Saddled – Once a Week at Woody’s, Book 1 – Chapter 3

Almost there!

Only three more days until Saddled is released!

In the days leading up to it, I’ll post Chapters 1 through 4 here, every other day.
April 21 – Chapter 1 – click here!
April 23 – Chapter 2 – click here!
April 25 – Chapter 3 – today!
April 26 – Chapter 4 (updated)
April 28 – Release day!!

Be sure to pre-order Saddled for 99 cents. The price goes up to $2.99 on April 28, 2020.

Find the third chapter below!

Will an office no-dating policy stand in the way of love?

Since her breakup with her cheating ex, Sandra Weber has been just going through the motions as Sales Manager at Studletter Condom Company. But when Michael Thorne is hired as an assistant, sparks in the office begin to fly.

Though Michael, aka Saddle McFleshbomb, loves dancing at Woody O’Flanagan’s Pub, he’s looking to move up in the world. His schooling almost finished, he lands a plum job as the only man in an office filled with women: four so exasperatingly humorless that it’s funny, and one stunning beauty with a laugh that warms the cockles of his heart.

When Sandra shows up at Woody’s on a rare night that he’s dancing for men, she assumes he’s gay, and therefore the no-dating policy doesn’t apply. But he’s not. He’s intensely interested in her. And he’s afraid to tell her he’s straight.

If you like light romantic comedy, hot office flirtations, and a long slow burn, you’ll love Saddled, the first book in Linda G. Hill’s “Once a Week at Woody’s” series.

Score a seat at Woody O’Flanagan’s Pub today!

Chapter 3

“The office staff have kidnapped Michael.” It was the first thing out of Sandra’s mouth when she and Georgia sat down in Hare’s, the most expensive restaurant in Bevershire. Sandra thought the expense was warranted after her horrendous weekend.

“The girls are probably turning that poor man against me as we speak,” Sandra said as she plucked her napkin out of her water glass and laid it in her lap. The sun streamed through the plate glass window and reflected off her silver cutlery.

“Well, after what you did to Norma …” Georgia smirked playfully.

“What? I didn’t do anything anyone else wouldn’t have done. I mean, it was one thing when Myrtle caught them half-undressed amid the cases of lubricant, but the fight …”

“Oh the fight. That was an epic fight.”

“And while she was working reception with a bunch of drug company execs waiting to see the CEO. That shit is why office romances are policied against.”

“Policied?”

“I just made it up. Anyway, you know there’s much more to the decision than that. And it was a long time coming.”

“Very true.” Georgia gave her a wicked look, the one she got when she was about to say something outrageous. “It wouldn’t be fighting with Mr. Thorne at reception that would get you fired.”

Sandra blinked over her glasses at her best friend.

“Oh, come on, Sandra. You need another guy in your life.”

“Even if I did—and after what happened with Larry, I don’t—but even if I did, I’d have to wait until Mr. Thorne’s contract is up before I could date him.”

“But, he’s so hot!”

“And you’re so bad. Thanks again, by the way, for torturing me with a demi-god to drool over at work every day.”

“My pleasure,” Georgia said with a smile. “Speaking of torture, tell me about your weekend.”

The waiter, an attractive young man in a crisp uniform, came over with an icy water jug and asked to take their orders, saving Sandra from answering right away.

After the past couple of days, all Sandra wanted was something fattening, but Georgia ordered a salad, so Sandra did too. She’d get dessert if talking about it didn’t ease the craving.

The waiter walked away, and Sandra sipped her water, stalling for time, knowing Georgia was patient.

“So here’s the thing. I went to Larry’s mother’s funeral expecting to feel something for him. Anything that was slightly … even nurturing. The need to comfort him or something. But there was nothing except pity.”

“Was she there?”

“No. I wanted to ask Larry’s sister if she was still in his life, but she was grieving. And it all seemed so trivial under the circumstances.”

“Whether or not Larry’s affair was worth breaking up a four-year relationship over is hardly trivial.”

“No. But the fact is I couldn’t really care less.”

Her tea and Georgia’s coffee came. Sandra put an unhealthy amount of sugar in before she continued.

“But that’s not the worst part.”

“Oh oh. I figured as much. Go on.”

“At the get-together after the funeral, I expected to hang out with some of Larry’s distant relatives—his sister, his aunt, and all the ones I met when we went on that trip to Italy.”

“And?”

“Larry wouldn’t stop acting like we were still a couple. I don’t know if he wanted to spare them the extra grief of knowing we’d broken up, but he obviously hadn’t told anyone. Not even his father and his sister. So there I was in the awkward position of having to stand close to him all night.”

“You must have been livid,” Georgia said as she shifted her coffee out of the way to lean on the table.

“I was. But when I went to confront Larry about it after the get-together, he jumped in his car and left. We barely said a word to each other all day, and not at all in private.”

“That rat bastard,” Georgia said.

The waiter came back with their salads and they thanked him.

“Well, if it helps any, Michael Thorne’s blue eyes are enough to put Larry’s to shame. And I know how you love a man with blue eyes.”

“Really? Are they really that blue?” She bit the words out, her frustration with Georgia’s insistence building. But her best friend wasn’t deterred; she knew what Sandra wanted, probably better than Sandra did. She always had.

“They’re the color of the sky on a cloudless day in May.”

“You’re terrible. Stop trying to tempt me.” Sandra took a bite of her salad and her eyes rolled around almost to the back of her head. “There’s a reason places like this charge so much.”

“Right?” Georgia said past her mouthful of food.

Despite the deliciousness, Sandra’s mind wandered back to Michael. “So, blue eyes, huh?”

Georgia smiled at her knowingly. “Hunt him down this afternoon and see for yourself.”

She would, she thought. It couldn’t hurt.

But when she got back to the office, Cynthia’s door was closed, and Michael wasn’t at his desk. An online conference took up the rest of her afternoon.

At five to five, when the office was packing up for the day, she decided to go out and introduce herself—it was, obviously, the professional thing to do. But her phone rang just as she was about to pick up her purse to leave. It was Larry.

~*~*~*~

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See you tomorrow for Chapter 4, when Sandra and Michael will finally meet!