Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 87629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
That’s what it will feel like, knowing someone else is doing things to Mandy that I should be doing.
Now what?
Of course my cock is rock-hard. I was probably dreaming of her—doing all those things to her she’s not ready for but she thinks she is.
A cold shower it is. At least it’ll wake me the hell up.
An hour later, after a cup of coffee and a protein shake, I’m on a run.
I try to run five miles every day. Sometimes I do it on the treadmill at the gym, but if the weather is good, I prefer to do it in the city.
Running early is the best. I love the yeasty aroma of the first bread bake at the neighborhood bakeries. Castiglione’s is my favorite. They still use wood-fired ovens to bake their bread, and sometimes I see the bakers heading up from shoveling wood into the ovens. They always wear a white tank top, a hairnet, and their arms and neck are glistening with sweat and grime from the hot ovens. When I was a kid, I used to imagine myself working in a bakery when I was older. Then my dad made it big, and I didn’t have to work as a teenager.
Sometimes, after my run, I head into Castiglione’s and have a chocolate croissant. Sometimes an almond one—Mandy’s favorite. Sometimes just a piece of baguette with butter.
Always the first bake, always warm, and always the best. More often than not, I grab an extra almond croissant and drop it off at Mandy’s before I go home and shower. She’ll pour me a cup of coffee, and I’ll walk around the block with her and Roger.
Today, though, I don’t stop. The scent of rising bread—its yeasty, golden-baked aroma—doesn’t appeal to me today. Neither does stopping at Mandy’s.
I run home, have another cup of coffee, shower, and then head into the office. It’s early. Not quite eight a.m., so I’m surprised as hell to see Pendleton Berry waiting for me.
“Penn? Is Frankie okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. They sent her home yesterday afternoon.”
I heave a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. What can I do for you, then?”
“Can we talk in your office?”
“I have a meeting in half an hour that I have to prepare for.”
“Oh. Sorry to bother you, then.”
“We can talk for a minute. Come on in.”
He follows me into my office, and I shut the door. I nod to one of the seats across my desk. “Sit.”
He drops into a leather chair. “I think you should know that Frankie is really concerned about Mandy.”
I swallow. “You have my attention.”
“She thinks Mandy is in love with you.”
I widen my eyes but catch myself before I act too surprised. “She’s mistaken.”
“Maybe she is. I don’t have a clue, to be honest.”
Damn it. I knew we should’ve never had sex.
“Frankie’s just worried,” Penn continues. “Mandy’s her big sister, and she loves her. She’s afraid Mandy will never find another relationship because she’s in love with you.”
Emotion roils through me. And it’s…good emotion. Which is bizarre because I don’t do relationships.
You’re the other half of me, Mandy.
“It’s probably just a crush,” I say, trying my best to sound dismissive.
Surely I’d know if Mandy had those kinds of feelings for me. Wouldn’t I?
“Maybe it’s just a crush. Maybe you’re right.” Penn stands. “I just thought you should know. Last night, at the hospital, well, I started to wonder if Frankie was right. And maybe you should…nip it in the bud or whatever.”
“And Frankie’s okay with you telling me this?”
“She’s just worried about her wedding, I think. Mandy being her maid of honor and all. She wants Mandy to be happy. And…”
I resist an eye roll. “She doesn’t want anything to ruin the wedding.”
“Well…yeah. It’s been a long time coming for both of us.”
“Mandy is Frankie sister. She’ll be happy at the wedding. Weddings are happy occasions.”
Penn nods. His demeanor is…not exactly that of a happy groom-to-be, though. But that’s none of my business. The only part of this that’s my business is Mandy. Besides, the only reason I even give two shits about this wedding is because of Mandy. Penn and Frankie have been on-again, off-again so many times, I’m still not convinced this wedding will occur.
“Thanks for your time,” Penn says. “I just wanted you to know.”
“I appreciate your candor. Don’t tell Mandy any of this, okay?”
“Of course not. Gentlemen’s club and all. Bros before hoes.”
Bros before hoes? Did he really just say that? First of all, Penn and I are not bros. I tolerate him for Mandy’s sake. And Mandy and Frankie are definitely not hoes. Penn is such an overgrown frat brat, as Mandy says. I sometimes hope they get into another fight and call off this farce. Mandy’s sister deserves better. I’m almost as close to her as I am to Mandy, although in a totally different way. I was two when she was born, and there’s a photo of Mandy and me sitting in an armchair and holding baby Frankie.