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“What did you say?”
“I said it could be a possibility.”
“Even that’s generous.”
“Only because I don’t have many female friends, you know. She was my main one, and it hurt that she used me to get to my fiancé.”
Mom patted my hand in reassurance.
“Woman are bitches, honey,” she started, and I couldn’t help but smile. Mom never swore except for when it came to someone interfering with her family. Then all bets were off. “Stick with your brothers, love, they’ll protect you.” She always said that to me, about my brothers. And they have always protected me.
“Sooo,” Ricky began, leaning forward in his chair while ripping a piece of bread. “Slate tells me you had a man at your place this afternoon, sis,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows in amusement. While my brothers were extremely protective of their only sister, they also made me the subject of their jokes.
I looked to Slate who was suppressing a laugh.
“You knew?” I asked him.
“Of course, I knew.”
I glanced quickly at Hawk who was rubbing his jaw, hanging onto every word.
“So, who was it?” Ricky asked. Before I could respond with a lie, I was interrupted.
“Damn, so you dropped off Hawk after the wedding and then went and picked up?” Harry shook his head, teasingly. “That’s harsh, sis.” People around me giggled, and I could feel my cheeks turning beet red.
“You know whoever it is we have to meet him.”
“What? I think you’re jumping the gun a little bit.”
“Really?” Ricky asked, amused. “Is that why your voice has gone high pitched?”
“No, it hasn’t!”
They all laughed, and I had to admit, I did sound like I had something to hide.
Time to change tack. “It was no one,” I shrugged indifferently, hoping they’d get off my back or change the subject. They shook their heads, and Hawk finally chirped up and asked Ricky how business was going. When everyone was engrossed in their new conversations that didn’t involve me, I sat back and exhaled slowly.
My mom passed the wine, but I was too tired for any alcohol.
My bed was calling my name and possibly a hot bubble bath to soak my sore body.
There was never a quiet moment around the dinner table at the Valentino residence. Throughout dinner, Hawk offered me reassuring glances and each time my stomach butterflied. When the boys migrated to the living room with dad, I helped Mom with the clearing of the table. I listened while she told me about her and dad’s plan to travel when he retired.
When I could barely stand, I kissed my parents goodbye and snuck past the living room where the boys were engrossed in a football game.
Forty minutes later, I was home.
I promised myself a bubble bath, and as I lowered myself into the water, my aching body thanked me. Putting a towel behind my neck, I sunk deep into the bubbles, closed my eyes and worked through the backlog of questions that had been taunting me for answers.
Questions like...
Was this just a one-off weekend, or were we both expected to just sweep it under the rug?
Do we both pretend like it never happened?
Was it going to make working with each other super awkward?
Do I start looking for another job?
That question made me sad. I loved my job and I enjoyed working with Hawk. I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. But what if things turned sour between us? It would only be expected I find some other employment.
And then there was the issue of my brothers. Despite them all knowing I was at the wedding with Hawk, and Slate hearing someone in my bedroom, the last person they’d ever suspect it to be was Hawk. Because they didn’t want it to be him. The idea seemed preposterous to them.
When the water turned cold, I dried myself off, made a cup of tea and headed to my bedroom with the latest edition of Suave. It was a fashion magazine, and Hawk Carnage had a feature article on the rise of his lingerie company. Getting comfortable, I flipped through the pages, and my cell phone rang.
I sighed heavily when I saw the name glowing on the screen.
“Hello,” I managed without much enthusiasm.
Why hadn’t I let it go to message bank?
“Britta,” Rebekah greeted like an excited child. “Hi... wow,” she continued, almost caught off guard. “I’m kinda surprised you answered my call, so thank you.”
What could she possibly want? Shouldn’t the woman be on her honeymoon?
“Everything okay?” I barely managed, unsure of the angle I should take.
“Yes, fine. I was just calling to see if you might be interested in meeting with me tomorrow? You know... like we discussed at the wedding?”
“Umm...”
“Because, well... Roman got called back into work, so that kind of spelled the end of the honeymoon. Who chooses to go to work on their honeymoon?” She laughed awkwardly, and I couldn’t help but cringe.
