Aruba (Bad Boys on the Beach Book 3)
Page 21
Oh, shit.
“It wasn’t Dahlia,” he says. “It was-”
“Rainbow Solstice the First.” We both say it at the same time.
It’s my real name. The one that only my hippie parents use.
“That’s me,” I say, turning red as he looks at me with confusion. Even after twenty-eight years, I’m still ashamed of that stupid name. “If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you.”
“About your name, that we slept together, or that we’re married?”
I clear my throat. “All of the above.”
He leans forward, staring at me like he’s trying to see into my skull. “We got married? What the hell?”
“Do you remember anything about last night?”
He shakes his head. “I remember meeting you at the bar.”
“Me too.”
“Then we had that drink.”
“Your idea,” I say.
He just ignores me. “Then you stormed away, and I wasn’t feeling very well so I started walking back to my hotel room. That’s all I can remember.”
“That’s all?” I ask, sitting on the edge of my seat.
He looks around like he’s sifting through his perverted mind and then shrugs. “That’s all.”
I exhale in relief. He doesn’t remember the sex. Thank God.
“Do you remember the night?” he asks, tilting his head slightly as he looks at me. “Or the sex?”
I shake my head like there’s a spider trying to crawl into my ear. “No. Definitely not.”
“But we still had sex,” he says. His green eyes start to wander over my body like he’s trying to figure out what his damaged memory is making him miss out on.
“It didn’t really happen if neither of us can remember it.” Did it? I’m sure there’s an old dead philosopher somewhere out there who would back me up on that.
His eyes drop down to my chest and he smiles. “Should we start the honeymoon now?”
“No!” I snap back at him. “I want an annulment.”
His face lights up in a smile. “Sure, we can do it in the butt. I’m down for whatever.”
“Not anal, you moron. Annulled.”
He bites his bottom lip as he looks out the window to the beautiful view of the Vegas Strip in the distance. “Although, this could be good,” he says. “My parents will give me the company now.”
“What?” I ask, leaning forward. “You’re not actually running the company? Then what was all of that big talk in the meeting about?”
Tyler rolls his eyes. “They won’t sign the company over to me until I’m married.”
“So, you’re not in charge?” Maybe I can save the factory after all if I can make a good impression on his father, the real billionaire owner Mack McMillan.
He shrugs. “I am now. I’m married.”
“I’m not staying married so that you can con your parents into giving you their lifetime’s work. I want an annulment.”
“Okay,” he says with a roll of his eyes. “I’ll set it up.”
I also want to talk to him about his father’s plans for the Summerland factory, but now is not the time. I just asked for a divorce, it may be a bit much to ask for a favor right now.
We agree to let this little incident slide and never talk about it again.
“Thank you,” I say as he walks me to the door. “I really like working for this company, and I don’t want a night of… well, whatever the hell that was, to ruin it.”
“It won’t, Miss Rainbow Bright,” he says with a grin as he opens the door for me.
The look I give him makes him take a step backward. “My parents were hippies.”
He’s trying to stifle his smile.
“Big hippies.”
“I can’t wait to meet them someday,” he says as I walk out. “They are my in-laws.”
“Not funny,” I say to him over my shoulder. “Get the annulment. Right now.”
“Yes, boss,” he says, throwing me a salute.
I walk back to my office feeling better than ever. Tyler doesn’t remember the sex, he’s not my real boss, we’re putting an end to the mistake of a marriage, and the day is finally over. Now I get to go back to my hotel room and crawl into bed like I’ve been fantasizing about all day.
My other boss, Mr. Wallace, pokes his head through the doorway. “Can I speak with you, Dahlia?”
“Sure,” I say, waving him in. Even he can’t ruin my mood. “I’m sorry about last night and this morning,” I say, shaking my head as I place my palm on my chest. “I don’t know what happened. I haven’t been feeling like myself since I got here. And I’m sorry about insulting Kenny Loggins. He is truly a musical genius.”
He lets out a breath and smiles. “No worries,” he says, nodding like all is forgiven. It was the Kenny Loggins comment that did it.
“You’re the only one I can trust,” he says, walking into the office. “I have a meeting with Mr. McMillan senior tomorrow at lunch, but I have to head back home to Summerland early.”
“Is everything okay?” The Mr. Wallace I know wouldn’t miss a meeting with billionaire Mack McMillan for anything short of an emergency.
“Yup, yup,” he says, nodding as his eyes cloud over. “My son and his friends were caught tattooing their teacher’s forehead, but I’m sure it’s not as serious as it sounds. He’s at that rambunctious age right now.”
“Right,” I say, nodding along even though I wouldn’t put ‘rambunctious’ and ‘tattooing a poor woman’s face’ in the same category.
“I need you to meet with Mr. McMillan senior,” he says.
My heart starts drumming a happy beat in my chest. “Really?” I ask, trying to stop myself from hugging him.
It’s an opportunity to erase this disastrous day and start fresh with the real boss. I know I can impress him and get him to like me. From there, I can convince him to save the factory and the town of Summerland.
“He still calls the shots, no matter what his son says. This is a very important meeting for the factory workers, for us, and for the town. I’m counting on you to nail this meeting.”
I nod so fast that I get dizzy. “I can do it, boss. You can count on me.”
“I know,” he says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I’m constantly impressed by your business sense and work ethic,” he says. “Except for today.”
I thank him for the opportunity, and he leaves to go take care of his soon-to-be-jailed son.
Wow. A real opportunity to impress the boss. The real boss.
It’s going to go great!
As long as he doesn’t find out that we’re currently related…
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