Seven Minutes in Heaven Read online

  Seven Minutes in Heaven

  Single on Valentine’s Day, Book 1

  KG Reuss

  Seven Minutes in Heaven (Single on Valentine’s Day, Book One)

  © 2019 by K.G. Reuss. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author. The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews and pages where permission is specifically granted by the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s overactive imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.

  Signed Books may be purchased by contacting the author at:

  www.Facebook.com/kgreuss

  Cover Design: JM Walker

  Publisher: Amazon Direct, Books From Beyond

  Editor: N-D-Scribable Services

  First Edition

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Newsletter

  Epigraph

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Epilogue

  Sugar Rush

  Sugar Rush Blurb

  Single on Valentine’s Day series

  Sweetest Obsessions

  About the Author

  Other Books by K.G. Reuss

  Newsletter

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  Epigraph

  “If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.”

  -Oscar Wilde

  Dedication

  To anyone who deserves a second chance. Make it count.

  Chapter 1

  Trevor

  “I’m not doing it.” I folded my arms over my broad chest like a petulant child, shaking my head.

  “Trevor, seriously. You’re twenty-eight years old.” Trinity, my twin sister, rolled her blue eyes at me. I might be twenty-eight, own a successful company, and have my shit together, but I didn’t need what she was offering. I wanted no part of it.

  “So are you,” I shot back, the words making her huff at me. I was six minutes older than her, but she mothered me like a child sometimes, especially when I wouldn’t do what she wanted me to do. Like that day.

  She was insistent that I sign up to find my soulmate at the singles-turned-wannabe-matchmaking company she’d started up after being dumped repeatedly. We’d been arguing about it since Christmas.

  “Come on, Trevor,” she whined, giving me puppy dog eyes. “Please? Do this for me. I’m running this pilot promotion. I want it to be you, my brother, in case—”

  “In case it fails?” I finished for her, raising an eyebrow as I sat back in my leather office chair and smoothed my palms down my Armani suit.

  “No,” she sniffed indignantly. “In case I find your soulmate for you. I don’t want to waste that person by giving the spot to someone else. You need this. You’ll never find your perfect someone by sleeping around—”

  “If she’s my soulmate, she won’t go to someone else,” I pointed out. “Besides, shows what you know, Trin. I find exactly what I’m looking for every time I go home with a girl.”

  “Ew. Gross. No more details.” She held her hands up, her face twisted in mock disgust. “Just do this for me, OK? Do it for you. You’re going to be alone on Valentine’s Day.”

  “Only because Haley decided she’d rather suck her friend’s dick than mine,” I added bitterly, throwing up air quotations. I was still pissed over my breakup with her. We’d been together for nearly two years. Hell, I’d even considered proposing to her. Then I’d stopped by our high-rise to surprise her after arriving home from Paris early. I found her friend, Brent, buried inside her while our song played on the stereo in the background.

  Yeah. Surprise.

  Since then I’d sworn off relationships and opted to just do one-night stands because, as Trin would say, I’d become a bitter, self-absorbed, cynical male hellbent on my own suffering.

  Whatever. Life was easier that way. No connections. No hurting when shit went down. No worries about some gold digger cleaning out my bank account. No cheater whispering lies in my ear about loving me before going home to screw someone else.

  Yeah, I was good just like I was. I wasn’t looking for a relationship or a date that would last longer than the rising sun.

  “Please, Trev?” Trinity begged me with sad eyes. “I need this. If it works, it could rocket my company off the ground. All you have to do is just let me sign you up. You’ll get a vacation. God knows you need one. You’ll probably get laid, which is something you clearly enjoy. And you’ll be helping your little sister out.” She jutted her bottom lip out at me.

  “Trin, your site offers a ton of different things for single people. You even have a whole thing devoted to anti-Valentine’s Day or anti any holiday. There’s a blog devoted to surviving the single life. Aren’t you still doing all that shit about being independent and happy as a single person? Why can’t I just do that?”

  “I’m trying to branch out,” she sighed. “Please help me.”

  “What happens if my perfect match ends up being some hideous wildebeest of a woman? Do I get a refund, because I’m sure you’ll want me to pay. How do I leave some secluded mountainside retreat if it sucks?”

  “You can bring your car, OK? I promise it won’t be a hideous wildebeest. Were you not paying attention? She’ll be your perfect match. She’ll be everything you never knew you wanted and more. My algorithms are spot on, Trevor. I can find anyone their match—”

  “Aren’t you single?” I asked innocently.

  She let out a growl of frustration and stomped her foot at me like she used to do when we were kids and I wouldn’t give her what she wanted, which was usually whatever toy I was playing with.

  “Fine. You know, you’re turning into Dad,” she snapped, scooping up all the colorful brochures she’d placed on my desk when she’d walked into my office thirty minutes prior. She stuffed them angrily back into her bag and turned her back to me, her heels clicking as she stormed to the door.

  “Trin, wait,” I sighed, rubbing my eyes. I was being a dink. I knew I was. Trin never played fair. We liked to push one another’s buttons, but she was hitting below the belt by throwing our dad at me.

  Our father would never give her the money to fully get her venture off the ground, especially as long as she was still talking to
me, the man who put dear old Dad’s multi-million-dollar real estate company out of business and became top dog. Yeah. My old man hated my ass.

  He deserved it though. He was a real dickhead to me growing up, forcing things on me I didn’t want, telling me I was worthless and a waste. Mistreating Trin and our mother. I was really the only decent man in Trin’s life. She needed me. I couldn’t just bail on her, even though the idea of spending seven solid nights in some secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere with someone her algorithms matched me with made my stomach twist uncomfortably.

  She’d been on my ass since Haley about how I needed to find myself. How I needed to stop dating the same kind of women over and over. That maybe my type wasn’t really my type.

  “Come here,” I beckoned my sister, knowing I’d probably regret what I was about to do.

  She paused at the door for a moment with her back still to me before she turned around.

  “Just promise me if I do this, you’ll keep it out of the tabloids. The press was already all over me about Dad and how much of a snake I am. I don’t need to fuel the fire.”

  “Don’t forget what a womanizing prick you are,” Trin added, practically skipping back to me, a wide grin on her face.

  “Yeah, that too,” I mumbled. Being one of the richest and most eligible bachelors at the tender age of twenty-eight in New York City had definitely thrust me into the spotlight.

  “I’ll do it. Sign me up. If this gets in the news and tabloids, it’s your ass. Got it?” The last thing I wanted was to see my name in the papers again. Being the guy who turned down his father’s multi-million-dollar corporation and started his own, which put Dad’s out of business had already earned me enough gossip and hate. To the public, Dad was a standup guy. To me, he’d always be the asshole who kicked me when I was down.

  “And no wildebeests, Trin. I’m serious. I’ll turn around and leave if you match me with one,” I warned, knowing I sounded like a complete ass. I just couldn’t shake the memory of Trin setting me up when we were in college. The girl had been beautiful, but so nasty on the inside I’d bailed only fifteen minutes into our date. The girl had even threatened to sue me when I got up to leave, throwing her high heel at me while people sat stunned and openmouthed, staring at us. Crazy wildebeest. I’d sworn off that sort of crazy.

  “It’ll be fine,” she assured me with a squeal, a grin on her face as she jumped up and down, rubbing her hands together briskly. “I’ll make sure it is.”

  “Uh-huh,” I sighed again. This had trouble written all over it.

  Three days later, I was staring at a red envelope addressed to me and a gold seal with Trin’s matchmaking company’s name printed on it. Single Status. Sighing, I tore open the crimson letter, curious about what sort of marketing ploy my sister was doing. I could probably put her in touch with some people to help her with it.

  Dear Mr. Valentine,

  Thank you for taking a chance with Single Status and putting the fate of your love life in our hands. The exciting new promotion, Perfect Match, we’re running guarantees you’ll have the time of your life! We ask you to log on to SingleStatus and fill out the hundred question survey so we can begin searching for your perfect match!

  While you wait for your results, we’d like you to take the time to write a letter to your special someone. We know you haven’t met her yet, but part of the process is that you compose a love letter at the beginning to give to your match, highlighting all the things you’re looking for and want in your potential significant other. Tell her your hopes. Dreams. Aspirations. At the end of your seven days, you’ll write a second letter telling your match how you feel after spending time with them. You’ll give her both letters before you leave the retreat.

  The cabin is in a picturesque setting with a small town nearby, offering a few options for passing the time while you’re there. You’ll have tasks to complete, alone and with each other, to add some spice to your time together! Those tasks will be available to you at the cabin once you’ve arrive.

  Further information will be sent before your trip. Again, thank you for trusting us with your single status! It won’t be that way for long!

  Sincerely

  The Team at Single Status

  Letting out a groan, I rubbed my eyes before firing up my computer and creating my account on the site. With quick fingers, I tapped in my reservation code and stared at the hundred questions before me.

  “Damnit, Trin,” I grumbled. I hated questionnaires. I especially hated long questionnaires like the one in front of me.

  I clicked the screen off and picked up my phone to call Trin and tell her I was out. Or at the very least, I wasn’t filling anything else out.

  My phone rang as my thumb hovered over Trin’s number, her name flashing on the screen beneath my finger. Twin intuition. Had to be.

  “I’m not doing it,” I said the moment she greeted me with, “Don’t you dare back out!”

  “Trin,” I groaned. “Come on. This stuff is so ridiculous. I’m not going to sit here and fill out a hundred question survey all night. You just do it for me, and I’ll do whatever—”

  “Trevor, I’m not filling it out for you. If I do that, I’ll match you with my perfect match, not yours! We’re different people. Just fill the damn thing out and stop bitching!”

  I let out a groan of frustration as I fired my PC back up. “Fine. You owe me for this.”

  “Or maybe you’ll owe me,” she retorted. “Because this is going to work.”

  “Whatever. Where do I pay? When I’m done with the survey?”

  “Yes, a screen will pop up with payment instructions.”

  “Is it refundable if I don’t love my match?” I teased, assuming she wouldn’t offer a refund. I knew I wouldn’t if it was my company.

  “You’re eligible for a fifty percent refund if you cancel seventy-two hours before your trip,” she confirmed, sounding smug. I imagined she was smiling. “If you don’t match, you can also get a fifty percent refund. We don’t refund for things like the cost of the travel. That comes out of your own pocket, but we do for the cabin and stuff.”

  “Nice.” I nodded. It was a great way to get the hesitant clients to pay up. “I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

  “Thank you, Trev. It means a lot to me that you’re taking a chance on me. I really want this to work out for you.”

  “You know I have your back, Trin,” I sighed, fiddling with a piece of lint on my pajama bottoms.

  “Dad doesn’t. He told me tonight I’m chasing fool’s gold and wasting my life with fairytales.” She sniffled softly.

  My fingers clenched into a fist. “Dad is an asshole, Trin. You’re doing what makes you happy. Don’t let him stop you from doing it. OK?”

  “OK,” she sniffled again. “You’re the best big brother.”

  “You’re the best little sister,” I chuckled. “Get some rest.”

  “You too, but after you finish the survey. I want to get your match done tomorrow.”

  “Fine.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and looked back at the screen I’d navigated away from only moments before. “Night, Trin.”

  “Night, Trev.”

  Chapter 2

  Sasha

  The sirens wailed as I stood uselessly in front of what was once my bakery. Now, it was a shell of a building consumed by flames. Everything I’d worked and saved for was gone, engulfed in torrents of brilliant red colors.

  A sob escaped my throat as Maddie, my best friend, wrapped her arms around me.

  “I’m so sorry, sweetie,” she soothed as we clung to one another. “It’ll be OK.”

  She kept repeating the words as everything within me became numb. I watched wordlessly as the firefighters fought the blaze. My dreams were turned to ash on the backdrop of a dark night sky.

  It took them well over an hour to battle the blaze, but when they were done, the only thing left were the smoking, charred appliances I’d gone in debt to get. I’d spent my entire l
ifesavings on that little bakery.

  Maddie managed to drag me away after the cops took my information and asked me some questions.

  “What did they say?” Maddie asked as I climbed into the front seat of her sedan.

  “They think it might have been electrical. It was an old building. I knew that going into it,” I mumbled, my eyes burning.

  “And you didn’t get insurance on it?” Maddie ventured softly as she pulled her car onto the street.

  “No. I paid cash. I-I was going next week to meet with an agent,” I managed to whisper. “It’s gone, Mads. All of it. I-I spent everything—” I broke into soft sobs, my face in my hands.

  “Ooh, Sasha, don’t. It’s going to be OK. I promise it will. It’s just a setback—”

  “One that cost me everything,” I choked out, wiping at my eyes. “You know I had nothing, Maddie. This was my break.” I shook my head sadly. “I-I just want to go home and go to bed.”

  “You can come stay at my place, so you aren’t alone,” Maddie offered.

  “I might have to if I can’t make rent next month,” I sniffled, closing my eyes.