Manbuns & Martinis (Drinking #1.5)

by R. L. Griffin

  “What’s up?” I ask.

  “What are you watching?” Her eyes move from my face to the television. “Oh, I heard this is good.”

  With that she shut me down, but I know better. It’s homecoming and she’s here with me instead of her date. My hand travels to her thigh, right above her knee, not really in a sexual way, but not really not sexual either. Then I move her legs and get up to grab another beer. I feel her eyes follow me to the kitchen.

  “Get me another please,” she requests sweetly.

  I examine her from the kitchen and know what this is and I smile as I walk back over to her. I hand her the beer and smirk.

  “Whatever,” she responds, knowing I know.

  “You always wanted the dick,” I smile.

  “Always will,” she comments.

  About an hour later, I saunter into our apartment where Duncan is sitting in his boxers watching Sports Center.

  “What’s up dick?” Mad says as she sits down on the couch next to him.

  “Well, as you know my dick is always up,” he jokes.

  I start opening my mail. It’s all bills that I’ve been neglecting for the past few weeks. I see a brown envelope from California and smile as I rip it open. Megan is the one topic that Mad and I haven’t talked about in the last week. I hope she doesn’t get pissed at whatever is in this envelope.

  “I got a new cover for an erotic novel, so Charlie had to call me today,” Duncan says.

  “Oh yeah, that’s great Dunc. You know how I like to read all the books y’all are on.” She ruffles his hair. “What’s this one about?”

  “I don’t fucking know, nor do I really care.” I glance over at Duncan, he’s extra surly today.

  “My favorite is where you were supposed to be the twenty-three year old billionaire.”

  “I want to be on one of those books where I shift into something when I get angry, like a octopus and I put all my tentacles in all the orifices.”

  Mad pulls a face. “Gross.”

  My brow furrows as I pull out papers from the envelope. I’m trying to figure out what I’m looking at, but it’s confusing. The first sheet is a contract with the parties being Wunderlust and Boys, Belles and Barbells, LLC. I’m perplexed because that’s what we want to name our gym. A cold sweat breaks out on my neck and I flip to the next page. The second sheet is a form about trademarks.

  “Why does your face look like you’re doing math?” Duncan asks.

  I pull my hair into a knot on the top of my head with the rubber band that I keep on my wrist these days.

  “I don’t know what I’m looking at.” I put the papers on the table as I try to sort through them all. The only people I’ve ever told about the name of the gym are in this room. I look at them, they’re completely clueless and this is from Megan.

  Mad gets up and walks over to the table and starts sifting through the stack of papers. “Holy shit,” she whispers.

  “What is it?” Duncan is now at the table too. “What’s going on?”

  “HOLY SHIT!” Mad screams and holds up a check for two hundred thousand dollars. The check is made out to Brad Ellis in the memo section it reads “Meat.” There is a fucking check in here made out to me. There is a check...

  “What in the actual fuck?” screams Duncan.

  I see a paper with handwriting on it and I pull it out of the stack. We’re all stunned.

  “Meat, I believe in your dream. I believe in you as a person. You are a true friend. Don’t take this loan as anything other than me investing in someone I believe in. Pretty good for a girl who doesn’t lift, right?” I read not believing the words.

  “She’s loaning us this money for the gym?” Duncan asks and confirms at the same time. “She’s loaning us this money. Holy shit.” He runs over to the couch and starts jumping on it. “FUCKING VEGAS LOTTERY!”

  Mad looks from me to him and then squeals as she jumps on the couch and they are holding hands and jumping up and down.

  “I don’t even know what to say,” I mutter to myself.

  “Say FUCK YES!!!” Mad yells and motions for me to come jump.

  I run to where they are both celebrating. I jump too and we all yell and whoop for a few minutes. The fact that I won’t have to bust my ass to save money settles in and my grin threatens to split my face in two.

  “Shit,” Duncan yells as his foot slips off the couch and he falls into the coffee table, which crashes to the floor under his weight.

  Laughter explodes from me and Mad and we fall on top of him. “We can buy a new one now,” I’m able to say through my laughter.

  You know I’ve heard people say they “feel like a weight has been lifted,” but now I actually know what that means. I feel fucking lighter just walking. I continue my jobs this month, but I’ve filed all the paperwork for the gym Duncan and I are going to open. Mad shows me a few spaces that will work and I just have to decide which one works the best for me and Duncan.

  I take pictures at each one with the caption “Living the Dream.” The comments alone on the post that Duncan and I would be opening up our own gym are amazing. All of our friends and followers shared and congratulated. @ellisland69 asked me to marry her, of course. I can’t even believe this is happening.

  I couldn’t call Megan and say thank you, I mean how ridiculous would that be for her believing in me and starting my dream. I’ve been ignoring her texts and calls. I know she’s getting pissed, but I’m going to land in San Francisco in an hour because I’m going to hug her fucking neck for the loan and the friendship. I owe her so much more than paying back this debt, she believes in me.

  A recent text message was downright cantankerous. See, I learned some big words in college…

  You’re an asshole and I want to punch your face. By the way your hair is ridiculous. Your manbun is gross and you look like a pirate.

  Mad laughed and then agreed with Megan. I got my haircut that day.

  Duncan and I decided we would keep the seed money we already have and use the loan for a lease for space and equipment. He’s started a website for training clients and so far we are booked starting in a month, so we’ve got to get shit moving. He says it’s because everyone wants to work out with him because he has a big dick. I’m not sure, but maybe. What do they say, there’s no such thing as bad press?

  We gave our notice at the gym and I’m going to continue painting until we are making enough money to support us both. I’m also saving for a ring, the perfect ring. It may take me years, but I want to have the money when I see the ring made for Mad.

  Although Mad isn’t great with the persona I have online, it’s flirty and fun, she’s gotten over Megan and says she understands. She doesn’t appreciate the flirting online even though sometimes I’m doing it while she is stroking my dick.

  Life is interesting, sometimes the right person comes into your life at the right time and sometimes the right person has been in your life forever and you were waiting on the perfect time. The timing is never perfect, make it perfect. Make it count. Never quit hustling.

  Don’t worry, you’ll see Meat again. No Chaser Required is Laura’s story. Thank you so much for taking the time to read about Meat, one of my favorite characters from the Drinking Series. The entire crew will be back with a new story.

  This book was so fun to write. I honestly can’t wait to dive back into the Drinking Series with No Chaser Required. Thank you to each and every one of you that have read my books, any of them. One of the people in my life that deserves the biggest thanks is my husband, he jokes that he is my muse for all of the male characters in my books...while that might only be in his mind he has shown me that real love does happen. That people with flaws can and will withstand hardships and celebrate the good times. He’s my partner in crime and I owe him for giving me the space to follow my dreams. He’s the king of the hustle and the hardest worker I know. Thank you for all you do.

  My people in the book world are so awesome and their support means everything
to me. I surround myself with the greatest people. Thanks to Donna, Emma, Stephanie, Michelle, Kelli, Jenn, Sherry, Jill and Katie. Michelle you crawl in my brain and make covers that convey my thoughts exactly. Ellie, you believe in me when I doubt myself. Lisa, you make my words pretty. My people are great people and I’m so lucky to be able to call them friends.

  Kelei, Mom and Dad thanks for teaching me to laugh through the tough stuff. It helps, most of the time.

  Here’s a peek into R.L. Griffin’s Romantic Suspense Series By A Thread, which is currently free as an ebook.

  BY A THREAD

  R.L. Griffin

  To the two guys who mean the most to me,

  Trey and Griffin.

  Without your love and support, I would have nothing.

  Prologue

  An explosion burst through her ears just as she turned to look at the door of the makeshift FBI field office. She didn’t even have time to shield her eyes. The force of the explosion knocked her out of her rolling chair and onto her back, where she lay stunned. After a few minutes, she glanced around the room, attempting to see what was going on in the office where just a short time ago, she’d sat down at her computer for only the second time ever. The entire front of the office was gone. Searching frantically around the office, she couldn’t see the four agents who had been seated at their computers minutes ago. Three of the missing agents were from ATF. The other was a seasoned FBI agent assigned to clean up the mess created by the ATF in Montana.

  Three masked figures in dark clothes moved through the opening created by the blast. She rolled to her stomach and through the haze attempted to take inventory of her body parts. She put her hands under her shoulders, pushing herself up, and tried to stand. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Suddenly, strong hands grasped her biceps, lifting her with ease.

  “Whoa there, honey!” the broadest figure of the three yelled at her. The man lifted her to her feet and was holding her firmly, her back pressed against his soft belly. She started to separate herself from him, to move toward the back door of the office. “Hey, Jack, you ever seen a cop this hot before?” The man jabbed his gun into her back. “Where you going, sweet thing?”

  Stella froze; she hadn’t heard the man, but she felt his gun. The man gripped her arm tightly and easily swung her around to face him. She was still taking stock of her body parts; obviously she couldn’t hear. He slid his gloved palm down her face, his chest heaving up and down from exertion.

  “Oooooweeee, you sure are a pretty thing,” he said, ripping the buttons off her button-down shirt and exposing her bra. “Hey, Jack, come look at this.”

  Stella shifted away from the man’s hands. The other two masked figures paid no attention to the man pawing at Stella, but she couldn’t really make out what the other men were doing. She was trying to put together what was happening and why anyone would bother bombing their makeshift field office. There was no money, and nothing to steal other than paperwork.

  “Cat got your tongue, baby?” The man grabbed her chin hard, forcing Stella to look at him. She grimaced.

  “She probably can’t hear, you idiot,” the man rummaging through the piles of blown-apart desks barked. “We don’t have time for you to play with her. Come on.”

  The big man pushed Stella hard enough that she fell flat on her back, knocking the wind out of her. “It won’t take long, will it honey?” He got down on one knee and started unbuttoning Stella’s pants. Although still in shock, Stella fought back, kicking him in the face with the heel of her boot. Rolling on her stomach, she started crawling, only to be pulled roughly back him. He flipped her over like she weighed no more than twenty pounds and ripped the button off her pants.

  A figure loomed behind him, the third man. “Dude, you’re kidding, right?”

  “Just give me a few minutes.” The man was breathing heavily from fighting with Stella.

  “No.” The third man pulled out his gun and shot her in the chest.

  Her eyes locked on the third man, her mind reeling. She’d know those eyes anywhere. Her thoughts didn’t fully form as her world went white. Pain shot through her chest and then her head. Then everything went black.

  Chapter One

  The Future’s So Bright

  Jamie kissed her this morning while she still slept in their bed, whispering his goodbye. Hours later, she rolled over and nuzzled his pillow taking in his scent. She missed him immediately. She never thought she would be one of those girls who did everything with their boyfriend and missed them when they were gone. She’d been wrong. Jamie had changed everything. The two had just moved all their things into the house they were renting along with two of Jamie’s friends in Alexandria. Last night was their first official night together in the new house. Jamie recently had been hired as an ATF agent and was flying to Savannah today to drive his truck back to Virginia. Patrick, one of their new roommates, was a friend of Jamie’s from Savannah. He was a few years older than them and already worked for the ATF. Patrick had driven Jamie to the airport before dawn. Stella grabbed her phone from under pillow and checked her phone. Jamie was already in the air, but had texted her before take-off.

  I miss you already

  I love you

  She texted him back so that something from her would be waiting for him when he landed.

  I’m so excited to start our new life together

  hurry home

  we have many rooms to christen

  She smiled as she hit send and then threw her phone on the bed. Her black hair splayed over her pillow and she contemplated getting up to start unpacking. The sheer volume of boxes lining the windowless walls in their basement room made her feel claustrophobic. When her cell phone screen went black, she found herself in complete darkness.

  Their other roommate was a friend of Patrick’s that Jamie had met during the summer. All she knew about Billy was that he worked for the Department of Justice. Stella was going to meet him tomorrow. It was weird living with people she didn’t know, but she figured if she was with Jamie it would be fine.

  Stella had always wanted to be a lawyer and was starting law school in a few weeks. Her uncle was a criminal lawyer and ten years younger than her mom; Stella loved hearing his stories. He was always regaling her family with his adventures from courts all around Georgia. He was so funny around her, but she knew he must be very good at his job. A few years ago, he represented the man who wrestled a female deputy’s gun out of her holster and killed a Superior Court Judge. Before she took the LSAT, the test required to gain entrance into law school, she’d gone to her uncle’s office to grill him about being a lawyer. Uncle Rick had made it sound so easy. She started to question his sanity when just the law school application process was wearisome and tedious.

  Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she smiled. She was here, about to start classes at a great law school, and she and Jamie were starting this brand-new life together. Life couldn’t be any better. She couldn’t wait to get started. Sitting up in the bed she scanned the perimeter of their basement room, boxes were piled everywhere. The only boxes labeled were hers. Jamie didn’t bother labeling boxes or organizing their contents, for that matter. He’d basically pulled out his drawers and dumped them in boxes. It was difficult for Stella to watch something so unorganized, but she certainly wasn’t going to pack for him.

  Digging through her box labeled “workout,” she pulled out shorts and a tank top, grabbed her iPod and the leash. She changed quickly because her dog, Cooper, was already bouncing up and down at just the sight of the leash. Jamie had given Cooper to Stella for her birthday two years ago. He was six months old when Jamie adopted him from a no-kill shelter and she’d fallen in love with him instantly, just as she had with Jamie. Cooper was a blond labrador-golden retriever mix with light caramel-colored eyes and the sweetest face she’d ever seen on a dog. While she loved Cooper more than any person in the world, training him had been a nightmare. He was supposed to weigh forty to sixty pounds; by ten months o
ld, he’d tipped the scales at eighty pounds. Cooper had finally stopped growing at 105 pounds. Stella had almost given him away when he was a year old. She came home from class one afternoon and found Cooper in the middle of her bedroom, surrounded by white down and torn leather. Cooper had destroyed her down comforter and the bat bag her Dad had given her when she was thirteen. She cried, spanked him as hard as she could with a leather belt, and called Jamie to come get the dog. That lasted four days.

  She’d already mapped out a good six-mile walk to the Potomac and back to their house. According to the website, there was a huge dog park down by the river that she wanted to scope out for her daily run with Jamie and Cooper.

  Turning left on King Street, she walked down a road lined with shops, bars, and restaurants on both sides of the street. This part of Alexandria was called Old Town and was very cool. She loved it; they could walk to eat, drink, and shop. She loved it. Stella smiled to herself, knowing the next few years were going to be fantastic.

  After a while she reached the Potomac and walked along the water until she saw the dog park. The river was lined with slips bearing very pretentious boats. Once he saw the dog park, Cooper immediately began pulling her. “Okay, okay.” Stella bent down and took him off leash, letting him into the fenced-in park. She smiled as Cooper ran around the entire park before deciding to play with a brindle boxer. The two dogs instantly started wrestling and playing.

  “Your dog seems to like Brutus.” Stella looked over to find a guy with a Nationals baseball cap pulled down over his eyes, smiling at her.

  “Oh, hi. Is that okay?” Stella said, looking back to where the two dogs were playing chase.

  “Sure. What’s his name?” She took a closer look at the boxer’s owner. He had chiseled features, but the hat kept her from making out details. She could tell he was in good shape through his T-shirt and athletic shorts.