Read Captivate her: Laws of Seduction Book 1 for Free Online Page A

when someone tells me to do something I go out of my way to do the exact opposite. I think this stems from the fact that I have two older brothers who constantly tell me what to do.
    It could also relate to my relationship with my mother. When I was three, she started taking me to beauty pageants. She would dress me up like a doll and enrolled me in dance. I finally put my foot down when I was seven years old.  What I mean by putting my foot down is that I had the tantrum of all tantrums in front of an auditorium full of pageant spectators. My mother was so embarrassed that I never had to go back again. Although to give her credit, I also think that she could see how unhappy it was making me. My mother may be too fixated on appearances and sometimes delusional, but I know she also loves me. This is also one of my deepest, darkest secrets. The only people who know about my short stint in pageantry are my parents and my brothers. I told my mother that I would chop off all my hair if she ever talked about it to anyone. Although I have been fairly successful at relegating this embarrassing time of my life to the past, my mother still insists on keeping photos as mementos in her bedroom. Needless to say, I avoid her room like the plague. She insists that if I were not so stubborn, I could be Miss America today, which is, of course, ridiculous. To this day, my brothers find her delusions of grandeur hilarious and tease me mercilessly.
    The bar is starting to get loud, and I am considering going outside with the smokers when Alex Matthews, one of the guys from my study group, comes up and gives me a one-armed hug. “Hey Laine, I heard you got an interview at Houghton Mills.”
    “Yeah, I go in next Tuesday morning. Have you got anything lined up?”
    “Believe it or not, I am interviewing there too. I guess we will be competing against each other. May the best man – or woman – win,” he says with a laugh.
    Alex is one of the most laid-back people I know, so he does not seem to be stressing about competing for the position. Not that he has anything to worry about. He has always been one of the best students and gets along with everyone. I am sure he won’t have a problem landing a job.
    Glancing around the bar, I notice several groups of law students from my classes. Some of them I only know in passing and others I know well. A small wave of sadness wells up inside me. I wonder how many of my law school friends I will continue to see. Maybe some of them will be my opponents in cases, and some of them will move away. At any rate I know that although law school has brought us together, we are bound to drift apart. To rid myself of my melancholy mood, I decide to step outside for some fresh air.
    A cool breeze hits me as I walk outside.  Even though the smokers are polluting the air with their cigarettes, it is refreshing compared to the hot, humid air inside the bar. My ex-boyfriend Mark is standing in a small group next to the door. He also isn’t a smoker, but appears to be chatting with two attractive blonds who are holding cigarettes. I wonder if I have enough time to go back into the bar before he sees me, but then I realize it is too late. He has already caught sight of me and is excusing himself from the blondes. He steps over to me and gives me a big hug. Stepping back, he continues to hold my shoulders, “Hey, sweetness. I didn’t know you were here tonight. I would have come in to see you.”
    I hate it that he still calls me that, and I   shift subtly, hoping that he will release my shoulders. “That’s okay. I haven’t been here long.”
    He does finally let go, but then turns,   draping one arm over my shoulders and guiding me back toward the door, leaving the two women he was chatting with without another word. I do my best to ignore their dirty looks. “Now that I know you are here, let me buy you a drink.”
    Considering my options, I decide on the choice with the least drama. The best way to