Global City Tryst

By Maida Malby

One alluring French-Filipina beauty. One sexy US Air Force officer. One torrid weekend fling.

Lust at first sight strikes Maddie Duvall and Aidan Ryan on a plane. A day at the beach with friends and family denies them the opportunity to succumb to their mutual attraction. Both single and available, they agree on a secret weekend affair. No strings, no promises. Satisfy their desire for one another, and they’re done.

Or so they say.

Global City Tryst is the prequel novelette to Singapore Fling, Book 2 of the sweet and steamy multicultural, contemporary, destination romance series Carpe Diem Chronicles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maida Malby
• Release date: Dec 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005296353

Maida Malby

Filipino-American author Maida Malby cooks up foodie, multicultural, and contemporary destination romance stories filled with loads of sizzling heat, mouthwatering spice, and a whole lotta love.She is a member of select writing groups and romance book clubs. Her To-Be-Read Mountain and book reviews are featured here on Carpe Diem Chronicles. Readers can also find her on Lone Star Literary Life via her regular Texas Reads Roundup Romance column.When not writing, reading, or reviewing books, Maida discusses current affairs with her husband, records her son's Travels and Eats videos, cooks the dishes she features in her stories, procrastibakes at least once a month, and watches golf and food shows on TV.

Book preview

Global City Tryst

GLOBAL CITY TRYST

A Carpe Diem Chronicles Novelette

MAIDA MALBY

EOT Publications

CONTENTS

1. FRIDAY

Aidan

Maddie

Aidan

Maddie

2. SATURDAY

Aidan

Maddie

3. SUNDAY

Aidan

Maddie

Aidan

Maddie

EXCERPT - Singapore Fling

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CARPE DIEM CHRONICLES

Also by Maida Malby

Also by Maida Malby

Also by Maida Malby

Also by Maida Malby

ABOUT MAIDA

GLOBAL CITY TRYST

Copyright 2020 by Maida Malby

All rights reserved. Previously published as part of the anthology Big City Heat. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without permission in writing from the author except for a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

This contemporary romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This e-book is licensed for your personal use only. This e-book 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 person you wish to share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

To my fellow Titas of Romancelandia: Tif Marcelo, Mia Hopkins, and Sarah Smith — you’re awesome and inspiring. I miss you and hope we can get together again soon.

Chapter One

FRIDAY

AIDAN

1930 hours

Through the dusty window of the rideshare car, Aidan squinted up at the glittering facade of the high-rise building that was his destination. Its lights ablaze in the night sky, it seemed to be mocking him.

You’re near. Less than two kilometers according to the cab driver—a little over a mile. Yet so far. You won’t get here for another thirty minutes, the skyscraper named Global City Peak taunted.

Could he hoof it? A little over a mile should be walkable. Aidan rolled down the window and promptly rolled it back up once the muggy air slapped his face. Hell, no. The combination of unfamiliar streets, his cumbersome luggage, and the unpleasant weather did not make for an appealing walk at all.

Grimacing, Aidan averted his gaze from the frustrating sight of the apartment tower. A little green pine tree, swaying by its string beneath the rearview mirror, caught his eye. His consolation for staying put would be not arriving sweaty and disgusting. At least in this car, with its evergreen-scented air freshener masking the stale air and the odors of its occupants, he would remain relatively inoffensive to the olfactory system. He would be late, though. And that he could not abide. Not in other people, especially not in himself.

Aidan glared at the innocent structure, at all the blameless buildings in the financial and lifestyle district of Bonifacio Global City. He saved his most ferocious scowl for the hundreds of stationary vehicles around him. They were the reason his ass was numb. They were to blame for his hunger and frustration. If there weren’t so many of them out tonight, he would be where he wanted to be already. Had wanted to be since yesterday, when—

Sir, we’re almost there, the man who looked and sounded like the Philippines’ most famous professional boxer and politician said again. Nice guy, competent at the wheel, but overly optimistic.

The driver had uttered the phrase for the first time when they’d entered Makati proper, forty minutes after they’d left Roxas Boulevard where the US Embassy was located. Trusting the local guy to know his own city, Aidan had put away his work. A mistake on his part because that was an hour ago. He hadn’t gone back to it to conserve the batteries of both laptop and phone but it left him with nothing to do but stew in his seat.

In the time it took them to crawl two miles, Aidan had memorized the lyrics to a Filipino Christmas song. Radio stations in the Philippines played them starting September 1st, according to his brother Blake, who’d been residing here for five years.

The popular carol talked about keeping the spirit of the season in our hearts. Aidan even found himself searching the streets for girls and boys who sold lanterns after hearing the song for the fourth time. Plenty of vendors and beggars contributed to the congestion, but no lantern-sellers. He could have used the distraction from his impatience and sullen mood.

Aidan huffed a breath and leaned his head back, closing his eyes in self-recrimination. How ridiculous of him to think he’d planned this trip well. In his haste to get to this appointment, he’d declined dinner with the other attachés. To save five minutes, he’d kept on his blues and dress shoes and stuffed the jacket in his travel bag. He’d grabbed the first cab available, even