Unexpected Chance Read Free

after me. I know that when I read a
romance novel there is always that twist, but that was one I didn’t want to
experience. I just wanted to experience the romance, love, tender kisses,
moonlight strolls, and the sound of his voice before I fell asleep. Yeah,
that’s what I wanted. I blocked everything out, closed my eyes, and could
almost picture it all.
    I jumped as my phone vibrated. It was a text from Julie.
    Julie: 6:55 p.m.—I saw you
get out of the cab over fifteen minutes ago! Get your ass in here! It is going
to start soon.
    I felt embarrassed that I was standing on the sidewalk alone
staring into nothing. God, I am such a loser, and I am worried about meeting
losers? I laughed to myself at the irony. I straightened my skirt, adjusted
my top, took a deep breath, and made my way inside.
    The club was gorgeous and looked very posh. It was different from
most of the clubs I had been to. The décor was comfortable and enticing at the
same time. There was a mild floral scent permeating the air. I couldn’t put my
finger on what flower it was. It was dimly lit, but I could see the small round
tables surrounded by cozy crushed-velvet chairs, which were silver and burgundy.
There were high-top tables with stools scattered around. The dance floor looked
like glass and was huge. It could easily accommodate over a hundred dancers,
and the DJ booth behind it was encased in glass. It was a really stunning
setup. I looked over at the bar made of dark wood. Its glass shelves were gently
lit and displayed bottles of top-shelf liquor. This definitely wasn’t your run
of the mill nightclub. It was perfect and opulent down to every detail, and all
the glass made you feel as if you were floating and could see through
everything. It was really pretty.
    Julie saw me gawking at the club. She walked over to me, grabbed
my arm, and started dragging me next to her. “You look beautiful, Aubrey. Just
relax. Everything will be fine.” I smiled and took a deep breath. She handed me
a ticket and a name tag. Thankfully, last names weren’t on there. With my luck,
I’d meet a stalker or worse a murderer. I had a really bad feeling about the
guys who were going to be here.
    Julie led me to a small room adjacent to the bar where the event
was going to be held. There were about twelve tables with two chairs at each of
them. Each table was covered in a crisp white linen tablecloth and decorated
with a single white orchid in a small vase. It dawned on me that that was the
scent I smelled—orchids. It was still early, so the rest of the club wasn’t
busy yet, but this little room was bustling with daters. I hurried and scoped
out those in attendance.
    Julie’s boss, Brian, who was married, in his fifties, and had
salt and pepper colored hair, didn’t look as if he wanted to be there. He
gathered the group and told us the rules. “You get six minutes together. Make
them count. Write your date’s name on the scorecard. When you hear the first
bell, your date begins. You are not allowed to touch or ask for last names,
phone numbers, or addresses. I will ring the bell when your six minutes are up.
At that time, all gentlemen stand and move to the table to your right, and
ladies, stay where you are. You will have one minute to complete the required scorecards,
which are on your table. This will reoccur until the dating has concluded, at
which time you will hear the sound of two bells. At that time, you can move
about the room, and you will need to bring your scorecards to myself or my
colleague, Julie.” Julie gave a small wave so people would see who she was. She
was so damn cute. I couldn’t help but smile.
    I stared at the scorecards as if they were laughing at me. I had
a thought that made my stomach turn. What if no one gave me a good score or
rating? How embarrassing would that be? I have to say the ladies in this
group were attractive and maybe slightly older than I was, but most twenty-five
year olds would be coming to the club later