Midnight fireworks, p.1
Midnight Fireworks, page 1
Midnight Fireworks
BL Maxwell
COPYRIGHT
MIDNIGHT FIREWWORKS
BL Maxwell
Copyright © 2025 BL Maxwell
Editing provided by: AnEdit
Cover Design by: BL Maxwell
All Rights Reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permissions from the author, except for using small quotes for book review quotations. All characters and storylines are the property of the author. The characters, events and places portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Trademarks:
This book identifies product names and services known to be trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of their respective holders. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of all products referenced in this work of fiction. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Warning:
Intended for a mature 18+ audience only. This book contains material that may be offensive to some and is intended for a mature, adult audience. It contains graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations.
Do not steal from me by pirating my work.
Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
About the Author
Also By BL Maxwell
One
Spencer Cline
As I pulled into the parking garage, I once again asked myself what the fuck I was doing. Having just turned thirty-three, I’d realized how little I wanted to go out for a night at the clubs, and how much I wanted to meet someone who was happy to spend a quiet night at home.
After driving around each level I finally found an empty space on the fourth floor then, after parking and checking my hair in the mirror, I chuckled at myself and followed the signs for the elevator. More people entered on each floor and by the time the doors opened to the street, the elevator was full.
“Are you going to the singles mixer?” a man about my age asked. He was taller than me wearing a charcoal-grey tux, with dark hair slicked back on the top and cut short on the sides. His eyes were dark brown and held more warmth than I could ever describe.
“Yeah, how about you?” I asked, and when he grinned, I noticed a dimple in his left cheek.
“My sister bought me a ticket. She said she’s sick of me being at home or work all the time,” he said and laughed. “She’s also my roommate.”
“Spencer Cline,” I said and held out my hand.
“Oh, sorry, I’m Jake Raines.” He took my hand and shook it. It was amazingly warm for how cold out it was.
“Have you been to this before?” I asked and tried to ignore the wave of insecurity that hit me.
“The mixer? No. I have friends who have gone in the past and loved it. Both of them met their partners here, so I know it works. Have you?”
“I went last year, but it was a little overwhelming. I’m hoping since I know what to expect I’ll be able to enjoy it more this year.” I hadn’t meant to say it, but it was the truth. I’d gone alone, not knowing how it worked, or how many would attend. It was packed and most everyone seemed to have attended before, so they were somewhat prepared, while I stood to the side and watched. Not this year.
“Some videos I saw online showed it really was crowded. Hopefully there’s a lot of people and everyone is in a very festive mood,” he said and flashed that dimple again.
We hurried across the street to the hotel and stood in line with a big crowd of other attendees all dressed in formal wear. This mixer was for anyone who wanted to meet their other half. We’d all answered a questionnaire online that would make sure we were placed in groups with the same interests and relationship goals. It was all very scientific, and hopefully not a complete waste of time.
“Ticket?” a woman at the door asked. After we both showed her the tickets on our phones we were ushered inside. “You’ll want to go to the main ballroom.”
“Thank you,” I said, and Jake grinned at me.
“Mind if we stick together?” he asked.
“Not at all.” I was actually relieved, and let out a deep breath as my shoulders relaxed.
“Great, let’s go,” Jake said and led us into the same ballroom the mixer had been held last year. A man stood at the entrance and guided us to a table where we’d get a name tag and a numbered badge.
“You’ll need this for all the mixer activities. Everyone is divided up based on how they filled out their questionnaire, and we keep like people together in their groups in all of the activities,” a man explained as he handed both of them to us. “Don’t lose your number or you won’t be able to participate in the mixer.”
“What number did you get?” I asked Jake as we stepped away with the goodie bag, they’d also handed us.
“Ninety-one,” Jake said and tucked his goodie bag into the inside pocket of his jacket. “And you?”
“Thirteen.” Ignoring the fact it was supposed to be bad luck, I glanced at his number. I would have sworn it was sixteen but shrugged it off because eventually we’d find out.
“Gentlemen, right this way,” a woman with short silver hair said, and explained everything to us. “Your number will lead you to a group of people with similar tastes. You’ll be invited to participate in as many activities as you’d like. There will be numerous opportunities to chat and get to know several eligible matches so don’t get discouraged. Remember you’re here to meet as many people as you can and find the person that you want to spend more time with after this evening ends.” She flashed us both a bright smile before looking at each of us.
“Thank you,” Jake said and the two of us moved away from the entrance to where I’d spent most of the evening last year. The room had been divided into four separate areas that surrounded the dance floor. Because people still like to dance even if they aren’t lucky enough to find love.
We walked over to a quiet area, and I opened my giftbag while Jake took his out too. Inside was a packet of mints, and a small hand sanitizer, condoms, and a packet of lube, there was also a guide that told us which area to visit first. “It looks like I’m speed dating,” I said and hoped he was too.
“It says Emoji Icebreaker,” Jake said, and reread. “What the heck is that?”
I laughed, making him smile. “I have no clue.”
“Good evening, everyone. Welcome to Sacramento’s annual New Year’s Eve Singles Mixer. The first hour of the event will include several activities guaranteed to let you get a little closer to prospective matches. Now don’t worry if you don’t meet anyone. Once the activities end, there will be music for dancing so there should be plenty of opportunities to meet that special someone. Remember your number, you’ll need it for the activities, and I guess that’s all I need to say. Have fun, everyone,” a man that I recognized from one of the local television stations said into a microphone before turning it off and stepping away.
We stood there a moment longer, neither of us made a move to go to our groups before I finally couldn’t stand it and turned to him. “Well, good luck, Jake. It was great meeting you,” I said and held my hand out. He stared at it before pulling me in for a hug.
“Have fun,” he whispered before turning and walking away into the crowd.
I found the speed dating area and looked around hoping to see Jake again. “Okay we’ll need everyone to take a seat at one of the small tables you see. Once you’re seated, the person in the blue chair will stay at the table while the person in the red chair will move on to the next table. Everyone understand?” another man asked.
I was relieved to see there were no women in our group, not that I didn’t like women, I loved them. But I was looking for a relationship, and for me that included another man. It was nice to see I wasn’t the only one who’d filled out their application the way I had. All of us moved into the area that had been set up to look like a café with small tables that were only big enough for two.
“Hello,” an attractive man said as I took a seat at the table he’d just sat at. He had dark blonde hair and bright blue eyes and wore a red tux that fit him like a glove. Okay, maybe this wasn’t so bad.
“Hello, I’m Spencer,” I said and forced myself not to look around again for Jake.
Two
Jake Raines
“I go for months never meeting a guy I want to date, and I meet Mr. Hot as Hell who is perfect for me before I set foot inside the door,” I grumbled to myself while walking over to the emoji whatever-it-was-called area.
“Jake, how’ve you been?” Arlo, my ex, asked from where he stood in line for the same fucking section.
“Great, Arlo, how are you?” Not that I actually cared. We’d dated last year for less than a month and as soon as I found out he was more into dating—and fucking—everyone, I didn’t call him back. I used to sleep around too, but now, I was tired of that. I really wanted to meet someone I could plan a future with.
“I haven’t seen you around in a while,” he said, and narrowed his eyes at me probably hoping for more information.
“Yeah, I’ve been working a lot at the restaurant, and I haven’t really been going out.” Which was tr
“Okay, well maybe I’ll see you around,” he said, and this time he didn’t hold back from ogling me. I forced myself not to roll my eyes before focusing on the front of the line where a cute guy in a silver sequined jacket with immaculate hair, was explaining this section.
“Hi, everyone, I’m Ian. This is Emoji Icebreaker.” He was so excited and happy I couldn’t help but smile back while he spoke. “You’ll all choose an emoji then you’ll break up in groups and chat for seven minutes. I know it’s not a lot of time but that’s the point. You can’t waste time being shy so get ready to choose your emoji.” There was a whiteboard behind him with seven different emojis on it, and everyone stepped forward and chose one before splitting into smaller groups.
I had to admit it was fun. There were lots of different men here, and all of them were willing to go along with the game, so as we broke into smaller groups it led to very rousing interactions because we had no time to waste. Some of them asked what we liked about the emoji we’d chosen, others asked what job we did, and still others asked what we wanted in a partner. We were about halfway through it when there was a tap on my shoulder.
“Excuse me, you’re in the wrong group,” Ian said and again that smile made me smile back.
“I thought this was group seventy to one hundred?” I asked and looked again at the number on my badge.
“It is, but your number is sixteen. See the tiny little line under it?” he said and grumbled something under his breath about the stupid font. “You should be at speed dating.” He pointed to the same area Spencer had gone. I nodded and without looking back made my way over there while flipping my number right-side-up.
“Hi, I’m supposed to be here,” I told the person who was in charge. They nodded after glancing at my number and took a quick look at their phone which was counting down a timer.
“They’re about to switch, go ahead and slip in,” she said and walked me over to where the tables were. “Time’s up, everyone, please move to the next table.”
I stepped in and immediately made my way to a table. Spencer was there looking nervous but friendly. He was so distracted he didn’t notice who I was at first. “Hi, I’m Jake,” I said. He finally turned and smiled wide when his eyes met mine.
“Hi, Jake, I’m Spencer. Tell me about yourself.” He rested his chin on his hand as he braced his elbow on the table and tried to control his grin. His eyes were bright and completely focused on me. Right at that moment, a thought crossed my mind, I wanted someone to look at me like that for the rest of my life.
“Well, I live and work in Sacramento. I’m thirty-five years old but I know I don’t look a day over twenty,” I said and batted my lashes, making him laugh.
“Why are you here? I thought you were at the Emoji Icebreaker; did you sneak out?” he whispered and leaned in closer.
“My number was upside-down. I’m actually number sixteen,” I said, and we both laughed while he reached for my number badge.
“Oh, I never noticed the little line,” he said and glanced at his own. “But I have to admit I’m happy it was there. I was hoping we’d get to spend more time together.”
“Me too. Now it’s your turn, tell me about yourself,” I said and took the same position he had with my chin resting on my hand.
“Well, I’ve lived in Sacramento since I was seven years old. I’m thirty-three, single, and I have a dog named Toby,” Spencer said with that same amused twinkle in his eye. “What do you do in Sacramento?”
“I work at—”
“Okay, everyone, time to move to the next table,” the person in charge said. Everyone got out of their chairs and lingered for a moment. I stood, never taking my eyes off Spencer.
“Until we meet again,” he said, making me smile.
“Hopefully soon.” I still couldn’t look away even as another man stepped closer to the table, unsure if he was interrupting. “It’s okay,” I said and winked at Spencer before taking a seat at the next table.
“You two looked like you were getting along really well,” the guy that was already seated at the table said.
“Yeah, I guess we were.” I looked over at Spencer in time to catch him glancing at me.
“Don’t let that one get away. If you’re really interested in him then don’t throw away your chance to get to know him better,” he said, making me turn to look at him. He was a little older than me, obviously fit, and very put together. His tuxedo had a deep black floral pattern that suited him with his neatly cut greying hair.
“It sounds like you speak from experience,” I said.
“These events are fun and entertaining, but I know there’s no one here that I’ll match with.”
“Are you sure? You never know.” He didn’t seem sad about it, more like resigned.
“I let the love of my life slip away years ago, and I’ve never met another that would ever take his place. But it is fun looking.” He glanced around the room and my eyes followed where he looked. There was such a variety of men here, and those I’d had the chance to visit with were friendly and inviting.
“My ex is here,” I blurted out, not really meaning to but making him laugh.
“See? You get what I mean only for other reasons.” His eyes lit up before he looked past me at Spencer.
“Don’t let that one get away,” he whispered.
Three
Spencer
I was anxious for this round to end so I could spend a little more time with Jake. It seemed the more time we spent together, the more time I wanted. There was just something about him that made it so easy for us to talk and made me feel very comfortable in his company. So, when it was announced that this round was over and we were to report to the Superhero themed area, I was more than ready.
“Hey, how did it go?” Jake asked as he appeared at my side.
“It was okay. To be honest I wish you and I would have had more time to chat,” I said. I wasn’t normally so open, but we were on limited time here tonight and I wanted to make sure I took every opportunity.
“I was thinking the exact same thing. What do you think about skipping the next round and having a drink?” he asked, and once again that smile got my attention.
“I think I’d like that,” I said, and we turned away from the superhero area, and almost ran into the guy in the sparkly jacket, Ian.
“It looks like you two gentlemen are hitting it off. I’m going to give you this sticker to put on your name badge,” he said and handed us both a round red sticker that said off limits on it. Jake shrugged and put it on his name badge, and I followed suit.
“Thanks, Ian,” he said.
“The buffet is open if you want to get something to eat and of course you know there’s an open bar.” He nodded before scanning the room and hurried off to another group of people who looked like their focus had shifted to finding a party rather than their perfect match.
“Ready?” Jake asked.
“Yes.” And I was, in more ways than one. He led us to the bar and since this was a limited entry event we were able to find two barstools without an issue. “What do you like to drink?”
“It varies. To be honest I’m not a big drinker, but I do enjoy a nice whiskey,” Jake said, and I tried to hold back my smile but his hand on my arm made it impossible. “What is it?”
“I loved drinking when I was younger, but now I’d rather enjoy the drink than try to survive it the next morning. We seem to keep finding more and more in common with each other.” His eyes were nearly as dark as his hair, but once again I was drawn to his warmth.
“Those are not good memories for me. I think twenty-three-year-old me thought if I drank more, I’d eventually get used to it. That never happened,” Jake said with a chuckle.
“Gentlemen, what can I get for you?” the bartender asked. She was dressed the same as the others with a black vest and white button-up shirt. Her hair all over the place while somehow looking perfect.
“We’d like a nice whiskey, what do you suggest?” I asked.
“That depends on if you’re drinking to get drunk or to sip?” she asked with zero judgement while wiping out two tumblers before setting them on the bar and waiting for an answer.
