Modern love box set, p.1
Modern Love Box Set, page 1
The Modern Love Complete Series
Piper Rayne
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
© 2019 by Piper Rayne
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
Cover design: Uplifting Designs
Line Editor for Bonus Scenes: Behind the Writer
Contents
The Brush-Off
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Charmed by the Bartender
About Charmed by the Bartender
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
BONUS COLE POV
Hooked on the Boxer
About Hooked on the Boxer
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
BONUS LUCAS POV
Mad About the Banker
About Mad about the Banker
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
BONUS JASPER POV
A Modern Love Christmas
Lennon
Puppy
Jewelry Store Employee
Jasper
Cole
Jasper
Lucas
Whitney
Tahlia
Cole
Lennon
Lucas
Cole
Brady
Santa
About Piper & Rayne
Also by Piper Rayne
Copyright © 2017 by Piper Rayne
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Editor: Behind the Writer
Cover Designer: Djordje Grbic
Cover Image: iStock
One
I never would have thought I'd be willing to go on a blind date. Especially not at this point in my life. Aren't blind dates reserved for single mother's or that last single thirtysomething friend?
I’m on the cusp of adulthood and the prime of my life. I'll be off to college in Nebraska in a few short months, leaving my hometown of San Francisco behind. Things couldn't be more exciting for me right now.
But, my best friend Tahlia met an awesome guy last month and when she found out he had a brother she insisted on hooking us up. You know how those things go.
I'm not looking for a serious boyfriend...they're not really my thing, but a summer of fun dating my best friend's boyfriend's brother? That's doable. And convenient.
I step into the restaurant in the heart of Chinatown and smile at the woman standing behind the podium. "Hi, I'm meeting someone here, but I'm not sure if he's here yet.”
"Do you want to take a look in the dining area and see if you can spot him?" she offers.
My cheeks heat as I try to figure out how to answer her question without making it sound like I'm the most desperate person she's ever come across. "Actually, I wouldn't recognize him anyway." I step closer and lower my voice. "It's a blind date."
"Oh..." She averts her gaze from mine and looks down at where she's grabbing a couple of menus off the pile on the podium in front of her. The judgement wafts off of her like a cheap-smelling perfume.
"I mean...I can meet people on my own. It's not that. My best friend just started dating this guy and he has a brother—"
"No need for you to explain," she says with an expression that says there’s every reason why I should be explaining. Then she holds her hands up in a placating gesture. "Do you have a reservation?"
"I think so. It should be under Webber."
She runs her finger down a sheet in front of her. "Ah, yes. Here it is." Gathering a pair of menus in her hand she looks back at me. "If you want to follow me I'll get you seated and you can wait for your date at your table."
"Thanks."
I follow her through the restaurant to a two-person table in the middle of the room. After I take a seat she sets the menus on the table. "Your server will be over in a minute to get you started with a drink."
I give her a friendly nod and watch her depart.
This is the first time I've been to this restaurant. It's nice. It was where Cole told Tahlia to have me meet him. It seems like he has good taste so that's a bonus. It's a Chinese food restaurant. In Chinatown. Imagine that. The place is casual, but at the same time it's pretty clear by how busy it is, that the food must be amazing.
I'm only at the table for a minute before an Asian waiter approaches the table dressed in tight black pants and a tight black t-shirt. He's cute, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the threaded friendship bracelet he's wearing in a rainbow design probably means he's gay. This is San Francisco after all and a rainbow here is a shout out to gay pride, not sunny days.
"Ooh, cute dress," he says.
Yep. I was right.
"Thanks. Think my date will like it?" I smooth down the front of my green sun dress.
"I'll tell you this. If he doesn't...he's probably batting for my team." He finishes off his statement with a dramatic eye roll.
I laugh. At least the night is showing promises of humour and good food.
"Do you want a drink before your date gets here?"
Since I'm underage there won't be any alcohol for me tonight. "Can I just have a glass of water while I wait?"
The corners of his lips tip down for a second. "Sure. Now what does Mr. Hot Pants look like? I'll send him over when he gets here."
Seriously, twice in a matter of minutes? I bite my lip because I'm going to have to come clean—again. "I don't really know. It’s kind of a…blind date.”
"Haven't you stalked him on social media?" He gives me a look like I've lost my mind when I shake my head.
"My friend is dating his brother and she said he's hot so I trust her. I wanted it to be a surprise," I say with far less confidence than I’d prefer.
The waiter tsks me. "You're young so I suppose it's forgivable, but let me give you a word of advice." He bends down a bit so he's a little closer and I can't help but lean in, waiting anxiously to hear what he has to say. "Never agree to a blind date without seeing the guy first. Especially if the friend doesn’t tell you his foot size."
My eyes widen. I'm pretty sure I remember Tahlia mentioning that she thought Cole "seemed nice" when she met him briefly the week before. No mention if he’s a size twelve.
N
The waiter straightens back up with a smile. “I'll see about getting your water now.”
When he leaves, I fish my phone out of my purse and pull up the Facebook app to search his name. Once I find the profile, I figure must be him since we both have Tahlia as a friend in common, I click on it, then frown. He has his privacy settings so high that I can't see anything on his wall and his cover photo is a picture of the view from the Twin Peaks that look out over the city, while his profile picture is of a stack of empty shot glasses in the shape of a pyramid.
He's of age so it shouldn't surprise me that he's into partying...at least that's what his photo would suggest.
I guess I'll just have to go on the faith that Tahl wouldn't set me up with Quasimodo.
I click off my phone and set it face up on the table so that I can see the screen in the event that someone calls or texts me.
"Our boy not show up yet?" the waiter asks when he returns with my glass of water.
"Nope." I push a button on the phone and see that he's ten minutes late. "That's okay though, right? I mean, some people just have issues with being on time. Maybe he's time challenged." I shrug.
"Oh sure," he says, though it's clear he doesn't mean it by the skeptical expression on his face. "I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes."
Five more minutes pass and I continue fidgeting in my seat while growing more uncomfortable by the second. I swear the couple at the table beside me keep looking over here with pity in their eyes and I've seen every waiter that passes look from the empty chair across from me to the glass of water in front of me and frown.
Where is this guy?
"I’m afraid your mystery man is going to remain a mystery," the waiter says way too loudly from behind me. Everyone at the nearby tables glances over and then away before I can make eye contact with them. Jeez, why doesn’t this guy just put a sign on my table—NO-SHOW, FREE SEAT.
My cheeks heat and I bite back the curse words I want to say to this guy for making my predicament so obvious. "He's coming. My friend would’ve let me know if he had to cancel."
The waiter blows out a breath. "Okay, but honey, I’m here for tips and a water isn’t going to pay off my trip to Aruba." He sashays off and I'm left alone again with a bunch of eyes zeroed in on me.
After a few more minutes go by, I pick up my phone and fiddle around with Facebook and check my email. Anything to pass the time and pretend I don't feel the weight of every other diner's stare from around me. I'm secretly hoping the phone will ding with some sort of notification that Cole’s body just washed up on shore, or he’s unconscious in the hospital.
My waiter walks by my table and sings the lyrics to Celine Dion's 'All By Myself' loudly as he passes. A few snickers from the couple beside me have me wanting to sink into the white and black tiled floor under me.
Instead of prolonging my mortification I decide to call Cole. Tahlia had texted me his cell number just in case. I hadn't wanted to use it and come across as desperate or pushy, but the truth is I'm both at the moment.
I punch in the numbers and hit the little green button and listen as it rings several times. On the third ring, he picks up and I hear some rustling and then a giggle before a deep voice says, "Hello?"
"Um...is this Cole?" Because honestly, I’m not sure—what with the girl giggling in the background and all.
"Yeah...who's this?" Another chuckle from him and I swear to God a girl moans in the background.
What the fuck?
"This is Whitney," I say in an upbeat tone that doesn't give away my annoyance that he hasn't clued into who I am or why the hell I might be calling.
"Whitney..."
I glance around me and yep, sure enough that couple at the table beside me is watching me with pity in their eyes again. I shift in my seat so I'm facing away from them now and lower my voice. "Tahlia's friend that she set you up with." No response. "Tahlia who is dating your brother?" Nothing. "We’re supposed to be on a date right now?" I whisper-hiss.
He chuckles again and for a second I think this is just some big misunderstanding and he's going to tell me he's on his way. "Oh, that Whitney." I hear some shuffling on his end while I wait for him to say something else. Then he moans. Sexually—in case that wasn't clear. And though a big part of me wants to kill the guy on the other end of the line, a small part of me is turned on by the sound of his pleasure. Even if it's not coming because of something I'm doing. Even if it's clear that instead of being on his way to meet me he's probably dick-deep in some other woman. Or maybe she's tonsil deep on him. Whatever.
"I'm waiting at the Chinese food restaurant for you right now," I say with a bite to my voice. "You were supposed to be here almost an hour ago," I continue when he doesn't respond.
"Listen, I'm about to enjoy my own Asian buffet any minute now." The girl in the background giggles and if I could I'd reach through the phone and sew her lips shut. "Sorry, can't make it," he says and the line goes dead.
I pull my phone away from my ear and stare at it for a moment. Did that really just happen?
"What an asshole," I whisper to myself. My face heats and my heart is beating so hard it feels like it might crack my sternum.
I toss my phone into my purse and push my chair out from the table. It makes a loud scraping noise and as if it wasn't bad enough that the diners directly surrounding my table are already watching me, every other head in the restaurant turns to stare at me.
The waiter approaches and says loud enough that everyone hears, "So you got stood up?" I narrow my eyes at him. "I hope you're still leaving a tip. You've been hogging that real estate for almost an hour."
Tears prick the corners of my eyes as my frustration boils over. "You want a tip? Here's a tip." I jab him in the chest. "Don't embarrass your customers and maybe they'll leave money on the table next time." I don't wait for his response. I turn on my heel and bolt out of the restaurant.
In retribution, the waiter belts out "All By Myself" again. The sound carries across the restaurant while I stomp through the dining room toward the front door.
It's dark when I step outside. I take a right outside the door and just start walking. I don't know where to, I only know that I have too much pent-up anger and frustration not to be moving somewhere.
Five minutes pass while I wander aimlessly around the city and I'm not any less upset. I pull my phone from my purse to call Tahlia and thank her for setting me up with a jerk-off in the first place. I'm scrolling through my contact list when my purse strap tugs at my shoulder.
