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Love at First Sight
Three Years Earlier
"I CAN'T BELIEVEI let you drag me here!" I yelled over the loud music. It was my sister's eighteenth birthday today, and she thought it would be fun to come to the Vineyard and try to hook me up with her boyfriend's brother. I barely remembered him from high school. Then there was the loud music and dancing, none of which seemed appealing to me.
"Oh, come on. You can't act like this. It's my birthday."
She pulled me across the dance floor to a table she had reserved, thank goodness, or I would have been done in less than an hour with these heels she made me wear. I sat down and immediately kicked them off.
"Really? You're ditching those killer shoes already? They have studs," she exclaimed excitedly.
"Well, you just expressed enough enjoyment for both of us." I laughed.
"It's called shoe porn, Bay, and those have that written all over them."
"Wow, you have taken this to a whole different level, Tess."
She jumped up. "There's my man." She leaped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him passionately.
Grady was definitely not bad to look at, so I imagined those kisses were well earned by both. They had been together since Tessa was a freshman. I never really looked at him that way, although we had become really close friends. In fact, I was there for him more than once when Tessa broke up with him. They had both been conspiring to get me to meet his stepbrother ever since he moved back. I had successfully avoided the dreaded blind date for three months, but I couldn't avoid her birthday party, so here we were, and here I was about to meet the guy. I twirled my hair nervously, but I didn't see anyone with Grady. He came over to the table and scooted in next to me.
"Hey, Bay. You look great."
Generally, I would argue, but tonight I had put a lot more effort into my appearance than normal. I had done my eye makeup, put on lip-gloss, and wore a tight black dress that left little to the imagination. "Thanks. So, where's this supposedly to die for stepbrother of yours?'
"I don't know if he's to die for—"
Tessa jumped in, "Ummm…yes, he is. Sorry, babe, but your brother's hot."
"Fine. He's to die for." Grady succumbed to the peer pressure. "He's running late. He had to finish up work."
"Oh, okay." It was hard hiding my disappointment. I was actually kind of excited to meet him now, and I wanted to just get it over with so the nausea in my stomach would subside. After being subjected to Tessa and Grady's make-out session, I retreated to the outdoor patio.
The view was spectacular, and it was quiet. Well, quieter, at least. I could still feel the base of the music under my heels. There were a few kids smoking in different corners, and from the smell, it wasn't just cigarettes. I had never understood the appeal of drugs and alcohol, but I also didn't judge. I knew Tessa smoked pot from time to time, but she always promised me that she would call me if she needed me for anything. She was a pretty responsible kid, and I was proud of her. She wanted to get into Stanford right out of high school, but it wasn't in the cards for her, so she was at the local community college. She was going to be an earth scientist. Totally fitting for her. She'd always been the environmentalist in the family, keeping us all in check. I, on the other hand, hadn't decided on a major, and I was the older one. My parents never pushed me because they knew I was the artist. They wanted me to find something I loved like Tessa, but what I loved wasn't practical, so I struggled to commit to anything. I finished my credits at a community college as undecided and still hadn't applied to any universities.
I leaned on the railing that overlooked the lights of the city below. We used to joke that the lights were the stars, because it was always too bright in the valley to see that many in the sky.
Somebody came and stood next to me. Great. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't in the mood to be hit on by some frat boy. Maybe he wouldn't be drunk since this was eighteen and over night. He would more than likely be high, though.
"Do you mind if I stand here? You stole the best viewpoint."
I had to turn to see who was attached to that voice. It was deep and charming and had probably melted the panties off many girls.
I made eye contact and my breath hitched. He was as gorgeous as his voice and he held out his hand.
"Hi, I'm Brandt."
Grady's stepbrother. I was internally kicking myself for avoiding those eyes for three months. My heart immediately ached.
"Hi. Baylor." When I reached for his hand, he took it and brought it to his lips and kissed it lightly. His warm breath sent chills racing up my arm.
"You found her!" Tessa shouted with Grady following behind.
"Of course, I did."
They crowded the little viewpoint.
"Don't act like you have some secret FBI powers, Brandt." She spoke to me next. "We showed him a picture."
