The shaking hands and telling cheesy jokes portion of the morning drags on with my mind stuck on one thing, one person. I have to see her again. That can’t be the last time we hook up. We didn’t even get a proper goodbye and it’s not out of my system. Maybe I just need a couple more times.
But how do I see her again?
She was exactly as Bev said she would be, into the one-night stand only. She even left, doing the crawl of shame and leaving me to wake up alone. I don’t know if I’ve woken that disappointed before.
And what kind of girl asks for a fuck?
And then thanks you and sneaks out in the morning after she sleeps over and makes your whole bed smell like her?
Goddamn.
I thought I’d seen it all but that was new.
Finally, the breakfast is ending. I wave and offer my grandfather’s best to them all, though he hates most of them, and follow Carson and Rich out.
“Bro, honest to God, when you ran after her golf cart, I almost spit my drink.”
“Yeah, me too,” Carson agrees with his boyfriend, laughing.
“Hey, wait up!” Bev calls after us. We stop so she can catch up, something I regret the moment I see her smug grin. “How ya feeling this morning, Lori?”
“Fine,” I’m scared of the question. It feels like a trap.
“Was that your first time with a real woman?” Bev links her arm in mine and they all laugh at me, but I join them, shaking my head.
“You guys are the worst. Why is no one bugging Cap about the brunette?”
“Because she’s nice and sweet, and they probably did it missionary and then made sandwiches afterward while he told her about the highlights from his last game,” Rich says, making Carson burst out laughing.
“That’s how I pictured it too,” Carson agrees.
“Absolutely.” Bev giggles.
“Anyway.” I give Bev a side-glance. “You leaving soon?”
“Yeah, gotta get Gran and Gramps home. You guys?”
“I want to leave before Sami and those guys. They’ll need to take care of things here and I want to get home.”
“Ride with us. We’re leaving now. I have a family thing tomorrow, so we’re going to my parents’ place,” Rich offers.
“Yeah, all right. Thanks. I’ll meet you guys at the front desk in like thirty?” I glance at my watch, hating that it’s already one.
“You hoping to catch Jenny at the airport?” Bev nudges, not giving up on it.
“No,” I say casually. “This whole thing is insane. I don’t have my phone to call my pilot to meet me at the airport and I left my plane in New York. And Simon’s probably missing me.”
“You’re such a weirdo,” Carson mocks me as they turn right to go to their cabin. Bev walks me to my door, noticing when I glimpse at Jenny’s side to check if she’s there. But her golf cart’s gone.
“I know I said it was a one-night-stand situation but if you want her number, I might be able to help you out.”
“What?” I pull out my key and offer Bev a look. “You have it?”
“Maybe.” She is too smug for this not to be something, her and the Jenny thing. Something’s up.
“What did you do? Did you set us up? Is this some bullshit matchmaker thing?” I don’t know why but that bothers me.
“Nope.” Bev taps her nose. “I knew you two would be the perfect weekend buddies. I made the concierge put her next to you on purpose. I figured some cute redhead might help you with your little problem.”
“But you said you didn’t know she was some awesome—”
“Ha! You think she’s awesome.” She points. “All I want to hear from you is thank you, Cousin Bev.” She taps her nose again and leaves the cabin.
“You’re so weird,” I shout after her as she closes the door.
I have no idea what the hell just happened or what the hell she means. And now, I have no idea how to solve the new problem I have. Because as much as Bev played matchmaker for a one-night stand, I doubt she understands how hard she hit this one on the head. Which makes me uncomfortable. I’m becoming the girl at the wedding all hopped up on the marriage steroids and wanting to cling to this.
No way.
I need to back off.
But the problem is only one small part of me is saying I shouldn’t see Jenny again. And I should avoid her and the feelings she has invoked in no time at all.
But the rest of me screams that I have an hour to get to the airport and hope I can catch her. I race to the door, ripping it open and shouting, “I wanna know everything.”
Bev stops in her tracks and spins back to me. “Then you better hurry up, lover boy.”
I race like a madman around the cottage, grabbing my shit and stuffing bags.
There’s no time to wait for Carson and Rich.
I’m a man on a mission.
19 Billionaires’ Row
Jenny
“I have a hundred and forty-seven texts, six hundred and eleven emails, and fifteen voicemails.” Sukii glances over her phone at me as we get back onto the main road and our data is working again.
My phone is no better. “Oh God.” I wince seeing them all adding up.
The phone rings immediately with Stan’s number.
“Hello?” I put him on speaker so Sukii can hear too, in case we’re busted for misbehaving.
“Jenny, how are you? Not too hungover I hope.” He laughs and I grimace.
“No, sir. Sukii and I are on our way home now, you’re on speaker.”
“Hi, Stan,” Sukii shouts.
“Hello, my dear. Did you girls have fun?” He sounds like a grandpa asking his grandkids if they had fun at summer camp.
“We did. The wedding was stunning. You missed out. The food was the best ever. Thank you so much for asking us to go,” Sukii gushes.
“Oh good, that makes me happy. And, Jenny, I wanted to tell you the driver who is picking you up at
