The Do-Over Read online

  Fifteen years is a long time. Long enough to forget the past, forge ahead, and create a terrific life. Bella Hunt has done exactly that, complete with a successful career, a gaggle of close friends, and a home she loves. Life is good.

  Or it was, until her teenage nightmare and the bane of her high school existence shows up for Bella’s class on conflict resolution. Easton Evans, in all her pretty, blond, my-parents-are-surgeons glory, throws Bella into an existential tailspin as her unpleasant memories from her past come screeching back. Easton doesn’t even recognize Bella, and what’s worse, Easton is...different somehow. Softer, kinder. And still unfairly attractive. None of it computes in Bella’s head. She’s hated Easton for fifteen years, done her best to scrub the past away. But now here it is. The past. Sitting in her classroom and waiting for Bella to teach her how to resolve a conflict of the heart.

  Praise for Georgia Beers

  The Shape of You

  “I know I always say this about Georgia Beers’s books, but there is no one that writes first kisses like her. They are hot, steamy and all too much!”—Les Rêveur

  The Shape of You “catches you right in the feels and does not let go. It is a must for every person out there who has struggled with self-esteem, questioned their judgment, and settled for a less than perfect but safe lover. If you’ve ever been convinced you have to trade passion for emotional safety, this book is for you.”—Writing While Distracted

  Blend

  “Georgia Beers hits all the right notes with this romance set in a wine bar…A low-angst read, it still delivers a story rich in heart-rending moments before the characters get their happy ever after. A well-crafted novel, Blend is a marvelous way to spend an evening curled up with a large glass of your favorite vintage.”—Writing While Distracted

  “The leads are very likeable and the supporting characters are also well developed. A really enjoyable novel, and one that leaves the reader longing for a glass of wine!”—Melina Bickard, Librarian, Waterloo Library (UK)

  “Blend is a fantastic book with lovable but realistic characters, slow build-up sizzling romance, and an expertly crafted plot. The book is a perfect blend (pun intended) of wit, humour, romance, and conflict that keeps the reader turning pages and wanting more.”—Lez Review Books

  Georgia Beers “develops characters that are interesting, dynamic, and, well, hot…You know a book is good, first, when you don’t want to put it down. Second, you know it’s damn good when you’re reading it and thinking, I’m totally going to read this one again. Great read and absolutely a 5-star romance.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  “Author Georgia Beers delivers another satisfying contemporary romance, full of humor, delicious aggravation, and a home for the heart at the end of the emotional journey.”—Omnivore Bibliosaur

  “This is a lovely romantic story with relatable characters that have depth and chemistry. A charming easy story that kept me reading until the end. Very enjoyable.”—Kat Adams, Bookseller, QBD (Australia)

  “Ms. Beers has a knack for creating characters that feel like real people, with families and pets and backstories and all the general messiness of life.”—Llama Reads Books

  “On paper these two should not work but they do, they really do! And the connection is palpable. You can feel the chemistry—it radiated off the page…I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say Georgia Beers writes the best kisses in lesbian fiction.”—Les Rêveur

  “Blend has that classic Georgia Beers feel to it, while giving us another unique setting to enjoy. The pacing is excellent and the chemistry between Piper and Lindsay is palpable.”—The Lesbian Review

  Right Here, Right Now

  “The angst was written well, but not overpoweringly so, just enough for you to have the heart-sinking moment of ‘will they make it,’ and then you realize they have to because they are made for each other.”—Les Reveur

  Right Here, Right Now “is full of humor (yep, I laughed out loud), romance, and kick-ass characters!”—Illustrious Illusions

  “[A] successful and entertaining queer romance novel. The main characters are appealing, and the situations they deal with are realistic and well-managed. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good queer romance novel, and particularly one grounded in real world situations.”—Books at the End of the Alphabet

  “Right Here Right Now is a slow-burning sweet romance between two very different women. Lacey is an accountant who lives her life to a plan, is predictable and does not like change. Enter Alicia, a marketing and design executive who is the complete opposite. Nevertheless they click…The connection is sexy, emotional and very hot.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog

  Lambda Literary Award Winner Fresh Tracks

  “Georgia Beers pens romances with sparks.”—Just About Write

  “[T]he focus switches each chapter to a different character, allowing for a measured pace and deep, sincere exploration of each protagonist’s thoughts. Beers gives a welcome expansion to the romance genre with her clear, sympathetic writing.”—Curve magazine

  Lambda Literary Award Finalist Finding Home

  “Georgia Beers has proven in her popular novels such as Too Close to Touch and Fresh Tracks that she has a special way of building romance with suspense that puts the reader on the edge of their seat. Finding Home, though more character driven than suspense, will equally keep the reader engaged at each page turn with its sweet romance.”—Lambda Literary Review

  Mine

  “From the eye-catching cover, appropriately named title, to the last word, Georgia Beers’s Mine is captivating, thought-provoking, and satisfying. Like a deep red, smooth-tasting, and expensive merlot, Mine goes down easy even though Beers explores tough topics.”—Story Circle Book Reviews

  “Beers does a fine job of capturing the essence of grief in an authentic way. Mine is touching, life-affirming, and sweet.”—Lesbian News Book Review

  Too Close to Touch

  “This is such a well-written book. The pacing is perfect, the romance is great, the character work strong, and damn, but is the sex writing ever fantastic.”—The Lesbian Review

  “In her third novel, Georgia Beers delivers an immensely satisfying story. Beers knows how to generate sexual tension so taut it could be cut with a knife…Beers weaves a tale of yearning, love, lust, and conflict resolution. She has constructed a believable plot, with strong characters in a charming setting.”—Just About Write

  The Do-Over

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  The Do-Over

  © 2019 By Georgia Beers. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-394-9

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: March 2019

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

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Lynda Sandoval

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design By Ann McMan

  By the Author

  Turning the Page

  Thy Neighbor’s Wife

  Too Close to Touch

  Fresh Tra
cks

  Mine

  Finding Home

  Starting from Scratch

  96 Hours

  Slices of Life

  Snow Globe

  Olive Oil & White Bread

  Zero Visibility

  A Little Bit of Spice

  Rescued Heart

  Run to You

  Dare to Stay

  What Matters Most

  Right Here, Right Now

  Blend

  The Shape of You

  Calendar Girl

  The Do-Over

  Acknowledgments

  I can’t recall now what got me thinking about two people who went to high school together meeting up again fifteen years later as the adults they grew into and getting to know each other, but it stuck with me for quite some time. High school was hard for me, as it is for most teenagers. I was a good student, but I was not popular. My parents divorced, and I had to change schools for my senior year. Add to that a years-long struggle with my sexuality, and yeah…not a fun time for me. While I consider myself a fairly well-adjusted adult and have gone to a couple of class reunions, there isn’t enough money in the world to get me to actually go back to high school.

  That being said, I wanted to show a second chance. A chance to right the wrongs done to others. A chance to talk about the things that were terrifying at the time. A chance to show (and discover) what good people we turned out to be. I hope you enjoy the journey.

  Thank you to everybody at Bold Strokes Books for continuing to make the publishing process easier than I ever expect it to be. This is a good place to be as a writer.

  Thank you to my editor, Lynda Sandoval, who is like my writing makeup: she finds the blemishes and imperfections, teaches me how to fix them, and makes me look better than I actually do.

  Thank you to my author friends who do what I do, who understand when I feel like I haven’t a clue how to write a book, and who cheer for me when I actually do just that. I’m so glad to have you guys in my corner and I’m doubly glad to be in yours. Also, thanks to my non-writing friends and family, whose support means just as much. I couldn’t do any of this without you.

  Finally, I am forever grateful to my amazing readers who lift me up when I need it and keep me going when I’m stalled. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough.

  Chapter One

  “That’s not how Danny did it.”

  Easton Evans sat at her desk and held the gaze of Brandi White—a mere one-tenth of the sales staff that hated her—and tipped her head slightly to the side. “Well, this is how I do it.”

  “What difference does it make?” Brandi was the ballsiest of the group, and that made her an excellent salesperson. It also made her unafraid to push back against the new management that had been installed when Hart Commodities had taken over the smaller company and made several changes. This was a tight-knit firm, so when the six managers were let go in the buyout, the staff had been understandably upset. It seemed to Easton that her portion of that staff—the sales force—had decided to vent its frustrations by making her as miserable as possible.

  Easton took a deep breath and willed herself to stay calm, to not get defensive. She did her best to keep a neutral tone as she slowly explained. “It makes a difference because my bosses want the sales reports by Wednesday at noon.” It wasn’t her fault the apparently godlike Danny had been laid off, but she also knew the staff needed somebody to put the blame on, and as their new boss, she fit the bill nicely. But she’d been taking their muffled—and not-so-muffled—comments for over a month now, and frankly, she was getting a little tired of it. “Listen, Brandi, nobody likes change. I get that. But I still need the sales reports in by noon on Wednesdays.”

  “End of day Friday worked just fine when Danny was here.”

  “I don’t care,” Easton snapped, her patience fraying. “I’m not Danny.”

  “Yeah, no kidding.”

  This was going nowhere, would continue to go nowhere, and Easton was annoyed that she’d let her frustration show. Wishing she hadn’t let Brandi see how much she’d gotten under her skin—but unable to keep from poking the inside of her cheek with her tongue anyway—Easton lowered her voice, hardened it. “Sales reports are due by noon on Wednesdays. End of discussion.”

  Brandi glared back at her for a few seconds that felt like an hour to Easton. A stand-off. Damn, the woman had a backbone of titanium. Holding eye contact with her wasn’t easy, but Easton managed not to look away. Finally, three hours later (not really, but it felt like it), Brandi turned on her heel and left without another word. Easton let out a breath, irritated that she’d been holding it at all.

  Her staff hated her. That was a fact. They’d loved Danny…and honestly, he sounded like a great guy. Easton had no idea how buyouts were done. She’d worked for Hart for five years, and this was a promotion for her. She’d gone from account executive to senior account executive to sales manager, but this was the first time she’d actually changed locations, started over in a brand-new setting with brand-new people. She was a good salesperson. She knew her stuff. She also knew, deep down, that she was a good manager as well, but this was messing with her confidence. Having a staff that disliked her intensely was new for her, and she wasn’t handling it as well as she’d like.

  There were six employees like Easton. Six managers who’d been brought in from various branches of Hart Commodities to take over the departments of this new branch. Sales, marketing, customer service, HR, traffic, and vendor. Those were the management titles, and all of them had been brought in from other locations across the region. They had a management meeting set up for that afternoon, and Easton was anxious to see if any of her fellow managers were having the same continuing issues with their staff.

  Allowing herself a moment or two of peace, Easton melted into her ergonomic chair and slowly exhaled. This was the first time she’d ever had an actual office, complete with a door and a window. She’d always been in a cubicle, even as the senior account executive. This was a definite step up, and when she took a moment and allowed it, she felt a warm sense of pride in the way she’d moved up in the company. Her office wasn’t big, but it was perfect. She had a nice desk made of a light wood (oak, maybe?) and a great chair. Behind her was a matching credenza where she’d made things a bit homier by adding a plant and several framed photos, mostly of Emma. Two chairs for visitors sat angled in front of the desk, upholstered with maroon vinyl (Brandi hadn’t sat in either of them, as standing—an attempt to keep the upper hand?—was her habit, Easton had noticed). A large abstract painting in pleasant, earthy colors hung on the wall opposite Easton, and she often studied it when she was trying to wind down or destress.

  Like now. God, Brandi White can needle me like nobody ever has.

  Her body jerked slightly when her cell phone rang, she was so lost in her own thoughts. A glance at the screen told her who it was, and a warm and happy wave of relief washed over her.

  “Hey, stranger,” she said with a smile, as she answered. She stood, crossed the office, and shut the door with a quiet click.

  “My girl,” came the voice of Shondra Carletti. “Why have I not heard from you? Are you too important to talk to us little people anymore?”

  “You will never be little people to me. You know that.” Easton dropped back down into her chair, felt her entire body relax at the sound of her best friend’s voice. Under her desk, she kicked off her heels, if only for a short time. “You have no idea how much I needed to hear from you today.”

  “Last I checked, phone lines run both ways, baby girl. And did you break your texting fingers since I saw you last?”

  “I know, I know. But I have been so busy over here, it’s ridiculous. Between learning how this place has been running and deflecting the hateful glares of my new staff and dealing with Emma—is there such a thing as the terrible sevens?—I’ve just been buried under my life. I’m so sorry. My God, I’ve missed you.”

  “Sounds to me like you need one of Shondra�
�s margarita nights.”

  “Yeah, I need, like, six of Shondra’s margarita nights. In a row.”

  It was amazing how the world just seemed to right itself whenever Easton talked to Shondra. Easton was an extrovert and had many friends; she always had, even in high school. But there was something about this particular friendship with Shondra that steadied her like no other in her life. And Easton had the same effect on Shondra, despite her being five years younger. They’d discussed it more than once, settling on the conclusion that, for whatever reason, the universe meant them to be friends, and who were they to argue?

  By the time Easton hung up fifteen minutes later, she’d set up dinner at Shondra’s on Saturday night. “Bring Emma. I’ll have my niece come over to watch the little ones so we can just chat. Tony’s got a poker night with the guys.” The idea of an evening of visiting, joking, and Shondra’s margaritas was heavenly enough to make Easton feel almost relaxed as she jotted notes about some things she needed to bring up at the manager meeting that afternoon.

  Almost.

  ***

  When the Xavier Company had been purchased by Hart Commodities, there had been dozens of changes. First had been the huge sign on the building that lit up green at night, replaced by the well-known blue-and-red Hart logo. Easton had felt a pang of sympathy for the Xavier employees who had been there from the beginning, as the Xavier sign was taken down in the middle of the workday when anybody could step outside and watch. Next, and sorely needed, had been the complete remodeling of the large conference room. Extremely dated, it had contained a long, pockmarked table that was probably older than Easton herself and shockingly uncomfortable chairs with beige fabric upholstery that was so worn it was nearly threadbare. One of the first lessons she’d learned when coming to work for Hart was that making a fabulous first impression was key. You couldn’t do that with a conference room that looked like it had come straight out of the seventies. So, the room had been gutted, then remade in the image of a highly successful and modern American company. Blue-gray paint on the walls; deep slate carpet on the floor; sleek new furniture with lots of black and glass and chrome; a sidebar for food, coffee, water.