Romancing the Complicated Girl: A Sweet Romantic Comedy

Megan “Meenie” Gardenia rubs people the wrong way. She claims it’s just her sense of humor. People can’t take a joke!

Megan attends a weekly support group, but not because she has any type of problem. Oh, no. She only goes to meetings to unload her baked goods and tell other people how to smarten up and fix their lives.

Now there’s a new guy coming to the group. He says he doesn’t have problems, either. But he keeps showing up. And everyone is starting to notice the sparks that are flying between Megan and the new guy.

What will Megan do to make a perfect, problem-free man fall madly in love with her? Wrong question. It’s more like what won’t she do.

There are plenty of LOLs and bittersweet moments to enjoy on Megan Gardenia’s bumpy journey toward love.

Coming February 2021, from USA Today Bestselling author Angela Pepper, writing under her romance name, Angie Pepper.

NOTE: This is an expanded and updated full-length novel based on a story originally published in 2014 as Complicated Girl under the pen name Mimi Strong.

CHAPTER 1:

Megan Gardenia was about to ruin yet another potential romance in record time.
The timer started when she walked into Sweet Caroline Antiques, located up the street from the flower shop where Megan and her sister worked.
Megan hadn’t been looking for a date. She’d only gone in to see if they had any special vases. Sometimes Megan’s flower shop customers turned their noses up at the inexpensive vases that Gardenia Flowers carried.
That was when Megan first met Duncan, the young man who introduced himself as the owner of the shop.
He didn’t have any vases under a thousand dollars, but he did have a question.
“Is that Delilah’s place any good?”
Megan replied, “Who wants to know?”
In her own head, Megan was funny and sassy, like a heroine in a rom-com movie. Other people—boring people—felt that Megan’s approach to introductions could use some refining. Maybe she shouldn’t spit on her palm before shaking hands with people. Maybe folks needed some time to warm up to her particular sense of humor.
Duncan didn’t flinch.
Megan liked that about the guy. She took another look at him as a potential partner for fun and games.
Duncan had long hair. Duncan wore a goatee. Duncan was short. Those were three strikes against him, but he did have nice eyes.
“I’m the one who’s asking,” Duncan said casually. “Do you know the local neighborhood or not?”
He was issuing her a challenge. She liked that. This guy had some nitro in his fuel line.
“I know everything and everyone,” she said. “I’m friends with Luca Lowell, the owner of Ralph’s Garage.”
“Am I supposed to know who that is?”
“He’s kind of a big deal, Duncan. Try to keep up.” She walked over to the antique store’s door and checked the posted hours. “You’re closed now,” she said.
“I’m trying to close up shop, but a cute girl came in to flirt with me and waste my time asking about vases.”
A tingle went up Megan’s spine. She liked the attitude on this guy.
“Well, you’re closed now,” Megan said. “And you’re hungry, because who isn’t starving after a long day of not yelling at customers?” She looked him over again and nodded. “Okay. Yes.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll let you buy me dinner at Delilah’s.”
Duncan rubbed his goatee, which Megan was hating more than ever.
“That’s a better offer than I ever get from my stepmom,” Duncan said. “It’s way better, because your offer actually includes food. I don’t know what my father was thinking. Oh, wait. I think I do.” He mimed cupping a pair of very large boobs.
“You’re weird,” she said.
“You’re weird,” he said. “But you’re not my stepmom, so what the heck. Let’s get drunk and see what happens.”
Duncan grabbed his keys and locked up the antiques store.
They walked down Baker Street toward the cafe with the giant teapot over the door.
Megan said, “I like you, Duncan. Even though you’re short and you have a horrible, scraggly goatee.”
“Uh, thanks?”