Bet Me Something (Something Series Book 3)

by Aubrey Bondurant

  While he sat down next to me, I checked out his strong legs encased in swim trunks.

  “I saw the way you physically reacted to his touch while I was walking toward you. I could tell you weren’t into him. Plus, you haven’t had a first date, which I believe means no touching.”

  Sucking in my breath, my wide eyes snapped to his. Oh, no. I hadn’t told him my philosophy on dating and what each date meant? Did I? “Um, what are you talking about?”

  He smiled devilishly. “You mean you don’t remember?”

  My head dropped back onto the pillow, and I stretched out, refusing to play the what-did-I-say-while-drinking-last-night-game. “Evidently, I was a fountain of information,” I remarked dryly.

  “Yes, you were. But my favorite was the PDG.”

  “How did that come up, by the way?”

  “In a very loud whisper, you informed the waitress who was flirting with me that it wasn’t her fault she was enamored; instead it was my Panty Dropping Grin.”

  I giggled. “I remember, but I didn’t think you heard me. Alcohol makes people think they’re whispering. Why is that, do you suppose?”

  He laughed. “I don’t have a clue, but I couldn’t wait to spring it on you today.”

  “And how did I get onto my dating strategy?” That I definitely didn’t recall talking to anyone about.

  “Ah, that little tidbit came out while I was tucking you into bed. You lamented that most guys thought one date was enough to get in your panties, however you make them wait five.”

  I could only hope I hadn’t informed him that no one had ever achieved that goal. “Well, it’s true. One dinner out and, bam, I’m expected to put out.”

  He seemed curious. “So what does each one represent? First date, first kiss; second date, second base?”

  Thankfully, I hadn’t revealed everything. “I’m not telling. A girl has to have some secrets, at least until the next time she gets drunk.”

  “Speaking of which, what do you want to do tonight?”

  “Would it be completely lame if I choose dinner and then hitting the hot tub?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. I’m not sure how late I’d last either.” He yawned on cue.

  Covering my own yawn in response, I studied him. “You’re not the party guy you used to be, are you?”

  He looked a little taken aback, but then shrugged. “We all get older. Besides, I have less time for it these days. Why? Are you disappointed?”

  I shook my head. “Not at all. But don’t you feel as though you’re keeping up an image from the past?”

  “Yeah, well, sometimes it’s easier to keep the expectations as they’ve always been so as not to disappoint anyone.”

  Considering I had very little room to talk about taking the path of least resistance, I didn’t comment. The only thing I could hope for was that someday I’d be brave enough to see what life would be like if I broke out of that mold.

  ***

  After a delicious pasta dinner later that evening, I changed into my bikini and stepped into the hot tub on the spacious terrace attached to our suite. It felt divine, and the view of the city couldn’t be beat. Seeing my phone light up, I sighed at my father’s number and decided to answer.

  “Hi, Dad.” I glanced towards Colby, who quickly gave me some privacy.

  “Hey, kiddo. How’s your weekend with your friends?”

  “Good, thanks. Uh, how did Mom take the news about me leaving?”

  He sighed. “Not great, but thankfully, she got over it. In fact, she’s agreed for you to stay the summer in LA for your internship.”

  “Wait. What?” Had I heard him correctly?

  “She had lunch with Mrs. Singer today, and when she came back, she’d changed her tune.”

  “Huh.” Colby’s mom and mine went back a number of years, but how had the subject even come up?

  “I thought you’d be happy about this news. It gives you your internship and a few more months in California.”

  I finally snapped out of my shock. “Yes, of course. I’m so relieved.” My mother’s decision not only gave me the opportunity to open up doors in the music industry, it also gave me hope that perhaps not all was lost with changing her mind about the move.

  “Well, it’s with the understanding that, at the end of August, you’ll be coming home. And since you know how she is, you understand why it’s me calling you.”

  Oh, yes, my mom wouldn’t want to appear accommodating in the slightest or say she’d actually changed her mind. This was only being communicated as a slight reprieve with strings the size of heavy rope attached.

  “Thanks, Dad. Um, I guess I’ll probably send her an email or text telling her thanks.”

  “Enjoy your weekend, and let me know how your first day goes with the internship.”

  “Okay, will do.” We finished up the call.

  A short time later, Colby returned with two cold beers in hand. When he offered one to me, I took it gratefully.

  “How did the call from your dad go?”

  “Awesome, actually. My mom agreed to let me do my summer internship.”

  “That’s great news.”

  “It was after having lunch with your mother today. I wonder how the subject came up?”

  His grin was sheepish. “Does it matter?”

  My eyes widened. “This was your doing, wasn’t it?”

  “That depends if you’re angry…”

  “Are you kidding. I’m forever grateful. How did you do it?”

  He sighed. “Well, like a real man, I enlisted the help of my mommy and told her that you beat out thousands for an internship with an amazing businessman, which is all truthful, without focusing on the music aspect. Then I mentioned how Max is a man who could really open up doors after you complete business school, planting the seed for the amazing opportunity you’d scored.”

  I burst out laughing. If ever there was a person whose approval my mother sought, it was Mrs. Singer, her neighbor for thirty-five years. “Holy shit, you’re a genius. I don’t know what to say except thank you.” I swore I wasn’t going to read anything into him helping me to stay another few months in LA.

  “Believe me when I say it was all my mom’s doing. She’s pretty good about reading between the lines and knew this was something you wanted, and all your mom needed a little push. Plus my mom’s always adored you, so she was happy to do it. I wish it could’ve been about school, too, but with the timing, that might’ve been too obvious.”

  I nodded, agreeing fully. The question that was nagging me, however, was why my mother was suddenly dead set about me moving home in the first place. I’d been away four years, and not once had she hinted that after graduation my time would be up or that she believed graduate school needed to be back East. Besides, it wasn’t as if she seemed to miss me. We’d never had that type of relationship, frankly, where we were hanging out together or sharing girl talk.

  Looking over, I saw him lighting up a big fat cigar. Guess it was a good thing the phone call had distracted me from thinking about a hot tub lip lock with him.

  “Hope you don’t mind. It’s kind of a Vegas thing.”

  The wind was blowing the smoke away from me and, considering that I’d just been allowed a summer internship with his help, how could I possibly complain? “Nah, I don’t mind. Thanks for this, by the way. Not only have you engineered my summer reprieve, which gives me my internship, but I’ve also had a really great time. Oh, and, uh, my Vegas education has been interesting.”

  He laughed, meeting my eyes. “Yeah, you learned how to spin around a stripper pole.”

  “Mm, yes, not to mention what DP means, how to shave with lotion for smooth skin—it really works by the way.” I made a show of rubbing my hands down my legs and watched him follow with his eyes.

  “So, what are your plans tomorrow while I’m working?”

  “Probably workout in the morning, then maybe lie by the pool. What time do we leave tomorrow?”

  “Fou
r-thirty. We can eat dinner on the plane. Can you do something for me?”

  Men without their shirts, showing off delicious abs in a hot tub, should not be able to ask that question unless it was sexual in nature. “Sure.”

  “Will you consider letting me pay for your music school? It’s what you want to do, plus it would keep you in Southern California.”

  I closed my eyes briefly and sighed, trying not to let the fact that he wouldn’t mind me staying give me false hope. “I love music, but unless I can perform it without having to do tequila shooters ahead of time, I won’t accomplish anything.”

  “So what’s the plan beyond the summer?”

  “I don’t have a clue. I wish there was something I was passionate about, something which gave me drive and purpose.”

  “You’ll find it. But you’re only twenty-two. Give yourself a break.”

  “I’ve been using that excuse for the last four years. And, considering you were starting up your own production company at this age, I don’t think it’s a very good one any longer.”

  His voice softened. “Sweetheart, you’re being too hard on yourself.”

  I was digging the new term of endearment he’d dropped on me a few times over the weekend. “Maybe.” I took a long pull on my beer.

  “So, onto better subjects. Is this the PDG you were talking about?” He flashed his grin. “Or was it more like this?” He showed a different variation.

  I pretended to contemplate. “There’s really only one way to tell for sure.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Give the first one again, and we’ll see if my panties drop off.” Teasing him like this was much easier than trying to be seductive, not to mention more entertaining.

  His face went into full-on panic.

  Rolling my eyes, I splashed him playfully. “You’re so easy to freak out.”

  Without warning, I was grabbed and dunked under the water completely. Sputtering while pushing the hair from my eyes when I came up for air, I attempted to get him just as wet, only to find myself wrapped up pretzel style, halfway on his lap. Our faces were inches from one another with us both breathing heavily and goofy smiles on our faces.

  “Sorry for getting you all wet,” he whispered.

  “I’m not sorry in the least.” And I wasn’t thinking about the water.

  “You should probably get some sleep,” he said thickly, letting me go and moving to the other side of the tub.

  “Right. Or we could get your payment of the bet you lost out of the way.”

  He sucked in a breath, obviously surprised I remembered. “That’s not a good idea.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “How about, for starters, I’ve known you my whole life and think of you as my little sister.”

  Frustrated, I was about to throw in the towel altogether. “Yeah, you keep reminding me of that.”

  He met my gaze after getting out of the water. “Maybe it’s not you I’m reminding. Good night, Kenz.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  After a yoga workout out on the beautiful balcony, I spent the morning by the hotel pool. However by ten o’clock the sun was already becoming too hot to sit out in it much longer. I replayed Colby’s parting shot last night more times than I cared to admit and kept coming back to him acknowledging for the first time there might be something more to how he was feeling. Now, what was a girl to do about it?

  Later that afternoon as I was finishing up lunch in the room, Colby came in looking frazzled. His arrival was earlier than I’d expected as I thought he’d be in meetings most of the day.

  “Oh, good, you’re here. We’ve gotta go. Josh called, and Haylee is in labor.”

  My mouth turned up into a smile. Colby’s older brother and his wife were expecting a girl, and judging from the soon-to-be-uncle’s reaction, he was more than excited. “I packed this morning, but I can help you.”

  He grinned, and I followed him into his bedroom to throw his clothes into the suitcase. When I glanced over at him, I realized he was undressing in front of me.

  “Uh, what do you want me to keep out for you to wear?”

  “Jeans and T-shirt are fine, thanks.” He crossed over in only boxers and an unbuttoned shirt.

  I knew my face was turning red. “Right. Here you go.”

  He took the garments from my hand, donning his jeans only inches from me. I let my gaze linger, cuz who wouldn’t? Obviously he was distracted, chatting on oblivious to what he was doing.

  “Josh was excited and nervous all at the same time. My mom is on her way up, too. We won’t get there until late, but maybe we can go to the hospital in the morning or tonight if they’ll let us. Sometimes women are in labor for a while, so it might be that she doesn’t have the baby for hours, right?”

  I laughed at his rambling. “You never know, I suppose. Are they in New York?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Your brother is there, too, by the way.”

  That wasn’t a surprise considering Sasha lived there. “I’ll look at flights to LA if you don’t mind dropping me at the airport.”

  He turned towards me. “What do you mean? You can come to New York with me to see the baby.”

  We grabbed our stuff and headed downstairs towards the waiting car. Once in the back seat, I voiced my hesitation. “I’d definitely love to see the baby, but Brian is probably staying with Sasha. At least, I hope so, and since I suspect that there’s something that may be going on with them, I don’t want to be a third wheel. Plus, I should probably get back.” Aside from my summer internship starting in a week, I didn’t have anything going on; however I didn’t want to be a tag-a-long, either.

  He frowned. “You can stay with me. I’ll probably use Josh’s place or the guest apartment, depending on where my mom is going to be.”

  “I don’t want to intrude on family time—”

  “You’re like family. Text your brother and maybe we can all meet up tonight.”

  Considering he didn’t seem in any hurry to end our time together, I wondered what this trip would hold.

  ***

  Once we landed in New York, we made our way directly to the hospital since Haylee had given birth while we were in the air. Thankfully, they didn’t have set visiting hours in the maternity ward because it was late by the time we arrived.

  “Do you think Haylee will mind that I’m with you?” I asked Colby. Josh’s wife was extremely nice and I was fond of her, but I didn’t know her very well.

  “Of course not. You’re like a sister to Josh, plus Haylee is awesome. She’ll be thrilled you’ve come to see them.”

  I noticed this time around I was the sister to his older brother instead of to the both of them. Perhaps we were making progress? He took my arm as we came off the elevator, leading me down the hall, full of excitement. Something told me little baby Abigail was going to be the apple of her uncle’s eye.

  We spotted Josh outside of the sign-in desk, and the brothers immediately embraced. It was a touching moment, and one I was so focused on that I didn’t immediately see Haylee’s friend Will, who’d been standing there to the side, looking at me with a smile.

  Ah, Will: how could one not notice the guy? I’d first met him at Josh and Haylee’s wedding a few months ago. He was in his mid-twenties, gorgeous, sweet, and had the yummy Australian accent to boot.

  “Hiya, Kenzie.”

  “Hi, Will. Nice to see you again.”

  Mark, who was my brother and Josh’s long-time friend from college, walked up with coffee in hand. He greeted me with a hug. “Hey, kiddo.”

  Damn. Like Colby needed a reminder to think of me as a kid. “Hey, Mark.” I’d always enjoyed his strong, silent presence and hadn’t had much of a chance to talk with him at my graduation party because he’d had to leave early for some reason.

  Josh embraced me next. “I’m glad you could come, Kenzie.”

  “Me, too. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. Did you fly in from LA together?” Josh voiced the que
stion towards his younger brother, clearly wondering how I’d entered the picture.

  “Uh, no, directly from Vegas. I took Kenzie there for her graduation weekend.”

  Josh and Mark both exchanged confused looks and then Josh motioned his younger brother over to the side. “A word, please.”

  Josh seemed to be giving him an earful, which made Colby stiffen in reaction.

  I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was clear Colby’s brother was irritated. “What’s that about?” I asked Mark.

  He sighed. “I’m assuming it’s because the most notorious Vegas party boy took Brian’s baby sister to Sin City.”

  “Seriously?” Mark looked uncomfortable, and I instantly felt terrible that my going to Vegas with Colby was causing such a fuss.

  When they returned to the group, Josh seemed over whatever initial annoyance he’d had, but Colby was uncharacteristically quiet and didn’t make eye contact with me. As if I needed any more obstacles, I now had the big-brother-and-friends’ coalition ensuring he was reminded I was off limits.

  We all caught up for a bit, but with Haylee and the baby sleeping at this hour, we decided to leave Josh with his family and go get some pizza a block away. I texted Brian letting him know in case he and Sasha wanted to join us, where we’d be.

  I slid in beside Will in the booth once we went inside the pizzeria and observed his grin. Huh, his PDG wasn’t bad at all.

  “So, Kenz, heard you graduated university. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.”

  Colby, who was sitting across from us, narrowed his eyes. It didn’t dawn on me why until I replayed what Will had said. Was it because he’d called me Kenz?

  The waitress delivered pitchers of beer, and Will was sweet enough to pour me one before helping himself.

  Looking up when the pizza arrived, I spotted Brian walking through the door. I stood up, giving my brother a big hug. “Hey, I wasn’t sure if I’d see you tonight. Everything okay?”

  The smile on his face confirmed it before his words did. “Everything is great now, but Sasha pulled an all-nighter yesterday, so she basically passed out. I wanted to come out to make sure you’re all right though.”