Page 64 of Not that Sea-Rious
Beau
Thankallthatwasholy.Beau’s previous lawyer answered his phone, though he probably expected a call.Whatever the reason, he really saved Beau’s ass and gave him a few referrals.Rob had always been professional, so Beau highly doubted the man would recommend anyone bad.This was business.It wasn’t like Rob had a stake in the game.He’d get paid regardless.
Sitting on the edge of the king-size bed, he closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath as he tossed his phone on the mattress beside him.In the blink of an eye, his entire life had turned upside down.No home.No job.At least he had a car and a roof over his head.Albeit, a temporary roof, but something was better than nothing.
Burying his face in his hands, he pondered how he got into this.This couldn’t have been a quick decision for either of them.They had to have planned it for a while.Just how long had his best friend and his girlfriend plotted against him?
And how the hell had he been so oblivious to it?
Last week he’d been riding high.Nothing could take him down.He had a booming business, impending nuptials, and a pretty decent apartment.
Now what?
Marissa.
Well, sort of, but not really.
Dropping his hands, Beau glanced up and met his own eyes in the mirror.His hair, though short, pointed in a thousand directions.Sweat stained his shirt from loading his shit into his car and out of it into the storage shed.He was a disheveled mess.
Flopping onto his bed, his arms splayed, and his hand hit his phone.
What time was it?
As tempting as wallowing in his losses was, he couldn’t rot in bed all night.He had places to be.Promises were made, and while everyone else around him seemed perfectly fine with shitting on their word, Beau wasn’t.
Groaning, he rolled out of the bed and got to his feet.Maybe a shower would make him feel better, or at the very least, worthy of being in Marissa’s presence.She deserved to have a meal with someone who was, at the very least, presentable.
He might resemble a complete and utter failure, but he would figure this out.He still had dinner to look forward to.Things weren’t all bad.His life wasn’t completely shit.Yet.It was always darkest before the dawn.Platitudes wouldn’t help him, but he had to do something so he wasn’t a morose motherfucker at the table.
Marissa
A soft knock had Marissa flustered.She’d been messing with her hair for the last hour and still wasn’t sure if thetwin French braid pigtails were the right look, but she might be out of time.
Chewing on her bottom lip, shereached for the knob and opened the door.The weight of her indecision left herwith a sigh.“Joyce, you are a lifesaver,” she said as she stepped aside to letthe other bridesmaid into the room.
Grinning, her friend walked past her.“You’re lucky you caught me.I was about to head out and get Ted and the babyfrom the airport.”
“Thank you.I won’t keep you.”Marissa toyed with the bottom of the braids.
Joyce’s gaze swept her up and downbefore she offered the earrings.“You look good.”
Frowning, Marissa glanced down andimmediately second-guessed her outfit for the thirtieth time.“You’re not justsaying that, are you?”
High-waisted navy slacks with a red-and-whitegingham crop top felt like a good idea when she put them on, but now she wasn’tso sure.
Joyce furrowed her brows.“No.Ifyou resembled a can of busted biscuits, I’d tell you.”
Nodding with tight lips, Marissaaccepted the earrings.“I want my hair to be away from my face, but pigtailbraids?”
Her friend chuckled.“Why are youso nervous?”
Turning to the mirror and fiddlingwith her hair again, Marissa licked her bottom lip.“When we were on the ship,I could write this thing with Beau off as a fling.You know?It meant nothing,but now we are on dry land.This is real life.”
Humming, Joyce cocked her head tothe side.“But you’re not at home.Technically, you’re still on vacation.”
Sucking her bottom lip into hermouth, Marissa considered that.
“Without the daily grind and allthat, you can still be carefree.Don’t worry about the consequences.”
