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Reaching for the floppy knot at the back of my neck, I secure my black bikini top and sigh heavily. Maybe this forbidden getaway to the beach wasn’t such a hot idea after all.
“I can hear your dreadful thoughts all the way over here. Come on. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
I slide my sunglasses down the bridge of my freshly sunscreened nose to peer at Vannah. Sunlight glistens off her perfectly polished golden-red hair making her appear angelic. But I know the real she-devil lurking behind that innocent smile and all those cute freckles. Both happenstances of her cosmic makeup as she likes to call her God-given beauty traits. As one of Chicago’s youngest and brightest attorneys, I call them tools in her arsenal which she wields ruthlessly, and is turning on me right now.
She dangles my phone in front of me. “I’ve already given you a solution for your cough-cough lonely problems.”
“A hookup app. Yeah, I don’t know.”
“What’s to know? You want sex. This solves that.”
I can’t help but laugh at her black and white view of the world. But she does have a point. “Okay, but I do this and you buy the three next rounds of drinks. But this time I want extra pineapple and grilled shrimp.”
“Ha! Deal.” Vannah bounces lightly on her lounge chair and gives a little clap. She grabs my phone, flips the camera app around, and snaps a pic.
“Wait, I wasn’t even ready.”
“Believe me. Any man sees you like this…”
She gestures to my two-piece beach attire and messy bedhead bun.
“...and you’ll have so many swipes right it’ll be like a candy store. All the lickable candy you can handle in one summer vacation.”
I’m actually enjoying the look of pure joy and determination pulling at my best friend's expression right now. She’s the only one who understands my unique situation. As the daughter of my father’s family attorney, she’s the only one with a view into my world. Freshly out of law school she’s under a lot of pressure to slip into her father’s shoes. Something I know all too well.
Mine has big hopes for me to do the same one day. But while Vannah’s path to success is legit and all above board, mine is not. If I take over the family business as the next head of Chicago’s criminal underworld, my father’s life choices could land me behind bars someday. Or dead. No matter how much my father tries to groom me, I’m not too anxious to take over just yet. If at all.
“Look Vannah.” I’m up on my feet ready to forget this whole idea of finding a date when my phone is shoved into my hands.
“Nope. I’ll signal for fresh drinks while you get to typing.”
Big green eyes meet mine.
“Before I do it for you. Come on. Come on. All you have to do is say it like it is. You know I’m living vicariously through you. Don’t let me down.”
I mean—what could it hurt? It was all local people on the hookup app and no one here knows me or the Kingston name. I reluctantly grab my phone and take a nerve-settling deep breath.
Say it like it is.Okay, I can do that. I set to thumbing out the first thing that comes to mind for my profile.
24-year-old female with too many daddy issues seeking hot daddy for dirty one-night fling.
Damn it. No, that won’t work. I furiously erase the words and try again.
Lonely, horny, woman seeking bad boy who will break my headboard, not my heart.
Yeah right! “HA!” Nope! Absolutely not. I backspace so fast my phone freezes for several seconds. This isn’t working. I grab a notepad and pen from my beach bag and scribble a few lines that have me wanting to grab my vibrator and call it a date. Problem solved.
I try again.
Fuck-buddy wanted, no names needed
“Ladies. Your drinks.”
Vannah tips Simon, our waiter, and I admit I take a moment to appreciate all the glistening skin the man who is maybe a couple of years older than me flaunts in his tight beach shorts and uniform shirt. Muscles galore… hello baby!
“Damn, you’ve got it bad. But he’s off-limits.” Vannah hooks a finger over her shoulder. “Check it.”
I crane my neck around to see the man kissing his partner who, and I can’t believe I’m seeing this, is just as smoldering hot in his uniform as our waiter.
