Guest Post | The Wingman by Holly Day

Hello everyone! I’m here as Holly today – not that it makes much difference 😄. A couple of days ago, The Wingman was released. It’s our 14th story in the same number of months, and we’re feeling a little proud.

Are you into productivity tips and stuff? There are so many know-it-alls, self-proclaimed experts, and gurus out there that it’s impossible to know who to listen to. And what works for one person won’t work for everyone.

I wouldn’t call myself a competitive person; I’m not. I’d much rather let my friends win if it’s important to them and we’re competing. Since I went to a sports school that took in very few students at the age of 16 to 19, this is a trait my coaches weren’t thrilled about, to say the least LOL

But! Winning wasn’t all they wanted us to do. They taught us how to set goals, how to plan to be able to achieve them, and how to think – you are always your worst enemy. If you think you’re unable to do something, you won’t be able to do it.

I’m not saying I have all this down pat, but working with people trained in mental coaching has broadened my skill set far more than winning ever would. And if I set a goal, I will do my damnedest to achieve it. It won’t always get me to where I want to be, but it will get me close.

This post quickly turned into more of a lecture than I’d meant for it to be LOL. I was just gonna say that if you like productivity tips and haven’t heard of Jerry Seinfeld’s Don’t Break the Chain method, check it out!

That’s where I am now, 14 months and counting. The first month without a release will be devastating – but then I can move onto the Never Miss Twice thinking LOL

Sorry for the rambling. My 14th release in a row is about Cole and Gavin who have been best friends since they were kids. A year ago, Cole got out of an abusive relationship, and now Gavin thinks it’s time for him to move on. As his self-proclaimed wingman, Gavin is on the hunt for a man for Cole. The only problem is that Cole doesn’t want to see anyone but Gavin, and Gavin thinks everyone is unworthy of Cole.

It’s a short friends to lovers story, and I loved writing it!

Blurb:

A year ago, Cole Hudson got out of an abusive relationship. Since then, he’s been hiding in the kitchen of his bakery, avoiding people best he can. He prefers it there, but his best friend Gavin has other ideas.  

Gavin is set on finding him a boyfriend, but Cole doesn’t like hanging around bars, and it’s precisely what Gavin has in mind. As Cole’s self-proclaimed wingman, Gavin is on the hunt for a worthy partner, but it isn’t an easy find.  

Cole doesn’t want to date; he only wants to spend time with Gavin. Gavin only wants Cole to be happy. How many men flocking around Cole will he have to chase away before the right one shows up? 

Buy links 

Gay Contemporary Romance: 11,424 words  

JMS Books :: Amazon :: books2read/TheWingman 

Excerpt:

When Gavin strode into the bar before Cole, his inner voice urged him to run. It was his only chance to escape. Gavin was talking to the doorman, who was blushing. He wouldn’t notice if Cole faded away.
“Come on.” Gavin frowned at him. “Why are you standing outside in the cold when we can have a beer at the bar?”
Damn. Against his better judgment, Cole went in through the door.
There were more people than there had been the day before despite the early hour. Many were eating or had recently finished a meal.
Cole wished he could turn around and leave, but Gavin was already by the bar.
“Two beers.”
He didn’t smile at the bartender, so Cole did to smooth over the harsh tone. “And a coffee, please.”
“Coffee?” Gavin raised one eyebrow again, and Cole huffed.
“Now you’re doing it to annoy me.” He took the stool to the left of Gavin, the same one as the night before.
“Why coffee? We’re here to get you drunk and laid, not to have you sit by the bar and drink coffee.”
The bartender gave Gavin a bored look before focusing on Cole. “Black?”
“Milk, please.”
“Cole.” How one word could hold so much disappointment was beyond Cole. He should take notes on how Gavin did it so he could reciprocate at some point.
“Yes, Gavin.” He made his tone as even as he could.
He huffed and reached for one of the beers the bartender placed in front of them. After a minute or two, he spun around on the stool and leaned against the bar in the same way he’d done the day before.
“Anyone you like?” His gaze traveled the clientele.
Cole met the bartender’s eyes and sighed. “We arrived a minute ago, and I don’t know anyone here.”
“The guy in the corner is pretty nice. A bit too needy… Oh, no I might be remembering wrong.”
Cole shook his head and sipped on his coffee. It wasn’t the best he’d had, but not the worst either. And the cup was nice—plain white, but wider than most.
When the bartender came to their end of the bar again, Cole waved his hand. “Do you like the cups?”
For a second, the bartender only blinked at him. “Like?”
“Do they chip easily?”
“They do. I wouldn’t recommend them.”
“Too bad, I’m looking for new ones and I liked—”
“What are you doing?” Gavin stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“We need new cups for the cafe.”
Gavin shook his head. “You should be focusing on your beer, not thinking about work.”
Cole frowned, but when he was about to continue his conversation with the bartender, he was serving a woman at the other end of the bar.
He glared at Gavin. “What is wrong with you?”
“I’m looking out for you.” He drained the last of his beer and motioned to the bartender for two more, and grunted when he realized Cole hadn’t drunk anything from his.
“Hi.” A man about their age smiled at Cole and leaned against the bar on his left.
“Hi.”
“No, keep moving. There is plenty of space at the other end of the bar.” Gavin glared at the man who stared and left.
“Why are you so rude?”
“He’s a bottom. I know. I’ve been with him.”
“So?”
“You’re a bottom. It wouldn’t have worked out.”
“Says who?” Cole wasn’t gonna sleep with anyone, especially not someone Gavin had slept with, but having Gavin send people away based on what the two of them had done in bed was insane.
“Cole.” He gave him a serious look. “I’m here to help you.”
“I don’t need help. All I want is to go home, put on a movie, and go to bed before midnight, preferably around ten.”
“No. You need to move on. I wasn’t there when you needed me the most, but I’m gonna be there now.”
Sighing, Cole took a sip of his beer. Gavin had been more absent than not during the seven years he’d been with Brian, but it was because he disliked Brian. Cole hadn’t noticed at first, he’d believed Gavin liked Brian since he’d been the one to introduce them, but no. Gavin wasn’t a fan and it hadn’t gotten better once he’d understood what had happened.
Cole didn’t think he knew many details. Susan was his emergency contact. She was the one who got the phone calls. Most often there hadn’t been a need for a phone call, only when things had been really bad.
Cole was sure she’d suspected what his everyday life had been like, but she’d never shared her concerns with Gavin. At least he didn’t think she had, or Gavin would’ve kicked their door in to get to Brian.
It made him smile. Gavin might be an ass, but there was no one he trusted to keep him safe more than him. Which was why he’d never told him. He was embarrassed. Gavin would never get tangled up in anyone’s web. He’d never fall for someone who hurt him. He’d leave before there were cuts or fractures or concussions.

About Holly: 

According to Holly Day, no day should go by uncelebrated and all of them deserve a story. If she’ll have the time to write them remains to be seen. She lives in rural Sweden with a husband, four children, more pets than most, and wouldn’t last a day without coffee.  

Holly gets up at the crack of dawn most days of the week to write gay romance stories. She believes in equality in fiction and in real life. Diversity matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. We can change the world one story at the time.  

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