“Last week,” she answers with monotony. “Well, Bradley moved out last week. We’ve been staying at a hotel for the last few days while we prepare for the move.” She smirks a snooty smirk, one I don’t like. Why does it have to be her? Back before I felt like I was in a rush to surpass Bradley in life, I had these dreams of what a future sister-in-law might be like, and it wasn’t an extravagant dream—maybe just someone like Gracie, minus the hourly Broadway productions. I was hoping for someone I could call a sister, someone who would want to be my sister. We’d all live happily ever after as one big family, but I’m sure this won’t be the case with Katarina.
“Well, at least you get to be near your family now, right?” I ask Katarina, trying to make conversation. Of course, her sisters are moving here, but if Bradley is going to be working for her father, they must be close, one would assume.
“Sure,” she says.
I hate to think the three of them are always like this. I mean, we’re going to be family soon, and I get the sense that no one wants to be here or around me.
Bradley places his arm around my neck and presses the side of his head to my temple and whispers, “They’re just shy. Give it a few, okay?”
A few what? Months?
We approach the front door of an upscale French-looking royal-blue door with a bronze knocker and a bronze plate that reads “Welcome.”
I unlock the door with the key Bradley gave me and walk inside to an inviting interior, decorated with luxury hotel style finishes. “It’s beautiful,” I tell him.
“It’s okay,” he says. “It needs some small updates that we haven’t gotten to yet, but it’s good enough.”
I want to remind Bradley that we grew up in a three-bedroom ranch-style house with one-and-a-half bathrooms, a small living area, a galley kitchen, and a tight-spaced dining room. This place looks like a palace in comparison, but we were always happy growing up in our small house and never thought to ask for luxurious upgrades like this. Maybe Bradley wasn’t as complacent as I was. Perhaps he’s just turned into someone else.
Her.
“You have a view of the ocean out back and a porch. It’s not screened in yet, though.” Yet? Any type of porch is just fine. “I left the address and landline phone number on the fridge, but do you want me to tell you a little more about this place? The neighbors?” he asked.
I find myself glancing around the room, surveying everyone else’s facial expressions. Of course, I don’t think they are capable of such a bodily function such as moving a muscle on their faces, but I figured I’d at least look.
“Is everyone in the development old or something? Is this a retirement community?” That’s what I was hoping to avoid with Mom and Dad, but they aren’t here at least.
Bradley clears his throat, and Katarina pinches her lips, glancing off to the side as if she’s already annoyed with what he’s about to say. “No, actually, everyone is between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five.”
“Wow, that’s impressive considering what the price tag must be on these houses ...”
“They’re villas,” Bradley corrects me. “This community, up until recently, was part of an initial phase of a social study. That’s how we got the funding to build such an extravagant setting.”
There’s the pit in my stomach that I’ve been waiting to feel. I knew the other shoe had to drop at some point. “Social study?”
“Didn’t you read the lease agreement?”
“Yeah, I must’ve missed that part,” I tell him.
With an arched brow, Bradley continues. “The houses are all occupied with single, widowed, or divorced men between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five.”
Obviously, Katarina knew this, and the twins haven’t blinked, so they must have known too. Maybe they don’t blink either. I wonder what would happen if I pinched one of them.
“Katarina wasn’t living here with me, so up until this point, it has been uniformly men. This living arrangement was their decision, but the phase of the project they were undergoing is over now. There really isn’t anything to stress over. They’re all great guys, and I’m your brother; you know I wouldn’t put you into a situation like this unless I was sure it was a good fit for you.”
Bradley’s explanation makes zero sense.
“Okay ... so, are we part of the social study?” I ask. Would Bradley do that to me without discussing it out loud first, and not just on paper? He just said the initial phase was complete.
“Yes, and no. The study will be ongoing for the next six months, but the initial observations are complete. You don’t have to participate in the research portion of the study or anything.”
“Can I speak to you, Bradley?” I grab his arm and pull him across the large living area, down a hallway, where I find a laundry room and a bathroom. “What the hell is this?”
Bradley tosses his head back as if he has the right to be frustrated with me. “Look, Mom and Dad didn’t want you moving into their one-bedroom. They just retired. I wanted to help them, and in turn, I would be helping you. It all just kind of worked out, right?”
“You just threw me into a bachelor—thing, Bradley. Does that sound like the best situation to put your little sister in?”
“You want to meet a guy, don’t you?” he counters.
“Not like this!”
“Okay, well your options were limited, and this seemed like a great opportunity for you to spread your—"
“Bradley!”
“Wings, Ash. Wings. I promise you, the guys here are harmless.” I don’t like the smile Bradley is wearing across his face. There is something about the smile that’s making me feel uneasy.
I slap my hands down by my sides, feeling the need to whale out a string of obscenities. “I hate you,” I snap at Bradley.
“No, you don’t. I know you. Freshman year of college, you were upset to find out that your dorm wasn’t co-ed. Remember that conversation?”
“That was four years ago, Bradley. I’ve changed.” Haven’t I? I think I’ve changed. I’m at least four years smarter now, or one might like to think after a four-year degree. I mean … I know how to tap a keg. That’s got to be good for something.
“You like girls now?” Bradley counters.
“No. I don’t just care about meeting men.” Maybe I should care about meeting someone. I’ve already considered the fact that I could end up a lonely only woman with no game in the dating business.
“Mmhm. Okay then. Have fun, and as I said, the address information is on the fridge. If you have any questions or need anything, you know how to find me, sis. Remember, I did this out of—”
“Spite. That’s what this.”
“Love, but okay, spite works too.”
“Payback is a bitch,” I remind him.
“You’re right, so thank me for the free rent and charming men, then get on with it.”
I groan and shove the heels of my palms into the sides of my temples. “We’re done. I need to go figure out which bedroom is mine. Just see yourself out or something.”
I make my way back into the front room, stroll past the women, and take the wooden stairs up to the top, finding the Krocket sisters rooms are already decorated. At least I assume these are their bedrooms because the third room appears more vacant with just the essentials. Although, the room does have a beautiful view of the beach, which also comes with four half-naked men playing volleyball.
In memory of Gracie, who I’m dearly missing, my thoughts fall to: Hello. Is it you I’m looking for?
Chapter 4
I flipped Bradley off and then said goodbye to him and his precious feline fiancée. Now, I’m waiting for one of the devil twins to turn into the exorcist. They’re probably part of this social study too. I wouldn’t put anything past Bradley at this point. I can’t believe he’d do this to me. At least he could have told me to read the fine print more carefully.
Still, I should have questioned his sincerity in wanting to help my living situation.
In any case, this house and the area look like paradise. I can’t exactly lie to myself and say this isn’t almost the perfect situation, but I would have liked to make this decision based on facts.
I guess he tried to tell me a few times.
He should have tried harder.
It’s my fault.
I’m still staring out the window, watching the men play volleyball. I can’t quite make out any of them from here, but they all have a nice tan and perfect bodies from what I can tell.
I don’t plan on spending my free time with these whack-job girls here, so I might as well make nice.
Almost as soon as I decide to head out to the beach, the men gather together in what looks like a pow wow.
Then, they look up toward my window.
Like directly at my window.
I hold my hand up, wondering if they’ll wave back, or if they’re just randomly talking about what’s currently going on in this house.
They don’t wave. All the men just continue staring.
With soft steps, I pad down the stairs, hearing very little around me. I can only imagine what the twins are up to amid their silence. They’re probably both sitting on the edge of their beds staring through the wall.
I didn’t meander into the kitchen when I first came in, but I see a sliding glass door off a breakfast nook, nestled in the back corner, hidden from the front door. The porch Bradley mentioned sprawls out beyond the slider.
The kitchen has all modern updates with newer looking appliances, which is nice.
While reaching for the handle of the back-porch slider, the doorbell rings. I pause, wondering who would be ringing the doorbell already.
No one upstairs seems to be moving an inch, so I jog across the kitchen and through the living area, toward the front door. I see a shadow moving around on the front step through the side window. When I peek out, I find a man in jeans and a gray T-shirt. He’s holding a wicker basket.
I open the door, feeling a bit frazzled. “Hi,” I greet the grossly attractive man.
“Hey, Ashley. I wanted to come over to introduce myself and welcome you to the neighborhood.” The man hands me the basket. “I made some muffins earlier. I thought you might like some since you probably don’t have much food stocked up yet.”
“You bake?” That was rude of me. Just because he’s a gorgeous man with beautiful turquoise eyes, dark wavy hair, and a chiseled jaw to match his toned physique, shouldn’t be a reason to wonder if he bakes. Are people this perfect? I didn’t think so. I thought only smoke and mirrors could make a person look the way he does. I’m surprised there isn’t fog surrounding him.
“Yeah, why not?”
“Just wondering. Standard question, you know.” I sound like an idiot.
“I’m Theo Conner.” Theo holds his hand out to me, and I instinctually put mine out to him. My gaze drops to our intertwined hands, noticing the different shades of color between our skin tones. He looks like he’s been baking in the sun for a few months. Meanwhile, I look like I just climbed out of a northern hole. On top of that, his hand engulfs mine.
“You have big hands,” I tell him, laughing coyly.
Theo’s cheeks turn pink as he bursts into laughter. “Well, that’s not something you hear in the first fifteen seconds of meeting someone. Thank you, though.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think that one through. I’m sorry, I’m just a little out of my element here.”
“It’s not exactly a normal element, being the only woman in a housing community full of men.”
“Oh, I’m not the only one. There are two more women upstairs, but they’re quiet, I guess. I just met them.”
“Interesting,” Theo says. “We were told only one person was moving into the villa.”
“What else were you told?” I press.
“That’s it,” he says, sharply. His hands fidget by his side, and his eyes wander, making it known he’s suddenly very uncomfortable.
“Hmm, well, it was very nice to meet you, Theo. Thank you for the fresh muffins.”
“The pleasure is all mine. If you need anything, I’m just next door.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Hey, would you want to—” I don’t know what my facial expression has done to make him abruptly stop speaking, but I’m curious about what he was about to ask.
“Want to what?” I press.
“Never mind. I know you have a lot of adjusting to do today.”
“I was just going to take a walk on the beach if you want to join me?”
“Really?” he says, sounding more eager than I thought he might.
“Yeah, I wanted to go meet some of the other guys I saw out there.”
“Ah, yeah. Sure, I’ll come with you.”
“Awesome.” Leaving the front door open, I jog to the coffee table and place the muffins down before stepping out of the villa. I close the door behind me and follow Theo down the driveway and over toward the arch-gate that leads to the beach.
Theo stretches his arms up in the air and releases an exhaling groan. “So, I should warn you ...”
When someone I just met speaks the words: I should warn you ... it’s a great time to take it as a hint to change my mind, redirect my intentions, and hide in my new bedroom. However, it seems I have a lot to learn here as I follow Theo into a lion’s den of what I will soon learn to be hungry mammals.
“Just take it all in and breathe,” he says.
“Take what all in?” I question.
“The men. Take them all in.”
“What?” I retort, wondering if his statement has a double entendre.
Theo’s eyes grow wide, and he gasps. “Nope, not like that. As a matter-of-fact, I feel the need to warn you not to take any of them in, like that. Just ... get to know them.”
Get to know them.
“Why is that?”
“I have a feeling you’ll find out quite soon, Ashley. Before you find this out though, you should know that I'm one of the good guys. Okay?”
By stating that he’s a good guy, does that mean there are bad guys?
Chapter 5
I don’t know if the warning is a reminder that I’m one of three females living in this development. Already noted. “What do you need to warn me about?” I ask Theo.
“The guys down there are a little competitive. They can be a little ignorant too. I just wanted to put it out there before they all bombard you at once.”
I’m trying to take a more in-depth look at the meaning behind Theo’s statement, but it seems rude to say what he did about these guys I’ve never met before. I wonder if they don’t get along too well. That would explain it, I guess.
Theo has his arm up, waving at the group of guys in their board shorts. They’re all covered in sweat.
Tanned bodies, all too rock hard to be true. It’s like someone just sprayed them down with a water bottle full of oil. A smile lights up each of their faces. They look alike. Are they related?
No, their faces look different. Maybe my plane crashed, and I went to hot guy heaven. That would make sense. I must have been a good person to deserve this type of eternal reward.
“Hi, Ashley, I’m Colin. It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Colin steps forward away from the others, reaching his hand out to shake mine. Except when I reach my hand out to him, he pulls me in for a sweaty hug. I’m quietly cringing. He’s covered in sweat and smells like burning suntan lotion.
“Oh, hi, Colin.” He’s tall and thin, but lean with muscle in a way that says he most likely works out every day. His handshake is firm too. Maybe he’s a businessman. With his dark, mysterious eyes that match the color of his caramel hair, I can’t help but feel like he’s trying to see inside of my head. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Colin smiles shyly and glances away for a short second and huffs a soft laugh. “Sorry, I’m not great at introductions.”
“I’m not either, trust me,” I say, trying to match his nervous demeanor. He seems
sweet. However, this introducing bit seems forced at the same time. “I think I might be suffering from some jet lag too.” I move my weight from one foot to the other, feeling as though I’m sinking into the sand. With as hot as this sun is, I also feel like I'm under a heat lamp.
“Oh, totally. Jet lag is the worst,” Colin offers in response. “Um, so, a little bit about me: I’m a software engineprenour for four internet startups. I’m kind of like a realtor of software products, you know?” he says, chuckling at himself.
Engineprenour? Did he just make that up?
“Oh! Awesome. You create software? I love software.” I love software? Smooth.
“Yeah, but it’s not as exciting as you're making it out to be,” he says, ending the explanation with a wink. “Anyway, I’m from Denver, Colorado and I just moved down to Georgia about a year ago. I’m still meeting people. Anyway—oh, I already said, ‘anyway.’ Can you tell I’m nervous?”
I’m trying my best not to make a face to match the unease and discomfort I’m feeling from this awkward conversation. “I’m suddenly quite nervous, too,” I tell Colin. Mostly because I’m the center of attention and that was not part of my plan when moving down here.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here, and it’s so nice to meet you. I can’t wait to hack into your brain and learn more about you.”
Oh, wow, okay.
Colin takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. I find myself looking around to observe the reactions around me, but the others are looking elsewhere as if they don’t want to hear our not-so-private conversation.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Colin.”
“I’ll see you tonight for dinner?” Colin asks as if his question is an afterthought to our discussion.
“What? Dinner?” My mind is spinning. This situation feels like some kind of setup or a joke. I’m waiting for Bradley to jump out of nowhere and tell me he’s behind this, which he must be in some way because this is not normal. This moment reminds me of a “reality” dating show.
“Do you mind if I interrupt for a moment?” Another guy steps in, taking my hand from Colin’s.
The Bachelor Beach: The Love Connection Series - Villa One Page 3
