THE UNICORN - sneak peek at chapter one

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Seven is my limit. 

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I’m done. 

 

Ready to admit defeat. 

 

Tonight marks the seventh disastrous date in almost as many weeks. But it took that many to realize I’ve lost my touch with women. 

It’s gone. 

 

The Casanova of my youth is nowhere to be found. Not that I’m old at thirty-two, even though it sure as fuck feels like it sometimes. It’s been two years since I broke off my engagement with my sociopathic, pregnancy-faking, fanatical control-freak of a fiancée, Taylor, and I’m no closer to getting back on the proverbial horse now than I was then.

 

I pull my car in the garage and park next to my Harley, then head into the house. It’s completely dark except for the light the TV gives off. Darby is in the living room watching some movie that is making her cry. Either that or she’s just crying and plans to use the movie as an excuse. 

 

“Hey Darbs,” I call out as I head down the hall to my room so I can change into shorts and t-shirt. 

 

“Hey,” she calls back shakily. Darby is my little sister’s best friend. She recently went through a messy and hurtful breakup and had been living with the guy. When I heard they broke up and Darby was sleeping on their couch while he brought other women home to the bedroom, my knight-in-shining-armor complex jumped to attention like it was spring-activated. 

 

The next day we moved her into my spare room.

 

I didn’t even need a roommate. I like living alone. But, I’m not doing much with the house yet anyway and I have a few spare rooms since I (used to) live alone. I bought it because it was a fixer in a good neighborhood—close to my best friend, Wyatt, and his wife Bristol, aka, my little sister—and the price was right. 

 

Plus, I need the tax deductions. My income has gone up significantly in the past year thanks to my latest video game design being picked up by a huge manufacturer whose name rhymes with bike-row-loft. Then, they gave me a huge advance to design the follow-up. I live simply, so I’m set with money for a while if I keep my current standard of living mostly the same. 

 

I change my clothes, grab a beer from the kitchen, and join Darby in the living room. 

 

“What are you watching?” I ask, taking a seat on the other side of the couch from her.

 

She sniffs and tells me the name of the movie, which doesn’t help at all since I’ve never heard of it. 

 

“Is it sad?” I ask dumbly. 

 

She turns toward me and nods. Her big blue eyes are red-rimmed and her chin is quivering. 

 

Fuck.

 

I set my beer on the coffee table, scoot to her side, and pull her in my arms. “It’s going to get better, sweetheart. I promise.” 

 

She burrows into my embrace, half on my lap. I kiss the top of her head and try not to breathe in the scent of her shampoo. Like many things about Darby I’ve discovered since she moved in over a month ago, her shampoo turns me on. 

 

I silently recite C++ commands in my mind to distract my dick since he doesn’t care Darby is off limits. Even if she wasn’t just out of a serious relationship and still hung up on the guy, Darby is my sister’s best friend, practically a member of our family. She’s also my new roommate and you don’t shit where you sleep, so to speak.

 

I rub her back while she blows her nose and collects herself. She starts to tell me about the characters appearing on the screen, and when something happens that she likes, she sighs and relaxes against my chest. Which ordinarily would be fine, I’m a grown man, I can hold myself back from a woman I’m attracted to. Except her butt cheek is pressing against the aforementioned oblivious dick who just wants to get laid, because he and I have been virtually celibate since Taylor. 

 

So, I’ve lost my touch with women. I have a roommate I don’t need. I’ve spent the last two years having sex with myself. My beer is out of reach. The woman I’m lusting after is an emotional wreck who sees me as a security blanket she can cuddle with on the couch. And her nice, round, perfect peach of an ass is pressing against my dick, who, in turn, is excited to let her know he’s there. 

 

“This is nice,” Darby whispers.  

 

I grunt in response. 

 

I’d never had an issue with women before her. If anything, the problem was in deciding which woman I wanted amongst those who wanted me. Relationships were easy and fun; we always ended on good terms. When my career started to take off, women started taking me more seriously. I wasn’t a fresh out-of-college software designer living in my parent’s basement any longer. 

 

Enter Taylor. Exit Taylor. 

 

And here I am.