by Helen Cooper
“Anyway, why would your nonno know and care about what you bought today?”
“Because I put in a request to get an advance on my next paycheck as soon as I left the mall.” I sighed. “And of course, Cody emailed me back asking why and asked if I needed some financial and accounting classes.”
“He is the accountant at your parents’ business, Mila.” Sally laughed. “Who did you think would be looking at your request? And why did you ask for an advance?”
“I have rent due, electricity, cable, car insurance.” I sighed. “It all adds up, you know, and I don’t have a huge salary.”
“You’re training to be in acquisitions, right? Didn’t you get a raise?” Sally said. “Have they let you make any purchases yet?”
“Yes, I’m in acquisitions now. Dad had me in reception forever, but now he has rotated me into acquisitions, but that still hasn’t equaled a pay raise. I’m still on twenty-four thousand a year, as that is what all new graduates start with at the company. Nonno said that Dad doesn’t want people to think I’m advancing due to nepotism, but I’m like, ‘Come on, Dad, I’m your daughter and you own the company—what do you think people are going to think?’ ”
“Yeah, twenty-four thousand isn’t a lot, but still should be enough, right?”
“I guess.” I sighed. “Nonno thinks Dad wants me to move back home, but I told him I’m an adult and Dad will be waiting a long time for me to come back home. I’d rather move to a cheaper place than move back home, with them in my business.”
“Or you can move in with me,” Sally suggested half-heartedly.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” I said and laughed. Sally and I had been best friends since kindergarten, but we were exact opposites. She was a clean-freak and I was messy. She was good with her money and I was spend-happy. We were best friends and loved to hang out, but we didn’t live well together. We’d learned that the hard way as roommates our sophomore year in college.
“So, what do you think Cody’s going to do?” Sally asked eagerly. She’d had a crush on my brother for years. However, Sally wasn’t as bad as me. She hadn’t dedicated her life to getting Cody. She was of the mindset that if it worked out, it worked out, and while she was waiting she was going to have fun. And boy did she have fun. Some of the guys she dated almost put TJ to shame. I wasn’t sure where she found a continual supply of hotties.
“He’s most probably going to question me all weekend.” I sighed and collapsed onto my bed. “ ‘What are you spending your money on, Mila? This is why Mom and Dad don’t trust you, Mila. Why don’t you let Nonno set you up with a nice Italian boy so you can get married and have kids, Mila?’ ”
“Nonno still talking about his best friend’s grandson?” Sally asked with a laugh.
“Um, yes.” I groaned. “His name is Milo and no, I’m not joking. Nonno thinks it’s a sign from God. Milo and Mila. I told him hell no.”
“And then he told you to watch your language,” Sally said with a laugh.
“You know Nonno. ‘When I was growing up, girls didn’t use bad language,’ ” I said in a deep voice, imitating my grandfather. “ ‘They learned how to make pasta from scratch and how to make the best marinara sauce.’ ”
“Oh, Nonno,” Sally said, giggling. “I miss him,” she said softly and I felt wistful as I lay back on my bed and spoke to her.
“Me too,” I said with a small sigh. “I don’t get to see him as often as I’d like to. Maybe we can take him to dinner in a couple of weeks. I know he’d love to see you as well.”
“Of course,” Sally said. “That sounds great. Hopefully your folks won’t have packed you back to the motherland before then.”
“Well, you know, if they find a nice Roma boy...” I said, my voice trailing off as I thought about all the times my parents had threatened to ship me off to Italy to get married. Which I thought was pretty hilarious, seeing as my father wasn’t even of Italian descent. His ancestors were from England, and Nonno had taken a while to warm up to him when he was wooing my mom as a teenager.
“Haha, imagine you living in Rome?” Sally laughed. “I’ve got to go, though. Are you going to be okay? Or do you need to talk some more about your sexy underwear and how you’re horrible with money?”
“Whatever, Sally.” I giggled and sat up. “I’m fine. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, bye.” She laughed. “Try not to buy any whips or anal beads before tomorrow morning.”
“Funny—not!” I said and hung up. I looked at the stack of clothes on my bed and then at my suitcase, and groaned. I wasn’t sure what I was going to wear and I wasn’t sure exactly what activities we’d be doing, but I needed to minimize the amount of clothes I was taking. The pile was high, even for me.
Chapter Two
Mila
July 14th, 2011
Dear Diary,
I am going to marry TJ Walker. Yes, I said marry. I am predicting that I, Mila Brookstone, will one day marry TJ Walker. Yes, I’m only 18 and yes, we’re not in a relationship, but I know it will happen. How do I know? Because last night was the most magical night of my life. Last night TJ Walker kissed me. Yes, he kissed me. No tongue and not for long, but it was the most perfect kiss I’ve ever had in my life. Even better than kisses with Channing Tatum. Not that I’ve kissed him, but I’ve thought about what sort of kisser he would be and I think that TJ is better. You heard it here first!! I’m going to marry TJ Walker. That is, if he doesn’t annoy me too much first.
Mila
XOXO
Thursday, One Week Ago
I stared at my suitcase with a happy smile. I was finally packed. Well, I had two stacks of outfits: one stack was causal-sexy and the other stack was sexy-sexy. I was trying to decide if I should try and go full-out seduction mode on TJ or to try and play it a little bit cooler. Sally advised that I play it cooler because she doesn’t want me to embarrass myself if it doesn’t work out. Because yes, now she is coming as well. Sally always has an open invite to come, but this year she thought she’d be busy with work, but three days ago she found out she has the time off. So now she’s coming to the lake house and she is planning on going into cool seduction mode this weekend, only not with TJ—thank God. She’s after my brother, Cody. Eww. But who am I to stop her?
My only problem is, if both of us are successful with our seduction plans, what are my parents going to think is going on? We can’t just disappear, and there is no way we can have sex at the lake house. The rooms are not soundproof. I mean, I can try and be quiet, but if TJ is as good a lover as he is in my dreams, it’s going to be hard. And let’s just say that Sally will have a bigger problem than me. I lived with her in college and trust me, she doesn’t know what the word quiet means. I giggled as I picked up two different bikinis and tried to decide which one to take with me, when the phone rang. I knew the weather would be slightly cold and the water would be even colder, but I knew my body temperature adjusted pretty quickly to the water.
“Hello, Mila here,” I sang into the phone, assuming it was Sally. I looked at the thong bikini and threw it back onto the floor. I wasn’t sure why I’d even contemplated taking that. That was not appropriate for a family trip. If my dad saw me in that, I’d be on the first plane out of the country for sure.
“Mila?” The voice was deep and gruff, and tingles ran through my arm to my fingers.
“This is Mila,” I said, my voice sounding like a deep croak. “Mila,” I said again, almost singing my name, in my nervousness.
“It’s TJ.” His voice sounded amused. “Auditioning for The Voice or something?”
“No,” I laughed, excited to be talking to him. “I’m trying out for The X Factor, actually.”
“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “I would have thought you would go for The Voice!”
“Why is that?” I said, confused.
“Because they don’t see your face at first,” he said with a deadpanned voice, and it took a moment for his meaning to sink in.
“You’re an asshole.” I groaned at him, shaking my head at his diss. That is what I meant about him thinking he was my big brother. It was like he and Cody had sat down one day and discussed the responsibilities and tasks of being my older sibling. And teasing me was the number-one duty.
“You gotta love it.” He laughed as if he thought his joke was hilarious.
“Not really.”
“Aww, well, sorry to break your heart, but this isn’t The X Factor calling.”
“Uh huh.”
“I was calling because Cody can’t pick you up tomorrow. He’s stuck at work until early Saturday morning, so he asked if I can pick you and Sally up and drive you up to the lake house.”
“Oh, really?” I grinned into the phone, slightly excited that we’d be alone together, but then I remembered that Sally would be with us. “I guess that’s fine.” I tried to sound nonchalant.
“What time will you be ready?” He cleared his throat. “And an accurate time, please, not an ‘I’ll try to be ready, but I’ll keep you waiting for thirty minutes’ sort of thing.”
“TJ Walker, shut up.” I groaned into the phone. “That was only one time.”
“It was one time too many.”
“Whatever. I’m sure all your dates keep you waiting as well.”
“Yeah, but I know I’m getting something from them that makes it worth it.”
I gasped and he laughed into the phone. “So, what time, Milady Sadie?”
“Three o’clock, but I’ll check with Sally to make sure she can make that.” I ignored his use of the nickname he and Cody had coined for me when we were younger. They had created a rhyme for me that went, “Milady Sadie, went to bathy, and she got a stupid navy. A navy wavy goofy baby, that is our Milady Sadie.” It made absolutely no sense, but the nickname Milady Sadie had stuck. I knew better than to get annoyed when they used it anymore. It only fuelled their teasing.
“Okay, Milady Sadie. Call me back and let me know.”
“You’re a child, you know that, TJ?” I couldn’t stop myself. “Only a little boy would call me a nickname from when I was a little kid.”
“You’re still a kid, Mila.” His voice was dry.
“No, I’m not.” I growled into the phone.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot you’re a college graduate now.” He laughed. “You’re officially in the big girls’ club.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes, even though I knew he couldn’t see them.
“Oh, yeah. I may be bringing a friend with me. I spoke to Cody, and your parents don’t mind.”
“A friend?” I frowned.
“Yeah, her name is Barbie.”
“No, it is not.” I groaned into the phone and tried to ignore the swell of disappointment that rose up in me as I threw the bikinis down onto the floor. What was the point of me trying to seduce him if he was bringing another girl up?
“Yeah, it is.” He laughed. “And she calls me Ken.”
“Are you joking? Why is she calling you Ken?”
“I kind of told her my name was Ken when I picked her up at the bar two nights ago.”
“Oh, my God,” I groaned into the phone, flopped onto the bed and closed my eyes. “Please tell me that is a bad joke. She did not actually believe you?”
“Of course she believed me.” He laughed. “So, just let Sally know, I’m Ken for the weekend.”
“What are you going to tell my parents?”
“Oh, Cody told me that they couldn’t make it. He didn’t tell you?”
“No.” I sighed. “No one told me anything.” I rolled over on my side. “Not my parents and not Cody. So you’re telling me that this year the family get-together is going to be me, Sally, Barbie and you?”
“You got it.” He laughed. “And Cody will be there tomorrow morning.”
“Great, that’s just great.”
“I think your dad wanted to take care of some business stuff and your mom wanted to take your Nonno to get some new sheets or something.”
“I’m glad my family let you know what was going on before they told me anything,” I said, feeling annoyed. I hated that they never bothered to let me know anything, like I was still some kid or something.
“Don’t pout, Mila. You know it doesn’t suit you.”
“Thanks for nothing.” I stuck my tongue out at the phone.
“Anyway, go call Sally and then call me back to confirm the time.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I like that,” he drawled.
“You like what?”
“When you call me sir.” He laughed. “I could get used to it.”
“I’m sure you could.” I paused. “But I guess you’ll just have to get Barbie to call you that.”
“Don’t worry, Mila. You’ll have a guy to call sir soon.”
“I already have a guy,” I lied, slightly annoyed at his comment.
“What?” His voice changed and suddenly became brusque. “What guy?”
“Just a guy I’m dating.”
“You never mentioned him before,” he said sharply.
“Well, it’s a new relationship.”
“Hmmm.” He paused. “I hope he’s not another loser who borrows money from you and doesn’t repay it.”
“He’s going to pay me back,” I protested, though we both knew that wasn’t true. I couldn’t even remember the guy’s full name.
“And try not to date another guy who dresses up in women’s clothing. That’s usually a sign that he’s not that interested in you.”
“That’s not fair,” I protested, groaning as he reminded me of Richard, the last guy I’d dated. The one who was more interested in my wardrobe than me.
“Hey, I’m just looking out for you.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“You don’t want to date another loser.”
“Do you have someone better for me?” My voice was shrill as he continued teasing me.
“I may.” He paused. “I just may.”
“I’m going to go call Sally now,” I said, changing the subject abruptly, not wanting him to try and hook me up with another guy.
“You do that, Mila.” And with that, he hung up.
I sighed and lay back on the bed, frustrated and excited at the same time. This is how it always went with TJ; we had a little flirting, a little bickering, and ultimately it ended up with a whole heap of nothing. And now he was dating some perfect girl called Barbie, who probably gave him head every night, and I was still single—but now having to pretend that I had a boyfriend. I groaned as I closed my eyes and pictured TJ’s handsome face in my mind. Ugh, it was so frustrating. I just wanted him to give me a real chance, but I knew it was never going to happen unless I made a go of it. I sat up and grinned as I realized that my parents not coming might not be such a bad thing after all.
Chapter Three
Mila
March 18th, 2010
Dear Diary,
I’m a complete and utter idiot. The laughingstock of the country club. I’m going to kill Sally and I’m going to lock myself in my room for the next ten years. I’m never coming out again. Never. You will not believe what happened to me. I’m so EMBARRASSED!!!! TJ, the love of my life, came home this weekend with Cody. He asked me if I wanted to play tennis with him. Of course I said yes. I called Sally and she told me that he definitely likes me and that he was testing the waters to see if I liked him. I agreed—why else would he ask me to play tennis? I mean, every movie I’ve seen, the guy only asks the girl if she wants to hang out if he likes her. I mean, yeah he’s in college and I’m in high school, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have fallen for me. Anyways, I wore a super short skirt, as per Sally’s advice, and I wore a push-up bra and stuffed it with toilet paper and cotton wool. Well, the push-up bra was too loose and the toilet paper fell out of one side of my bra as I was playing. Yes, it fell out onto the court. Yes, I had one double-D boob and one B-cup. No, TJ was not impressed. He started laughing at me in the middle of the game. Like lite
rally stopped moving to point out the toilet paper on the court and then he said, and I quote him verbatim, “Your right boob fell out, dorky. You might want to fix that.” I nearly died. I would have died, but I think God was saving me so I could get revenge on Sally first for her bad advice. I’m never listening to her again. Or playing tennis with TJ. Well, maybe I’ll play tennis with TJ again if he asks. Which I doubt he will. I don’t think he likes me. If he liked me, he wouldn’t call me a dork, would he?
Mila
XOXO
P.S. I officially lost the tennis match, if you were wondering. 6-2, 6-2. Pitiful.
Friday, One Week Ago
“Hey, dorky, where’s Sally?” TJ stood outside my front door looking like some hunky model in a TV ad for men’s cologne or boxer briefs; very skimpy boxer briefs, I might add.
“She’s on her way,” I said and ushered him into my apartment, trying not to let him see how eager and happy I was that he was there.
“I thought you said that you’d be ready to leave at three?” He frowned as he stood next to me. His eyes bored into mine with an imperious glance and I made myself stand there, not touching his glorious body.
“I’m ready.” I frowned back at him. “It’s not my fault that Sally isn’t here yet.”
“Barbie is going to be upset,” he said and pulled out his phone.
“Why?” I cocked my head to the side and studied his face. “Did she get peroxide in her mouth?”
“She’s a natural blonde,” TJ said with a small smile, his lips curving up at the side, even though I knew he was trying not to laugh.
“Sure she is,” I said sweetly. “That’s why her pubic hair is darker than the hair on your head.”
“You’re gross and a brat, you know that, Mila?” He started laughing then. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“Huh? What?” I said and swallowed hard. Was he going to ask me if I was being bitchy because I was jealous?
“Are you into women now? Is that why you’re so familiar with the female anatomy?” He looked me up and down. “I guess that explains why you look so butch today?”
