Page 4 of Hat Trick
A bright smile beams at me through my phone. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”
I snap with both hands and give him double-finger guns. “See you tomorrow, good buddy!”
His laugh floats through my bedroom before he hangs up. I stand in the middle of my room for a moment before sending both fists in the air. “Turks and Caicos, baby!”
1 Bottled Up - Daniel Di Angelo
CHAPTER 4
MIMOSAS, BUT NOT BOTTOMLESS
LILIANA
The lovely waitress sets a champagne glass filled to the brim with a mimosa in front of me, and all I can do is sigh while sitting back and enjoying the glorious view. My family decided to meet for breakfast at the resort’s restaurant before the day’s wedding prep starts. It’s Friday, meaning we only have today until my brother gets to marry the love of his life.
?1 So, there is no getting sloshed from mimosas at eight in the morning, regardless of how much it’s calling to me. I have too much to do today to prep for this wedding.
Yeah, I’m rolling my eyes too.
Taking a sip, I pull up the to-do list that’s on my phone and mentally start to prioritize what needs to get finished first while I wait for therest of the Camposes to get down here. I’m about halfway through when Rocky’s voice breaks my eyes away from my screen. “Mom, you cannot get that drunk before the wedding! It’s barely after eight; Jager bombs arenothappening.”
Ahhh, music to my ears.
Cassandra Campos loves herself some Jager. I don’t want to paint my momma as an alcoholic—it’s only at events—but she’ll order the whole bar a round if that means folks will take shots with her. She’s always been the life of the party, and I love it for her. But what I love the most is my dad right there alongside her, supporting her, and matching her energy, always. They may be my parents, but their love is something I will always look up to, and I will never settle for anything less.
Standing up from my seat to greet them, I roll my eyes at Rocky. “One shot won’t have her hungover, Rocky. Now that I think of it, why don’t you take one, too, it might calm you down a smidge.” I raise my hand up and pinch my thumb and forefinger together, leaving the smallest space between them.
A second later, Clay is sprinting toward me and wrapping me up in a giant hug, as if he didn’t see me yesterday on theprivate jethe had booked for our flight here. Yeah, you heard that right. Rocky was so far up Clay’s ass about spending money on a private jet, he could probably see out of his mouth. And yet, my brother somehow managed to lean back in his seat and sleep almost the whole flight here.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done and aredoing for us and our wedding. You’re the best sister I could’ve asked for,” he whispers, tears lining his eyes.
Goddammit. Now I’m gonna cry. “I wouldn’t do any of this for anyone besides you two.” I give him a wobbly smile, really trying to hold back my tears.
“Can we have four Jager bombs, please?” My mom’s voice distracts us from our feel-good moment as she asks the waitress, and the pissed-off look on Rocky’s face is enough to push away the tears and has me snorting a laugh instead. Clay gives my mom a wink, and she shrugs her shoulders with a smile on her face. Meanwhile, Dad just stands there shaking his head, knowing good and well that Mom’s going to do what Mom’s going to do.
We all finally take our seats, and my dad asks me, “What’s on the to-do list today, Ladybug?” He’s called me Ladybug since I was too young to remember.
“Oh you know, just bossing people around, making sure everyone is doing what they need to be. Which happens to be one of my favorite activities.” I’ve always loved planning things, organizing, and leading people, but I could never deal with being in charge of people daily. This is why I have my own business but no employees. “Is Poppy ready to walk down the aisle? Where is she anyway?” Clay and Rocky have the sweetest little Saint Bernard puppy. They got her a couple of months ago, and she is both the fluffiest and cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Everyone is obsessed with her, and she knows it. They’ve also been working with her to walk down the aisle to them.
“Our little princess is snoozing away up in ourroom, but she’s been doing so good! We’re worried about the sand distracting her, but I think she’s going to do great.” When Rocky talks about her, his whole face lights up.
This wedding is kid-free, but puppies? Not even a question.
Clay counters. “Rocky’s being hard on her. She’s done great anytime we’ve practiced.”
“Because you come in after the thirtieth time when she’s gotten all of her energy out.”
My dad chuckles as he says, “You two already sound like an old married couple.”
“We do not,” they answer in unison before grinning at one another and kissing.
“Gross, no making out in the restaurant!” I’ll never grow out of wanting to tease my older brother.
When the waitress returns with four shots, my mom holds her shot glass up. Everyone else does the same, and I raise my champagne glass. “Here’s to you, and here’s to me! If by chance you don’t agree... Fuck you! Here’s to me!”
We all whisper-yell, “Fuck ‘em!” Clinking our glasses together, I chug the rest of my mimosa. As we all sit around talking, I look at my parents on one side of me, then Clay and Rocky on the other. Suddenly, it hits me harder than it ever has.
I want this.
