Mixed Signals

By Ivy Raine

What do a sex-obsessed virgin, a stuffy boss, and an over fifty swinger’s party have in common? They’re all about to ruin Rachel Peters’ life. Rachel has a way of falling into trouble – courtesy of her wacky best friend Susan who will do almost anything to ditch her virginity before she turns thirty. When Susan’s latest scheme takes them to a swinger’s club disguised as a bisexual couple, Rachel has no idea the stinky, old man sitting next to her is the father of her serious, straight-laced, and oh, so sexy boss, Ryan Stanley – the man she just happens to have a major crush on. As if things couldn’t get worse, the elder Stanley believes she and Susan are lovers, and he agrees to keep her ‘secret’ if she’ll keep his. What ensues next is a wacky adventure full of secrets, old lovers, and general chaos – and things are bound to get crazier when the truth comes out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ivy Raine
• Release date: Feb 10, 2013

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Mixed Signals

By Ivy Raine

Published by Ivy Raine at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Ivy Raine

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Mixed Signals

Ivy Raine

Mixed Signals

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of the book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

Copyright © 2013 Ivy Raine

Cover art by Rowan Graphics © 2013

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 1

Forget it! Rachel pulled away from Susan’s grip. That’s not for me.

Don’t be such a baby, Rach. I’m not asking you to actually do anything. I just wanna check it out.

Rachel threw her head back, her long, black waves reaching nearly to her butt. "Every single time you get me into something, it goes wrong. Remember what happened when you just had to know what went on at a stripper’s convention?"

Susan crossed her arms and raised a brow. "That was completely different. We were actually invited to this thing."

The thought of revisiting the inside of a jail cell made Rachel’s nerves crawl. I don’t know. It all sounds a little on the shady side to me. What if we see someone we know?

Susan shrugged. "So what. If they’re there, do you really think they’re gonna spread it all around that they saw you there? Don’t think so. Besides, like I said. I’m just curious!"

The childish glee that sparked in Susan’s eyes when she came up with these crazy schemes always amused Rachel – until she got caught up in the aftermath. Oh, okay, she managed to squeak out. But if something goes wrong, you’re my next ex-friend.

"Sure. Like you haven’t said that before."

It was true. Rachel had unfriended Susan so many times she’d lost count. She let out a sigh of exasperation. Too many things could go wrong with her latest scheme to go to a swinger’s party.

And just what does one wear when they’re trying to attract someone else’s significant other?

Just a smile. Susan said it so seriously that Rachel actually believed her for a fraction of a second.

Oh, god, Susan! Can’t you ever be serious?

Susan laughed. Take a good look, sister. My nose is too big in proportion to my face, my hair’s an odd shade of orange and I’ve been told I snore. What’ve I got to be serious about?

Rachel scrunched up her nose. "You do snore."

Susan grunted. And you’d be the only one to know that considering the opposite sex must be allergic to me. She ran her fingers down through Rachel’s silky locks. This might be my last chance to ditch my virginity before I turn thirty. You wouldn’t want to deprive me, would you?

Rachel rolled her eyes. I said I’d go, didn’t I? Just let me know when this thing is so I can start planning.

Susan squealed and jumped up and down. Tonight. I’ll meet you at your apartment around eight.

Nothing like giving a girl some notice!

That was the only thing that truly bugged Rachel about her best friend since forever. She liked to do everything from the seat of her pants, a fact that made her being a virgin at the ripe old age of twenty-nine a serious numerological anomaly.

Swingers. Rachel thought about them all the way to work that morning, scrutinizing each and every passenger as they lumbered onto and off of the bus. Is he a swinger? She eyed up a gorgeous hunk fit for a goddess and actually found herself looking forward to it – until his buddy came up from behind and gave him a tongue lashing right there for everyone to see. Why, oh why? With serious envy of the guy pal, Rachel pulled her eyes away from the hunk, and focused on a more realistic vision of what a swinger might be. Married, most likely. They always seem to be married. Or maybe he’s just bored with his girlfriend and convinced her to play along. Rachel stopped dead in mid-thought when she realized she had no one to trade off. Pulling out her cell, she punched in Susan’s number.

Yo! Don’t we have to have a date to go to this thing? For a moment, there was silence on the other end. Susan?

Well…I kind of figured we’d take each other.

Rachel pulled the phone away from her face and looked to be sure she dialed the right number. Say again?

Yeah. We’ll just be each other’s date.

Seriously? Wouldn’t that make us look a little-?

Bi, finished Susan. I told them we were bi. Oh, they’re okay with it! she added quickly. They say they get them every once in a while.

You make it sound like we’re a disease, Rachel hissed into the phone. Couldn’t you just tell them the truth?

Oh, yeah. That would sound good. Hi! I’m Susan and I just can’t seem to attract a sweat bee let alone a man, and this is Rachel who’s sworn to castrate and impale everything within a hundred yards of her that happens to be sporting a penis. Can you see where I’m going with this? Besides. Who could you possibly invite as a date that wouldn’t spread it all around town? This is the kind of stuff guys write on bathroom walls. I can see it now: Call Susan and Rachel for a swinging good time.

Rachel groaned. "I see what you’re saying, but really, Susan. Now we’ll have to fend off the men and the women."

Susan laughed. Who said anything about fending off the men?

Oh, probably the same person who said they were just curious.

Silence again. You’ve got a point, Susan said at length, but the eradication of my virginity has now become my life’s mission.

The bus pulled up in front of Stanley Enterprises. I’ve gotta go, Susan. I’m at work. I’ll call you when I get off.

She ended the call, cutting off Susan’s lingering goodbyes. Gathering up her laptop, Rachel pulled down the back of her skirt and headed toward the entrance.

Good morning, Miss Peters. The security guard reached over and fumbled with the badge hanging around her neck. He made it a morning habit of trying to grope her a little and Rachel had gotten pretty proficient at having her badge out and ready. Not this morning. She felt his finger ‘accidentally’ slip in the gap between the buttons on her blouse, grazing her right breast. He pretended it didn’t happen and quickly scanned her badge before dropping it back against her chest.

Thanks, Jake. Remind me to charge you next time. Or better yet, I’ll just send your wife the bill.

Jake just looked at her and grinned. Why did all the creeps have the same twisted smile? There was no way his wife could live with him and not know exactly what he was. Everyone who had half a brain knew he carried on with practically every secretary in the building at one time or another, and his latest target was Rachel.

Have a good day, Miss Peters. He winked and pressed a button. The door slid open and practically sucked her into its vapor lock. Prisoner again, she thought.

You better hurry, called a bleached blond from the front desk. Mr. Stanley has been asking for you for almost twenty minutes.

Screw him, she grumbled. Last time I checked, my schedule says eight-thirty. She pointed up at the clock on the wall. And it’s only eight-fifteen. Does he think I’m a robot?

"Yes. Yes he does. And I seriously think he’s one, too."

You know, Jen, we really should just quit one of these days.

Jen rolled her eyes. You’ve been sayin’ that for almost three years, Rachel. Either do it or shut up about it. You’re depressing me.

Rachel winked. One of these days.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel punched the button on the elevator, calling down the car to carry her to hell. For three long years she’d worked at Stanley Enterprises, and in the beginning, it was pretty nice. Old man Stanley had gone into semi-retirement just before she got the job and his senior secretary, Bonnie, practically ran the place for the first few months. Aside from the occasional call from Stanley senior with instructions on what to do, they were pretty much on their own. Then, along came junior – stuffed shirt, no personality, all work. With dad now off somewhere on a beach in Puerto Rico, Stanley Junior was calling the shots and they all involved extra work at the same pay.

Rachel stopped in front of the solid mahogany door to the main office and took a deep breath. Ryan Stanley, President. That same stinking plaque greeted her each and every morning. Even the eight letters of the alphabet were permanently tainted by his name.

With her chin up, Rachel pushed down on the handle and