On the rocks, p.1
On the Rocks, page 1
On the Rocks
Synopsis
No straight women. No parents of students. Nobody under thirty-five. Vanessa Martini makes no apologies for her dating checklist. She’s been up close to enough messy breakups to know what havoc they wreak in life. Just because people see her as fun and happy, and just because she loves her life in general, that doesn’t mean she can’t be careful. Or discerning. Or, okay, fine, super picky.
Grace Chapman is tired of being judged by her boss, by the husband she’s divorcing, by her parents. All she cares about now is her seven-year-old son, Oliver. The divorce is making him act out in school, and she just needs to find a way to help him so they can start again. What she does not need is the silent judgment she gets from his teacher. His wildly attractive, super sexy, annoyingly gorgeous teacher.
Grace ticks all Vanessa’s Do Not Date boxes. Vanessa is yet one more person who disapproves of Grace. Of course, they’re never going to fall in love.
Praise for Georgia Beers
The Secret Poet
“[O]ne of the author’s best works and one of the best romances I’ve read recently…I was so invested in [Morgan and Zoe] I read the book in one sitting.”—Melina Bickard, Librarian, Waterloo Library (UK)
Hopeless Romantic
“Thank you, Georgia Beers, for this unabashed paean to the pleasure of escaping into romantic comedies…If you want to have a big smile plastered on your face as you read a romance novel, do not hesitate to pick up this one!”—The Rainbow Bookworm
Flavor of the Month
“Beers whips up a sweet lesbian romance…brimming with mouthwatering descriptions of foodie indulgences…Both women are well-intentioned and endearing, and it’s easy to root for their inevitable reconciliation. But once the couple rediscover their natural ease with one another, Beers throws a challenging emotional hurdle in their path, forcing them to fight through tragedy to earn their happy ending.”—Publishers Weekly
“The heartbreak, beauty, and wondrous joy of love are on full display in Flavor of the Month. This second chance romance is exceptional. Georgia Beers has outdone herself with this one.”—The Lesbian Book Blog
One Walk in Winter
“A sweet story to pair with the holidays. There are plenty of ‘moment’s in this book that make the heart soar. Just what I like in a romance. Situations where sparks fly, hearts fill, and tears fall. This book shined with cute fairy trails and swoon-worthy Christmas gifts…REALLY nice and cozy if read in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Covered in blankets. By a fire.”—Bookvark
Fear of Falling
“Enough tension and drama for us to wonder if this can work out—and enough heat to keep the pages turning. I will definitely recommend this to others—Georgia Beers continues to go from strength to strength.”—Evan Blood, Bookseller (Angus & Robertson, Australia)
“In Fear of Falling Georgia Beers doesn’t take the obvious, easy way…romantic, feel-good and beautifully told.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog
“I was completely invested from the very first chapter, loving the premise and the way the story was written with such vulnerability from both characters’ points of view. It was truly beautiful, engaging, and just a lovely story to read.”—LesBIreviewed
The Do-Over
“You can count on Beers to give you a quality well-paced book each and every time.”—The Romantic Reader Blog
“The Do-Over is a shining example of the brilliance of Georgia Beers as a contemporary romance author.”—Rainbow Reflections
“[T]he two leads are genuine and likable, their chemistry is palpable…The romance builds up slowly and naturally, and the angst level is just right. The supporting characters are equally well developed. Don’t miss this one!”—Melina Bickard, Librarian, Waterloo Library (UK)
The Shape of You
“I know I always say this about Georgia Beers’s books, but there is no one that writes first kisses like her. They are hot, steamy and all too much!”—Les Rêveur
The Shape of You “catches you right in the feels and does not let go. It is a must for every person out there who has struggled with self-esteem, questioned their judgment, and settled for a less than perfect but safe lover. If you’ve ever been convinced you have to trade passion for emotional safety, this book is for you.”—Writing While Distracted
Calendar Girl
“Calendar Girl by Georgia Beers is a well-written sweet workplace romance. It has all the elements of a good contemporary romance…It even has an ice queen for a major character.”—Rainbow Reflections
“A sweet, sweet romcom of a story…Calendar Girl is a nice read, which you may find yourself returning to when you want a hot-chocolate-and-warm-comfort-hug in your life.”—Best Lesbian Erotica
Blend
“You know a book is good, first, when you don’t want to put it down. Second, you know it’s damn good when you’re reading it and thinking, I’m totally going to read this one again. Great read and absolutely a 5-star romance.”—The Romantic Reader Blog
“This is a lovely romantic story with relatable characters that have depth and chemistry. A charming easy story that kept me reading until the end. Very enjoyable.”—Kat Adams, Bookseller, QBD (Australia)
“Blend has that classic Georgia Beers feel to it, while giving us another unique setting to enjoy. The pacing is excellent and the chemistry between Piper and Lindsay is palpable.”—The Lesbian Review
Right Here, Right Now
“The angst was written well, but not overpoweringly so, just enough for you to have the heart-sinking moment of ‘will they make it,’ and then you realize they have to because they are made for each other.”—Les Reveur
“[A] successful and entertaining queer romance novel. The main characters are appealing, and the situations they deal with are realistic and well-managed. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good queer romance novel, and particularly one grounded in real world situations.”—Books at the End of the Alphabet
“[A]n engaging odd-couple romance. Beers creates a romance of gentle humor that allows no-nonsense Lacey to relax and easygoing Alicia to find a trusting heart.”—RT Book Reviews
Lambda Literary Award Winner Fresh Tracks
“Georgia Beers pens romances with sparks.”—Just About Write
“[T]he focus switches each chapter to a different character, allowing for a measured pace and deep, sincere exploration of each protagonist’s thoughts. Beers gives a welcome expansion to the romance genre with her clear, sympathetic writing.”—Curve magazine
Lambda Literary Award Finalist Finding Home
“Georgia Beers has proven in her popular novels such as Too Close to Touch and Fresh Tracks that she has a special way of building romance with suspense that puts the reader on the edge of their seat. Finding Home, though more character driven than suspense, will equally keep the reader engaged at each page turn with its sweet romance.”—Lambda Literary Review
Mine
“From the eye-catching cover, appropriately named title, to the last word, Georgia Beers’s Mine is captivating, thought-provoking, and satisfying. Like a deep red, smooth-tasting, and expensive merlot, Mine goes down easy even though Beers explores tough topics.”—Story Circle Book Reviews
“Beers does a fine job of capturing the essence of grief in an authentic way. Mine is touching, life-affirming, and sweet.”—Lesbian News Book Review
Too Close to Touch
“This is such a well-written book. The pacing is perfect, the romance is great, the character work strong, and damn, but is the sex writing ever fantastic.”—The Lesbian Review
“In her third novel, Georgia Beers delivers an immensely satisfying story. Beers knows how to generate sexual tension so taut it could be cut with a knife…Beers weaves a tale of yearning, love, lust, and conflict resolution. She has constructed a believable plot, with strong characters in a charming setting.”—Just About Write
On the Rocks
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http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com
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By the Author
Turning the Page
Thy Neighbor’s Wife
Too Close to Touch
Fresh Tracks
Mine
Finding Home
Starting from Scratch
96 Hours
Slices of Life
Snow Globe
Olive Oil & White Bread
Zero Visibility
A Little Bit of Spice
Rescued Heart
Run to You
Dare to Stay
What Matters Most
Right Here, Right Now
Blend
The Shape of You
Calendar Girl
The Do-Over
Fear of Falling
One Walk in Winter
Flavor of the Month
Hopeless Romantic
16 Steps to Forever
The Secret Poet
Shaken or Stirred
On the Rocks
On the Rocks
© 2021 By Georgia Beers. All Righ
ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-990-3
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: December 2021
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Ruth Sternglantz
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design by Ann McMan
eBook Design by Toni Whitaker
Acknowledgments
I hope you’re ready for more of the Martini cousins, ’cause I was. Honestly, this series wrote very quickly, and I think it was because I liked these women so much. I loved the Bar Back and I loved their affectionate snark and I really loved watching them fall in love. It’s Vanessa’s turn this time around.
All my gratitude, as always, to the folks at Bold Strokes Books. I’m so glad to work for a company full of people who are professional and know what they’re doing. My part is easy: I write the books. The rest of it is the hard part, and Radclyffe, Sandy, and all the BSB staff take care of it seamlessly.
To my editor, Ruth Sternglantz, thank you for being not only professional, but fun, always up for answering my dorky questions, during or not during business hours and for always being happy to educate me. I appreciate you.
To my friends and family: thank you so much for the support. I’ve been doing this for a while now, and it’s a weirdly solitary job, but I am lucky to be surrounded by people who love me even when I’m freaking out about my work in progress or stopping mid-conversation to jot down a cool name or job in my Notes app. They get me, and I can’t ask for more than that out of life.
And finally, to my readers: the past year and a half has been the weirdest, craziest, scariest thing I’ve ever lived through, and being alone didn’t help. I’m an introvert and I enjoy being by myself, but lately, I have learned what it is to be lonely. What helped tremendously was your support. The social media posts, the emails, the likes, all of it helped me feel a little less isolated, and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Chapter One
Alcohol. Now. Please.”
Vanessa Martini dropped on the couch in the back room of her cousin’s bar like her skeleton had suddenly disappeared from her body. She gestured to Julia, then pointed at herself. “Actually, you can just pour it right into my mouth. Glass be damned.”
“Wow,” Julia said, clearly amused as she chuckled from behind the practice bar and Vanessa heard ice dropping into a shaker. “Rough day, huh?” Jules was one of her very favorite people on the planet. She’d help. Vanessa just knew she would.
“You have no idea,” Vanessa said, raising her voice over the sound of the ice being shaken. “Who invented second graders anyway? Any idea? I’d like to give them a stern talking to, whoever they are.”
Julia approached her and handed over a rocks glass with a creamy white concoction in it. “Here you go. Something smooth and yummy that will take that edge off.”
“Thank you,” she said as she accepted the glass. “I’m all edges right now. Nothing but edges. I’m completely edgy.” She sipped, let the drink coat her tongue, rolled it around in her mouth a bit, trying to pick out flavors. Julia wasn’t kidding. It was creamy and smooth, a little frothy, with a hint of…coffee, maybe? A dash of cinnamon? “Oh, that’s fabulous,” she said and sighed as if her world had just been righted. Which was often how it felt when she was with her cousins in the back room of Julia’s bar that they’d affectionately dubbed The Bar Back. For obvious reasons.
“You like?” Julia asked.
“I love. What is it?”
“That, my dear cousin, is a Cinnamon Roll, and it will be one of the rotating specials once the holidays hit. It’s RumChata and Kahlúa. We’ll rim the glass with cinnamon and use a cinnamon stick for a stirrer.”
“Well, it’s definitely doing the trick.” Vanessa wasn’t lying. She took another sip and felt the warmth of the alcohol seeping into her, slowing everything down just enough for her to feel like she could breathe again. “If you had a fireplace back here, I’d probably never leave.” She glanced up at her cousin and gave her what she hoped was a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. You know that. Wanna talk about it?” Julia was tall and beautiful, with rich brown eyes that reflected her feelings and loads of deep, dark waves that were the envy of anybody with unspectacular hair. She and their other cousin, Amelia, were Vanessa’s people. They’d gotten her through high school, college, her parents’ divorce…Every major event in her life had her flanked by Julia and Amelia. They were her strength, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Yes, please.” She made herself sit up like a normal person instead of a bored teenager. Talking would be good. None of this stoic, keep-it-all-bottled-inside crap. No way. Vanessa knew the way to help solve a problem was to get it out of her head and into the presence of other people with opinions. Speaking of other people, she glanced around, searching. “Wait. Where’s Savannah?” Julia’s new girlfriend was notoriously calm and rational, and she made for a terrific opposite to Julia’s tendency to go with whatever emotion hit first.
“Hey, I’m here,” Julia said with a feigned pout. She knew the score.
“I know you are, and I appreciate you so much, but you know that she—”
The back door opening cut her off midsentence. “I’m here. I’m late, but I’m here.” Savannah McNally walked in on cue and pulled the door shut behind her. “Getting cold out there.”
“Oh my God, did I conjure you?” Vanessa asked, wide-eyed and laughing.
“It happens,” Savannah said with her signature grin. “I go where I’m summoned, and something told me I was supposed to come here.”
“Was it your phone that told you that you were supposed to come here? ’Cause, you know, dinner with your girlfriend?” Julia wiped down the practice bar as she spoke.
“Hmm.” Savannah rubbed her chin and made a show of thinking. “I mean, maybe?” She drew out the maybe as she leaned over the practice bar and kissed Julia. “Hi, baby. Pizza’s on the way.”
“Hey there, gorgeous,” Julia said back.
Vanessa groaned. “God, you two make me sick. Have pity on those of us who are single and have nobody to goo-goo over.”
“We do excel at the goo-goo,” Julia said, her face still very close to Savannah’s.
“We do,” Savannah agreed.
“Ugh,” Vanessa contributed and fell back onto the couch again, making the other two burst into laughter. The two of them hadn’t been together long at all, but Vanessa knew in her heart this was it for her cousin. Not to be too corny by quoting eye-roll-inducing lines from rom-coms, but Savannah completed Julia—she really did. It was clear to anybody who had eyes.
Julia filled Savannah in. “Vanessa came here all ruined about her day, asking me to pour alcohol into her face, but when I tried to get her to talk about it, her response was to ask where you were. It didn’t hurt my feelings at all. No, it did not.”
“Aww.” Savannah squeezed Julia’s chin, then turned around and took a seat on one of the three barstools that lined the practice bar. She spun herself so she faced Vanessa. “Talk to Auntie Savannah.”
It was amazing how seamlessly Savannah had become part of the group. Their threesome had become a foursome, and none of them even blinked. Savannah just…belonged.
“Okay, so it’s been about two and a half months of second grade for me.” Vanessa began unburdening. “And I love it. I do.”
“Better than the fourth grade?” Savannah asked.
“Ninety percent of the time, yes.”
“And the other ten percent?” Julia handed Savannah a glass of white wine, and she sipped after she posed the question, her eyes never leaving Vanessa’s.
