“Of course! You can’t beat this pay anywhere else,” guy two exclaims.
“Stop gawking at women way out of your league and do your job before I fire you,” I declare.
“You can’t fire us!” the first guy says.
“Wanna bet?” Xander says from behind them.
“Boss, we were just…ah…” the second one stammers.
“Picking up drink orders…” the first one intervenes. The two of them scurry off.
“Um, Liam, dare I ask why you were threatening to fire my two top employees that are not family members?”
“The one was talking about the blonde over there being so hot and how hot her lips would look around his… I cut him off before he could finish.”
“Which blonde? Over where?”
“He was referring to Ella, and I set him straight. You’re welcome.” I laugh.
“Like those two would ever stand a chance,” Xander says proudly.
“Exactly.”
“What makes you think they weren’t referring to the dirty blonde at that table?” he challenges me.
I feel my temper flaring at the thought of them referring to my Mia like that. I mean Mia. Get a grip Liam! I scold myself. “Mia’s hair isn’t dirty blonde it’s light brown,” I defend.
“That right there proves my point. You have a thing for her,” Xander accuses with a slight smirk on his face.
“A thing for her? No! That’s absurd. I just met her. She’s also the best friend of my soon-to-be sisters, so I’m pretty sure that puts her in the don’t-even-dream-of-it category.”
“Bro, I’m telling you this in absolute confidence and if you rat me out, I will throw your ass under the bus,” my brother says, looking at me. He places his hand on my shoulder and says, “All of us, the girls, the nieces and nephews, Trent, Jaxson, Cal, Carter and I have joked about pairing the two of you up a lot, but as of late? I’m not so sure we’re joking about it anymore. Look, I think that maybe you should have a few conversations with her. Worst-case scenario, you have the friendship that we all have with her. She’s not going anywhere, so, you may as well get used to her, right?” Xander asks that question rhetorically and I can’t help but wonder why I am so mesmerized by this woman. I see so many beautiful women while working at the lodge’s front desk and the pool area. We’ve even rented out the ballroom and other areas of the lodge for photoshoots for the Passion for Fashion models. I’ve seen my fair share of beautiful women, so why her? What makes her so special? Why do I want to find out so badly?
Chapter 3
Mia
“We’re so glad that you could come out with us tonight, Mia,” Ella declares.
“Me too.” I smile, feeling extremely undeserving of a night off.
“If anyone deserves a night out, it’s you,” Brie says sternly, reading my facial expressions.
I smile. “Thank you, but I still feel guilty. Garrett was so upset I was going out that he was trashing his room before I even started to get ready tonight. It wasn’t until my dad called Cal to come hang out with them that he finally calmed and was okay with it.”
“Uncle Cal is so much fun! I’d ditch my parents to hang out with him too,” Brie says with a sexy smirk. Only Brie can get away with saying that too. She and I go way back. All the way back to the summer before we started kindergarten. We met at our babysitter’s house. She tore the heads from my Barbie dolls and we became insta-friends. By the third grade we were the sisters that we never had but always wanted. She’s an only child who was raised by her grandpa, and I only have two brothers. I am so thankful for all five of these women, but especially her.
“Girl, you need ‘you’ time too. You know the saying… If Momma isn’t happy, ain’t nobody happy,” Brie says.
We sit and talk while we wait for our food to arrive. I quickly realize just how good this feels to hang out with the girls again. I see Brie and Aubrey a lot more since they’re engaged to my brothers, Cal and Carter. To have everyone here together is amazing and exactly what I need to get out of my head and just be me for a little while.
As Brie starts to tell us about some of the latest gossip from her workplace, I happen to look up and spot the living, breathing Adonis, named Liam walking toward our table with a tray full of food. My God, I would swear he was melted down and poured into those jeans he’s wearing, not that I’m complaining, mind you. He then flashes me a smile that’s so panty melting, I’m not even sure I have mine on anymore. I can’t help but notice that his smile widens when his eyes meet my gaze. Come on, snap out of it! Even if it were a good idea to get involved with someone, which it’s not, guys like him, don’t date girls like me who have so much baggage, I scold myself. Liam places each plate in front of the rightful person, flashes a smile and asks, “Can I get you anything else?”
“Are you on the menu?” I murmur. I look over to see that all my friends are staring at me with their eyes wide at my comment and I realize I said that a little too loud. A whole new shade of blush fills my face. “Sorry, apparently I have no filter after a couple of Screaming Orgasms,” I say jokingly, trying to hide my embarrassment.
Liam bends down to my ear and whispers, “I get that reaction a lot.” Standing back up, his eyes meet mine and he flashes his oh-so-sexy smile, winks and walks away.
I swear that I have no social skills. Unless you are family or in the medical world that I deal with day in and day out, I have no idea what I’m doing. Luckily, these women are my best friends and they don’t mind my social awkwardness.
“So, Liam is Xander, Trent, and Jaxson’s brother?” I ask after Liam is out of earshot as he walks back to the bar.
“Liam’s their baby brother. He’s your age. You and he are getting along rather well. Maybe you should take him to go tonight,” Brie suggests, wriggling her eyebrows.
I smile at what she’s getting at. “Nice try but hard limit. I don’t need that kind of drama again. Besides, men like him, they definitely don’t do women like me with all the extra baggage that I come with.”
“You’ll never know unless you try,” Brie states.
“Are you ever going to tell us what made your marriage fall apart?” Ella inquires.
A few different scenarios flash through my mind—like the night Chris and I had a massive fight about the pajamas I was wearing to bed.
Walking out of the bathroom in my red silky nightgown, I put my slippers under the bed and go to get into it.
“You’re wearing those pajamas to bed? Like what, you think putting on next to nothing is going to make me want to fuck you? Come on, Mia,” Chris scolds.
“Fuck you, Chris! I am so tired of you berating me no matter what I do! You have made it quite clear that the only action I am getting is from Charlie—my trusty vibrator—nothing fancy, but hey it gets the job done. Calling him Charlie sounds better than BOB. Never disappoints either. “From here on out, this is what’s going to happen; I’m going to wear whatever I want to wear to bed, so that means if I want to wear cute pajamas to go to bed because I just might meet an amazing book boyfriend in my dreams, then I will do that. If I want to sleep buck naked and masturbate before I fall asleep then I will do that too, since you apparently don’t do that job anymore! I do not need your permission to wear anything anymore! I am your wife, and you need to start treating me a little better.”