and the way he licked his lips.” I shrug. “Who am I not to follow a fan account dedicated to giving me delicious videos every morning? LandryLover0808 works hard at her craft, and I support content creators, thank you very much.”
Her laughter grows louder. “Sometimes I wonder if I even know you.”
I laugh too.
“There’s this little place called Judy’s down the street from Picante,” Kerissa says. “We can grab breakfast there.”
“Yes, and maybe we can …” I stop as reality knocks me sideways. “Wait a minute. I’m not actually getting a divorce, remember?”
Kerissa frowns.
I flop back in my chair, the legs rattling against the tile floor, and huff.
Ten minutes ago, I was frustrated that I was a fake divorcée. Now I’m irritated that I’m not a real one.
Why am I the way I am?
Kerissa leans forward, folding her hands on the tabletop. “Is it wrong if I say I’m sad you don’t have a marriage in trouble?”
I can’t help it. I giggle.
“I’m kidding,” she says, although I’m not sure she is. That’s okay because I’m not sure I am either.
A trip to Savannah sounds like the perfect antidote to the mess at work. But taking trips to avoid my problems is almost as unhealthy as working with Chuck “the Schmuck” Collins.
My jaw clenches at his name rolling around in my head.
I shouldn’t let him get to me. I’m a grown-ass woman who should be able to bite her tongue a nd let douchebags be douchey. But I was born lacking a filter to prohibit myself from snapping back at assholes.
It’s not one of my finer qualities and certainly doesn’t do me any favors. If I wanted to play the blame game, I could credit it to having two uber successful, brilliant parents who embodied the definition of hubris. The only way to survive surgeons as parents when you grow up wanting nothing to do with the medical field is to learn to stand up for yourself. It took me a long time to learn that.
Ten years later, I’d say I’ve mastered it—maybe a little too well.
“Now that you’re calm-er,” Kerissa says, “tell me what happened today.”
Ugh. I take a deep breath. “My boss, Bridgit, wants to expand Bloom Match again. Originally, it was a small online matchmaking service. Then they got the idea to make it a regional thing where we blind-match people from this area, set up the dates, host mixers—all that stuff.”
“Right.”
“Business has been going well—exploding, even. Bridgit asked everyone a couple of months ago to brainstorm ways to take the company further. We all proposed our ideas, and it’s come down to me and Chuck the Fuck.”
“We hate him.”
“We do.” I nod, my blood pressure rising. “I dislike him on a good day. Even if I got up on time, had the perfect latte, and a great hair day, I’d still hate Chuck. If I had to nominate someone for the Hunger Games, it would be him. I wouldn’t even have to think about it.”
She snorts.
“I hit the alarm three times this morning, Muggers screwed up my latte, and my hair looks like this.” I point at my head. “I woke up emotional, which makes me ragey itself because emotions are inconvenient and make me feel weak.”
Kerissa rubs a hand against her forehead. “This does not bode well for Chuck.”
My teeth clench as I remember the smarmy look the jerk gave me.
“So we’re going back and forth about our ideas, right? The whole office is in the conference room listening to us weigh the pros and cons of our proposals. I wrap up my little impromptu presentation—which I nailed, by the way. He must’ve felt threatened or something because he leaned back in his chair, his arms behind his head like he’s proudly displaying his sweat stains in his armpits, and says”—I pause to channel my inner Chuck voice— “‘I’d like to point out that we’re taking relationship advice from a woman who has no verifiable experience with them.’”
The top of my head might blow up.
“He did not,” Kerissa says, eyes wide.
“Everyone was staring at me. I had flashbacks from high school when everyone found out about my mom’s chandelier debacle. I just opened my mouth and spewed … I don’t even know what I said, Kerissa. I was so pissed off. Something about being touched he pays so much attention to my private life but that I had been married before.” I stop to drag in a hasty breath. “Then, because I’m petty and I know from office gossip that he and his wife are having problems, I said that at least I knew when to walk away, unlike others who live a loveless life in misery.”
Her jaw drops.
“Not my proudest moment,” I say, shifting in my seat.
“Well, silver lining—at least you put it in past tense. You could’ve said you are married. That would’ve been way more awkward.”
I stare at her.
“What? I’m trying to help here,” she says.
“What would’ve helped is if you’d gone to work with me and clamped a hand over my mouth. Because everyone started jabbering about how they didn’t know that about me. I stood there with red freaking cheeks, constructing a fake marriage that we ended after a couple of years when we realized it wasn’t right for us. Oh—he’s still smitten with me, too, because why not? If you’re creating an ex-husband, you might as well make him worth the fake marriage, right?”
Kerissa chuckles as I groan.
It’s fine. Everything is going to be fine.
Hannah, our server, slides up to the table. A wad of pink gum snaps between her teeth.
I rest back against my chair and take a long, deep breath. I had big plans for today after work, including a walk on the beach and making a cold tomato soup with tarragon crème fraîche for my new neighbor. It’s been a long time since I made something for anyone besides Kerissa, and she has the palate of a child. I was excited to take my sweet new friend a bowl of soup and listen to her stories about years gone by.
“You ladies look like you’re in the middle of a serious conversation, but I wanted to make sure you don’t need anything else,” Hannah says.
Kerissa cups her chin in her hand and smiles at Hannah. “I’m fine. Pippa told her coworkers that she was married. For the record, she’s never sniffed a wedding veil.”
“I’m sitting right here.”
“I know,” Kerissa says. “I saved you the trouble of explaining. You’re welcome.”
Hannah grins. “That sounds like a prickly situation.”
“How do you mean?” I ask, fiddling with my straw.
“Well, don’t you work at a matchmaking company in Lakely?”
I nod.
“What if someone asks who you were married to?” she asks. “What do you say then? He’s just someone from out of town? Because Lakely is a good forty-five minutes from here, and while there’s not tons of crossover, someone might ask just to see if they know them.”
I know. Dammit.
Kerissa sits up and laughs. “No, because that would’ve been too easy. She told them that she has dinner with him once a month.”
I glare at her. “I said sometimes, not once a month.” I shrug. “He still loves me. I can’t help it. I’m lovable.”
Kerissa rolls her eyes.
“I’m sure you are,” Hannah says, cackling. “But I think you should plot out the rest of your story before you return to work tomorrow. You don’t want to be caught with your pants down … unless your ex-husband is coming around. Maybe he was good in bed.”
“He was. I might’ve mentioned that too.”
Kerissa and Hannah laugh at the heat in my cheeks.
“You both suck,” I say, joining in the laughter.
“I’m with you on this,” Kerissa tells Hannah. “I told her she needs to find a fake ex-husband to have on hand just in case. I know people who have done this kind of thing, and it worked out very, very well.”
“Well, good for them,” I say, holding my head in my hands. “I’m glad they found their knight in shining armor. But I have no interest in finding a man to deal with for the rest of my life, nor am I super excited about having a fake one either.”
Hannah taps on the table. “Let me know if you need anything. I have a couple of new tables to check on.”
Kerissa takes my notepad and slides it across the table as Hannah leaves.
I love my job, and Bridgit, more than any job I’ve had before. And while a part of me knows she would understand my predicament—especially since I think she dislikes Chuck too—I don’t want to give her a reason to think poorly of me.
I don’t want to disappoint her.
“Okay, I think this was a solid start,” Kerissa says. “Just look at it. You’ll feel better if you have an option in your back pocket.”
She’s right. Options are good.
She turns the notepad around, and together, we read.
SEEKING AN EX-HUSBAND
I need a fake ex-husband.
Let me explain …
I may have let it slip to my new coworkers that I have an ex-husband. Now they’re fascinated with the details, specifically with him.
Why wouldn’t they be? He’s gorgeous, has exceptional skills in the bedroom, and is determined to win me back.
