Stud Muffin

by Lauren Landish

  “If anyone can handle it, you can,” Roxy says quietly. “Hannah, you’re strong as hell. Forget Good Girl. I should call you Wonder Woman.”

  “Thanks,” I reply, touched. “You think so?”

  “No doubt,” Roxy says before grinning. “Still, now that I think about it, maybe Cassie was right. Maybe you need to get you a purple friend so you can relieve some stress.”

  “Roxy!”

  She laughs, turning right. “Come on, they even have USB rechargeable shit!”

  We get back to my place, and I grab my bags from Roxy’s trunk while she looks around at the building. It’s a step down from where we lived, and I know she wants me to move to a better place. “Hey, Hannah?”

  “What?” I ask as I close the trunk. “Trust me, Rox, I’m getting out of here soon. I’ve already signed the papers. So let’s hope I pull through.”

  “I wasn’t thinking that,” she says. “Just . . . try and enjoy yourself. Have some fun, too.”

  I shake my head, chuckling. “With the pressure, it’ll be hard, but I’ll try.”

  “You’ll handle it,” Roxy says, stepping close and giving me a hug. “Hey, remember, I found my perfect man right about the time I was feeling the same way you are right now. Have a little faith. The right guy’s gonna drop right into your lap, you just watch. Enjoy yourself, pretty please? And take some good pictures for me while you’re at it. I’ve always wanted to go there.”

  I toss her a smile and try to feel confident, even if it’s just for her. “I will. I’ll call you from Hawaii.”

  Chapter 4

  Anthony

  “Hand me that hammer,” I say to Caleb, steadying myself on my ladder. “The claw one . . . yeah, and the box of nails?”

  “Sure,” he says. The two of us are up on my mom’s roof repairing some old shingles. We’re supposed to be getting ready for our trip in two days, but Mom said she had a leak. The weather reports say that there’s a good chance of heavy rain in the next two weeks, and I’ll be damned if I come home to find she’s been flooded out of her own kitchen. Mom’s stubborn. Oli and I could easily upgrade her living situation, but she refuses. She loves this place and is intent on staying.

  A droplet of sweat runs down my forehead, stinging my eyes. The sun is high in the sky and bearing down on us with unbearable heat. Caleb tosses the hammer as I’m wiping at my eye. Thankfully, I catch it, barely keeping it from cracking my front teeth. “What the fuck, dude? You trying to make me look like the Joker?”

  Caleb shakes his head, sweat trickling down the side of his face as he grips his ladder. “Sorry, man. I almost lost my balance and sorta had to wing it.”

  “It’s all good,” I reply. I shake my head, aligning a shingle and picking a nail out of my pocket. “You know, I still can’t believe my brother hired you. What do you know about property research or contracts or any of that shit?”

  I still don’t know how I feel about going to Hawaii. Oli put a lot of weight on my shoulders with this Hawaii deal. But after our talk, I want to prove him wrong. I’m not fucking up. The past few deals were a fluke.

  “Not a damn thing,” Caleb admits. “I think he’s trying to help me out. That, and he thinks I can help keep you on task.”

  I drive the nail into the shingle, grumbling. “So you get to be a personal watchdog. Great.”

  Caleb shakes his head and slides the fresh box of nails over to me. “Tony, you’re a grown ass man. I’m not going to step in your way of having fun. Hell, I hope I have some fun too. I do have some negotiating experience, so I can help with that at least.”

  “Oh, yeah?” I ask. “You just said you don’t know a thing about negotiations or persuasion.”

  Caleb nods, getting all the way on the roof and opening a fresh pack of shingles. “I once told a girl she was a demon succubus bitch from hell and she believed it. Got her to put on horns and a little tail and try to suck my soul from me through my cock.”

  I laugh. “You are so full of shit.”

  Caleb laughs. “Okay, maybe the horns and tail part is a lie. The truth is, I was in a rut and Oli offered me a spot with Steele Solutions. I don’t want to step on any toes.”

  “You’re fine,” I reply, chuckling. “I guess I’ll just have to see it as I get my own little Padawan following me around. But you can’t start calling me Yoda.”

  Caleb chuckles. “You’re too tall. And not smart enough.” He checks out his arms and shoulders. “Well, at least we’ll have the tan already, eh?”

  “Yeah,” I agree, driving another nail, “but I’m starting to feel like fried bacon out here. We need to hurry up. Grab shingles and start laying them out for me?”

  Caleb squints against the glaring sun and then begins to lay out the shingles, making sure to overlap them to match the pattern with that of the existing roof. “Looks like we almost got this section done though. If you want, I’ll grab the other hammer and start from over there. We can get it done quickly.”

  “Thank God.” One of the reasons I brought Caleb up here today with me is that he’s always had this knack for fixing things. I mean, I’m okay. I could do a good job on this patch by myself, but Caleb is a jack of all trades. Fix a wonky computer, tinker with a car, figure out what’s causing the toilet to gurgle, all that shit. I like to call him Mr. Fix-it. I would’ve just hired someone, but Mom doesn’t like strangers around the house unless there’s no other choice. She’s always been that way.

  “Good. Cause I’m about ready to pull out the hose and douse our asses,” I say, wiping at the sweat on my face before hammering another shingle in.

  Caleb grabs a half dozen nails and starts on his end. “Next time,” he says as he drives a nail, “buy or rent a damn nail gun or industrial stapler. You’ve got the money, you know.”

  “You boys okay up there?” I hear Mom call below us.

  “We’re making it!” I call down. “Just a few more minutes and your roof will be like new.” I glance over at Caleb, who’s driving nails with two swings of his hammer like he’s Bob Vila or some shit. “Good point. I’ll remember that for next time.”

  “Finished!” says Caleb a moment later with a sigh after driving his last nail. We both scale down the ladder quickly, glad to be off the roof where the heat was baking off the shingles. They might reflect heat for Mom, but when my happy ass is right on top of them, I’m more than happy to be back on the green grass.

  Mom is waiting for us, hands on her hips. Over the years, she’s managed to keep herself up and looks even better now that she’s finally stopped smoking. Thank God for small miracles. “My, you boys look thirsty. Would you like some lemonade?”

  I nod while Caleb speaks up. “I’d love that, Ms. Steele.”

  She shakes her head, a flush coming to her cheeks as Caleb wipes at the sweat on his brow. “Caleb, you are one tall order, and you’re certainly filling out from the beanpole you used to be.”

  Caleb chuckles, and I think he blushes, but that might be the heat. “Thank you, I guess, Ms. Steele.”

  “Y’all come on inside,” Mom says. “It’s much cooler. And Caleb, I could use your help with something in the kitchen.”

  “Of course, Ms. Steele,” Caleb says as he follows Mom inside.

  I’m about to head inside after them when the backyard gate bursts open and I hear screaming.

  “Uncle Tony! Uncle Tony!”

  I turn to see two kids tearing across the grass, my nephew in the lead while his sister, Leah, is right behind him. “Hey, squirts!” I greet them, sweeping Leah up into a hug while Rafe clings to my leg. “Y’all keep growing so fast!”

  “Looks like I got here too late,” Oli says, walking in with a pretty sweet tool belt around his waist, wearing a tank top.

  I wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. I can’t resist this chance to rag on him. “Yeah, right, I know your game. You timed it just right!”

  Oliver scowls at me. “Don’t start, Tony.”

  I laugh. “How’s M
indy?”

  “Fine. Just at the cafe, training up some new staff. She wants to be sure she’ll be able to hand things over when she has to slow down with the new baby.”

  “I understand that,” I reply. “She’s really taking care of the place.”

  Oliver nods, looking up at my repair job and nodding in approval. “Where’s Mom?”

  “Inside with Caleb,” I answer. “Something about tasting her apple pie.”

  He makes a face. “Jesus, Tony, really?”

  I laugh. He thinks I’m half serious. “She needed help with something.”

  “Okay,” Oliver says, scratching his jaw while the kids go over to the tire swing that we put up for their visits to Grandma’s. He watches them for a moment, then crosses his arms over his chest. “Look, about . . . I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about the other night.”

  I shrug. I don’t know what else to do. Oliver isn’t the type to apologize much, though he usually doesn’t have a reason to. “It’s no big deal.”

  Oliver shakes his head. “I just wanted to let you know how serious this is and that I believe in you.”

  “I know, and thank you. I won’t let you down.”

  Oliver lifts his chin toward the roof. “And I really appreciate your helping Mom.”

  “Yeah, about that,” I reply, “Caleb says if it happens again, it’d be a lot faster and easier if we get a couple of those big industrial staplers.”

  Oliver reaches into his tool belt and pulls out a stapler, holding it up. “You mean like this one? Don’t tell me you hand nailed all those shingles.”

  “Asshole,” I grumble. “And yes, I did.”

  Oliver chuckles, then stops. “Well, you got it done. Hey, you got all your shit ready for the trip?”

  “Gonna pack my bag tonight,” I say. “I’ll be ready for the ride to the airport.”

  The back door to the house opens and Mom comes out with Caleb, who’s carrying a big glass of lemonade in each hand. “Oh, great, now I gotta go back and enjoy the AC again to get more glasses.”

  I laugh as Caleb hands me one of the glasses and offers the other to Oli. “Nah, I’m good.”

  “Phew, now I don’t have to hide the vodka in it,” Caleb jokes. Mom, on the other hand, has ignored the three of us to go over and hug her grandchildren, who are super excited to see her. Caleb chuckles. “She always do that?”

  “Ignore us?” I ask, and Caleb nods. “Yep. One time, I damn near bled to death in the kitchen because she was so busy playing peekaboo with Leah.”

  “Oh, stop,” Oli says, laughing. “You nicked your finger with a knife. You didn’t even need stitches.”

  “Yeah, but I got salt and lemon juice in the cut,” I add. “You know how much that shit stings?”

  We all laugh, but then I make a serious face. “Hey.”

  “Yeah?” Oliver asks.

  I look across at Rafe and Leah, who is laughing her head off as Mom pushes her in the tire swing. “Don’t worry about Hawaii. Consider it taken care of.”

  Chapter 5

  Hannah

  “A-lo-fucking-ha!” Cassie cries excitedly, peering out the window of our plane. Twelve hours traveling with Cassie is damn near torture, even if we are flying business class, and more than once, the flight attendants have shot her looks as she babbled her way across most of the United States. She didn’t even shut up when we had a layover in Los Angeles, but instead told me all about how her cousin went to UCLA and met this gorgeous Laotian girl whom he married and . . . “Check that out, Hannah. Have you ever seen anything better?”

  I have to admit, it’s gorgeous. Peering out from my window, I see nothing but clear skies and sapphire blue waters. I’ve never really been much of a Pacific girl, preferring the warmer Atlantic and the crystal clear Caribbean, but damn if I might not want to change my opinion. Honolulu itself looks like any other urban city, but surrounding it . . . absolutely amazing. Lush green mountains, tropical forests, and on the horizon, I can even see the majestic brutality of Mauna Loa with its constant eruptions. It takes my breath away. Part of me regrets having to pack my camera in my luggage, but there just wasn’t enough space in my carry-on, and the view I have can’t be translated to a damn iPhone lens. It’s the kind of place where I’d want to live if I ever ‘make it’.

  “It’s gorgeous,” I say dreamily. I can see the pale ribbon of beach, and I already want to pull on my bathing suit and try to soak up a few rays. Staying professional is going to be harder than I thought it’d be with that much natural beauty to take up my attention.

  “Oh, yeah, can’t wait to get down there and show Hawaii what Cassie White is all about!” Cassie says excitedly.

  I groan, rubbing at my temples. “You keep saying stupid shit like that, and they might be calling for an evacuation. First time they called one that didn’t involve a volcano.”

  Cassie turns and wiggles her tongue. “Oh, come on! We’re gonna have so much fun!”

  I scowl. “We’re here to make this deal. I’m not saying you can’t have some fun too. I might do a little sightseeing myself. But getting this job done is our priority.”

  Cassie snorts, flipping her hand dismissively. “Come on, pull the barbed butt plug out of your ass. I’m just trying to be in a good mood. We’re not in the office anymore. This Wesley guy? He’s gonna be giving us the property for free when I’m done with him. Just watch. We’ll have the rest of the time to party and have fun. I’m going to find a man with a nice longboard for me to surf on!”

  I stare at her, unmoved. “You go in like that, and we’re going to be flying home—and our first stop will be the unemployment office.”

  Luckily, that quiets her. The plane shakes as some crosswinds shake us, and I swallow. I hate landings, but at least I get a blissful nine minutes of relative quiet as our plane makes one more turn and comes in for a landing. We get off the plane and grab our bags, catching a cab to take us to our hotel. I have to hand it to Myra. She booked us in a nice place, not one of the big touristy resorts but instead a beachside spot that’s normally used for family getaways, honeymoons, and stuff like that.

  “We’ve arrived!” Cassie says cheerfully, throwing her arms out as if to hug the whole island as we step out of our cab.

  I shake my head as I pay the cab and we make our way down the path to the hotel entrance.

  Cassie’s wearing heels, which might have looked sexy as fuck on the tiles of the Honolulu airport, but they just look out of place and clumsy on the gravel paths of the hotel. I’m glad I decided to go with some platform sandals instead, still sexy but I’m not tripping over every crack in the damn walkway.

  “Just a sec,” I say, taking out my phone. I just can’t help it. “Strike a pose for me!” Cassie does, and I roll my eyes. “One that you don’t mind being put on Facebook!”

  “Spoilsport,” she says, but she still looks cute and fun as I snap a shot with my phone before letting her take one for me.

  We enter the hotel lobby, where I see the restaurant off to the side. My stomach grumbles at the sight, but I take a moment to give the desk staff our bags, telling them we want to eat before we check in.

  Cassie is grumbling slightly behind me about sand in her heels, but I ignore her as we approach the hostess, a pretty Hawaiian lady who smiles at us with dimples that rival Cassie’s. “Aloha, how many?”

  “Just us two.”

  The lady checks her seating chart, and while she does, Cassie nudges me. “Hey, check that dude out. He’s hot as fuck and he’s staring at you!”

  “Uh-uh,” I comment, refusing to look. “I don’t need any distractions. Besides, they’re all the same from Honolulu to Hackensack.”

  Cassie shakes me so violently I almost pop her. “Will you just look? The one on the left.”

  Scowling, I turn my head. His back is to me now, so all I see is his frame. He’s standing with another guy who’s smaller, but still built well. He’s wearing a tropical shirt and cargo shorts and he’s covered in swe
at. I can see his back muscles through his shirt, and I find myself lowering my shades to get a good look. The sweat clings to his shirt and seems to define every ridge and nook down his back. My eyes fix on his ass, and I can’t help it, I gulp.

  Despite myself, I bite my lower lip. Damn, he has buns that are begging for a little love bite. “You’re right. He’s a studmuffin, at least from what I see.”

  “What did I tell you?” Cassie whispers. “His friend’s pretty cute too.”

  “I can’t see his face but his backside is a sight,” I agree. “But I’m on a mission, and he’s not it.”

  The hostess leads us to our table on an outer patio overlooking the ocean. As we sit down, I catch another glance of Studmuffin as he walks with his friend toward their bungalow. But the angle is bad again, so I can only see his back.

  We go about our light lunch, my eyes still amazed at the sight of the ocean pounding the beach in front of us.

  After we’re done, we head back into the lobby to retrieve our luggage, check in, and then make our way up to our room.

  “You know, Cassie, you might be right,” I say as we get off the elevator. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be such a downer. If I lighten up a little, this trip might end up being amazing after all.”

  Cassie grins, slapping me on my ass. “That’s the spirit!”

  I smile at her as we walk down the hall and make it to our room. But my smile quickly fades when I swing the door open and step inside. The room is nice enough, the flooring made of red Spanish tile with white walls and a vaulted ceiling covered in a woven bamboo, adding a touch of natural coolness.

  I like everything about it except for one problem.

  “There’s just one Queen bed. There must be some mistake . . .” I mutter, shaking my head.

  “Oh, it’s not that bad,” Cassie says, walking around and exploring the room before doing a little twirl. “Haven’t you ever had a sleepover before?”