Page 5 of Life's a Beach
She blinked and touched her cheek. It tingled.
That man was something else. He was gorgeous and wonderful and protective.
And yet, he didn’t make sense and she wanted to know why.
She sighed and walked into the house, knowing she would get the third degree from her friends.
Sure enough, when she walked in, the girls were all there, pulling her into tight hugs.
Lola’s face was worried, “Where have you been? We have been worried sick!”
She told them what happened and the girls all gasped. Lola looked pissed. Ella’s face was full of compassion and Winnie’s was full of sadness.
Ella had been through problems with her first marriage, and Bria hated bringing this on them.
She was fine.
“Are you okay?” Ella asked, “Did he hurt you at all?”
Bria shook her head, “Not like that. He just shoved me against a car. And the mirror hit my back, but I’m okay. I swear.”
Ella nodded and hugged her once more, “I will get you some ice. Hopefully it won’t bruise too badly.”
Lola’s face was slowly losing it’s anger, “You should have left when we did. Sewing can wait, you know.”
Bria smiled, loving how fierce her best friend was, “I know. But I wanted to make sure the customers got their clothes right away.”
Lola shook her head, “You work too hard. I don’t like it.”
Bria smiled, “You don’t have to like it. It’s what I do. I need to work hard. To have something mean something in my life. That's all I have.”
Lola sighed, knowing Bria was right.
Bria’s parents weren’t the greatest.
They were harsh and mean, and her dad constantly brought her down with his jibes about her weight and how no one would ever want her.
He was a real treat. He was a really rich man and had expectations that Bria had never lived up to.
Even getting straight A’s in school wasn’t good enough when she couldn’t seem to lose weight and be the trophy daughter that went along with his trophy wife and he didn’t let her forget it.
He worked more and more and ended up staying in the city closer to his office.
Her mom was gone more than she was home. She was always at the country club with her friends. Or she was shopping or doing anything else than being a mother.
She did just enough to be called a mother, but it wasn’t good.
It was hard and her mom and dad were always disappointed with the life that Bria lived.
She knew that it wasn’t her that was truly the issue, it was them. But she didn’t mind.
They were who they were and she couldn’t fault them for it.
They weren’t perfect, but she at least had parents that somewhat cared.
Her mother was proud of her for her accomplishment of sewing for their boutique and her dad threw money her way to keep her out of his hair.
She had bought her house free and clear.
