By
Amanda Heartley
Copyright © 2015 ▪ Amanda Heartley
Published By: Heartley Publishing
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Other Books By Amanda
Acknowledgements
About The Author
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Amanda Heartley
Published By: Heartley Publishing
Connect with me on Facebook
http://facebook.com/AuthorAmandaHeartley
Book Description
Pepper Anderson has finally taken all she can from her guyfriend-stealing mother. She's kept her titties out of front page news and has her eyes on Gabe. He's smart, sexy and very confident, then in walks Sophie, an old friend of Gabe's, and Pepper hates her immediately...diva style!
Gabriel Gregory isn't used to the fame of the paparazzi. In fact, he hates looking over his shoulder at every turn, but he's drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. Will he follow is heart and go after Pepper? Or leave her in the friendzone?
Chapter One — Pepper
I arrived at the Golden Flames and noticed that the place had already been thoroughly cleaned. Gone were all the dirty glasses and half-eaten hors d’oeuvres—the floors were shiny, the tables polished and it smelled remarkably fresh. You’d never have thought the place had been party central last night, complete with booze, paparazzi and dozens of Destiny Beach trust fund brats. The manager had called me earlier to let me know Mills had left her clothing and makeup here, and since she hadn’t slept off her hangover yet, I figured I’d come get them before I went to work. Good thing I didn’t have to be at Sea Lab till one—I would’ve had a hell of a time showing up early today.
I dreaded walking back into the dressing room where Mills and I had caught our mother grinding on Church’s cock the night before. The sick image of them getting it on was still in my head. I could still see her dress up around her waist and his big hands holding her hips as he pounded into her. Ugh! I shook my head and tried to get that horrifying vision out of my mind. I could only imagine what Mills was going through—well, when she finally woke up, anyway. Ugh! That woman!
To tell the honest to God truth, I couldn’t believe Church would do such a thing, either. I knew he was a playboy and loved all kinds of women…but my mother? That was the lowest of the low. Gross, dirty, like no dirty I’d even witnessed before. I could understand it if he’d hooked up with Aven. She was young and beautiful—even if he did call her chubby. I wasn’t jealous—it wasn’t like I was in love with him or anything—but he was my friend, and had been for a very long time. Now, he’d ruined that and I felt betrayed, even disrespected by him.
I sighed, pushed the door open and found my sister’s clothing and shoes stacked neatly on a table by the cleaning staff. I walked across the floor toward them and all I could think about was poor Mills and what her young eyes had seen the previous evening. Ugh. How could Church not know it wasn’t me he was fucking? I grabbed her Gucci travel bag, yanked it open and mindlessly began stuffing the clothing inside. Then, with another heavy sigh, I opened the door to the boudoir closet and paused as I remembered the two of them again, getting it on. I choked and tried not to throw up when I thought about the two of them together. Church and my mother? That was insane.
My phone rang so I slid it out from my pocket and tapped on the screen. “Pepper? Hello, Darling.”
Shit. The one time I didn’t check the display. “You’ve got some fucking nerve calling me, Evangeline.”
“Now is that any way to talk to your mother?” she demanded as she pretended to be irritated at my lack of respect for her. I didn’t know why she acted so surprised, though. Surely it wasn’t a mystery to her that I didn’t like her one little bit.
“My mother?” I scoffed. “That woman I saw with her panties around her ankles? The same one who was fucking my best guy friend last night? And not only fucking him, but getting caught! By both her daughters!” I let out a sigh of disgust. “What do you want?” I demanded back. I was anxious to get this call over with as soon as possible.
“I think we need to talk,” she said in her best motherly voice, but I wasn’t buying it.
“No, I don’t think we need to talk at all.” I didn’t bother hiding my disdain.
She chuckled on the phone. “Oh, darling. You really must change your attitude. It doesn’t suit you well. I just want to talk. How about some brunch?”
“No, I’m busy today—and even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to eat with you anyway.”
“I know you don’t mean that but yes, dear, I heard. Working. A job. That’s nice, Pepper. I’m very proud. How about dinner instead?” The idea of being seen in public with Evangeline right now was a bad one. I could tell she was itching for a brawl, anxious for some publicity over the “scandal” she’d created but I wasn’t about to feed her oversized ego. I’d have to do so much damage control when I got to work, as it was.
“I’ll give you thirty minutes. That’s it. Meet me at Gulf Acres Country Club in fifteen and be on time. I’m not waiting around.”
“Does it have to be Gulf Acres? That place is so dingy. I mean, the place is chock full of your father’s backslapping buddies and it’s so gauche.”
“It’s Gulf Acres or nothing.”
“Fine.”
“And Evangeline?”
“What?”
“No photographers. If I see just one, I’m turning around and driving away.” I didn’t wait for an answer. My hands shook with anger and I hung up the phone. I couldn’t believe I’d agreed to see her, but I actually wanted this meeting for my own motives. I wanted to tell her exactly what I thought of her. Not that she’d take any notice, but it would make me feel a lot better.
I hauled the Gucci bag full of Mills’ stuff to the car, tossed it in my trunk and drove to Gulf Acres. It was gearing up to be another beautiful Gulf Coast day. Too bad it was about to be spoiled by having to spend time with my slut of a mother. The country club had been one of my favorite childhood haunts—before I could drive, anyway. Gulf Acres had begun as a private getaway for an old, southern family, the Adcock’s, but there weren’t too many of them left anymore. Most had moved to Savannah, away from the Gulf Shores and Destiny Beach area. The massive “beach house” had six other buildings on the property, including one great big ball room that many debutantes use for their sweet sixteen parties. There was also a ridiculously challenging golf course, a marina and a couple of different clubhouses, including Lagniappe, my favorite restaurant. I hoped that having brunch here today might stir up a little maternal sympathy and a few good memories. I wasn’t sure, though. Maybe it was too much to hope for.
I gave my keys to the valet and scanned the driveway for Evangeline’s shiny red convertible while he parked my car. Of course, she was late and I didn’t know why I’d expected anything else from her.
I went into Lagniappe and asked for a private table on the balcony. With a smile, I took a seat and thought this would be the perfect place to enjoy a nice brunch—by myself. Oh, well. At least the table was near the ocean so I could always throw myself in if she were to get on my nerves too bad—or maybe I could push her in. I grinned
again as I thought about that and stared at the menu. I wasn’t sure why I’d bothered, though, since it was exactly the same as it had been for the past ten years. I decided I’d order the crab cakes or else the West Indies salad with iced tea. Evangeline would order scallops and send them back a few times for being too hard, too soft, under-done, over-done or just too round. She figured there was no fun in life without torturing the people that waited on you. So embarrassing. I just wanted to crawl under a rock every time she did it.
I saw her walk in and she looked around the room as she searched for me. Too late to run now, Pepper. I didn’t wave or smile—I just sat there like a lump and wished I’d never agreed to this.
Nobody could say Evangeline had lost her looks. The tight-fitting white and black dress she wore showed her shape off perfectly and I had to admit, I loved the strappy white heels, but that ultra-large black hat with the white bow sent the whole outfit over the top. Now I was glad that I’d left my sunglasses on. I’d hate for everyone to see me roll my eyes at the sight of my mother making her entrance.
Immediately, people leaned across the table to each other, nodded in her direction and began to whisper when they recognized the latest visitor to the restaurant. This crowd, however, wasn’t impressed as easily as she might have hoped. Gulf Acres had a reputation for being the second home for many of the Gulf Coast’s ultra-snobby elite—a group to which Evangeline no longer belonged—and I almost felt sorry for her, until she spoke.
“In the sun? Really? I’m telling you, UV rays are hell on your skin.” Evangeline slid out the chair and dusted off the seat with the linen napkin. I ignored her and continued to stare at the menu.
The poor, unsuspecting teenaged server approached us with a broad smile, but that didn’t last long. Evangeline asked a dozen questions, no doubt to which she already knew the answers, then ordered the scallops and a side salad. As the server forced a smile and walked toward the kitchen, she stopped dead in her tracks when she heard my mother call after her to remind her that she didn’t want too much salt. My mother took off her hat, set it to the side and placed her clutch on the brim to keep it from blowing away.
“Let’s get it all out. I imagine you want to cuss me out for last night. Come on, give it to me.” She leaned back in the chair and pursed her perfect lips in a thoughtful pout. “Finding Jonathan and me together must have been upsetting. I understand that.”
I knew what she wanted. I’d fallen for it before. She wanted me to lose it, to make a scene so she would feel better. In her world, Evangeline did no wrong—everyone else did. Now here we were again, but I wasn’t going to play into her hands this time. Her conscience, what little she had, must have been killing her and spitefully, I wasn’t anxious to let her off the hook easily.
“Nothing you do surprises me and no, I’m not hurt—but your daughter, Mills, she’s the one that’s hurt.” Oh yes, she flinched. I could leave now and be happy, sort of.
“Don’t bring your sister into this. I will talk to her in the fullness of time. This is about you and me.”
I slid my glasses up to the top of my head. “No, this isn’t about you and me. This is about you. I’m not the slut who sleeps with your ex-boyfriends. I’m not trying to constantly compete with my own daughter. That’s you, remember?”
“Pepper! How dare you talk to me that way?” She banged her fist on the table, making the water in the glasses splash onto the white linen tablecloth, but I was unmoved by her anger.
“Give me a break. The hurt mother angle doesn’t work with me anymore. Finding you riding Church in a closet is hardly a mother-like thing to do. You knew he thought it was me in the darkness, but you didn’t bother to tell him any different. You just kept quiet and I just want to know how long you’d been planning this?”
She sat crooked in her chair, her head down at a sassy angle and she grinned. “I admit that I’ve seen him before and wondered what it would be like, but I sure didn’t plan that. What kind of person would I be?”
Before I could answer her, the server returned with our salads and luckily for her, she’d remembered to put the dressing on the side. After she’d left the table, I brought the conversation back to my sister. “What are you going to tell Mills? She’s the one you should be thinking about. I’ll be fine, but how could you do that to her?” I dug around my salad and picked out a grape tomato—somehow, I didn’t feel hungry now.
“You always were your father’s child, which is kind of ironic.” She sipped her mimosa and smiled at me through bright red lipstick.
“Why is that ironic? You and I were never close. That shouldn’t be a surprise to you.”
She gave me a smirk, but changed the subject. “Have you talked to Jonathan?”
“No, I haven’t. Would you like his number?” I tilted my head and smiled wryly at her.
“Can’t you stop it, Pepper? Your insane jealousy of me has gotten out of hand. You really need to see a therapist or something.”
My blood boiled with that comment, but I wasn’t about to lower myself to her level. I simply glared at her as I pushed my chair back, grabbed my purse and walked out without looking back. No way was I staying and listening to any more of her craziness.
She was the one who hooked up with Church.
She was the one who fucked him in the closet like a slutty teenager.
As I walked out the door, I vowed to never speak to her again.
Chapter Two — Gabe
I was finished. Done with Pepper Anderson and her wild pack of friends. Thank God the car hadn’t rolled or things could have ended up a lot worse than just a few scrapes. I still couldn’t believe that dickwad, Church, would try to scare me like that—or worse, kill me—over a girl! The whole situation was dangerous, stupid and I refused to get involved with her. She carried too much baggage for a homebody like me.
I rotated my shoulder and tried to get the kinks out of it. It was sore from the accident and felt like someone had been squeezing it in a vise all night. The hospital had given me some ibuprofen when they’d discharged me earlier, but it wasn’t doing its job. I wasn’t hurt enough to stay home, though—I had to get to the high school and teach a class to some very talented students. Bet this black eye would attract some comments from the kids there—and the teachers. I hoped they weren’t going to think I’d been involved in some seedy bar room fight. That wouldn’t go over well with Destiny Beach’s school board.
I let out a long sigh as I thought back to all the drama and crazy events of the night before. If I’d known when I got mixed up with Pepper Anderson, that I’d have to deal with all the crazy bullshit that came along with her, I wouldn’t have bothered. Glad that was over now.
I popped two more ibuprofens and grabbed a bottle of water before I left the house. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day on the Gulf Coast. I hopped up into the Escalade, turned on the engine and kicked on the A/C. I didn’t like driving the SUV, gas hog and all, but my poor Audi was still in the shop and would probably be there all week. That jerk dinged up her bumper pretty bad. I could still see the headlights of that semi coming straight at me in my mind and shuddered when I thought about it. Fuck! I really could have died last night. I drove over to Sea Lab extra carefully with those thoughts in my mind, then Bobbie Jo and I loaded the materials into the car.
“You all right?” she asked, her face all squinched up.
“Yep, I’m fine. You all right?” I teased.
“Yep!” I really didn’t want to go over what had happened the night before. I knew she’d blame Pepper and I didn’t want to deal with it—not now, and not with Bobbie Jo. I’d talk to Pepper later when we got back.
Bobbie Jo and I carried our boxes, specimen tanks and all the other stuff we’d brought with us into the high school lab. Sometimes the kids made me nervous but, luckily for me, these weren’t the small kind. I hoped they were kids with more than half a brain and a thought for their future. I wasn’t nervous, more distracted than anything, and I kept my
eyes hidden with my sunglasses until I absolutely had to teach. Once the kids had gathered in and the bell rang, I removed my Oakley’s and stood behind the table.
“Dude, you must have kicked somebody’s ass!” somebody said from the back of the group and I couldn’t hide the shock on my face. Were kids allowed to talk like that in school now?
I laughed nervously and said, “Um no, there was no kicking, or ass for that matter.”
The pimple-faced kid wasn’t about to let me off the hook so easily and said, “Oh, so you got your ass kicked?” The class tittered and I looked over at the teacher and hoped for her to take control of her students, but she offered me no help whatsoever and merely grinned and shrugged her shoulders.
“No way. He’s too hot to get the beat down.” That bit of encouragement came from a smiling teenage girl in the front row who wore a ridiculously short skirt. I must have turned beet red because the kids all laughed again.
“Yeah, he is,” agreed another girl. More laughter. I could see this was getting out of hand, and quickly.
I put my hands up in surrender. “Okay, let’s be clear now…” I paused and stared into the expectant faces of the kids who’d come to hear me speak. “All right, I kicked his ass, now let’s move on.” The kids laughed and in one fell swoop, I’d managed to capture their attention and, hopefully, their respect. The presentation went smoothly, better in fact than any other demonstrations I’d done before. After I’d finished, the kids hung around, lingered and wanted to talk with us about joining our summer volunteer programs and future internships. It felt good to see kids involved in science, even if it did come by way of my black eye.
“You should get your ass kicked before every demonstration. That seemed to work!” Bobbie Jo laughed at me as we loaded the car again.
“Yeah, I don’t think so.” I chuckled along. “I’m too damn old for that.”
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