The Valentine's Day Mixer

Valentine's Night, Friday, February 14th

"What am I doing here?" moaned Brooke Lakefield. Sipping her glass of white wine, the forty-year-old woman rolled her eyes as another middle-aged man walked away after using an atrocious pickup line. A gorgeous woman who looked younger than her age, Brooke had long, dark brown hair, blue eyes, medium breasts, and a fit ass. Wearing a red blouse and tans slacks, she had the sexy professional look down pat.

"Hey, if you listened to me, we could've been scouting for college hunks up in Green Hills," Kimberly Goose remarked in-between sliding a tip into the pants pocket of the young bartender. Almost immediately after arriving in the back room of the upscale bar, the flirty woman had convinced Chet to work as their personal bartender/waiter.

"Playing cougar to a bunch of college cubs isn't what I had in mind for Valentine's Day," Brooke responded, watching the other singles over thirty mingle awkwardly. "I'd like a chance at romance."

"Not me. I just got out of a marriage, and I'm not looking to get back into one," snorted the newly divorced room. Kimberly was a short, pale-skinned woman with mid-length platinum blonde hair, gray eyes, medium-sized breasts, and a fit ass. An administrator at Green Hills College, she had traveled down to Azure Rocks to work as Brooke's wingwoman. "My perfect Valentine's treat would be a row of young, hard cocks to play with."

"Must you always be so crass, Kim?" Brooke responded as a balding man around her age approached. Holding up his silver Hershey Kiss, he revealed the number and letter underneath the candy. His hopes of finding his red kiss match were dashed at once by Brooke's lie. "Sorry I already met my match earlier."

"You should've kissed him. I bet the taste of coffee and cigarettes would've been delightful," cracked Kimberly.

"This is not what I expected from life at forty. Sitting around with the and divorced at a Valentine's Day mixer," Brooke grumbled. "I'm a smart, attractive woman. I shouldn't be dateless tonight. I was once Miss Swallow Crossing, for Christ's sake. I finished the second runner-up at the state pageant. This is not where I'm supposed to be."

"Yep, you should be working porn."

"Kimmie!"

"Oh, come on. Pageant girls are the prime recruiting pool. Not to mention that Miss Swallow Crossing sounds way porny," the platinum blonde defended herself. "Anyway, I thought you were embarrassed to talk about your pageant days."

"Most days, I am, but not today. It's another reason why I shouldn't be here."

"Maybe you shouldn't have married a guy that isn't satisfied with one woman," Kimberly remarked. Realizing her mistake, she immediately cut off her friend. "I'm not blaming you. Hell, I made the opposite mistake in marrying a romantic. You know what? We both screwed up by not swapping boyfriends back in college. Harry is much more your speed, and I'm so down for swinging with Robert Ravers."

"Shhh!" shushed the third woman at their table. Equipped with a feisty attitude, the olive-skinned thirty-six-year-old wasn't afraid to speak her mind. With her mid-length black hair, blue eyes, medium-to-large bust, and curvy ass, she's attracted nearly as many suitors as her tablemates. Only she'd been politer in turning the men down. "Be nice, you two. People are starting to look over here."

"So what if they are?" Kimberly challenged.

"Unlike you, I live in town, and want to be polite to people I might see day-to-day," Frida Isidro commented. A childhood friend of Brooke's ex-husband, Robert, she still lived in Ravers Manor, where she worked as the family chef. Her close relationship with the Ravers family is how she found herself at the mixer serving as an unofficial chaperone to the two women. "The girls put in a lot of work to make this happen over the last week. At least, take that into consideration."

Brooke and Kimberly turned their gaze again to watch the two younger women who ran the activities for the mixer. One was a blonde, and the other the brunette. The blonde looked to be having a blast, while the brunette looked bored. It probably didn't help that the brunette also had the eye of every man in the room, and they made that known.

"Tamsin looks as bored as us," Brooke commented about the brunette.

"Well, she shouldn't be. She's been getting phone numbers left and right," Kimberly responded. "I'm not saying she should be happy with her options, but she shouldn't be bored. Turning those men down takes a lot of work."

"I'm a little surprised that Tamsin's not on a date. Is her boyfriend out of town again for work?" Brooke directed her question to Frida.

"Oh, you didn't hear? The poor, poor girl. It turns out her boyfriend constantly cheated when he went out of town on business," Frida divulged, shaking her head in sympathy. "She only found out on Tuesday."

"That's terrible!" Brooked exclaimed.

"What an idiot. She's a little hottie, so you gotta be more discreet," remarked Kimberly, the serial cheater.

At twenty-eight-years-old, Tamsin Good had shoulder-length brown hair, blue eyes, large breasts, and a toned ass. A short girly-girl, she proved that looks could be deceiving as Tamsin had a fierce, no-nonsense personality. She displayed that attitude often around the offices of Ravers Enterprises, where she worked as the personal assistant to Audrey Ravers.

"Audrey's been in a foul mood ever since. Daniel's not far behind her either. I think that young man won't be getting the nod for promotions anytime soon in the company," Frida commented. "I believe Robert had to intervene to make sure they didn't go down there and lash out. Instead, Leah had a word--oh, I'm so sorry, Brooke."

"No, that's fine. I'm well aware of Robert's relationship with Miss Green. I'm fine with it," Brooke replied, sounding anything but fine. Seeking to change the subject, she added, "Hopefully, the bed and breakfast I recommended to Audrey in Swallow Crossing takes their mind off it. The place is on the outskirts of town, next to the river, and it's adorable."

"Yes, that reminds me that I can't have too much to drink. I need to pick up Bella tomorrow morning from her sleepover," Frida said.

"What's my daughter doing--" Brooke started to ask, but a shriek cut her off.

"BINGO!!!!"

"Yippee!" clapped the honey blonde running the game of Valentine bingo. Nearly every male eyebrow zeroed in on the pair of Double-D breasts that bounced along with the excited twenty-three-year-old. "Well, mosey on up here, lucky lady," the blonde said to the winner.

"Who put Chastity in charge of the games? She picked ones that grade-schoolers would play," Brooke inquired.

"Now, be nice, Brooke. Chastity sacrificed much of the last week planning this night," Frida replied. "Be more thankful that Tamsin joined her at the last minute, or we'd have Edna as her assistant."

A third-generation employee of Ravers Enterprises, Chastity Kupp was the stereotypical ditzy blonde, but she had a heart of gold. A honey blonde with brown eyes, a very large bust, and a toned ass, she worked as a receptionist for the company. Highly caring of others, Chastity had an encyclopedic knowledge about the lives of her fellow coworkers. Always eager to help cheer people up, if a person didn't think she'd jump at the chance to help find romance for others, then they'd be sorely mistaken.

"Oh, my gawd! I can't believe I won," gushed the excited middle-aged woman into the microphone that Chastity held in front of your face."

"Holy cupid, you did win!" Chastity exclaimed, hugging the woman. "Tell us your name and something about yourself."

"I'm Leslie Ewan. I'm born and raised in Azure Rocks. I...um, I'm going on three years since my divorce, and I work as a receptionist at Mulberry, March & Woodsen," Leslie nearly shouted into the mic.

"I'm a receptionist too!" Chastity shrieked, surprising Leslie by hugging her again. "By cupid's arrow, it's time for your prize. As our lucky winner, Leslie, you get to choose any man in here and give him a kiss to knock his sock's off. Who are you gonna choose?"

"Do you know this woman?" Kimberly nudged Frida.

"Leslie? A little bit. She was a year older than me. Her friend, Blanche, had a crush on Danny back in middle school," Frida responded.

"It looks like she had someone in mind from the start," Brooke commented as she watched Leslie head straight toward a man standing at the bar. "Oh, my!"

Leslie walked right up to a man with short dark-brown hair and a full beard. The man's gray eyes shot wide open as she grabbed him and issued one hell of a kiss. The winner clearly used her a lot of tongue in the one-sided kiss. A fact that got a comment out of Kimberly.

"Leslie Ewan? More like Leslie Eww," the platinum blonde chuckled. "Now, there's a divorcee."

"Oh, poor George," Frida moaned, watching the man's embarrassment after Leslie pulled away.

"George Bishop! That's why he looked familiar," Brooke exclaimed.

"Gregory's brother? What's he doing in Azure Rocks?" Kimberly questioned.

"He moved here recently with his children, and took a position at the hospital," Frida informed them. "Monica must have worked some magic to get him here tonight."

"She, Sarah, Audrey, and Olivia all worked their magic to make us come here tonight," Brooke added.

"Wowzers! That's was one peck of a kiss," Chastity joked into the microphone. "Everyone remember to don't dawdle in finding your matching Hershey's Kiss. Tamsin will be handing out another round for the people who want to give love another heart. You get it? Heart?"

Outside of a few overly boisterous people, most of the crowd groaned at the blonde's bad jokes. If she noticed, Chastity didn't let on. Instead, she announced the next party game.

"Who's ready for Valentine's charades?!"

"That's it, I'm out of here," Brooke announced, standing up.

"Brooke, you can't leave yet!" Frida replied.

"I'm not leaving the place; I'm just going to go into the front. There's music and people under thirty in there," she explained as Kimberly rose to join her.

"Did someone say music?" a man with short black hair and a strong build questioned, walking over to Brooke. Staring into her blue eyes with his gray ones, he offered his hand to Brooke.

"Allow me the honor of the first dance, Ms. Lakefield," Jack Hartburn stated, not asked.

Why did I ever think this might not be an awful idea? Brooke mentally kicked herself.

---

One Hour Earlier

"I don't know if this is a good idea. Maybe I should wait another year," Harmony Griffin remarked, standing still at the street corner. The thirty-eight-year-old woman with long blonde hair and hazel eyes looked almost frightened to cross the street.

"I know it's difficult to make the first step, Harmony, but getting it over with is the smart thing to do," Mary Moreau softly and soothingly replied. "Think of this as the prologue to your next great adventure in your life. Maybe you won't find love inside there, but by taking the first step, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities."

"Or look at it this way. If you go over there this year, then next year, you might be inside here on a romantic date," Wande Zee suggested, pointing behind her to Goforth's. A short line spilled out of the upscale restaurant as couples arrived for their reservations.

"I know I'm not married any longer, but this still feels wrong," Harmony explained.

"Girl, he cheated on you. You owe nothing to your ex," Wanda responded.

"She's right, Harm, it's time to move on and make him regret his mistakes," Mary added.

"Alright," Harmony reluctantly agreed. "But if this gets too weird, I'm going home to watch a movie."

The trio of Azure Rocks High School employees waited for the crosswalk to turn green. Harmony Griffin might be the oldest at thirty-eight, but she was the newest to the school, having only arrived at the start of the school year. Teaching various math classes, she'd overcome a natural tendency for the students to dislike their math teachers. Her patient approach to a difficult subject had slowly warmed her students up to her.

Teaching literature, Mary Moreau had arrived a couple of years earlier to Azure Rocks High. A smart and sweet woman, she'd instantly become a hit with nearly all her students. They loved her passion for the subject matter, and many loved her appearance as well. An attractive woman with long, auburn hair, blue eyes, a medium bust, and a curvy ass, Mary became one of the teachers with the most students crushes. She'd briefly dated Jacob Ward, the chemistry teacher, but didn't like his stern attitude toward his students.

The third member of their trio had worked the longest at Azure Rocks High and had once been a student there. Thirty-three-years-old, Wanda Zee worked as the school nurse and as the head coach of the Honeybears, the school's dance squad. A former member herself, Wanda had a figure to match many of her dancers. A short, spunky woman with attitude, she had long, reddish-brown hair with small curls, green eyes, medium breasts, and a toned ass. Boys loved to visit her office to gaze at her hot body whenever they faked an illness.

With the light turning, the school trio crossed the street and headed toward The Copper Lantern. An upscale pub, popular with young professionals who worked downtown, it had been a surprise to many when the establishment changed their Valentine's Day plans only a week prior. Rumors rang around the downtown that a wealthy individual or two had greased the wheels for the change.

Entering the English-influenced pub, the women stopped to scan the much younger crowd than they expected. These smartly dressed young men and sexily dressed young women looked to be barely out of college. And the music playing sounded much more modern than they expected.

"Uh, are we sure this is the right place?" Harmony queried.

"This is where Ashley said we should come," Mary replied, wondering if her matchmaking student had mistakenly told her the wrong bar.

Seeing their confusion, a woman a few years younger than Mary and Wanda walked over to them. Brown-haired with big boobs, the trio expected her to ask if they were lost as this wasn't their type of an establishment.

"Hi, are you here for the over thirty mixer?"

"Yes, we are," Mary replied.

"I'm Tamsin, one of the hosts for tonight. The mixer is being held in the other section, by the rear bar," she informed them. Seeing the relief on Harmony's face, she added, "It's a much more laid back atmosphere in the other room. But feel free to come back to the front if you're looking for a man a little younger."

"We got games!" a chipper honey blonde greeted, hopping behind Tamsin. "Take a Hershey's Kiss. The red ones are for you ladies and you match them up with the silver ones for the men, and POOF like magic you kiss."

"Thanks, Chastity," Wanda said, taking a piece of candy.

"Best of luck, Nurse Zee!"

Leaving the front section of The Copper Lantern, the three women walked down a short hall to find a small dining room. Continuing, they entered the rear section and found the back bar and mixer.

A beautiful blonde surrounded by six men saw them and excused herself. Wearing a flattering light-blue, button-up sweater and tight jeans, Diane Westher looked relieved to see the new arrivals.

"Thank you!" she breathed, lowering her voice. "These men are like vultures."

The squeak from Harmony alerted her two coworkers to her sudden move. They swiftly blocked her from fleeing.

"It can't be that bad, right?" Wanda questioned Diane, motioning to Harmony.

"Oh, no, it's not that bad. And I'm sure as more women arrive, that will spread out the guys," Diane downplayed for the sake of the divorced woman. "Wow, rocking a skirt in this weather? You got some guts, Wanda."

"Me? Damn, those jeans looked painted on," Wanda commented. Then turning her old middle school friend around, she surprised everyone by laying a loud smack to the blonde's curvy ass.

"Zee!" squealed the pediatrician.

"Hey, you wear those with that body, and you're asking to get it slapped," the curly-haired redhead chuckled.

At thirty-four-years-old, Diane Wester looked far too young to be the mother of a senior in high school, but she was. With her long, blonde hair, green eyes, large breasts, and the slap-worthy curvy ass, she'd long been pursued around town by men. Up until now, Diane had always said no, but with Gavin approaching graduation, she'd finally relented to her friends' pleading for her to date.

"Anyone else here, Mrs. Westher?" Mary inquired.

"Oh, call me Diane," she told her son's teacher. "A few other parents I recognize, but nobody else that I really know. Fiona's running late. She said she had to check on a problem, but she promised to bring at least one person with her. Frida should be here soon."

"I do recognize a few of my current and former students' parents," Mary stated, scanning the room. "I'm staying away from the fathers of my current ones. That's too awkward a situation.

"And Cheryl's--there she is," Diane said, pointing toward a tall, attractive caramel-skinned woman exiting the ladies' room.

Men's whole heads turned as they followed Dr. Cheryl Fort as she made her way toward Diane and the teachers. An emergency room doctor, Cheryl combined brains and beauty with her long, curly black hair, brown eyes, large breasts, and a curvy ass. Calm and cool under pressure when it came to a patient's life, she appeared uneasy by her current situation.

"I feel like I'm in a meat market, waiting to be served as dinner," Cheryl described to Diane as she rejoined her friend. "I can't believe I got talked into this."

"I've been thinking that same thing over and over," Harmony agreed, shuddering away from the leering gaze of one potential suitor. "At least, I know to blame these two," she motioned to Mary and Wanda.

"And I can blame Monica for any potential trouble," Cheryl responded.

"Let's all calm down and give it a chance, okay. Sarah Woodsen called in a ton of favors to make this happen, and get people to come," Diane revealed. "I'll admit that I do not see too many good prospects, but it hasn't even started yet."

A flash of light interrupted kept anyone from responding. They watched as a young woman smiled at them.

"Okay, let's all smile for the next one. Mrs. Walker said to make sure I get plenty of pictures to capture when love blossoms," a reporter from the Gazette cheerfully informed them. When she finished taking a second picture and walked away, Diane commented.

"Alright, it this thing goes south, we know to blame Olivia as well."

An awful ringing sound filled the room, causing people to cringe. Some even covered their ears.

"Whoopsie! Sorry about that," Chastity said into the microphone as a worker fixed the sound. "It's time to begin the games. First, up we're having a contest for the gentlemen." Taking the mic, the bubbly blonde moved to several tables where two workers lined up a stack of plastic cups, with a heart at the very top. "The goal here is to see who can shoot the most arrows into the hearts."

As a groan rang out, Chastity hurriedly shook her hands. "By the love of romance, don't be worried. We're not going to use actual arrows. Nada, we got nice and safe Nerf guns to use. The man with the most hearts gets to kiss the woman of his choice!"

Harmony turned to the other women in her small group.

"I'm so sorry. This whole night is my fault. I should have lied."

---

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