Read Online Coming Back To You by Donya Lynne - Free Book Online Page A

texts.
    But that day wasn’t today. As with all the
other messages he had typed to her, he backspaced this one out,
too. Then he leaned the back of his head on the headrest and stared
up at ceiling.
    God, what’s taking you so long? I need her.
I need her now. Before I self-destruct.

 
    Chapter 6
    Valentine’s Day
     
    Karma pulled open the door to Single Servings and
stepped inside. At least a dozen pairs of eyes turned toward her.
Last year at that Chicago benefit where she met Mark, all the
attention had excited her. Now it just made her self-conscious.
    Keeping her head down, she wandered toward
the back corner of the room.
    Why had she let Jan talk her into this?
    “Have you ever heard of Single Servings?” Jan
had said during their last session.
    “No.”
    “Well, it’s a cooking school catered toward
single people. Singles meet up, cook, eat, have a good time.
Sometimes they organize meet-ups at restaurants or do other
activities. I have a couple of other clients who attend the Single
Servings events and really enjoy them. Maybe you should give them a
try now that you’re cooking again.”
    Karma balked, holding up one hand, palm out.
“I don’t think I’m ready for something like that.” Cooking in the
privacy of her home was one thing, but teaming up with other
singles in a meet-and-greet-let’s-hook-up kind of place was
another.
    “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Jan said. “I
think you should give it a try. It sounds like something you would
really enjoy.” Jan crossed her legs. “You’ve been doing a lot of
cooking since Christmas, and even if you don’t meet anyone, if
nothing else, you’ll add a few more recipes to your pantry. It’s a
win-win any way you look at it.”
    Jan had clearly wanted her to get back into
the dating public.
    So, here she was, anti-mingling at her first
Single Servings event. The front half of the space was set up like
a restaurant, with small tables and booths. Most of the other
guests congregated around the bar stretched along the opposite
wall, but she and two other obviously timid types hovered alone in
the shadows, sipping cocktails.
    In the back, behind a low wall, a large
kitchen area was set up with multiple stations. Apparently, that
was where the cooking took place.
    “Hi there.”
    Karma turned and found a tall,
not-quite-unfamiliar man standing next to her. She could swear
she’d seen him before but couldn’t remember where.
    “Hi.” She took an automatic half step
back.
    He smiled. “You don’t remember me, do
you?”
    Karma’s gaze met his chocolate brown eyes.
“You do look familiar, but I can’t quite…” She squinted as if that
would help.
    “I met you last summer,” he said, still
smiling. “At the bookstore.”
    Karma’s mouth fell open. Flirt Quest. Oh God,
this was the man she’d unknowingly flashed her Blow Him book
at. After making a complete fool out of herself, he had hunted her
down and asked her to dinner. Or was it coffee? She couldn’t
remember. But she did remember him giving her his card.
    “Brad, right?”
    His face lit up. “Yes. And you’re…wait…don’t
tell me.” His eyes narrowed for a couple of seconds before he said,
“Karla?”
    “Close. Karma.”
    “Ah. One letter off. Damn.” He snapped his
fingers.
    His gaze danced over her face, and for a long
moment, neither of them said anything.
    “Is this your first time at Single Servings?”
he said.
    “Yes.” She glanced down into her cocktail
glass. How awkward that she actually knew someone there.
    “So, I guess you’re not still sort of
involved with someone?”
    It took her a second to understand what he
meant, and then she remembered that was what she’d told him when he
asked her out for coffee or dinner or whatever. That she was sort
of involved with someone else. Mark. She and Mark had made an
agreement that while they were together, neither would get involved
with anyone else. That’s why she hadn’t taken Brad up on his dinner
offer.