Page 31 of Take A Number
I didn’t realize Dean received an inheritance. I’m actually not entirely sure how much money Dean has or what he does with his money. I know he dresses well and drives a nice car. And he clearly had enough cash flow to invest in my business. But that’s the extent of my knowledge.
I let those wandering thoughts go as Kate leads me back inside and reintroduces me to everyone. First there’s Kate’s fiancé, Miles, who’s the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome with crazy light blue eyes that stare at his fiancée like he wants to eat her every time she comes into a room. Then there’s Lynsey and her husband, Josh, who’s a doctor. He’s the quiet type but Kate murmurs in my ear that they haven’t had a weekend away from their one-year-old in ages and she wouldn’t be surprised if they make baby number two on this trip. The friendly ginger-bearded guy who owns the tire shop in Boulder is Sam. Sam and Miles are apparently best friends and Kate introduces me to his fiancée, Maggie, who happens to also be Miles’s little sister.
“Funny story about these two”—Kate barks out a laugh and points her finger into Sam’s chest—“he started screwing his best friend’s little sister behindallof our backs…especially Miles.”
My eyes go wide and I expect the room to go dead quiet with awkwardness, but it doesn’t. Maggie rolls her eyes and tucks herself up under Sam’s massive arm while he leisurely takes a drink of his beer bottle. Everyone else is smiling and laughing like Kate tells this story all the time.
“But luckily, Sam fell for Mags hook, line, and sinker and now they are going to have an awesome winter wonderland wedding…so all is right in the tire shop.”
Maggie flashes her ring as a sign of admission. “That is if Kate will finally give up the spotlight for a weekend.”
Kate mock gasps. “Are you calling me an attention whore, Maggie?”
“Where would I ever get that idea, Kate?” Maggie laughs.
“Maybe because you’ve morphed into a bridezilla for the past month?” Lynsey chirps, taking a sip of her colorful cocktail.
Kate, Lynsey, and Maggie all begin to playfully argue and Dean gestures for me to come to the end of the bar where he’s mixing a drink. I make my way over and notice he’s already freshly showered and changed for the evening. He’s sporting a pale blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up, revealing muscular forearms and an expensive-looking watch. His bottom half is covered in a pair of jeans that make his butt look ridiculously good.
“Doing okay there, sugar bottom?” he asks and my eyes flick up to his face, horrified that he might have caught me looking at his bottom.
“I’d be better with one of those.” I point down as he squeezes a lime into his rocks glass. He hands his drink over without pause and I take a fortifying sip while staring at the three couples all lovingly wrapped up in each other’s arms with drinks in hand. “I can see why you wanted a fake girlfriend this weekend. This group is intense. They’re kind of disgustingly in love, aren’t they?”
Dean shrugs and takes a sip of his freshly made cocktail. “Give it time and they’ll all be fighting over the best divorce attorney in Boulder.”
My lower lip sticks out at that remark. “Cynical much?”
“Aren’t you too?” he asks, turning to face me with those chocolatey eyes of his. “You’re anti-relationship as well, I thought. That’s why we’re business partners for the next few weeks.” He clinks his glass to mine in solidarity.
“I’m not anti-relationship for everyone…just me I guess,” I state and take an uncertain sip.
Suddenly, Max emerges from the kitchen. He has a gorgeous strawberry blond trailing him.
“Dean, Norah…you made it!” He reaches out and shakes Dean’s hand and offers me a smile that borders on sympathetic. “You surviving okay so far?”
“This is a very dynamic group.” I plaster on a smile.
Max laughs. “Yes, it is. This is Henley, by the way. She’s a friend of mine who lives here in Aspen.”
We shake hands and Kate begins shouting for our attention. I turn to see she’s kneeling on top of her barstool. “Okay, everybody…as I’m sure you all saw on my itinerary, tonight we’re splitting up. I’ve made reservations for the guys at a great little brewery and pizza place and the ladies are dining here in the palace.”
Max shakes his head and takes a drink.
“So, let’s go to our rooms, put on our slutty tops and meet back down here in an hour. Guys, make sure if you go to a strip club tonight, you dust off the glitter before you come back into Max’s mansion. His live-in maid is on vacation—I wish I was joking.”
Max rolls his eyes. “She’s my house manager. This place is huge and I’m not here enough to handle it.”
“We got it, Christian Grey. You’re super humble.” Kate waves him off and Miles lifts her down from the barstool as everybody breaks away to their prospective rooms.
Max exhales heavily and turns to Dean. “Is she going to be like this all weekend?”
“Worse, Max. Much, much worse.” Dean throws his arm around my shoulders, drenching me in his appealing manly scent as he begins leading me away. “Allow me to show you to our room so you can get ready, sugar bottom.”
“Does the sugar thing really have to stick?”
He frowns down at me. “You’re a baker…I thought you’d love that endearment.”
“I think you can do better, Moser.”
