2. Mila
Mila
Dear Diary,
I am going to marry Ryker Walker. Yes, I said marry.
I am predicting that I, Mila Brookstone, will one day marry Ryker Walker.
Yes, I’m only eighteen, and yes, we’re not in a relationship, but I know it will happen.
How do I know? Because last night was the most magical night of my life.
Last night, Ryker Walker kissed me. Yes, he kissed me.
No tongue and not for long, but it was the most perfect kiss I’ve ever had in my life.
Even better than kisses with Channing Tatum.
Not that I’ve kissed him, but I’ve thought about what sort of kisser he would be, and I think that Ryker is better.
You heard it here first!! I’m going to marry Ryker Walker.
That is, if he doesn’t annoy me too much first.
Mila
XOXO
Thursday, One Week Ago
I stared at my suitcase with a happy smile.
I was finally packed. Well, I had two stacks of outfits: one stack was casual-sexy, and the other stack was sexy-sexy.
I was trying to decide whether to go full-out seduction mode on Ryker or play it a little bit cooler.
Lara advised me to play it cool so I wouldn’t embarrass myself if it didn’t work out.
Because, yes, now she is coming as well.
Lara always has an open invitation to come, but this year she thought she’d be busy with work.
Three days ago, she found out she has time off.
So, now she’s coming to the lake house, and she is planning on going into cool seduction mode this weekend, only not with Ryker—thank God.
She’s after my brother, Parker. Ew. But who am I to stop her?
My only problem is, if both of us are successful with our seduction plans, what are my parents going to think is going on?
We can’t just disappear, and there is no way we can have sex at the lake house.
The rooms are not soundproof. I can try to be quiet, but if Ryker is as good a lover as he is in my dreams, it’s going to be hard.
And let’s just say that Lara will have a bigger problem than me.
I lived with her in college, and trust me, she doesn’t know what the word quiet means.
I picked up two bikinis and was deciding which to take with me when the phone rang.
I knew the weather would be a little cold, and the water would be even colder, but I also knew my body temperature would adjust pretty quickly to the water.
“Hello, Mila here,” I sang into the phone, assuming it was Lara.
I looked at the thong bikini and threw it back onto the floor.
I wasn’t sure why I’d even contemplated taking that.
That was not appropriate for a family trip.
If my dad saw me in that, I’d be on the first plane out of the country for sure.
“Mila?” The voice was deep and gruff, and tingles ran through my arm to my fingers.
“This is Mila,” I said, my voice sounding like a deep croak. “Mila,” I said again, almost singing my name in my nervousness.
“It’s Ryker.” His voice sounded amused. “Auditioning for The Voice or something?”
“No.” I laughed, excited to be talking to him. “I’m trying out for The X Factor, actually.”
“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “I would have thought you would go for The Voice!”
“Why is that?” I said, confused.
“Because they don’t see your face at first,” he deadpanned, and it took a moment for his meaning to sink in.
“You’re an asshole.” I groaned at him, shaking my head at his diss. That is what I meant about him thinking he was my big brother. It was as if he and Parker had sat down one day and discussed the responsibilities and tasks of being my older sibling. And teasing me was the number-one duty.
“You gotta love it.” He laughed as if his joke was hilarious.
“Not really.”
“Aw, well, sorry to break your heart, but this isn’t The X Factor calling.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I was calling because Parker can’t pick you up tomorrow. He’s stuck at work until early Saturday morning, so he asked if I could pick you and Lara up and drive you up to the lake house.”
“Oh, really?” I grinned into the phone, excited that we’d be alone together, but then I remembered that Lara would be with us. “I guess that’s fine.” I tried to sound nonchalant.
“What time will you be ready?” He cleared his throat. “And an accurate time, please, not an ‘I’ll try to be ready, but I’ll keep you waiting for thirty minutes’ sort of thing.”
“Ryker Walker, shut up.” I groaned into the phone. “That was only one time.”
“It was one time too many.”
“Whatever. I’m sure all your dates keep you waiting as well.”
“Yeah, but I know I’m getting something from them that makes it worth it.”
I gasped, and he laughed into the phone. “So, what time, Milady Sadie?”
“Three o’clock, but I’ll check with Lara to make sure she can make that.
” I ignored his use of the nickname he and Parker had coined for me when we were younger.
They had created a rhyme for me that went, “Milady Sadie, went to bathy, and she got a stupid navy. A navy wavy goofy baby, that is our Milady Sadie.” It made absolutely no sense, but the nickname Milady Sadie had stuck.
I knew better than to get annoyed when they used it anymore. It only fueled their teasing.
“Okay, Milady Sadie. Call me back and let me know.”
“You’re a child, you know that, Ryker?” I couldn’t stop myself. “Only a little boy would call me a nickname from when I was a kid.”
“You’re still a kid, Mila.” His voice was dry.
“No, I’m not.” I growled into the phone.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot you’re a college graduate now.” He laughed. “You’re officially in the big girls’ club.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes, even though I knew he couldn’t see me.
“Oh, yeah. I may be bringing a friend with me. I spoke to Parker, and your parents don’t mind.”
“A friend?” I frowned.
“Yeah, her name is Barbie.”
“No, it is not.” I tried to ignore the swell of disappointment that rose up in me as I threw the bikinis down onto the floor. What was the point of my trying to seduce him if he was bringing another girl up?
“Yeah, it is.” He laughed. “And she calls me Ken.”
“Are you joking? Why is she calling you Ken?”
“I kind of told her my name was Ken when I picked her up at the bar two nights ago.”
“Oh, my God,” I groaned into the phone, flopped onto the bed, and closed my eyes. “Please, tell me that is a bad joke. She did not actually believe you?”
“Of course, she believed me.” He laughed. “So, just let Lara know, I’m Ken for the weekend.”
“What are you going to tell my parents?”
“Oh, Parker told me that they couldn’t make it. He didn’t tell you?”
“No.” I sighed. “No one told me anything.” I rolled over onto my side. “Not my parents, and not Parker. So, you’re telling me that this year the family get-together is going to be me, Lara, Barbie, and you?”
“You got it. And Parker will be there tomorrow morning.”
“Great, that’s just great.” Kill me now!
“I think your dad wanted to take care of some business stuff and your mom wanted to take your nonno to get some new sheets or something.”
“I’m glad my family let you know what was going on before they told me anything,” I said, feeling annoyed.
I hated that they never bothered to let me know anything, like I was still some kid or something.
However I know if I tell them how much it annoys me, they will just ignore me. It’s so aggravating.
“Don’t pout, Mila. You know it doesn’t suit you.”
“Thanks for nothing.” I stuck my tongue out at the phone.
“Anyway, go call Lara and then call me back to confirm the time.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I like that,” he drawled. His voice is sexy and smooth and I feel my toes curl. I hate that his voice does things to me.
“You like what?”
“When you call me sir.” He laughed. “I could get used to it.”
“I’m sure you could.” I paused. “But I guess you’ll just have to get Barbie to call you that.”
“Don’t worry, Mila. You’ll have a guy to call sir soon.”
“I already have a guy,” I lied, annoyed at his comment.
“What?” His voice changed, suddenly becoming brusque. “What guy?”
“Just a guy I’m dating.”
“You never mentioned him before,” he said sharply.
“Well, it’s a new relationship.”
“Hmm.” He paused. “I hope he’s not another loser who borrows money from you and doesn’t repay it.”
“He’s going to pay me back,” I defended, though we both knew that wasn’t true. I couldn’t even remember the guy’s full name.
“And try not to date another guy who dresses up in women’s clothing. That’s usually a sign that he’s not that interested in you.”
“That’s not fair,” I protested, as he reminded me of Richard, the last guy I’d dated—the one who was more interested in my wardrobe than me.
“Hey, I’m just looking out for you.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“You don’t want to date another loser.”
“Do you have someone better for me?” My voice was shrill as he continued teasing me.
“I may.” He paused. “I just may.”
“I’m going to go call Lara now,” I said, changing the subject abruptly, not wanting him to try to hook me up with another guy.
“You do that, Mila.” And with that, he hung up.
I sighed and lay back on the bed, frustrated and excited at the same time.
This is how it always went with Ryker; we had a little flirting, a little bickering, and ultimately it ended up with a whole heap of nothing.
And now he was dating some perfect girl named Barbie, who probably gave him head every night, and I was still single—but now having to pretend that I had a boyfriend.
I closed my eyes and pictured Ryker’s handsome face in my mind.
Ugh, it was so frustrating. I just wanted him to give me a real chance, but I knew it was never going to happen unless I made a go of it.
I sat up and grinned when I realized that my parents not coming might not be such a bad thing after all.