Monkeys and Mayhem (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 4)

by Kimberly Loth

  Chloe raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t his brother your boyfriend?”

  “Was.” She didn’t want to have to explain the lie.

  Victoria smirked at her. “How’s he in bed?”

  Anna waited for one of the other women to tell her it was out of line, but instead they all stared at her expectantly.

  “He’s good,” Anna finally said with a blush.

  “How big?”

  “Excuse me?” Anna asked. This conversation had taken a turn she wasn’t expecting. She’d need to step up her game.

  “How big is his penis? They all have surgeries to make them bigger,” Victoria said.

  Anna’s mouth dropped open. “That’s…that’s possible?”

  Maria nodded, unfazed. “Mike has the biggest. Eleven inches. He’s the best at this surgery, so he does all the others, and he won’t make them bigger than him.”

  Anna couldn’t help herself. She giggled. This was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. Maria frowned at her. At least Anna thought it was a frown. It was hard to tell. Her face didn’t move much.

  “We’re waiting for an answer, dear. All of us have tried to sleep with him.”

  They had to be kidding. Try as she might she couldn’t get the image out of her head of those silly doctors comparing sizes. She’d never be able to look any of them in the eyes again. Anna’s giggles turned into a laugh, and she could barely pull herself to speak. “It’s not like I whipped out a ruler and measured. Not to mention that it’s none of your business. Would you excuse me? I see a friend.”

  Anna moved away from the women, and she couldn’t stop her giggles. People around her were staring, but she didn’t care. She’d never be able to look Mike in the eyes again.

  She desperately wished Eileen had been here. She would’ve had the perfect response. Anna found a quiet corner and took out her phone to text the story to Eileen. She just finished one line when a slimy voice growled into her ear.

  “You are exquisite, aren’t you, dear?”

  She spun around and found herself face-to-face with the famous Mike himself. She giggled and tried not to lose it.

  “Where’s Hayden?” she asked.

  “Don’t know. I heard you were going home Sunday.” His words slurred a little.

  “I am.” She looked around. Mike had her trapped in a corner. He stood way too close and panic blossomed in her chest. Surely he wouldn’t try anything inappropriate in a room full of people. Though he was obviously drunk, so who knew what he would do.

  He leaned into her, spilling his drink on his shirt, but he didn’t seem to notice. “You know, Hayden told me about your little arrangement. If you’re interested in staying in Phuket longer, I could put you up in one of my beach condos.”

  Anna paled. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh please, dear, don’t be shy. This kind of thing is very normal here. Pretty girls traveling to exotic places and finding a benefactor in exchange for bedroom favors. In addition to the house and food, I can also offer you a surgery or two. Though I would say the only thing you need is bigger breasts.”

  She was mortified. “Don’t you have a wife?”

  Mike nodded. “Of course. And two girlfriends. But it’s nice to have someone that’s just there for sex. You know? No worries about romance or dinner.”

  Anna pushed past him. She’d heard enough. She shouldn’t believe him. Hayden had told all kinds of lies of who she was, and she shouldn’t be surprised he’d done the same. She wasn’t even sure what she was to Hayden. But this one stung. Did Hayden really tell Mike that Anna was a high-class hooker?

  Mike was drunk and obviously not in his right mind. Though drunk people usually told more truth than lies. She leaned against a wall and took a couple of deep breaths.

  Chloe touched her elbow. “Are you okay?” There was complete sincerity in her eyes.

  Anna ran a shaky hand through her hair. “I think so.”

  “Something happened. I saw Mike with you. He can be pushy sometimes.”

  Without meaning to, Anna spilled to Chloe what he’d said. She didn’t know what she was expecting from Chloe, but she was hoping denial of some kind. Instead, Chloe just blinked at her.

  “Do you think he was telling the truth?” Anna asked, not wanting to hear Chloe’s response.

  “Probably. It’s very common.”

  “Why would he tell you guys I was his brother’s girlfriend then? I don’t understand.”

  “He probably said that to keep us away. If you were just a friend or something, he would’ve encouraged you to go out with us, but for just sex, then he’d want to keep you close to home. You have to admit that saying you were his soon to be sister-in-law was a great excuse. I don’t know, I’d rather be the one he’s sleeping with than the wife who stays home. Maria, she knows that Mike sleeps around on her. He’s not a liar. He tells her exactly where he’s going and with who. Can you imagine?”

  No, Anna couldn’t. But right now she didn’t even care.

  She made it to the front door. Was that all she was to Hayden? Just sex? Why would Hayden tell Mike something like that? Well, he didn’t need to worry about her anymore.

  If she left now, she could be gone before he got home. Thankfully, Mike lived on a fairly busy street, and it only took her a few minutes to flag down a cab.

  She waited until she was safely tucked away in the back seat before she let the tears come. All the comments he’d made over the last week about her not valuing commitment and how he dressed her up in slutty clothes. She couldn’t believe she’d been so blind. She should’ve seen it before Mike even told her. She was just a girl sleeping with him so she’d have a place to stay. She’d thought what she had with Hayden was real, but it was all a cosmic joke.

  Motorcycles buzzed by the car, and she stared at the run-down shops as they sped toward Hayden’s house. She wished she were home. At least there, she could go to her apartment. Now she had no idea what to do.

  She had a few hundred bhat in her wallet and her emergency credit card. It should get her a cheap hotel and food for the next two weeks. It wouldn’t be fun, but she’d survive.

  She could get a job as soon as she got home. She sighed. This was all a stupid fantasy. Never again. She’d put her head down and do things the smart way now. No more stupid whims.

  Chapter 20

  Hayden felt awful for abandoning Anna for so long, but he’d run into one of the doctors who worked at the hospital with him, and they were discussing ideas of how they could help the locals more. He scanned the room but couldn’t see her bright red dress anywhere.

  Maria sidled up to him and pressed her breasts into his arm. “Looking for your girl?”

  Hayden nodded and backed up a few steps.

  “She left.”

  “What do you mean she left?”

  “She was talking to Mike and then ran for the door. Probably caught a cab or something. She’s not quite cut out for this world, is she?” Maria leaned into him again, and he made an exaggerated step backwards.

  “How long ago did she leave?”

  “About fifteen minutes.”

  She’d be halfway home by now. What had Mike said?

  Hayden shook off Maria and went in search of her husband. He found Mike hitting on a pretty blonde waitress.

  “Hey, Mike, have you seen Anna?”

  Mike turned around. “Yeah, she left a few minutes ago.”

  “Why?”

  “How should I know?”

  “Because you were the last one talking to her before she left.”

  Mike gave him a lazy grin. “I offered her the same arrangement you had with her. Thought maybe she wanted to stay in Phuket. Guess she didn’t.”

  “What arrangement?”

  “The one where she sleeps with you, and you give her a place to stay. You forget you told me that?”

  “I never told you that. In fact I deliberately told you she was just a friend.”

  Mike laughed. “We al
l know that could never be true.”

  Hayden’s blood boiled. The nerve of that man. “You’re an asshole, you know that.”

  Hayden pushed through the crowd and called his driver, but had to wait another ten minutes. He stood on the street fuming. Anna probably wouldn’t speak to him again. Mike had basically called her a prostitute and probably told her that Hayden thought so too. Dammit. He’d been so worried about what the wives would do to her that he’d forgotten the doctors were just as bad.

  Once in the car, Hayden tried to think of ways he could make this up to her. He hoped he could do it before she left on Sunday. Fat chance of that. There was a car accident, and so it took him an extra forty-five minutes to get home.

  He checked her house first. Her suitcase was gone, along with any evidence that she’d been there. On the patio, he found her red dress laid out on one of the beach chairs. A note was taped to the front.

  Keep this for your next whore.

  Hayden crumpled up the note. He’d lost her. Exactly like Blake said he would.

  Chapter 21

  Anna didn’t know how long she’d have before Hayden returned, so she had the cab wait while she packed. She had him take her to a coffee shop where they had free Wi-Fi. The shop was crowded with young Thai men looking at porn. She ordered a small coffee and found a tiny table in the back so she didn’t have to see anybody else’s screen.

  She had two weeks and a thousand dollar limit on her emergency credit card. She immediately dismissed all the hostels. She needed a safe place to stay. Surprisingly, there were a few hotels that were only a hundred dollars for the whole two weeks, and they had decent reviews. She booked one in Patong Beach and flagged down another cab.

  Tourists were everywhere as she dragged her suitcase up the walk to the dingy hotel. A nice Thai woman greeted her and gave her the key. Her room was small but clean. It certainly wasn’t Hayden’s place, but it wasn’t bad. Food here was dirt cheap too, so she wouldn’t have too much debt to pay when she got home.

  She sat on her rock hard bed and picked up her phone. She knew when she heard Eileen’s voice, she would lose it, but she had to talk to someone.

  Eileen answered, and Anna heard loud voices in the background.

  “Hey, girl, how are things with your stud muffin?”

  Anna sniffed, not sure she could get the words out. “He’s an ass.”

  “Hang on a sec. Let me get somewhere I can hear you.”

  Anna let her tears flow freely as she waited for Eileen to find a quiet corner. After a minute the sound died.

  “Okay, I’m in the bathroom. What’s up?”

  “Where are you?”

  “A get-together at my boss’s house. But we aren’t talking about me, we’re talking about you. Why are you crying?”

  Between sniffles, Anna spilled the whole story to Eileen.

  “And now, I’m in a cheap hotel near the beach.” The towels were small and scratchy, and when Anna turned on the shower, only a little bit of water came out. It was hot though.

  Eileen let out a stream of curse words, and Anna had to fight the urge to laugh. It was a typical Eileen response.

  “Is it safe? I can put you up someplace nicer.”

  “It’s fine. I have a private room, and it’s super clean. I’ve got a few books and a ten-minute walk to the beach. I’m going to relax for the next two weeks and maybe fill out some CNA job applications for back home. I’m sure I can find something.”

  Eileen sighed. “You didn’t like being a nurse.”

  “I know. But I made a stupid mistake, and this is my best option if I want to get a decent paying job quickly.”

  “I’m going to come see you next weekend. I’ll book a suite, and you’ll come stay with me, and we’ll shop away your sorrows.”

  Anna smiled. “Can’t wait. Miss you.”

  Chapter 22

  Anna woke up the next morning and massaged her right shoulder. The bed was incredibly hard. Hayden had a mattress topper, so his bed wasn’t that bad. She tried to stop the tears that came when she thought of him. She couldn’t spend this whole week pining after him.

  No. She’d get out there and enjoy herself. She wasn’t far from a gorgeous beach. She still had a book. She’d go down to the beach and let the sun and the sand absorb her worries.

  She felt so stupid for falling for Hayden. It hadn’t been that long, but she’d connected with him in a way she’d never done with anyone. For the past two weeks, he’d consumed her thoughts, and she’d settled into life with him.

  She’d never been one to look that far ahead. When Grandpa was alive, he took all of her energy. She didn’t have time to dream or even think about the future. Anna’s biggest problem was that she didn’t know where to go from here.

  She knew what she didn’t want. She didn’t want to be a nurse. She didn’t want to hurt. And she never wanted to be in this position ever again. She wasn’t sure what she’d do when she got home, but it would be safe and secure.

  She needed to start looking toward the future. What would her career look like? Where would she live? Would she stay in Michigan? She didn’t know.

  Now she had a goal. By the time she got on that plane, she’d have a plan. A direction.

  She skipped the shower, threw on a bathing suit, and headed out. The street looked different in the daylight. Small cafes dotted the alley, and she could hear the waves breaking. She popped into the closest café and was pleased to see that it had an English menu. She ordered toast and eggs and cracked open her book.

  She tried to read, but she wasn’t comprehending anything. Her mind was on Hayden. She worried he’d walk through the door, and then what would she do? This was dumb. He didn’t even know she was still in town. He probably thought she was on a plane heading to Michigan.

  Her face burned when she thought that Hayden was just doing nice things for her so she’d sleep with him. She’d thought they were more than just sleeping together. He’d said it was nothing more, but the way he looked at her, she thought for sure he wanted more. She was probably foolish for listening to Mike, but Chloe basically confirmed it.

  After breakfast, she headed down to the beach and spread out her towel. She lay on her stomach and read for a while before falling asleep. When she woke, the beach was brimming with people.

  She gathered up her stuff and wandered the streets that were filled with quirky shops and colorful people. She stopped in a small bar for dinner and tried again to read her book, but the words just slipped by her.

  “Can I buy you a drink?”

  Anna jerked her head up and found a young blonde man smiling at her.

  “Sure,” she said without thinking.

  “What would you like?” he asked, waving down the bartender.

  “A margarita please. Where are you from?” She assumed England from his accent.

  “Australia. Diving. What about you? American, yeah?”

  “Yes. I’m just enjoying the beach.”

  “This the place to do that.”

  They chatted while she ate and sipped at her drink, but all she could think about was Hayden. She didn’t want to be in a bar flirting with an adorable Aussie. She wanted to be at Hayden’s house sitting by the pool with Una.

  When she finished her dinner, she thanked him for the drink and disappeared out the door. She hurried to her hotel, fighting the anxiety building in her chest. She couldn’t believe Hayden had this effect on her.

  At the hotel, she opened her laptop. It was time she thought about the future. She needed a job. She sent out her resume to several openings for CNAs. She wouldn’t have a problem getting a job.

  She had trouble falling asleep that night, once again, and hoped that maybe she wouldn’t pine away too much the next day.

  The next few days passed in a blur. She spent most of her time reading on the beach. There was an ache in her chest, but she at least she wasn’t constantly thinking of Hayden anymore.

  On Thursday morning, she cracked open her
laptop again. She’d been applying for jobs and already had three interviews set up for the week after she got home. They weren’t jobs she wanted, but they would pay the bills. The first thing she saw was an email from Eileen.

  Here’s my itinerary. See you tomorrow. Love you.

  Eileen would be flying in late in the morning and spend the rest of the weekend with her. She was looking forward to not being alone.

  Beneath Eileen’s email was one from a home health care agency. It listed a phone number and asked that she call as soon as possible. She looked at the clock. It was eight a.m., which meant it was eight p.m. in Michigan. That was still early enough. She dialed the number, and a woman answered.

  “My name is Anna Barlow, and I applied for a job.”

  “Anna. This is Heather. I was one of the nurses who helped with your grandpa. When I saw your resume, I knew I had to have you. You don’t even have to interview.”

  Anna’s gripped the edge of the bed. “What would I be doing?”

  “Basically what you did with your grandpa. You’d be going into homes and giving family members or full-time nurses respite. It’ll be thirty-six hours a week, fifteen dollars an hour. Our company offers nice health benefits too. I’m sure you have lots of offers, but I know your work ethic, and I’d love to have you. Oh, and if you want to get your RN license, the company will pay for you to go to school. Please say yes. You can start tomorrow if you want.”

  Her chest tightened, and she was having trouble breathing. She needed time to think.

  “I’m actually out of the country right now. Could I have a couple of days to think about it?”

  “Of course. You can call or email with your answer. I’ll email you all the information about the benefits and the rest of the package.”

  “Thank you.”

  Anna hung up the phone and flung herself back on her bed. She did not want to be nurse. But she didn’t know how to do anything else. She needed the money though. She’d have a credit card bill to pay, and she could save up for school. She had no other way to support herself, and if she chose not to work as a CNA, she’d end up at a fast food restaurant or something, which would never pay the bills.