by Aubrey Parr
“Thanks. I wanna check on Lauren as soon as I’m done talking to everyone.” Zane tapped the bar and ran out of the little lounge, heading for the office. The office that had held Lauren just hours before. He had wanted her to work with him, but now he wasn’t sure if he ever wanted her to have to be in that room again.
After telling the story over again in great detail, management asked to see Lauren. Well, they didn’t exactly ask him. They told him they needed to speak with her. He didn’t know her rights, but figured that Cameron would. He stalled the manager off, explaining she’d talk with him tomorrow, figuring he’d call Cam and see if she was legally required to do so.
…
After gorging themselves, Lauren, the Stones, and the Prices relaxed and had a few cocktails. Lauren checked her watch about every five minutes, hoping that Zane would be off work soon. Finally, there was a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it!” Lauren didn’t mean to scream, but accidentally did as she jumped up and ran over to the door. Kate figured that must have been how she looked when she knew Dominic was there.
“Come meet the guys. They surprised them,” Lauren said as she let Zane in the room.
“This is nice,” he said, looking around. “I don’t ever see the rooms here.”
The men all had proper introductions, and Lauren smiled as she watched Derek checking out Zane. He was the protective type. It amazed her how she seemed to know these men just from what their wives had said about them. They exuded love, and it was a quality she now knew she wanted in a marriage. Their relationships were real, which meant she knew they weren’t perfect. But anything that came close to a criticism was done in a light, happy manner, and they’d laugh about it, rather than roll their eyes and complain. Looking at Zane, she hoped that they could see each other in that light. Not perfect, but perfect for each other. Loving each other despite their faults. All the clichés she had heard over the years ran through her mind. They didn’t sound so cliché anymore. They sounded like a nice to-do list for a relationship.
“Why don’t we all have dinner somewhere before it’s pumpkin time, and we send you off to your brother’s house?” Derek suggested. “Any suggestions, Zane? Don’t they have those private dining restaurants around here?”
“They do, but some don’t serve on Sundays or have long waits to get in,” Zane explained.
“Okay, let’s find one that doesn’t usually open on Sundays (that way we’ll know they’re available), and I’ll get us in.”
“These people are crazy,” Zane joked to Lauren.
“Yes, but it’s kind of exciting, huh?” she laughed.
Derek made some calls, and pulled some strings, and next thing they all knew, a limo was waiting downstairs to take them to a trendy sushi den not far from the hotel. It sat a maximum of ten, so the six of them would enjoy dinner together comfortably.
“I hope everyone likes sushi. If you don’t, it’s probably because you haven’t had true Tokyo sushi, and I’m assured this chef is as close as it gets,” Derek joked.
Everyone was up to trying something new. And exclusive style dining like that must be fabulous. Neither of the Prices ate land animals, so they were always up for a meal full of seafood.
Lauren and Zane whispered repeatedly to each other throughout the dinner that neither of them had experienced anything like it before. The other four were in their element, all used to the lavishness their lifestyles afforded. They were seated at a large bar that looked like some kind of combination of stone and hardwood. The chef was very meticulous about his craft. Lauren was especially nervous that she wouldn’t like the food, and she didn’t want to be rude. However, with each course, the cuisine never disappointed. The new couple overheard Derek explain to the server that the sommelier was to choose whatever wine and sake paired best with their dishes. They giggled together, realizing they were about to have the best wine of their lives. Neither was sure they could get used to this lifestyle, but they were enjoying themselves for the night.
Between tasting the different types of sushi, Derek could see how much Nicole loved her new honorary little sister, and he could see why. She was spirited and real. Derek had met Nicole’s other friends in Chicago and, although he enjoyed their company, he didn’t see the same level of connection she had with Kate. Until now, with Lauren. She fit right into their friendship. He watched Zane as well and had a handful of conversations with him. From what he learned, he liked the guy. He was younger, but still had his head on straight. He protected Lauren as well and that went a long way in his book.
After contemplating for a few minutes, he looked at the room. “I think we should all go down for a weekend in Mexico somewhere. Kate, bring Julie to help with Kenzie. We’d love having our goddaughter with us. Lauren, Zane, if we send the plane for you, would you like to join us?
“You’re a little bit of crazy, too!” Lauren joked. She and Zane looked at each other, full of smiles.
“Is he serious?” Zane asked Lauren, rather than Derek.
“Oh, quite serious! I told you, they’re crazy,” she laughed and looked at Derek, answering for them both. “Just tell us what weekend we need to take off work.”
She stood up and walked over to Derek, hugging him and then Nicole while she repeatedly thanked them both. She was determined to get a job, so she could have some spending money of her own this time. Zane joined her and shook Derek’s hand and hugged Nicole as well.
“It’ll be great to spend some more time with all of you,” Zane said to the group and then looked at Dominic. “Think you could teach me to paint while we’re there?”
“You can’t teach what he can do,” Kate joked and grabbed Dominic’s hand.
“Didn’t think so,” Zane laughed.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
With Derek’s involvement in the hospitality industry, he was interested to find out how their hotel was handling the situation with Lauren’s assault. The incident with Nicole and his ex-girlfriend Sylvia had all taken place at his property in Mexico, where they had far different rules. There just weren’t the same formalities down there. He doubted it was the same in the States. Wishing his business partner Gael was with him, he wondered if he should give him a call. Gael was Mexican born and American educated, and, though he had become somewhat of a business partner with Derek, he always had his hand in somewhere, from the private security companies to the Polícia Federal to the port authorities of Miami. Derek laughed, thinking about how his wife always joked that Gael was part bloodhound.
Remembering that Lauren’s older brother was a cop, he wondered if Cameron would be willing to talk with him. Gael always gave Derek the details, but he wasn’t sure Cameron could. Still, he could get some answers now about how the situation was going on the daily business side of things.
Zane was seated next to him in the limousine, and Derek spoke quietly so as not to upset Lauren. “Zane, from what you can tell, has the public found out about what happened this morning? Think it’ll keep guests away?”
“I would bet if it ended up on the news or social media, we would have heard about it by now. The staff knows to keep this kind of thing quiet. We rely on tips,” he said somewhat sadly. “They do want to talk with Lauren. I stalled them off until tomorrow.”
“I’m not a cop, but I would think only the police have the right to get a statement from her. Let’s talk it over with Cameron.” Derek put his arm on his shoulder in a man-to-man gesture, then added, “If they have trouble finding a quick replacement for Rich, you can pass on my name to your management. I have connections in the industry.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. It’s never fun working when we’re shorthanded anywhere in the hotel. I was going to ask Cam the same thing,” Zane replied as the limo pulled to stop. “Oh, and thanks again for dinner.”
“Anytime. You make my wife’s friend happy.” Derek shook his hand again.
Zane did his best to usher Lauren through the lobby quickly. He still wasn’t sure how hard it
would be for her to see that office door. Once they were back in their suite, Derek and Zane discussed their concerns regarding the hotel management with Lauren. Everyone sat around quietly and let her think.
“I can talk to them,” Lauren answered.
“That’s brave of you, but I’m not sure you should. Your brother will be able to tell us. You don’t want to say anything that could get turned around or words that could be put into your mouth. It would be nice to have your brother there when you’re questioned,” Derek explained.
“You make it sound like they’ll try and accuse me of something.” Lauren looked surprised.
“I don’t mean to insinuate that, but I do think it’s better to be safe. Zane wasn’t the victim when he explained what happened to them,” Derek clarified.
Lauren sent a message to her brother, and he agreed to meet them in their hotel room when his shift ended at eleven. Nicole tried to change the subject for the time being, telling them their options for Mexico. They all agreed that Cabo San Lucas would be nice. Neither Lauren nor Zane had been there before, and Stones hadn’t visited in over six months. Keeping the subject on something light, Nicole continued onto when they should go.
Derek recognized what his wife was doing, and he loved her for it. He could tell that she was talking just a tad faster than usual, and her eyes jetted around just a bit as her brain worked to the keep the conversation flowing. Such a subtle thing, and he could still see the slight change in her body language. He smiled, knowing that she could tell the same simple things about him.
While they waited on Cam, Nicole considered talking to Dominic about the final draft of her novel about their incident in Dominic’s South Beach tattoo shop. After Nicole’s shotgun wedding to Derek, she had originally started writing a romance novel. She still worked on it here and there after changing her focus to the thriller about their ordeal. But Nicole realized that it was more exciting to write the scary scenes. That surprised her. She even considered writing about what happened to her when Derek’s crazy ex-girlfriend showed up, the weekend they had first met. Writing had become her therapy. It helped her work through any fears or anger she may have held onto. When words flowed, emotion released.
Just as she decided against bringing up another scary subject, they all heard the knock at the door.
“Cam’s here!” Lauren jumped up.
Both Derek and Dominic liked Cam as well. Dominic sat back with his wife snuggled into the crook of his shoulder, while Derek took the lead with Cam. It was where they both were comfortable. Dominic was far more laid back and relaxed than Derek. His friend could be that way as well, but when it came to security or anything that leaked over into his industry, Derek was all business. Dominic was all business about his art and his family. Otherwise, he mainly wanted to enjoy life. He kissed the top of Kate’s head as he looked down and saw her looking at the pictures he had sent of his weekend with Kenzie. They looked incredibly happy, both with goofy smiles. Though he couldn’t see his wife’s face, he knew she was smiling at the sight. Somehow the top of her head looked different as her facial expressions changed. That or he had a sixth sense about how she was feeling.
“I know you miss her,” Dominic whispered.
“I do, but we’ll see her tomorrow.” Kate looked up at Dominic and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
Cameron agreed that Lauren would not be discussing what happened without him there. The location of the conversation would also be Lauren’s choice. He wasn’t going to have her come to the station if it made her uncomfortable. Her response surprised him.
“Actually, I’d like to see where you work,” she said to her brother. “We can go tomorrow. I know I didn’t do anything wrong,” she smiled.
“I’ll set everything up,” Cam told her.
Before any of them realized, it was almost 1:00am. It was time to say their goodbyes. All of the men shook hands, parting as friends. Nicole and Kate each gave Cam and Zane a hug goodbye, and when they reached Lauren, neither were sure what to say. Together, they hugged her. The excitement of the weekend overwhelmed Lauren again, and she fought back tears.
How was she going to say goodbye to her new friends? She truly loved them, and they were the reason for the direction her life was taking. If they hadn’t agreed to take a chance on a sobbing girl on the train, she’d be hopeless and homeless in Chicago, probably trying to make it work with Tim, so that she’d have somewhere to sleep that night. They gave her the strength and opportunity to make a different choice. They gave her back her brother, and she met Zane. It was all because of the two women she was hugging. How does someone say a proper thank you for all of that? The tears quietly trailed down her cheeks while she thanked God for them. That she could do.
“You’re going to call or text every day, right?” Nicole asked, not letting go of her new friend.
“You’re not getting rid of me now,” Lauren answered, trying to cover the fact that she was, yet again, crying.
“We love you,” Kate whispered, and that was all it took. Here came the waterworks. Tears flowed heavy, and Lauren didn’t care.
The three girls stepped back. Nicole took her sleeve and wiped Lauren’s face lightly. “Don’t cry, sweetie.”
“You’ve changed my life,” Lauren said and took a deep breath.
“We merely gave you the opportunity to do it yourself,” Nicole replied.
“We’ll see you in a few months in Cabo,” Kate reminded her. “And we’ll be back here before you know it. I need another one of your famous dirty martinis.”
“Yep. I’ve gotta find one of those job things, too,” Lauren joked.
“Well, we’ll come visit once you’re all settled into a new job,” Nicole added.
“What do you always say when you’re ready to travel, Love?” Derek asked his wife.
“Gas up the jet, baby!”
Thank you for reading Gas up the Jet, Baby – New York. If you enjoyed it, please consider taking a moment to leave me a review at your favorite retailer.
Thanks!
Aubrey
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my Fifty Shades Bitchier women! Your friendship and support has made my days brighter. Jennifer Ann Naumann, Christy Pastore, Danielle Kelly, Cary Hart, Brittany Holland, and Danielle “Red” Hernandez.
Thank you as always to my mom. You are always the first to read what I’ve written. You help guide me and keep me focused on my goal. I love you.
Thank you to Kelly from For the Love of Books and Alcohol for your beta reading and more importantly, for your friendship. So often, it is you that is my rock, and I love you for it.
Thank you to Christina McGrath for your beta reading and advice while I wrote Gas up the Jet, Baby. Time zones never stop us from being there for each other.
Thank you to Bite Me Graphics for my amazing cover. You are incredibly talented, and I’m so happy to work with you.
Thank you to Allison Isberg for your editing and formatting. You turn my words on paper into a book, and I am forever grateful.
Thank you to my husband for working so hard. You have allowed me to follow this dream. I love you.
Biography
Aubrey Parr waited until she was forty to publish her first novel. Although she received her Master’s in Accounting, Aubrey always knew that she wanted to write. She was inspired by her great-uncle, author Evan S. Connell. With a few years of life experience under her belt, she decided it was time. She lives with her husband and daughter outside of Chicago, Illinois. When she’s not chasing after her daughter, she sneaks off to create steamy stories of wonderful love affairs.
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Other Works in the Love On... Series
Love on the Malecon
Make sure to check out Book One in the Love on… series, Love on the Malecon, and read about Nicole and Derek’s love story!
In the heart of downtown Puerto Vallarta, there is a magical oceanfront promenade known as the Malecon.
As a tribute to her father’s life, Nicole James travels to his favorite place on Earth. On the cobblestone streets of charming Puerto Vallarta, she meets Derek, an ex-MMA fighter who invested his winnings into land for luxury hotels. Derek is fabulously wealthy, aging like fine wine, and lives on resorts like an endless vacation. Could her father have orchestrated this chance meeting with Mr. Right from beyond the grave?
Derek Stone never thought a woman would fit into the world he created, until Nicole came along. She’s beautiful, smart, and sexy. More importantly, she has no idea of his money. Derek has taken care of himself for his entire life. He’s not used to trusting anyone. Can he tear down his walls and let Nicole inside?
Love on Ocean Drive
Make sure to check out Book Two in the Love on… series as well, Love on Ocean Drive, and read about Kate and Dominic’s love story!
There is a street that follows the water along the South Beach of Miami. Its name is Ocean Drive.
Among the excitement of South Beach, Kate Olesen has the perfect weekend romance with a mysterious and sexy artist. Jaded from her time as a divorce attorney, Kate is not willing to look past the two days, and she returns home to Chicago. However, she can’t deny that this man has changed her forever. Can she find a way to forget him...or does she even want to?