Free It's You by Tracy Tegan

Chapter One

     
    Zoey Parker has had serious feelings for exactly one person in her entire life and that was when she was in junior high. Since then, not as much as a spark for a single man. It wasn’t like she never dated, she just hadn’t found that someone special, that someone who was worth all the effort that it took to be in a real relationship.
    So Zoey did what most single girls do with their time; she worked and enjoyed time with her friends. Only now, her best friend Kara has gotten married and is absolutely driven to find Zoey a match of her own.
    Her stomach filled with butterflies as she strolled into Kara’s fancy hi-rise apartment building. The two have been practically inseparable since junior high. They were both cheerleaders, they double dated for prom, and even went to the same college.
    Last year though, Kara married her boyfriend, Trevor, and while Zoey truly did think he was great, what wasn’t great was Kara’s insane devotion to the idea that if she could find true love, Zoey could too.
    Kara was always trying to set her friend up on dates, insisting that if Zoey found true love like she had with Trevor, she would be blissfully happy and that was all she wanted for her friend. Novel idea, but as Zoey has learned the hard way, it isn’t always that easy.
    She knew that Kara meant well, but she hated the endless stream of incompatible men Kara always found for her. Tonight was different though, because Zoey knew exactly who her pairing was with, and she couldn’t be happier about it.
    Kara was going to throw a dinner party and invited her sexy neighbor, Stefano, to be Zoey’s date. Zoey didn’t really know him, only his name, but she had seen him a few times and thought he was absolutely gorgeous. He was tall, dark and pure perfection. She overheard him once speaking to someone and his accent made her heart skip a beat.
    As Zoey stood in the elevator she caught sight of herself. She was having a great hair day and was sure that was a sign that tonight was going to go exactly as she had hoped. She tried not to let others see her looking at herself and admiring how her hair fell in soft waves, framing her perfectly made up face. The attention grabbing little black dress hugged her figure in all the right places and her matching six-inch, platform heels were the icing on the cake.
    Stefano wouldn’t know what hit him , she thought confidently as she rang the doorbell to Kara’s apartment.
    Zoey wasn’t normally one of those girls who obsessed so much about her looks, but tonight was special. Tonight was going to be the night she finally spoke to the man she’d been secretly lusting after for months.
    It only took a second before the door flung open to reveal her best friend’s smiling face.
    “Oh my god Zoey, it’s about time,” Kara said playfully.
    Zoey looked down at her watch in confusion, knowing she wasn’t late. In fact, she was even early. Kara laughed, grabbed her by the hand and drug her inside, giving her a warm, welcoming hug.
    “Now let me look at you. Girl, you are going to be the center of attention tonight. I love this dress on you, Zoey. It’s amazing.”
    Zoey twirled around so that her best friend could get a good look at her and the sultry low cut of the back of her dress.
    Kara gasped. “Wow, if that doesn’t get his attention, nothing will.”
    Zoey followed Kara into the kitchen to check on the last minute preparations for their dinner party. On the way to the kitchen, they ran into Kara’s husband.
    “Hey, Trevor!” Zoey leaned in for a quick hug. “You are looking fabulous. I see married life is treating you well.”
    “It’s nice to see you too , Zoey,” he said as he fondly patted her shoulder while checking out her attire. “And look at you, all dressed up. I see someone is on the prowl tonight.”
    Zoey giggled and then blushed. “You don’t think it’s too much, do you?”
    “Show Trevor the back,” Kara said as she grabbed Zoey’s hand and