{"id":62938,"date":"2022-01-06T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T13:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=62938"},"modified":"2022-01-09T07:04:38","modified_gmt":"2022-01-09T12:04:38","slug":"excerpt-reveal-the-summer-proposal-by-vi-keeland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=62938","title":{"rendered":"Excerpt Reveal: The Summer Proposal by Vi Keeland"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Excited about Vi Keeland\u2019s upcoming release,<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Summer Proposal?\u00a0<\/i><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

A Standalone Contemporary Romance<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Releasing January 10, 2022<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n

Apple Books<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sign up for\u00a0Vi\u2019s mailing list<\/a> now and be the first one notified when it goes live!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Check out this SNEAK PEEK of CHAPTER 1!<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Blurb<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The first time I met Max Yearwood was on a blind date.<\/p>\n

Max was insanely gorgeous, funny, and our chemistry was off the charts. He also had the biggest dimples I\u2019d ever laid eyes on.<\/p>\n

Exactly what I needed after my breakup.<\/p>\n

Or so I thought\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Until my\u00a0real date<\/em>\u00a0arrived.<\/p>\n

Turned out, Max wasn\u2019t who I was there to meet. He only pretended to be until my\u00a0real date<\/em>\u00a0showed up.<\/p>\n

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.<\/p>\n

Before he left, he slipped me a ticket to a hockey game a few blocks away, in case things didn\u2019t work out on my actual date.<\/p>\n

I tossed the ticket into my purse and went about trying to enjoy the man I was supposed to meet.<\/p>\n

But my real blind date and I had no connection.<\/p>\n

So on my way home, I decided to take a chance and stop by the game.<\/p>\n

When I arrived, the seat next to me was empty.<\/p>\n

Disappointed again, I decided to leave at the end of the period.<\/p>\n

Just before the buzzer, one of the teams scored, and the entire arena went crazy.<\/p>\n

A player\u2019s face flashed up on the Jumbotron. He was wearing a helmet, but I froze when he smiled.<\/p>\n

You guessed it:\u00a0Dimples<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Apparently,\u00a0my fake blind date hadn\u2019t invited me to\u00a0watch<\/em>\u00a0hockey with him, he\u2019d invited me to\u00a0watch him\u00a0play<\/em>.<\/p>\n

And so began my adventure with Max Yearwood.<\/p>\n

He was everything I needed at the time\u2014fun, sexy, up for anything, and only around for a few months since he\u2019d signed with a new team three-thousand miles away.<\/p>\n

Max\u00a0proposed we spend the summer\u00a0helping me forget my ex.\u00a0It sounded like a good plan. Things couldn\u2019t get too serious when we had an expiration date.\u00a0Right?<\/em><\/p>\n

Though,\u00a0you know what they say about the\u00a0best-laid plans.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Add to Goodreads<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Excerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n

CHAPTER 1<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can I get you?\u201d The bartender set a napkin down in front of me.<\/p>\n

\u201cUmmm… I\u2019m meeting someone, so maybe I should wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

He rapped his knuckles against the bar. \u201cGood enough. I\u2019ll keep my eye out and stop back over when I see someone join you.\u201d<\/p>\n

But as he started to walk away, I reconsidered. \u201cActually!\u201d I raised my hand like I was in school.<\/p>\n

He turned around with a smile and arched a brow. \u201cChange your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded. \u201cI\u2019m about to meet a blind date, so I wanted to be polite, but I think I could use something to take the edge off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably a good idea. What are you drinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA pinot grigio would be great. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He came back a few minutes later with a hefty pour and leaned his elbow on the bar. \u201cSo, blind date, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

I sipped my wine and let out a sigh as I nodded. \u201cI let my mom\u2019s seventy-four-year-old friend Frannie set me up with her grandnephew to make my mom happy. She described him as \u2018a smidge ordinary, but nice\u2019. We\u2019re supposed to meet here at five thirty. I\u2019m a few minutes early.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst time letting someone fix you up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSecond, actually. The first was seven years ago. It took me this long to recover from it, if that tells you anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bartender laughed. \u201cThat bad?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was told he was a comedian. So I figured, how terrible could it be going out with someone who makes people laugh for a living? The guy showed up with a puppet<\/i>. Apparently his comedy act was as a ventriloquist. He refused to speak to me directly\u2014wanted me to talk only to his dummy. Who, by the way, was named Dirty Dave, and every other comment out of its mouth was obscene. Oh, and my date\u2019s mouth moved the entire time, so he wasn\u2019t even a very good ventriloquist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn.\u201d The bartender chuckled. \u201cNot sure I\u2019d give another blind date a chance after that, even after a few years.\u201d<\/p>\n

I sighed. \u201cI\u2019m sort of regretting it already.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if anyone comes in with a puppet, I got you covered.\u201d He gestured toward a hallway behind him. \u201cI know where all the emergency exits are, and I can sneak you out.\u201d<\/p>\n

I smiled. \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

A couple sat down on the other end of the bar, so the bartender went to help them while I continued to stare at the entrance. I\u2019d purposely taken a seat in the back corner so I could watch the front door, hoping to get a look at my date before he saw me. Not that I planned to ditch if he wasn\u2019t handsome, but I didn\u2019t want him to read disappointment on my face if I felt any. I\u2019d always been terrible at masking my feelings.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later, the restaurant\u2019s door opened and a drop-dead gorgeous guy walked in. He looked like he belonged on a men\u2019s cologne ad, probably emerging from crystal blue Caribbean water. I got excited, until I realized he couldn\u2019t be my date.<\/p>\n

Frannie had described Adam as a computer nerd. And pretty much any question I\u2019d asked her about him, she\u2019d answered, \u201cAbout average.\u201d<\/p>\n

How tall is he? About average.<\/i><\/p>\n

Is he handsome? About average.<\/i><\/p>\n

Body type? About average.<\/i><\/p>\n

This guy was tall, with broad shoulders, big, blue bedroom eyes, a chiseled jawline, dark hair that was sort of messy, but totally worked for him, and even though he was wearing a simple dress shirt and slacks, I could tell he was buff underneath. Frannie would have to be crazy to think anything about him was average.<\/p>\n

Oh.<\/p>\n

Oh!<\/i><\/p>\n

Well, she was a little\u2026different. Last time I went to Florida to see Mom, we went to lunch with Frannie, and she\u2019d glowed orange from an excessive amount of self-tanner she\u2019d bought on the Home Shopping Network. She also spent all afternoon telling us about her recent road trip to New Mexico to attend a UFO convention in Roswell.<\/p>\n

But even with that factored in, this guy didn\u2019t look like a computer nerd. Nevertheless, his eyes scanned the room, and when they met mine, he smiled.<\/p>\n

Dimples.<\/i><\/p>\n

Deep ones.<\/p>\n

Oh, Lord. My heart did a little pitter-patter.<\/p>\n

Could I be this lucky?<\/i><\/p>\n

Apparently it was possible. Because the guy headed right toward me. I probably should\u2019ve played it cool and looked away, but it was impossible not to stare.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged. \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought that was a bit of an odd response, but his smile widened, and those cavernous dimples seemed to turn my brain to mush.<\/p>\n

\u201cNice to meet you. I\u2019m Frannie. My mom is friends with Georgia.\u201d I shook my head. \u201cSorry. I mean, I\u2019m<\/i> Georgia. My mom is friends with Frannie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNice to meet you, Georgia.\u201d<\/p>\n

He extended his hand, and when I placed mine in it, mine felt really\u2026small.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to say, you are definitely not what I was expecting. Frannie didn\u2019t describe you very accurately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter or worse?\u201d<\/p>\n

Was he joking?<\/i> \u201cShe may have described you as a nerd.\u201d<\/p>\n

He sat down on the stool next to me. \u201cI usually don\u2019t admit this when I first meet a woman, but I do have a Star Wars<\/i> action figure collection.\u201d He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. \u201cIn fact, I almost always have one on me. I\u2019m a bit superstitious, and they bring me luck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam unfolded his big hand to reveal a tiny Yoda. He leaned over and set it on the bar in front of me, and a hint of cologne wafted through the air. Smells as good as he looks.<\/i> There had to be something majorly wrong with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen tend to not like Star Wars<\/i> for some reason,\u201d he said. \u201cOr a grown man carrying around an action figure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually like Star Wars<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n

He put his hand over his heart. \u201cA beautiful woman who likes Star Wars<\/i>? Should we skip the formalities and just grab a flight to Vegas to get married?\u201d<\/p>\n

I laughed. \u201cMaybe, but first promise me you aren\u2019t into ventriloquism.\u201d<\/p>\n

He crossed his heart. \u201cStar Wars<\/i> is as bad as it gets.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bartender came over to take Adam\u2019s drink order. I was surprised when he asked for a Diet Coke.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going to join me for a cocktail or a glass of wine?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head. \u201cWish I could, but I have to work later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded. \u201cYeah. I wish I didn\u2019t. But I actually need to get out of here in a little while.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d thought we were meeting for drinks and<\/i> dinner, but perhaps Frannie had gotten that wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, okay.\u201d I forced a smile.<\/p>\n

Apparently Adam saw right through it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI swear I\u2019m not making that up. I do have to work. But I definitely would love to stay. Since I can\u2019t, is it too early to say I\u2019d love to see you again?\u201d<\/p>\n

I sipped my wine. \u201cHmmm… I\u2019m not sure about that. Normally, I get to know someone on a first date, so I can weed out the serial killers and nutjobs. How am I supposed to know you\u2019re not the next Ted Bundy if you\u2019re running out of here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stroked the scruff on his chin and looked at his watch. \u201cI have about fifteen minutes. Why don\u2019t we cut the small talk and you can ask me anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m an open book. Take your best shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

I gulped my wine and turned in my seat to face him. \u201cAlright. But I want to watch your face as I grill you. I\u2019m terrible at hiding lies on mine but great at reading others.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled and turned, giving me his full attention. \u201cGo for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Do you live with your mother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, ma\u2019am. She doesn\u2019t even live in the same state. But I do call home every Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you ever been arrested?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic indecency in college. I was pledging a fraternity, and me and a bunch of other guys had to walk through the center of town naked. A group of girls stopped us and asked if any of us could hula hoop. Everyone else kept walking. I figured they were all too chicken, so I stopped. Apparently, the guys weren\u2019t afraid; I was just the only one who didn\u2019t see the cop coming out of a store a couple of doors down.\u201d<\/p>\n

I laughed. \u201cCan you actually hula hoop?\u201d<\/p>\n

He winked. \u201cOnly naked. You wanna see?\u201d<\/p>\n

The smile on my face widened. \u201cI\u2019ll take your word for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShame.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen was the last time you had sex?\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time, the smile on his face wilted. \u201cTwo weeks ago. Are you gonna hold that against me?\u201d<\/p>\n

I shook my head. \u201cNot necessarily. I appreciate the honesty. You could have lied and said a while ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, good. What else you got?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you ever been in a relationship?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwice. Once in college for a year, and then I dated a woman for eighteen months, and that ended two years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did they end?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCollege, because I was twenty and\u2026it was a crazy time in my life. And the woman I dated a few years back, because she wanted to get married and start a family, and I wasn\u2019t ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

I tapped my pointer to my bottom lip. \u201cHmm\u2026 Yet you just asked me to go to Vegas and marry you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He grinned. \u201cShe didn\u2019t like Star Wars<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n

We were both too busy laughing to notice a guy walk up to us. I figured he must have known Adam, so I politely smiled and looked to him. But the guy spoke to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to interrupt, but are you Georgia Delaney?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled. \u201cI\u2019m Adam Foster. Frannie showed me a picture of you, but it was from a costume party.\u201d He motioned to the side of his head, twirling his hand around in a circle. \u201cYou were dressed as Princess Leia, with your hair all pinned up on the sides, so you looked a little different than you do now.\u201d<\/p>\n

I furrowed my brow. \u201cYou\u2019re\u2026Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

The guy seemed just as confused as I was. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now this man<\/i> looked like what I\u2019d been expecting: worn, brown tweed jacket, cropped hair parted to one side\u2014sort of the average Joe that worked in the IT department at your office. But\u2026<\/p>\n

If he was Adam, then who was this?<\/p>\n

I looked at the guy sitting next to me for an answer. Though that\u2019s not what I got.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you really dress as Princess Leia for a Halloween party?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam, or whoever the hell the guy sitting next to me was, put his finger over my lips and turned to the man who was apparently my date. \u201cCan you just give us a minute?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cUmm\u2026sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as average Adam walked away, I laid into hot Adam. \u201cWho the hell are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry. My name is Max.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you make a habit of pretending to be someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head. \u201cI just\u2026I saw you sitting at the bar through the window when I was passing by, and you had such a pretty smile. I came over to introduce myself, and it was clear you were here to meet someone else. I guess I sort of panicked that you weren\u2019t going to talk to me since I wasn\u2019t Adam. So I went with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what if my date hadn\u2019t showed up? Would you have pretended to be Adam on a second date?\u201d<\/p>\n

Max dragged a hand through his hair. \u201cI didn\u2019t think that far ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Normally catching a date in a lie would make me angry, but finding out Max wasn\u2019t Adam was more disappointing than anything. We\u2019d had great chemistry, and I couldn\u2019t remember the last time I\u2019d laughed so much meeting someone new.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas every answer a lie? Do you even like Star Wars<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n

He held up both hands. \u201cI swear. The only thing that wasn\u2019t the truth was my name.\u201d<\/p>\n

I sighed. \u201cWell, Max<\/i>, thanks for the entertainment. But I don\u2019t want to keep my real date<\/i> waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

He frowned, but nodded and stood. \u201cIt was nice meeting you. I guess asking for your number would be stupid right about now?\u201d<\/p>\n

I gave him a look. \u201cYes, it would. Have a good night, Max.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at me for a few seconds, then slipped a bill out of his wallet and tossed a hundred on the counter. \u201cYou, too, Georgia. I really enjoyed meeting you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Max took a few steps away, but then stopped and walked back. He again took out his billfold, only this time he peeled off what looked like a ticket of some sort and placed it on the bar in front of me. \u201cI\u2019d really love to see you again. If your real date turns out to be a dud or you change your mind, I promise I will never tell you another lie.\u201d He pointed to the ticket. \u201cI\u2019ll be at the hockey game over at the Garden at seven thirty, if you would consider giving me another shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

What he said seemed heartfelt, but I was here to meet another man. Not to mention, I was really disappointed. I shook my head. \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a sullen face, Max nodded one last time before walking away. I didn\u2019t have time to process everything, but I felt a strange sense of loss when I watched him walk out the door. Though as soon as he disappeared from sight, my real date was next to me.<\/p>\n

I had to force a smile. \u201cSorry about that. We, um, just had some business to wrap up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem.\u201d He smiled. \u201cI\u2019m just glad that guy wasn\u2019t hitting on you, and I didn\u2019t have to defend your honor. He was a tank.\u201d Real Adam sat down. \u201cCan I order you another wine?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be great. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u2026I take it you\u2019re a big Star Wars<\/i> fan?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm? Oh, because of the costume.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam pointed to the bar. \u201cAnd the little Yoda.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked down. Max had left his Yoda figurine behind. I guess he hadn\u2019t been lying about being a Star Wars<\/i> fan, considering he carried an action figure in his pocket. At least I hoped it wasn\u2019t just a prop he used when he told strangers tall tales at bars and lied about his name.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Real Adam talked about artificial intelligence\u2014a lot<\/i>.<\/p>\n

I tried to get my head back in the game after the Max letdown, but I knew before my actual date and I had finished a drink at the bar that this would be our only date. Adam was a nice-enough guy; there was just no connection, physical or mental. I wasn\u2019t into computers or Bitcoin, which seemed to be a big thing for him, and he wasn\u2019t into any of my hobbies, such as hiking, traveling, and watching old black-and-white movies. He didn\u2019t even enjoy going to the movies. Who doesn\u2019t love bingeing on popcorn and a gallon of soda while watching a big screen? Not to mention, when I told him about my work, he said he was allergic to flowers.<\/p>\n

So when the waitress came by with a dessert menu, I politely declined.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure you wouldn\u2019t like a coffee or something?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

I shook my head. \u201cI have to work in the morning. Having caffeine after noon keeps me up all night. But thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded, though I could tell he was disappointed.<\/p>\n

Outside the restaurant, he offered to share a cab, but I only lived eight blocks away. So I extended my hand to set the tone for the end of the evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very nice to meet you, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou, too. Maybe we can\u2026do this again sometime?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was so much easier to be upfront and tell a guy there wouldn\u2019t be a second date when he was a jerk. But I always struggled with the nice ones. I shrugged. \u201cYeah, maybe. Take care, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was late April, but the cold weather just wouldn\u2019t relent and allow spring to start this year, and a gust of wind blew while I waited at the intersection at the corner of the restaurant. I shoved my hands into my pockets for some warmth, and inside, something pointy pricked at my fingers. I slipped it out to see what it was.<\/p>\n

Yoda.<\/p>\n

His plastic ears were tapered to points, and there was a tiny chip on the left one. I\u2019d forgotten I\u2019d stuck him in my pocket when Adam and I had moved from the bar to a table. Looking down at him, I sighed. God, why couldn\u2019t your owner have been my actual date tonight?<\/i><\/p>\n

It had been a very long time since a man gave me the warm fuzzies in the pit of my belly\u2014not since the day I\u2019d met Gabriel. So maybe finding Yoda in my pocket was a sign? The light changed, and I walked a few more blocks, lost in thought.<\/p>\n

Did it really matter that he\u2019d pretended to be Adam? I mean, if he was telling the truth, he only did it so I\u2019d talk to him. Let\u2019s face it, if he had walked over and introduced himself as Max, I wouldn\u2019t have invited him to sit down. I would have been polite and told him I was waiting for my date, no matter how gorgeous the man was. So, I couldn\u2019t really say I blamed him\u2026I guess.<\/p>\n

I stopped for another red light at the crosswalk on 29th Street, this time at the corner of 7th as I made my way down to 2nd Avenue where I lived. While I waited, I looked to my right, and the neon lights of a sign hit me. Madison Square Garden<\/i>. Now that was definitely a sign\u2014quite literally. Between Yoda and walking right past the place Fake Adam had said he\u2019d be\u2026perhaps it was more than that.<\/p>\n

I checked the time on my phone. Twenty after eight. He\u2019d said he would be there at seven thirty, but I was sure the game took a few hours. Should I?<\/i><\/p>\n

I nibbled on my lip as the light in front of me turned green. People on both sides of me started to walk\u2026but I just stood there, staring down at Yoda.<\/p>\n

Screw it.<\/i><\/p>\n

Why not?<\/i><\/p>\n

What do I have to lose?<\/i><\/p>\n

The worst that could happen was that our initial connection fizzled or it turned out lying was one of Fake Adam\u2019s hobbies. Or\u2026the spark we\u2019d had might lead to just the distraction I was looking for. I wouldn\u2019t know unless I tried.<\/p>\n

For the most part, I was pretty conservative with my choices in men. And look where that had gotten me. I was a twenty-eight-year-old workaholic, going on blind dates with my mom\u2019s friend\u2019s relatives. So screw it\u2014I was going.<\/p>\n

Once I made the decision, I couldn\u2019t wait to get there. I practically jogged to Madison Square Garden, even in my heels from work. Inside, I showed my ticket to an usher standing at the entrance to the section listed, and he showed me to my seat.<\/p>\n

As I walked down the stadium stairs, I looked around and noticed I was pretty overdressed. Most of the people had on jerseys and jeans. There were even a few shirtless guys with their bodies painted, and here I was wearing a cream silk blouse, red pencil skirt, and my favorite Valentino pumps. At least Max had been pretty dressed up.<\/p>\n

I hadn\u2019t noticed the row number on the ticket before handing it over to the usher, but the seats must\u2019ve been decent because we just kept walking down toward the ice. When we hit the very first row, the usher extended his hand. \u201cHere you go. Seat two is the second one in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, first row, directly in the middle on the fifty-yard line.\u201d<\/p>\n

The guy smiled. \u201cIn hockey we call it center ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026okay.\u201d But the seat next to the one he\u2019d shown me to was empty, and Max was nowhere in sight. \u201cDid you happen to see the person sitting in the seat at the end?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

The usher shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m not positive, but I don\u2019t think they\u2019ve arrived yet. Enjoy the game, miss.\u201d<\/p>\n

After he walked away, I stood looking down at the two empty seats. This was one outcome I hadn\u2019t thought about: I might get stood up. Actually, would it even be considered standing someone up if the other person didn\u2019t know you were coming? I wasn\u2019t sure. But I was here, so I might as well take a seat and see if Max showed. He\u2019d said he had to work, so perhaps he was running late. Or maybe he was already here, just in the men\u2019s room or in line for a beer.<\/p>\n

A woman sat on the other side of me. She smiled as I settled in. \u201cHi. Are you here to watch Yearwood? He\u2019s on fire tonight, already slashed two in the net. Too bad they\u2019re probably not going to be able to hold onto him for next season.\u201d<\/p>\n

I shook my head. \u201cOh. No, I\u2019m actually meeting someone. I\u2019ve never been to a live hockey game before.\u201d Just as I said it, two guys slammed into the glass wall directly in front of me. I jumped, and the woman next to me laughed as they skated away.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat happens a lot. You\u2019ll get used to it.\u201d She reached out her hand. \u201cI\u2019m Jenna, by the way. I\u2019m married to Tomasso.\u201d She pointed to the rink. \u201cNumber twelve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, wow. I guess I\u2019m sitting next to the right person for my first game.\u201d I put my hand to my chest. \u201cI\u2019m Georgia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything you want explained, Georgia, you just let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the next twenty minutes, I tried to watch the game. But I kept looking around to see if Max was coming down the stairs. Unfortunately, he never did. By nine o\u2019clock, it was pretty clear I\u2019d wasted my time. Since I had early meetings tomorrow morning, I decided to call it a night. The game clock showed less than a minute until the end of the second period, so I figured I\u2019d wait until then so I wouldn\u2019t be blocking people\u2019s views as I climbed the stairs back up to the exit. These hockey fans seemed pretty into the game.<\/p>\n

When the clock hit nine seconds, one of the guys scored a goal, and the place went crazy again. Everyone jumped up, so I did the same, only I used it as an opportunity to slip on my jacket. I leaned to the woman next to me and yelled. \u201cI don\u2019t think my date\u2019s coming, so I\u2019m going to head out. Have a good night.\u201d<\/p>\n

But as I turned to leave, something caught my attention on the Jumbotron. The player who\u2019d scored held his stick up in the air celebrating, and a bunch of the guys on his team were whacking him on the head. His helmet covered most of his face, but those eyes\u2026 I know those eyes<\/i>. The player took out his mouth guard, waved it in the air, and smiled right at the camera.<\/p>\n

Dimples.<\/i><\/p>\n

Big ones.<\/p>\n

My eyes went wide.<\/p>\n

No\u2026it couldn\u2019t be.<\/p>\n

I continued to stare at the screen with my mouth hanging open until the guy\u2019s face was no longer on it.<\/p>\n

The woman next to me finished cheering. \u201cSee? I told you he was on fire. If this is your first game, you\u2019ve picked a good one to watch. You don\u2019t see a lot of hat tricks in a single period. Yearwood is having his best season ever. Too bad the rest of his team isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYearwood? That\u2019s the name of the guy who just scored?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jenna laughed at my question. \u201cYup. Team captain and arguably the best player in the NHL these days. They call him Pretty Boy<\/i> for obvious reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s his first name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMax. I figured you knew him, since those are his seats you\u2019re sitting in.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Add to Goodreads<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

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About the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six!<\/p>\n

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Facebook Profile\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Facebook Page<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Facebook Group<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Website\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Twitter\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Instagram\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Goodreads<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you like texts better than email?<\/strong>
\nReceive text notices of Vi\u2019s new releases by texting the word BOOKS to 77948 You will ONLY receive a text when a new book goes live \u2013 no other messages at all!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out our\u00a0Vi Keeland Author Spotlight<\/a>\u00a0for more fantastic reads!<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Excited about Vi Keeland\u2019s upcoming release, The Summer Proposal?\u00a0   A Standalone Contemporary Romance Releasing January 10, 2022 Apple Books\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Paperback Sign up for\u00a0Vi\u2019s mailing list now and be the first one notified when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[290],"tags":[432,349],"class_list":["post-62938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-news","tag-excerpt-reveal","tag-vi-keeland"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/The-Summer-Proposal.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-gn8","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62938\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}