How to Get A Guy on Valentine's Day

I DO.

If someone saw me, they probably wouldn't believe I arrived at the Bahamas an hour ago.

My head rested on the bar counter, watching the dance floor that had dozens of couples, swaying to the sensual music.

My lips trembled. Jason and I could have been one of those couples. I had the reservations, the outfits and a complete itinerary ready. It was going to be a mini honeymoon—a three day holiday on this beautiful island.

“But he just had to go ahead and cheat on me,” I muttered and took another shot of whiskey.

My body was warning me that I would probably pass out if I continued drinking so carelessly. I didn't care. I hadn't traveled all the way to the Bahamas, just to remain sober and sad.

“A drink for myself and the little lady,” a velvety voice asked to my right.

I turned around, searching for the speaker. The frantic whipping of my head caused my eyes to blur. A pair of hands closed around my cheeks, causing my dizzy eyes to clear.

I stared at him with unflinching eyes. He snapped his fingers in my life of vision with an amused smirk on his face. “What's a lovely lady like you doing alone on Valentine's day?”

Letting out a small whimper, I turned away, reaching for my bottle of whiskey. “Another man making fun of me,” I grumbled.

He settled into the chair beside me, taking the bottle of whiskey that the bartender placed in front of him and pouring us both a drink. After we took the shots, his hands rested on his raised arms as he stared at me with interest. His musky cologne wafted into my nostrils. I resisted the urge to lean closer to him to take a whiff. “I'm not making fun of you.”

Hearing his statement, my eyes narrowed and I poked the edges of his lips that were turned up. “You're smiling. I can see it.” My shoulders slumped as the image of Jason kissing Ruby with a smile flashed in my mind. “I’m a joke. That's why no one takes me seriously.”

“Who doesn't take you seriously?”

“You.” I turned to my left and pointed to all the blurry figures I could see in the club. “Him. Her. Her. Him too.” My hands drooped. “Jason…”

“Who's Jason?” he pressed on.

“I'm not telling you that, you creep! Next thing I know, you'll be asking for my address!” I yelled, slamming my hands on the counter. My shot glass dropped to its side and was about to roll to the ground, had the stranger not caught it and returned it to the table in one swift motion.

“You know, Mom said I was the safest among my siblings,” I continued with a wistful smile on my face.

It had been two weeks since I spoke to my mom. When Dad died, she had taken it upon herself to train all five of us through school and get us to where we were. She hadn't let the fact that she was uneducated stop her.

I sat up abruptly and reached under my dress to my thigh strap to grab my phone from my thigh holster. “I have to call Mom.”

The stranger plucked the phone from my hand. Whining, I leaned upwards to grab my phone and lost my balance, stumbling onto his body. My nose buried in his expensive looking shirt as I shamelessly inhaled his cologne. When I hummed in satisfaction, he instantly lifted me by my waist and placed me back in my seat.

Coughing to clear his throat, he said, “I don't think your mom would want to hear from you when you're like this. You might disappoint her.”

My eyes widened comically. “You're right. It's only because of…because of…” I trailed off and downed another shot of whiskey, grimacing at the sour taste.

“Jason?” he asked.

My head whipped to him. “How did you know? Are you his friend?”

He shook his head. “You mentioned him earlier. Is he your boyfriend?”

I plopped my head on the counter and closed my eyes, reliving the happy moments I had with Jason. Even when he had broken my heart that badly, I couldn't completely hate him.

“Ex. I would never marry that jerk. I wanted to…I had the ring and everything. We were supposed to come here to this club after the proposal. It was supposed to be perfect.”

“What happened?” he asked softly.

“Ruby happened,” I spat.

“His mistress? He cheated on you?”

“On Valentine's day too. Bought her a ring and dinner. The steak looked delicious. Maybe I should have taken it. Do you think they have steak here?”

He was silent for a long time and” I felt myself dozing off. “Do you know why he cheated?” he finally asked.

I recalled his words and burst into tears. “He…he said I was…I was stubborn and ugly…and…and I was controlling because I wanted to go on this trip…I didn't ask him…it would have…have ruined the s-surprise…”

“Hey, hey. It's not your fault. I'm not blaming you. He's the jerk for saying all of that to excuse the fact that he cheated,” Lucas said to comfort me.

“Maybe I'm controlling your mind too,” I muttered. Before Lucas could accept or refute the statement, I wailed, “I just want to be happy. Whiskey makes me happy. Maybe I should take it home.”

I grabbed the whiskey bottle and tried to fit it under my dress. The stranger's hand darted it after mine and held my thigh. Seeing where his hand was, he glanced at me with amused eyes. When I didn't respond, he slowly began to withdraw his hands. I held his wrist to keep his hand there, looking at him with hooded eyes.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, looking at me up and down with desire in his eyes.

I trailed my finger up his arm. The muscles rippled under my touch. My gaze fixed on his face. I couldn't see much in the club's dim lighting but I could see enough to tell me he was handsome.

“You don't think I'm ugly or stubborn or controlling?” I asked.

He glanced at his captive arm, trying to pull it away without hurting me or tearing my dress. “No…hey, I can't touch you now. You're drunk. Come find me–”

“Do you, Mr. Strange Creep–”

“Lucas.”

I gave him a stink eye for interrupting my speech. “Do you, Mr. Lucas, promise to take Elena Reed as your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and health, in wealth and poverty, in…in all the bad stuff and good stuff, until death do us part?”

Seeing the incredulous look on his face as I completed my question, I giggled, leaning on his chest. He slipped his hand from under my dress and wrapped them around me. “I do.”