RELEASE TOUR: For Fake’s Sake and Other Stories by J.J. Harper (Excerpt)

FOR FAKE’S SAKE and other stories, by JJ Harper

Three short stories of love found when it’s least expected.

https://geni.us/ForFakesSake-GRR

Length: 70,000 words
Series: standalone
Genre: contemporary
Tropes: fake boyfriends, strangers to lovers | Daddy/boy, age gap | age gap
Trigger/Content Warnings: One book is Daddy/boy, but not littles

For Fake’s Sake
When Ollie bumps into his old school bully, Monty, in a bar, he soon finds himself a speaker at a school gala. Not only that but after Monty sees him with a man, it seems he has to find a boyfriend to accompany him. Enter Jack, the stranger from the bar. He stupidly didn’t get Ollie’s number. Fate has a wonderful way of working, and the two young men find themselves fake boyfriends.
Can they pull it off without falling in love?

Table For One
It’s Pride Day, and Spencer bumps into the perfect Daddy. Can he keep him for the night? Carl walked away from his wife when he could no longer live a lie. When the fabulous twink bounces into him on a hot and sweaty night, he knows he can’t let him go after just one night. But Spencer remembers more about him, and although he knows it will break is heart he breaks off any chance of them being together.
Will Carl be able to prove it doesn’t matter, that nothing is more important than them being together?

Worth Waiting For
Elliot a gay forty-one-year-old man finds himself lost in Mexx, a top-end high street store looking for two female employee’s birthday gifts. The soft male voice not only has him looking to his side, but his heart pounding fast at the sight of the exquisite young man offering his assistance. The offer of dinner together has Noah shocked, but he shyly accepts. When Elliott is stood up, he’s not ready to write Noah off and returns to the store to find out why.
After his mum is diagnosed with MS Noah moves back home to help, which means that if she’s not well his plans get cancelled. Missing out a chance with Elliot hurts more than it should.
After being given a second chance, is the spark they felt for real. Have they both found the perfect man? The forever kind.

For Fake’s Sake was originally in a giveaway, Table For One has been available before in an anthology. Both books have been extended. Worth Waiting For is a brand-new short story.

EXCERPT:

From For Fake’s Sake

The donkey whinnying is getting closer. Fuck. Don’t look. Don’t look. I grab my messenger bag from under the barstool.

“Blinkers? Is that you?” The obnoxious nasal twang I hated then seems even worse now. 

I take the easy way out, or maybe it’s the coward’s way? As long as it gets me out of here, I don’t give a shit. I dart towards the exit. Unfortunately, Monty still has no manners and puts a meaty hand on my shoulder, halting any chance of escape.

“I thought it was you. Still running away from me. Nothing much has changed.” He snorts. “Although you’re not the skinny little runt you were at school. Still chasing the boys, I see. Still living up to your name, Horny Blinkers.” He bursts out in ridiculously loud laughter.

Please, ground, open up and swallow me. The whole bar is watching the interaction as if we were on The Jeremy Kyle Show. The topics are gruesome, but you don’t want to miss a word.

“Monty, gosh. You haven’t changed a bit.” I slowly look him up and down. At school, he might have made me cower, but I’m learning to stand up for myself. “Apart from your waist, which is a lot bigger.”

He scowls. “Cazza, come here, doll.” He beckons a sweet-looking lady. She walks over but doesn’t look too thrilled. “This is my old lady, Cazza. Caz, this is my old friend, Blinkers. From school. I’m sure I’ve mentioned him to you. He’s a woofter, like your brother.”

The poor woman sighs. “Monty, please don’t use that word. And no, I don’t remember you mentioning him.” She gives me a smile that tries to convey every apology I’ve ever needed from this arsehole.

“It’s Ollie, not Blinkers. It was never Blinkers.”

“Oh, nonsense. Cazza, I told you about him. His name is Blinkhorn, but we would call him Horny Blinkers. He was always after the boys, y’see. He liked it, made him feel part of the gang.”

“I hated it, and I never wanted to be part of your dreadful gang.”

He ignores me and carries on talking about the fun things they would do, including wedgies, swirlies, and nuggies.

Would I get away with hitting Monty? Before I can put my thoughts into action, a hand lands on my back. I look over my shoulder. Shit, sexy-hot guy. But hang on. He’s here. With me. Why? What’s going on? Am I on some dumb reality show like The Only Way Is… whatever the fuck it was? Monty doesn’t seem to have noticed because his wife is still berating him.

This is the perfect time to make my escape. I step backwards, keeping my eyes on my enemy like an antelope watching a lion. Sexy-hot guy takes my hand, and we cautiously make our way to the front of the bar, yank open the door and rush out onto the street.

We burst into laughter, hanging on to each other as tears stream over our faces.

https://geni.us/ForFakesSake-GRR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Just in case you don’t know me. I’m a simple soul who puts all my hopelessly romantic thoughts down on my computer. I’m usually in the living room—typing away—with my wayward Great Dane, Siddiqi, and an even more hopeless Lab pup called Buffy next to me on the sofa. 

I’m a hopeless romantic, always falling in love with my men, determined to make sure they get the happy-ever-after they deserve, even if they do have to work hard for it.

I live in a tiny village in Lincolnshire, UK, with my husband and dogs, who are forever patient with me when I forget the time, and the dinner!

FOLLOW ME:

Website: https://www.jjharper-author.com

Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorJJHarper

Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/jessjhoney

Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ha7whyj6

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessjharper

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jj-harper

Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/jjharper

Harper’s Honeys: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HarpersHoneys/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessjharper

Sign up to my newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3u7qLYc