Traci is a USA Today Bestselling Romance Author with Harlequin/Mills & Boon, Entangled Publishing, and Tule Publishing. Her stories feature sizzling heroes with humor, quick wits, and troubled pasts and heroines who are smart, tenacious, and always give as good as they get. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She loves cute animals, chocolate, coffee, hot British actors, and sarcasm—not necessarily in that order.
My first “love” was a boy in high school named Ben*. I was a freshman and he was a senior—tall, tawny hair, a sexy smile. He was Mr. Popular too, the student council president, and was he was dating a bubby, beautiful cheerleader. He seemed completely unattainable. LOL.
My best friend back then was also in “love” with Ben’s best friend, a slick athlete named Tad*. Picture a young James Spader, ala Pretty In Pink except with a more jock vibe, and you have him, complete with a red TransAm. LOL. We used to spend weekends day dreaming of how we’d meet them, casually of course because we didn’t want to be too obvious, maybe at the mall (hey, it was the 80s!) or at Powers Hamburgers—a local teen hotspot that served the best sliders EVER.
Anyway, it was autumn and the Homecoming was coming up. We decided that was when we’d make our big play. Rumor had it Ben and his girlfriend were on the outs and Tad was still playing the field. We picked out our best outfits, did our makeup and hair, got a ride to the dance with our parents because neither of us had our licenses yet.
I still remember walking into the gym that night. It was packed with people and seemed like a John Hughes film come to life. Of course, I saw Ben across the room and became completely tongue tied. My best friend and I mainly stayed with our group of friends, dancing and laughing and having a good time, waiting for our moment. Prince’s 1999 came on and everyone hit the floor, including Ben and Tad. Before we knew it, both guys had somehow made their way over to where me and my friends were dancing and suddenly we were all boogie-ing together.
Finally, the song ended and we all stood there, breathless and grinning. A slow song came on and time seemed to slow as Ben turned to me and held out his hand, asking me if I wanted to dance. To this day, I don’t know exactly what I said, but next thing I knew, I was on the darkened dance floor, swaying slowly in the arms of the guy I’d drooled over for months. I do remember the song, I Won’t Hold You Back by Toto. LOL. If that doesn’t date me, I don’t know what will. Anyway, it seemed to last forever and yet wasn’t long enough. He asked me questions, I stumbled over my answers, way too nervous to talk like a normal person.
The song ended and we stood there in the shadows, just staring at each other. I remember he had on a plaid shirt and jeans. He smelled like Drakkar Noir and fabric softener. He started to lean down toward me and I closed my eyes, thinking yes! This was it. He was going to kiss me.
Except that didn’t happen. LOL. The music changed again and his friends beckoned. I found my friend and we exchanged a blow-by-blow. Tad had asked her to dance too. Nothing happened there either. Eventually we both moved on to other guys and other people, but I’ll always remember Ben as my first “love”.
My best friend back then was also in “love” with Ben’s best friend, a slick athlete named Tad*. Picture a young James Spader, ala Pretty In Pink except with a more jock vibe, and you have him, complete with a red TransAm. LOL. We used to spend weekends day dreaming of how we’d meet them, casually of course because we didn’t want to be too obvious, maybe at the mall (hey, it was the 80s!) or at Powers Hamburgers—a local teen hotspot that served the best sliders EVER.
Anyway, it was autumn and the Homecoming was coming up. We decided that was when we’d make our big play. Rumor had it Ben and his girlfriend were on the outs and Tad was still playing the field. We picked out our best outfits, did our makeup and hair, got a ride to the dance with our parents because neither of us had our licenses yet.
I still remember walking into the gym that night. It was packed with people and seemed like a John Hughes film come to life. Of course, I saw Ben across the room and became completely tongue tied. My best friend and I mainly stayed with our group of friends, dancing and laughing and having a good time, waiting for our moment. Prince’s 1999 came on and everyone hit the floor, including Ben and Tad. Before we knew it, both guys had somehow made their way over to where me and my friends were dancing and suddenly we were all boogie-ing together.
Finally, the song ended and we all stood there, breathless and grinning. A slow song came on and time seemed to slow as Ben turned to me and held out his hand, asking me if I wanted to dance. To this day, I don’t know exactly what I said, but next thing I knew, I was on the darkened dance floor, swaying slowly in the arms of the guy I’d drooled over for months. I do remember the song, I Won’t Hold You Back by Toto. LOL. If that doesn’t date me, I don’t know what will. Anyway, it seemed to last forever and yet wasn’t long enough. He asked me questions, I stumbled over my answers, way too nervous to talk like a normal person.
The song ended and we stood there in the shadows, just staring at each other. I remember he had on a plaid shirt and jeans. He smelled like Drakkar Noir and fabric softener. He started to lean down toward me and I closed my eyes, thinking yes! This was it. He was going to kiss me.
Except that didn’t happen. LOL. The music changed again and his friends beckoned. I found my friend and we exchanged a blow-by-blow. Tad had asked her to dance too. Nothing happened there either. Eventually we both moved on to other guys and other people, but I’ll always remember Ben as my first “love”.
Melody Bryant has heard it all before. Sure, she's the epitome of the stereotype for a librarian. Loves order. Loves rules and deadlines. Loves books. But what she doesn't love is still being a virgin at twenty-four. Unfortunately, the only guy she's ever been interested in turned her down flat. And then left town. Eight. Years. Ago. Ugh.
Now her birthday is fast approaching and she just can't take it any longer. She's finding a guy before her birthday in five weeks or she's adopting two more cats and fully embracing becoming "the crazy cat lady."
But when her latest date ends in epic failure--everyone thinks of her as the "proper librarian," she realizes what she needs is to ruin her reputation. And she knows the perfect guy to help her: the baddest bad boy in town. This Army vet won't know what hit him...
- 1 eBook copy of How to Seduce a Bad Boy
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I just LOVED your story! You must be close to my age because all your GIF's are from some of my favorite movies that I actually saw in the theater when they premiered! LOL Loved the 80's!
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks Sue! And yep, I was an 80s teen. LOL. Huge John Hughes fan too. Keep an eye out for my next Bliss title coming this September. I may or may not have worked in some references there too. Okay, I totally did! Thanks again for reading and commenting! <3
Delete<3 Will do!
DeleteSounds gread.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy!
DeleteThanks for sharing your story! So sad he didn't kiss you but I hope your first kiss was way more worth it!
ReplyDeleteYep. It was pretty great. LOL! <3
Deletelove all of your 80s references
ReplyDeletedenise
80s Rule! LOL. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Deletethe story of your first love is fantastic! i remember my first kiss. i was seeing a sophomore, i was a freshman. it was my first boyfriend. it took me 2 months to work up the nerve to actually kiss him more than a peck here or there. we dated for 3 months. broke up because i wouldn't "go all the way with him"...lol
ReplyDeleteMen, eh? LOL. Thanks for sharing your story too! <3
DeleteCongrats on your new book! I loved the blurb and have added the book to my tbr list. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the add! <3
DeleteHow to Seduce a bad boy sounds great. Thank you
ReplyDeleteLove the cover. Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteLooks good. Sign me up!
ReplyDeleteOmg that was so cute! �� I remember those hs dance days lol ��
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how we can always remember the little things like the cologne . Omg drakkar noir ! Lol ��