Blitz (Rayne Deare Dating Agency Book 8) Read online

  Blitz

  A

  Rayne Deare Dating Agency Novel

  By: Marie Fraser

  Blitz

  This publication is part of a series of products and publications. For more information, please visit: http://www.Operation40k.com/.

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  Copyright 2018 Marie Fraser

  All RIGHTS RESERVED. One or more global copyright treaties protect the information in this document. This Special Report is not intended to provide exact details or advice. This report is for informational purposes only. Author reserves the right to make any changes necessary to maintain the integrity of the information held within. This Special Report is not presented as legal or accounting advice. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owner.

  NOTICE OF LIABILITY

  In no event, shall the author or the publisher be responsible or liable for any loss of profits or other commercial or personal damages, including but not limited to special incidental, consequential, or any other damages, in connection with or arising out of furnishing, performance or use of this book.

  All Characters, events and locations in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, dead or living, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Cover art: Sabrina Ihadadene

  Chapter One: Work-Related

  “Blitzen!” Mrs. C. called, her customary tray of hot chocolate mugs in hand. He stopped to wait on her, amused by the hustle in her step. No one knew her true age, but for woman who seemed to be ancient, she moved like someone who always had renewed energy.

  “Morning, Mrs. C. What can I do for you?”

  “Actually, there’s something I can do for you. You got a hit for a reply on the dating website.”

  “Oh,” Blitzen said, not really interested. “I’m grateful you were so thoughtful, but I’m not really into the dating scene at the moment.”

  “Alright,” Mrs. C. “If you give me your phone, I can delete your profile.”

  “I’m sorry,” Blitzen said, handing over his Android.

  Mrs. C. gave it back a few minutes later, with a smile. “It’s not a problem Mrs. C. said.

  ***

  Sarah Stevens turned the key in the lock of the Prescott Learning Library. She pulled her purse onto her shoulder and pulled her coat closed tighter to ward off the chill in the air. Taking a deep breath, she sighed. Winter was on its way, again. People often asked her why she didn’t move to warmer climates if she hated the snow and cold so much. Lately she’d been wondering the same thing.

  She bundled up as best she could before starting the walk home. She knew that as the weather got colder, she’d have motorists offering her a ride. But with just three blocks to go, she never saw the point in bringing her car, unless it was raining or storming outside. It only took up a parking space, after all.

  Fifteen minutes later, she tossed her keys onto her kitchen counter and pressed the button on her answering machine. The first two calls were telemarketers and Sarah ignored them while she pulled out a soup mix for supper. The third call peaked her interest and she stopped to listen.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I received a text from this number and just wanted to let you know that while the offer is intriguing, I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline. It’s very thoughtful and much appreciated, but again, I’m afraid I can’t commit to that sort of timeline. Best wishes with your project.”

  What the hell? Sarah thought. She listened to the message again and sat down to contemplate. She decided that texting the person back was the best approach and was just about to do it when her first guest arrived for supper.

  “Hey girl,” Anissa said with a wide smile. Anissa Woods was a beautiful woman with an enigmatic smile and a habitually positive outlook. She and Sarah had been friends for more than five years now and Sarah treasured their weekly get-togethers. When Anissa headed for the bathroom, Sarah sent a quick text to the number on her machine and then set her phone on the bar and put the stranger out of her mind.

  An hour and a half later, she was sitting at her kitchen table with three of her best friends in the whole world. Anissa, who was almost always the first to arrive, Amanda Demeray, and Debbie Howell. She’d known Amanda and Debbie nearly her whole life as they’d all gone to the same school. Anissa had been the new addition and she’d fit into their little group like a glove.

  “Seriously?” Amanda chuckled.

  “I’m telling you,” Sarah said, with a laugh. “I about fell out of my chair.”

  “I can’t believe Mrs. Schroeder asked for anything, being that she knows positively everything.”

  “Everything, my ass,” Anissa said. Anissa worked with Mrs. Schroeder at the OpticMart Eyewear Center and could personally attest to exactly how much the woman didn’t know.

  “Well,” Debbie said, taking a sip of her wine, “Just like you can’t fix stupid, you also can’t convince someone of anything they aren’t willing to have an open mind about.”

  “True,” Amanda chimed in.

  Sarah’s phone dinged three times before anyone mentioned it. “Seems pretty important,” Anissa said, eyeing the phone.

  Sarah sighed and picked it up, scrolling until she found the recent texts. She quickly read through them, chuckling after a moment. “Well?” Debbie asked, her eye quirking up in interest.

  “Apparently, a guy got a text from my phone. He called back and left a message. I decided to send him a text to apologize for the mix up.”

  “And?”

  “And…he texted back.”

  “Oh?” Amanda said, a smile curving her mouth.

  Sarah sighed, knowing she’d never hear the end of it, if she didn’t let them see. She sat down, her phone in hand and grinned. Whoever the guy was, he was funny.

  No apology needed, but next time send a pizza, supreme with extra olives. And two twelve packs.

  “He is humorous,” Debbie said. “Why not be humorous back?”

  “Alright,” Sarah grinned. She read her text to her friends. “Send me your address and I’ll have them delivered.”

  A moment later she read: “Blitzen Chikovsky-2201 N. Heart Boulevard, North Pole, Arctic Circle 230293-2302

  Sarah chuckled as she read it. “Ask him if he has a pizza preference,” Anissa suggested.

  “Supreme, baby,” she read to her friends.

  In the end, the women decided that eventually they’d send some pizza and beer to the address provided. Sarah laughed when she discussed the delivery person’s reaction and how much a tip would cost to actually deliver pizza and beer to the Arctic Circle.

  “I’d be demanding a serious tip,” Amanda said, popping a piece of candy into her mouth.

  “Damn right,” Debbie agreed.

  After the women had eaten all the food and watched two rom-com movies, they called it a night and Sarah hugged each on in turn. “Keep us updated on Frost boy,” Amanda said with a wink.

  “I promise,” Sarah smiled. She shut and locked her door before sighing and pouring herself a glass of wine.

  ***

  Blitzen checked his phone and grinned when he noticed a text from Sarah. They’d been chatting back and forth for the last couple weeks and he found her sense of humor and willingness to play along both nice and arousing. He’d always had a thing for a woman who could take a joke, but the fact that Sarah could dish them out as well was a serious turn-on.

  Do you wanna meet me, sometime? Blitzen sent one afternoon after w
ork.

  Sure, came the quick reply. Time and date?

  How about Friday, at Carbanera’s, say 8pm?

  It’s a date, Sarah replied, adding a smiley face emoticon.

  Blitzen found Sarah on Facebook and Instagram and looked through pictures and feed updates, growing more interested with each swipe. She was definitely a reader, Blitzen noticed, considering the number of books she actively reviewed. The small, square-framed glasses she wore screamed librarian and that thought made Blitzen smile. Still, he wasn’t sure getting too involved with her was a good thing.

  After Marcy, he wasn’t really interested in dating anyone. But making a new friend was always a good thing and he was looking forward to Friday.

  ***

  Sarah couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so nervous. She was sitting in the waiting area at Carbanera’s, an upscale Italian restaurant, and her hands were shaking. How long had she been waiting, she wondered? A quick look at her phone told her it had only been fifteen minutes. Maybe he’d had car trouble. When a loud car pulled up to the valet area, she watched a well-dressed man toss his keys to the driver and rolled her eyes. What an egotistical jerk, she thought. Couldn’t even be kind enough to tip the man for the service he provided. With a huff of righteous irritation, she turned back to watch the people who were seated inside, feeling awkward and out of place.

  “Sarah?” came a strong male voice.

  Sarah turned and looked up into the smiling face of Mr. Egotistical Jerk himself and felt her stomach lurch. He was even more handsome close-up. “Yes?”

  “Is that a question or a statement?” Blitzen grinned. And, as if he’d needed the help, his smile was perfect. Beautifully white teeth in two straight rows.

  “I mean,” Sarah said, quelling the self-righteous air in her tone, “to say, yes, I’m Sarah Stevens.”

  “In that case, it’s great to meet you, Miss Sarah Stevens,” Blitzen winked. “I’m Blitzen Chikovsky.”

  “Is that Russian?” Sarah asked as she stood up and allowed Blitzen to open the door into the restaurant.

  “My father is a Russian Diplomat,” Blitzen smiled. “And please forgive my tardiness. I wasn’t expecting to be held up at work so long.”

  “What is it you do?”

  “I’m in transportation,” Blitzen said. “My father was disappointed that I didn’t go into politics as he had, but in the end, I think I’m where I’m supposed to be. I love my job and to be honest there’s nothing I could complain about, even if I were inclined to do so.”

  “That’s not something most people can say,” Sarah noted. “That’s great.”

  “I like to think so,” he smiled. “So, what is it you do?”

  “I’m a librarian,” she said, turning around when he stopped walking. His soft chuckle set her on edge. “Is there something funny about the work I do?”

  “No,” he said, holding up both hands in surrender and peace. “I just…I was thinking to myself, yesterday, when I found your Instagram account, that you have that look. Smart, competent, sexy.”

  Sexy? Sarah thought. What was sexy about a librarian who was more comfortable inside the pages of a fairytale than in reality, with everyone else? Shrugging it off, she decided to enjoy a nice meal with an interesting guy. He pulled out her chair and Sarah tried to shake off the warm feeling that flooded her. Had she ever been on a date where a man treated her like a lady?

  ***

  “So, Sarah, tell me what a typical day is like for you.”

  Sarah gaped for a minute, before she caught herself and shut her mouth. Was she in a great dream, or was this handsome man actually asking about her? “I…most of my days are the same, except weekends.”

  “I can understand that,” he said, sipping a beer as they waited on their food.

  “Well I…I get up around six. I do half an hour of yoga before I take a shower. Then I grab a cup of coffee and a bagel or something else that’s fast, for breakfast. I’m out the door by quarter to eight. I get to work at eight and from eight until five, when the library closes, I work.”

  “What does a librarian do, exactly?”

  “We do plenty,” Sarah said, that edge back in her voice.

  “I didn’t mean any offense,” Blitzen said. “I was just asking, because I don’t frequent many libraries.”

  “Oh,” Sarah sighed. “I’m sorry. I…my last boyfriend was passive-aggressively abusive. He would constantly make snide comments about my job and was always trashing the work I did, as if it wasn’t a real job.”

  “You run the library, right?”

  “I’m the head librarian. The city council owns the library, but I’m effectively in charge.”

  “Then, no offense, but your ex doesn’t know shit. He’s a jerk who has to put other people down to make himself feel better.”

  “Why would you defend me?”

  “Because, I remember going to the library as a child. Everyone was always working. I’m assuming that means you work hard, most of the day.”

  “We have lags in time,” Sarah said. “Moments when no one really needs assistance and everything’s been shelved, re-shelved, marked and put away. I use that time to check up on email or read…mostly I read.” Sarah blushed and Blitzen grinned. If it was possible, her shyness made her even more attractive.

  ***

  They talked through supper, enjoying an easy flow of conversation. “Can you speak Russian?”

  “Fluently,” Blitzen said with a wink. “But I learned English just as well when my father became a diplomat. I didn’t want other children to make fun of me.”

  “I don’t blame you.”

  “You ever get teased for being smart?”

  “All the time as a child,” Sarah admitted. “The children I went to school with were ruthless if you were smart. I made straight A-s most of the time so you can imagine how nice they were to me.”

  “Yeah,” Blitzen said, feeling his heart jerk for the young girl Sarah must have been. “I bet they aren’t laughing now though.”

  “Probably not,” Sarah smiled. “Although I don’t keep in touch with anyone I went to school with.”

  “I can’t blame you,” Blitzen said. “I spend most of my time with my teammates and when I’m not with them, I’m usually visiting my family either in the Canada or in Russia.”

  “And you can do that regularly, working in transportation, as you do?”

  Blitzen quirked an eyebrow up for a moment. “And you assume that I can’t, or shouldn’t be able to, being that I work in transportation?”

  “No, I just…well, I suppose I assumed a little. You drive a nice car.”

  “I’m not a silver-spoon baby,” Blitzen said. “Just in case you were thinking along those lines. I’ve worked hours upon hours to make that sort of money. That and some wise investing, anyway.”

  “And your tastes run to fancy, expensive cars?”

  “My taste ran to that particular fancy car,” Blitzen grinned. “I have a few expensive tastes and I indulge them once and only once.”

  “Such as?”

  “My car,” he smiled. “Was my first indulgence. I’ve wanted that car for more than twenty-five years. So, when finances allowed, I bought it. Someday, when I have a child, I’ll pass it down to him, or her-if I should have a daughter first.”

  “A family minded, financially sound man,” Sarah all but sighed.

  Blitzen laughed. “I take it that’s something attractive to you?”

  “Just a little,” Sarah blushed, holding up her thumb and pointer finger so that a little space was left between them.

  “Good,” Blitzen grinned. “I like a smart woman.”

  “I like a man who’s willing to admit he likes a smart woman.”

  ***

  Sarah wasn’t a dating expert, in the least, but she’d guess that the flirting was equal on both parts. Although she wasn’t sure either of them was ready for more than friendship at this point. “So, let me know if this steps over the lin
e, but is this more than just dinner for you?”

  “You mean, is this going somewhere other than just a meal for a night, for me?” Blitzen asked, his dark eyes gleaming.

  “That’d be one way to put it, yes.”

  “I’ll be honest and tell you that I just got out of a really long and eventually terrible relationship. I’m not necessarily looking for this to turn into something more permanent. However, I’m not ruling that out either. I think, for me, I’d like to just take this one moment at a time and see where we go from there.”

  Sarah smiled. “I’m not entirely ready for this to be something more either,” she agreed. “I appreciate your honesty and will strive to give the same in kind.”

  “Excellent,” Blitzen said. “Now how about we go have some fun?”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  Chapter Two: Fun Friends

  Sarah turned her key in the lock of her home and smiled. She’d just ended the absolutely most perfect date she’d ever gone on. Blitzen was smart, fun, humorous and an all-around great guy to hang out with. He didn’t make a pass at her, not even discreetly and he’d been both a gentleman and a friend. She couldn’t wait until the next time they hung out.

  He’d also been upfront and honest about how he felt when considering the idea of their hanging out becoming more than that. As for herself, Sarah was a practical person and understood the reasons both she and Blitzen were hesitant to take their flirting into something more serious. Besides, having a friend was something much more valuable than simply having a lover, right?

  The next week flew by as Sarah took in tons of new inventory and opened the library to three published authors who’d wished to do a book signing there, in exchange for two or three free copies of their book. With the new inventory freshly catalogued and most of it shelved, Sarah finally closed her doors on Saturday afternoon. When she headed down the path to turn toward her home, she noticed a familiar car sitting near the sidewalk. Looking up, she smiled. “Well look what the cat dragged in,” she said, opening her arms for a hug. Blitzen picked her up for a twirl before sitting her down and giving her a squeeze.