Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 59713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
I’d had some really good flings though. Lots of really solid sex. When they weren’t great with technique, they made up for it with enthusiasm. So, I had that. But this was new, this whole talking to someone for a while and getting to know them first. Logically I knew that was how people did things; it just had never happened to me, so I had no frame of reference for it.
I liked it though.
There was enough enjoyment being had that I didn’t care much when the brothers started in on me again for texting all morning. First it was Cameron, who inexplicably was hanging out in the office that I had spread out in for quite a lot of the morning. He was doing inventory paperwork with Derek, who kept coming in with different sheets full of various discrepancies they needed to work out. Derek would drop a comment once in a while when he came in, similar to Kane and Noah when they poked their heads inside. It almost felt like Cam had texted them all to make sure they came in and got their shots in.
Ignoring them, I kept working, stopping to read and answer a message and then going back in. Whatever they were saying didn’t really bother me, and after a while I put on my headphones to tune them out.
As work wound down, the brothers filtered out, and I was mostly alone. We were doing a tasting that evening for a few VIPs, and I had invited Jax, Kent, and Leo over. All three of them had been to the restaurant more than most of the other VIP guests, so I felt like they were worthy of the invite, plus I invited them for later, so the tasting room would likely be empty. In order to make sure we didn’t have overzealous drinkers, our tastings generally ran from six to eight, usually helping us usher some of them into the restaurant for dinner. It was Derek’s idea, and it had been working extraordinarily well.
Around seven thirty, the boys arrived, and we dipped into the tasting room. Noah had done a great job building the room and in recent weeks had flushed it out with a few custom-built booths and standing tables. My group made our way to a recently emptied booth with our drinks and the cards describing them.
“I have to say,” Jax began, “California is becoming better at cabernet. One day, it may be as good as the ones I had on holiday in France.”
“You never mentioned you visited France,” Leo said. “You talk about home and here. When did you go to France?”
“I have seen the entire world,” Jax said wistfully. “Many beautiful women. All of them treat Jax with tenderness.”
“I want to be you when I grow up,” Kent said, laughing. “The only international travel I’ve done was to Winnipeg. It’s not fair, dammit.”
“We should go,” Leo said. “Anywhere. Us as a group. Maybe Cuba? I heard we can travel there now.”
Jax stiffened. “Not Cuba,” he said. “I don’t like their… politics.”
“Fair enough,” Leo said. “We should figure out a place.”
“Sure, sure,” Kent said. “But first, why don’t we enjoy the tasting and then head out to Tobacco Exchange?”
I put up my hands in an effort to submit. “Not me, guys,” I said. “I have an early morning tomorrow.”
“Oh?” Kent asked. “What’s going on?”
“It’s just that some things have changed is all,” I said, trying to be vague and realizing I was now creating a mystery that would ensure they’d ask questions until they got answers.
“What is going on with you?” Leo asked. “You said you liked Tobacco Exchange. Lots of pretty girls there, the drinks are cheap, and it’s next to the college. It’s not Junebug’s, but it’s something…”
“It’s not the bar,” I said. “I don’t have a problem with either place. I just… “
“Just what?” Jax asked.
I took a deep breath and figured what the hell. “I met someone that I want to have more than a fling with.”
“What?” Leo said, holding his glass halfway between his lips and the table.
“A girl? Like a girlfriend?” Kent asked.
I nodded. “Sort of. Not yet, but maybe soon.”
“Who? Where? How?” Jax asked in rapid-fire succession, paused for a second, and then asked, “what color hair?”
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” I said. “I’ll let you guys know all about her soon. I just need to figure out if things are going the way I think they are. I can tell you this though. Her name is Camilla, and she’s smoking hot.”
“Please tell me she is at least twenty-two,” Kent said and then laughed.
“Twenty-four, thank you very much,” I said bitterly.
“Damn, that’s almost appropriate,” he shot back. “I am proud of you.”
“Shut up,” Jax said, waving him off. “Don’t listen to him. This is a wonderful day! You have become manly. Now drink your pink fizzy wine and have something with some bass to it.”