Page 1 of Once Bitten

Prologue

“And I NEVER want to see you again!” I screamed at him through the open car door.

“That’s NOT going to be a problem!” He snickered, not even bothering to look in my direction.

I slammed the car door shut as hard as I could, the sound echoing in my ears and he skidded off, leaving me standing in the dust cloud, holding my shoes, borrowed prom dress dragging in the dirt.

I vowed to hate him for the rest of my life.

I didn’t think it was going to be a hard vow to keep.

I was wrong.

Chapter One

Present Day

“Is that all, Larry?” I asked my boss, hoping his gargantuan list of things for me to do was done.

He grinned at me, “why so eager to leave? Have you got a hot date for tonight?”

I feigned being impressed. “Yes! How did you know? I need to get home and get ready; microwave dinners and Netflix don’t just wait for anyone,” I finished sarcastically.

Larry snickered and handed me a piece of paper. “Well, then you don’t mind staying to book these plane tickets for me...and for you.”

I moaned and dropped my head on the desk.

When I started this PA job with Cabot Industries four years ago, I thought all the business travel was going to be so glamorous. It was actually the reason I’d applied for the job in the first place, ‘must be time flexible and able to travel at a moment’s notice’ the advertisement had requested.

It sounded like heaven.

Now it sounded like five hours cramped on a plane next to a grumpy boss, desperately trying to finish business briefs

before endless meetings and living off egg sandwiches and orange juice for four days.

“How long this time?” I asked, hoping the answer was in days and not weeks.

“Not long, only 7 nights.” Larry answered, knowing how to play down the business trips to me by now.

“And where to?”

Larry grinned at me again. “I thought you’d never ask. Look at my notes.”

I glanced at them, warily. Larry’s ‘surprises’ were usually not all they were cracked up to be.

I skimmed the printed page, until I saw the destination. I jumped out of my seat, papers flying off my lap.

“NO WAY!” I screeched at the still grinning Larry. “You are KIDDING!”

Larry sobered, his face suddenly glum. “Yes, I am kidding.”

My entire body deflated and I sat back down into the chair. What a sick joke. I took a breath and tried to ask again calmly, “ok, so where are we really going?” I tried to keep my disappointment for when I was back at my desk.

Larry looked at me for a moment, and then his face broke apart into a huge smile and chuckled.

“I’m kidding about kidding, you daft idiot. I’m not THAT cruel. Yes! We’re going to Paris! For a week! And we need to be there in two days. So go. Go book us tickets.”

“OH MY GOD!” I jumped out of my chair again, even more excited than before. I’d wanted to go to France my whole life. Paris, in particular. Country life was quaint and all, but I craved the hustle and bustle of big cities. That was the reason I had moved to Manhattan in the first place. Big city, fashion capital and the best food in the world - I’d always felt Paris was the home that was waiting for me to return.

I ran over to Larry’s side of the desk and gave him a big hug. “You’re the best boss EVER! Thank you!” I babbled.

He returned the hug and then made a face and pushed me away. “Yuck, girl cooties. Hey, this is like your dream holiday, I guess I don’t even have to pay you.”

I grinned. “Not on your life. I need shopping money.”

I grabbed my notes from our meeting and skipped out to my desk, on cloud nine. “Paris!” I happily exclaimed as I dialed the travel agent. “I LOVE traveling for work!”