Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 20595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Graphic designer Nolan Pike is OBSESSED with Cheryl. He has been since the moment he first heard her voice. He's been patiently waiting for her to be ready for him. All bets are off now. Nolan is taking what's his.
Romance author Cheryl Bow is ready for Cupid's arrow, but only when it comes to one man. Her dream guy is about to make all her dreams come true.
This is book four in ChaShiree M & MK Moore's Love Is In The Air Series.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER 1
CHERYL BOW
“So what do you think? Is it going to be stupid? I mean I know the title is Stupid Cupid, but the book shouldn’t be stupid, and the cover shouldn’t either. Not that you could make a stupid cover. I don’t mean your covers are stupid…I was just saying…” Oh, sugar sticks. Why can’t I shut up? It’s not like I haven’t been talking to him for months, but suddenly, I am a silly Suzy or something. “Uh sorry,” I say lamely, trying to fill the awkward silence.
“No need to be sorry, Cheryl. I understand everything you say.” Oh gosh. Here he goes being nice again. My stomach is starting to do that flutter thing it does when I see his name on the caller ID.
“It’s because you are such a good listener, Nolan.” It's true. He is awesome. I met him when I was searching the internet for a graphic artist who could design my first book series, The Adventures of Beau. It’s a clean series about a girl named Beau who just turned eighteen and leaves her small town of Peep and Steep Hollow to find her destiny. What she doesn’t know is that she is a witch. Not a mean kind. Eww. No, she comes from a long line of good witches who help people find love.
What Beau doesn’t realize is that every town she goes to has a potential mate for her, and though he falls for her, she is oblivious to his charm. Until she comes to the end of her journey and has a line of suitors waiting to take her hand. It’s really quite cute.
Any who, I needed an artist who could make the witch come alive with a trail of sparkles behind her, but it needed to look like love dust, you know. I saw, like, a hundred submissions, but the minute I saw Nolan’s, I called him right away, and well, the rest is history.
Now, I am moving more toward direct romance, and it is a bit awkward trying to convey what I want the cover to look like without being embarrassed or blushing. Thank goodness it is over the phone. “Naw. No one ever accused me of being a good listener, doll. It’s just you. I like listening to you.” My cheeks are on fire. I put both of my hands up, and, yep, red hot.
“Well… uhmm, hold on,” I tell him, taking a deep breath when my other line rings. “This is Cheryl.”
“Honey, are you busy?” My mom sounds a little frazzled, and it has me worried.
“Mom, are you okay? I thought you were setting up for the festival today?” She sighs, and I know I hit the nail on the head.
“I am, sweetie. But the arch won’t stay, and I can’t find your brother or your father. Help!” Oh boy.
“Okay, Mom. I will be there in a few minutes. Just sit down, take a break. I need to finish talking to Nolan. Okay?”
“Alright sweetie. Just hurry.” Darn. I wanted this conversation to be longer, but now I have to go. I hate hanging up with him.
“Nolan?” I am hoping he didn’t hang up yet.
“Yeah. I’m still here.”
“Oh Good. Sorry about that. Festival business.” I don’t know why I didn’t tell him it was mom, other than I don’t want to seem like a mama's girl.
“I understand. Speaking of…I was wondering if you would like to go to the festival with me?” My phone falls from my hands, and I spend seconds trying to stop it from cracking as the last three have. When I actually catch it, I look at it, positive I misheard him.
“I’m sorry my phone fell. Did you just ask me to hang out with you?” He hesitates and does an exaggerated yes. Then I hit myself in the forehead because, of course, he was just asking to be nice. Duh, Cheryl.
“No, thank you. You should take someone you like, silly. That is what the festival is for. Anyway, I have to go. We will talk soon. Bye.” Hanging up, I sag against the wall, sad once again. “One day. One day you will find someone who likes you for you.” I tell myself this every day. Affirmations are a thing you know.
I just hope this one works.
CHAPTER 2
NOLAN PIKE
Four months ago, my whole life changed. For the better. A routine meeting with a new client sent me on the path that I am currently on. Growing up in Chicago, my mother and father provided a loving, nurturing home that most of my friends just didn’t have. My brother, Nick, my sister, Nora, and I grew up with the expectation that one day we’d meet our soulmates, and everything would change. Now, I wasn’t a saint while I waited for my soulmate. I dated and even slept around in my early twenties. I’m not proud of that, by the way. I’ve had a few serious girlfriends, but I’ve never been in love. I know that I’ll be able to tell the difference between a fling and the real thing. I wasn’t expecting it to hit me over the head like a ton of bricks, but when it did, I seized that feeling. I owned that feeling and made it my motherfucking bitch.