by Jenny Rose
“A billion dollars?” I looked at him once more and demanded that he make sure my hearing was still working properly and he bent slightly so that he was face to face with me, placed his hands on my shoulders and said,
“Get. Dressed.”
On the short ride to my favorite restaurant, he explained to me that he’d sold his entire company, the rights to all his work and patents and that at the finalization of the deal, he would be worth roughly 3.7 billion dollars if he were to liquidate his stocks and assets once all the T’s were crossed and I’s were dotted. I couldn’t believe my ears and even throughout breakfast, I was in a daze because I had never in my life imagined that I’d know someone worth that kind of money.
“Just don’t turn into a douche. I don’t want to hate you just because you start frosting your tips.” Glancing to his hair, I hinted that his hair was slightly faded from its normal light brown and he was teetering on the edge of a golden haired sun god. The California sun had definitely done his previously pale complexion a world of good and he’d put on at least fifty pounds of muscle since I’d seen him last and I couldn’t help but notice that he wore it very well.
“You could never hate me and you know it.” He stated matter-of-factly and I only smirked and agreed as I sipped my sweet tea through my straw as my eyes wandered out the window towards the water. Neptune was built off of the beach, at the end of a long pier and over the water so that no matter where you were seated, you had an ocean view.
“When are mom and Jason supposed to get here, anyway? I figured they’d have showed up by now.” I looked at him to see that he was checking out our waitress’s ass as she waited on the table behind me and kicked him under the table.
“Just tell her you’re a billionaire. I bet she’ll blow you in the bathroom.” He smiled and looked to me, back to her then to me again.
“You think so?” Once again, I kicked him under the table and rolled my eyes as he thought of how to get the waitress into his bed. My brother: The Playboy.
Chapter Three
I can’t say that I was displeased to find out that my mother would be remaining in Dallas and that there was some sort of restaurant disaster in New York, so it would just be the two of us this summer. I wish I’d had the foresight to know this and claim the master bedroom before Lance but I wasn’t the one who was awake to receive the phone call that morning. I admitted defeat to my stepbrother as I watched him carry his bags to the master suite, which flaunted three walls of windows and the most spectacular view of the water around us but this would also put him right down the hall from me. The way it was, we had the living room and kitchen separating us but now he would be within earshot just in case I decided to bring someone home. There was a chance that I’d run into Scott Frasier, my summer fling and choice of company when I visited the island and I’d actually been toying with the idea of giving him a call later on to let him know that I was in town. With Lance’s recent news, I was still partly flabbergasted and trying to wrap my head around the fact that he was now obscenely wealthy and even though we’d always been well-off financially, he was about to be one of the richest men in the country.
I wanted our relationship to remain as normal as possible so when I asked what if he had plans later and he replied,
“Going to see if I can buy a wife for the night” I knew that there was a chance that he was going to let his new riches go straight to his head. I could only hope that he managed to maintain some sort of decency and charm that he’d had while growing up and that the money wouldn’t turn him into a raging ego-monster. I really didn’t know if I could handle him if he turned into an asshole.
“You have fun with that. I think I’m going to see if I can get up with Scott. The last time I heard from him, he’d just broken up with his girlfriend and needed some consoling.” I winked at him and raised my eyebrows to indicate that I may have plans later that involved my nudity.
“Are you sure you want to call Scott? I mean, he’s so stupid.” Lance had a point to some degree but I didn’t know that I’d call him stupid more than unmotivated and slightly lazy even though he was no rocket scientist, not by a long shot. “I’ll probably end up in Houston. I’m thinking about buying a new car and even thought that I’d get a few of the guys together and hit a few strip clubs. You going to be alright here by yourself?” He asked, not acknowledging the fact that I said I was calling Scott because he refused to admit that Scott exists. He’d caught the two of us making out pretty heavily a few years ago and claimed that it burned his mind in places that he never knew he had and that the thought of someone touching me in my “girly parts” creeped him out severely so he just erased Scott from his mind. That was the running joke for the last few years, anyway.
“I’ll be fine. Go. Have fun.” I watched as he walked down the hallway to his room and left me sitting on the large sofa, staring at my phone and wondering if Scott is what I wanted tonight or if I just wanted to go down to the beach alone and soak up some sun, read a book and sip on a pitcher of margaritas. Solo beach trip was becoming more and more appealing and I walked to my room to unpack my bags and find a swimsuit.
Standing in the kitchen with my hands on the blender, my tight body was well exposed when he rounded the corner wearing a suit with the top button of his shirt undone and I had to admit that he was rather handsome.
“What are you supposed to be? Some sort of pimp?” I asked when I turned off the blender and stuck my finger in the margarita to taste test the mixture. I thought it needed a bit more tequila so I turned up the bottle into the blender and added a few more ounces of the amber liquid before resuming the blending.
“Pimp? Screw you, Ray. I make this look good.” I took a large insulated glass, poured the contents of the blender into the large mug and placed a lid on top. Turning to find a straw in the drawer beside the sink, I said
“You look like a douche.” He grinned and tipped his shades down as he replied,
“A very rich douche, might I add?” If I had to listen to too many more quips like that, I’d probably end up strangling him in his sleep or knocking him in the face with an iron. He knew that it got under my skin and that’s why he was doing it so maybe if I just acted like he wasn’t acting like a douche he’d stop acting like one. No matter, I was happy for him but I knew that as soon as the deal was finalized there would be no touching him. All I could do was hope that money didn’t change the sweet soul that I knew was in there and wish for the best.
He slapped me on the ass as he walked past me on his way to the door and turned around, saying,
“Florida’s treating you well, Ray. That’s a good lookin’ ass you’ve got there.” He tipped his shades back up his nose as he opened the door and left me standing in the kitchen with nothing to comfort me except the large pitcher of tequila and lime drink. As far as I was concerned, I was in heaven as soon as I took my bag and mug outside and walked the few feet to the water’s edge from the back door. I’d placed a small blanket, book and container of fresh fruit inside the large tote and made my way to the water that had been calling me for hours. I tossed my things down and jogged into the waves and smiled as the spray hit my face, dusting my cheeks with the warm salt water and I licked my lips as I opened my eyes, affirming the fact that I was home. I let the water spray my face for a moment before closing my eyes and stretching out my arms with my face pointed to the sun. I could see down the beach and it was becoming crowded with the many families and groups of friends that had gathered to enjoy the sand and surf. Turning back toward my blanket, I trekked out of the water with a smile on my face and picked a towel from my bag to dry my face and hands. I carefully sat down so that I wouldn’t get my blanket sandy then plucked my book from the bag and rolled over onto my stomach. Propping myself up on my elbows, I reached for my sunglasses and placed them on my face to block the glare from the pages as I lost myself in the latest mystery by John Blake, my favorite author. I loved how he could take the reader right into the mind of the kill
er and make it seem like the most normal and natural thing in the world and often make you wonder if it’s not you who is the one who has their thought process distorted. My favorite was one where a man was killing all of the exes of his current girlfriend and I actually sympathized for him and found myself rooting for him to get away with his murderous hijinks. Sometimes, I wondered if I should forego the life of slicing and dicing vegetables and move on to something like people but then I remembered that I wasn’t cut out for prison, so I took my frustrations out on pounds of celery, onion and parsley instead. I could never harm another person unless I was protecting myself, then I could get quite scrappy. I did manage to take a few kick boxing classes in between my lessons in the culinary arts. Granted, my frame with all the power behind it was only enough to surprise an assailant long enough for me to get away but I run pretty fast.
I was already so into the novel that I’d completed four chapters before I realized it and decided that I should probably turn over so that I would tan evenly and that was my first mistake. The sun seemed to pull me right into its warm and comforting embrace and I was asleep almost immediately. I don’t remember dreaming but what woke me up was a light spray of water and the casting of a shadow over my face. Opening my eyes and shielding them with my hand, I found that Scott had graced me with his presence and was actively flinging water from his fingertips onto my bare skin.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as I got my wits about me, looking around and realizing that the sun had dipped lower into the sky than it was when I’d first come to the water’s edge.
“I live here. What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to call me when you hit town. I see where I rate on your radar.” He grinned as his dark, yet sun streaked hair fell into is face and he swiped it back with a quick flick of his head. I stood and gathered my things, haphazardly tossing them into my bag, which Scott then carried to the house for me.
“I saw your car on my way home and when nobody answered the door, I walked around the deck and saw the most beautiful creature lying in the sun.” I looked at him with a smile then he finished with, “but she was with her boyfriend, so I woke you up, instead.” I made a look of shock and playfully hit him with my towel as we neared the back stairs to the beach house. The air conditioning was a welcome change to my over-heated skin and I didn’t realize just how hot I was until I walked into the cool house. Walking immediately to the refrigerator, I asked Scott if he wanted a bottle of water, which he refused. I opened the bottle and drank more than half of it, took it from my lips and sat it on the counter.
“Do you have any plans for tonight?” He asked as I took a deep breath and wiped my forehead.
“Nothing so far. I was going to give you a call once I came in and got a shower to see what you were doing.” I walked up close to him and he placed his hands on my hips as he looked into my eyes.
“I might be busy.” He said while he coyly looked away.
“Busy, huh? Just what could possibly have your attention tonight?” He lowered his head so that his mouth was so close to mine I could already taste him.
“I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on.” He brought his lips to mine and I wrapped my arms around him, remembering what a good kisser he was and thankful that I’d began our flirtation all those years ago. Scott and I both knew that we weren’t in love with each other and that we would never be the two people who ended up in some whirlwind love story after being friends for so long and all the other fairy tale stuff you read about to try and assure yourself that love exists. No, we knew that we were great together in bed and that the sex was amazing but other than that, Scott and I could never be more than friends. His last girlfriend was a stripper named Tina who had the amazing talent of being able to rotate one breast clockwise while managing to get the other to move in a counter-clockwise motion and there’s no way that I could compete with that kind of talent. He preferred his women to be more of the Barbie doll variety: all looks and no brains and the fact that I aspired to have a life that consisted of a steady paycheck where I got to remain clothed was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Scott was handsome and very good in the sack but I wanted more out of life than a man who spent his mornings getting stoned on the beach and his evenings getting stoned on the back porch while drinking beer with his buddies.
Scott joined me in the shower and greeted me properly, twice, then I sent him on his way so that I could lazily lounge around the house in my t shirt and bikini bottoms and soak up the island vibe. While I sat on the back deck with a bottle of wine and the soft sounds of the sixties playing from my cellphone, I propped up my feet and let out a sigh of complete satisfaction.
Chapter Four
I was awakened around three in the morning by the sounds of moaning and grunting so I knew that my stepbrother had some luck on his night out with the guys. Houston was only a thirty minute drive away but I still hadn’t expected him to come back to the house. He usually opted for a hotel room and sneak away the next morning but apparently, this one was worth bringing home. I couldn’t help but notice that she really seemed to be enjoying herself in his company by the volume of her ecstatic sighs and groans and I guiltily listened for a moment for my own enjoyment. I wanted to be disturbed and upset by the sounds of their lovemaking but for some reason, the image of his face whilst in the midst of a romantic thrust popped into my head and I felt myself tingle a bit between my thighs.
“Oh, shit. No you don’t.” I told myself as I realized I was becoming aroused by my stepbrother’s sex-sounds and found the earbuds for my phone and listened to Otis Redding as I drifted back to sleep. Visions of sitting on the dock of the bay filled my mind as I once again found solace in my dreams and tried to drown out the screams of a woman I’d only assume was named Bambi or Kandi.
The following morning, I expected to find two faces in my kitchen but I met was Lance and his coffee cup. He was silently reading his phone with a look of complete peace and he looked up to face me as I pattered down the hall and into the large, open kitchen.
“Where’s your friend?” I asked as I reached for a cup. He laughed as I began to pour, saying,
“I sent that bitch packing as soon as she screamed my name.” I turned my head to look at him.
“Wow. Would you look at that? Rich beyond his wildest dreams for less than twenty-four hours and he’s already a heartless bastard.” I gave him a slow clap as I smirked at him then scooped two spoonful of sugar into my coffee. “Has your douche check even cleared the bank yet?” I took a small sip of morning sunshine and leaned against the sink as I glared at him disapprovingly. My long, auburn hair was a mess and hung in my face, adding to the look of disdain.
“What? It’s not like she’s hurt or anything. It was her idea to leave and I didn’t want her to stay, anyway.” He shrugged as he looked at me then back to his phone.
“Since when do you bring them home?” He placed his phone on the table and took in a deep breath as he slowly turned his head to face me.
“Since I fucking want to, that’s when. Jason and Hannah aren’t here, Ray. It’s just you and me and we can do whatever we want. I’m sure you fucked Scott while I was gone.” I looked away innocently and widened my eyes.
“I have no idea what you’re even talking about.” Sipping on my coffee, I tried to ignore the fact that he was walking toward me, knowing that he was right.
“You did, didn’t you? You little hypocrite.” He reached out and tickled my ribs, knowing that I would jump, causing me to spill my coffee on him.
“Shit, that’s hot!” He screamed as he pulled the garment away from his skin then over his head, revealing that he’d been hitting the gym more than I realized. His muscles were so well-defined and sculpted that I had a problem believing that it was Lance. I reached out and ran my hand down his chest, feeling the strength of his body down to his abdomen, which was rock hard.
“Damn it, son! When did you get all that?” He smiled and wiped the cooling liquid from his
skin with the shirt.
“You like that? Yeah, I’ve been doing a few sit-ups and shit.” He placed his hands on his hips and turned his head proudly, as if he were posing for someone to sculpt him as Superman. I had to turn my head to keep from looking at him a way that pleased me in a way that it shouldn’t. Lance must have noticed my reaction to his body because he lunged into my eyesight and shook his abs in my face.
“You like it. Admit it.” He put his hands on his head and wiggled his ass.
“You look like a douche.” I said as I sipped my coffee and walked past him and headed to the refrigerator in search of something left over from last night but he’d eaten the rest of my pasta. “Thanks for eating my spaghetti, jerk.”
“Wasn’t me.” He replied, “It was Destiny.” I laughed aloud.
“Destiny? Really?” He looked at me and placed his hands on his hips.
“Rayne.” His look said all that it needed to, meaning that I had no room to talk when it came to names.
“That’s not my fault. Blame Hannah for that one. I’m sure that “Destiny” is actually Mary Lou or Frieda or some shit like that.” Closing the door to the refrigerator after deciding that my first order of business should be grocery shopping, I said, “Bitch still ate my spaghetti.”
Deciding to ride my bike to the corner market, I put my shoulder length hair in a ponytail, tossed on a pair of shorts and put on a bikini top instead of a shirt and donned my sneakers before going to the storage unit to retrieve the bicycle. I was sure it needed a good oiling before riding for the season, so I squirted some from the spouted can on the shelf onto the chain and gears then put it back in its proper place.
