The Gary Glitch

By Randi Devilkin

While visiting her daughter at college, Nina shares a passionate moment with a mysterious man. The man is smokin' hot and age-appropriate too. Newly single Nina delights in the reawakening of her physical senses until she realizes the sexy stranger knows her name.

 

She's mortified when the man identifies himself as Gary, her daughter's boyfriend's father. As a goody-goody sorority girl twenty-something years ago, Nina guarded her sterling reputation and never would have made out in the infamous Sigma Boom-Boom closet. To complicate matters, a family secret threatens everything, and her mother's not talking.

 

How can Nina save face when merely thinking about Gary sends her body tingling? Will she find the strength to solve the mystery and find everlasting love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Randi Devilkin
• Release date: Feb 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201995676

Book preview

Chapter 1

Chicka Boom-Boom

T he giggling makes kissing a challenge, the sexy voice whispers, tickling my ear, but I’m game. He chuckles softly. After all these years. Lush lips tease, pull away, then lock on mine.

Oh. My.

The kisses are tender yet commanding. Before my brain engages, my mouth opens, and his tongue greedily darts in. As a woozy fog envelops me, I break our connection to catch my breath. Mmm. Wow. Another giggle bubbles up, but I tamp it down. So unexpected. I mean, we’re adults, and we’re smooching in a broom closet.

He holds me to his chest. I feel his beating heart. His sweater is cashmere, but that’s not what draws my hands to him. He tastes boozy and sweet. Delicious. Back in the day, I imagined kissing you, right in here, he says, clutching me tighter and expelling the air from my lungs.

Ooof. That was not a sexy sound, but he’s not discouraged. With one hand in my curly hair and the other traversing my back, he nuzzles my neck. Wait a minute. Did he say he’d imagined kissing me?

You wanted to kiss me?

Nina, Nina, Nina. His mouth is back at my ear. My senior year, you were a Delta Phi pledge. I tried to kiss you here in this old frat house. You giggled. Adolescent pride didn’t permit a second shot. Between that good-girl act and my mother warning me to stay clear, you were quite enticing.

How does he know my name? He’s familiar-ish but not know-your-first-name familiar. And good-girl act? That was no act. I was naïve. However, my ex-husband has moved on and it’s time for me to enjoy life. But what’s his mother got against me? I try to ask, but blurt out, I often wondered about getting kissed in this closet.

And now we’re here. He relaxes his grip. The amber specks in his irises sparkle through the semi-darkness. We probably shouldn’t stay here long. His finger traces my mouth. Electricity courses through my body, which may combust from the high voltage.

Could I invite this man back to my hotel room? It’s been eons. I hadn’t thought my body remembered how to respond, but the instinct is undeniably alive and enthusiastic.

Over the sounds of our ragged breathing and the ambient noise of the party, I imagine my daughter’s voice.

Has anyone seen my mom? Oops, I didn’t imagine it. It’s definitely Kasey. If she finds me here, she’ll be mortified.

She was by the bar about twenty minutes ago, talking with my dad. The smooth baritone voice belongs to Kasey’s new boyfriend, Kyle. Huh, one of the people I spoke with tonight was his father. How odd, I spoke with very few people.

The bar? Oh no, Mom’s a total lightweight and shouldn’t drink unsupervised. Honestly, who does she think is the parent? Someone giggles. The giggler might be me.

Shh, sexy kisser whispers. The kids might find us.

Oh. My. Goodness. What are we doing in here? I mean, I know exactly what we’re doing, and it’s awesome, but how did we get here? As much as I want this to progress, it might be a catastrophically bad idea.

I saw your folks, someone outside the door says.

Where? Kasey and Kyle ask simultaneously.

Hushed whispering follows.

Uh, no, Kasey states adamantly.

Disturbing, Kyle agrees.

Seriously, the someone says. I saw two old folks go in there.

In the broom closet? my daughter squeals at the same time Kyle asks, In the boom-boom closet? Both cackle nervously.

Geezers gotta have fun too, the someone says. Want to knock?

No! the K-names answer in unison. K-names, that’s a good one. If they stay together, I can use that, or even better, 2K. The conversation becomes muffled and distant.

That was close, my companion in the closet whispers.

I release the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. We need to get out of here. That was my daughter Kasey and her new boyfriend.

The man leans back. I feel him studying me. Kasey and Kyle have been dating awhile.

What? Kasey first mentioned Kyle last month when she invited me down for the annual Greek Family Weekend. She’s joined the same sorority I’d been in, and my mother before me. And you know because?

Kyle’s my son.

Sudden awareness puts the brakes on my desire. We need to get out of here. Am I out of my mind? I’ve been behaving like a drunken debutante.

I was hoping you’d say that. He squeezes me with his muscular arms, but I wriggle free.

I mean, I need to go. By myself.

Just a minute, he says, gently smoothing my wayward curls. I look forward to continuing this conversation. He kisses me chastely on the cheek. You go ahead. I’ll wait a few minutes before I leave.

I gingerly turn the knob, inch open the door, and peek into the hallway. Nobody pays attention to the closet, so I bolt. The front door is open, and I make a dash for it, at least as dashy as one can make in sadistically constricting shapewear and dress shoes that pinch.

Outside, I gulp fresh air before collapsing on a granite bench. What a night. I made out with a sexy man in the infamous Sigma boom-boom closet and almost got busted.

With the mirror from my handbag, I study the collateral damage. My curls tend to be unruly, so no obvious problem there, but my lipstick is smudged. With a tissue, I remove the streaks from my face, then reapply color to my lips.

With the back of my hand, I rub my chin where his stubble scratched my skin. He’s the first man I’ve kissed in over three years, and my body reacted like it’s been waiting forever.

The sexy kisser knew my name, and I didn’t tell him. Now he seems familiar, but we couldn’t have met before. How could anyone forget those sparkly eyes?

And what’s the deal with his mother? My manners are impeccable; old people always like me. Except, maybe now I’m an old people too?

Could the man truly be Kyle’s father? I nearly invited him to my hotel room. A future meeting could be awkward enough, and I’d have made it much worse. Maybe I heard wrong. Releasing an eternity of suppressed passion probably discombobulated my brain. Kyle is Kasey’s new boyfriend, but his father says they’ve been dating awhile. How long is awhile?

My head hurts. I haven’t eaten since breakfast because I was nervous about socializing this weekend and hadn’t slept well the past few nights. However, now I’m divorced and should feel free. Free to get over my stupid ex, Stephen, and have fun; I need to remember that, despite feeling nervous about getting back out there.

The kissing in the broom closet was exhilarating, but terrifying. Now I’m exhausted emotionally and physically. Meditation might help. I’ll shut my eyes and clear my mind of worry. Om... om....

SOMEONE SHAKES MY SHOULDER. Mom. Are you asleep? How could anyone doze off on a stone bench? I open my eyes to find my darling Kasey standing next to me. She looks beautiful, but annoyed. Kyle’s here too, looking amused.

I was meditating, I say. It’s a stress relief technique.

She crosses her arms. Where were you tonight? We couldn’t find you inside.

I’ve been here most of the night. Crowds are taxing, and we’d just sat through that long, rowdy football game. I had a drink to relax, and then– Uh, oh. I snogged a man in the Sigma boom-boom closet, unless that was the best hallucination ever.

Kasey shakes her head. And then what?

I–I felt light-headed and came outside for air.

Hmm. You weren’t hiding in a closet with anyone?

A closet? Why on Earth would you ask that?

She shakes her head. Her shiny chestnut hair bounces on her shoulders. She got good hair genes from her father, while my mop is a wild frizzle. Someone’s parents were. I’m glad it wasn’t you. Kasey turns to Kyle. "Could you please bring the car around? Let’s get