Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
B riar
Two days before Christmas
“I’ve decided to close down Black Jack’s for the week,” my boss, Jace, says. All the workers are hanging out at a table since we haven’t had a patron come in for at least three hours. “I just can’t justify the expense of staying open with traffic being so slow.”
“Damn, I was banking on the hours,” my friend and fellow co-worker Taylor says.
“I’m sorry, everyone. I’ll be giving each of you a one hundred dollar bonus for being such dedicated employees. I hope to see you all back in the new year. Enjoy the break.”
Jace walks away. We all look at each other until Levi breaks the silence. He is a server too and we share a lot of shifts. “Let’s find some last-minute deal and get out of here.”
“You mean like for a few days?” another server named Lennon asks.
Levi nods. “Yeah, there’s last-minute deals for super cheap.”
“That’s a good plan,” Aaron confirms. He doesn’t work here. He stayed in town over break and is hanging out with Levi.
“You think it’s a good idea for all of us to go away?” I ask.
There are twelve of us sitting around this table. Most of us are servers. Taylor is a hostess and Nolan and Hawk work in the kitchen.
“Do you mean like a ski trip because I don’t have skis,” Sofia, who is also a server, chimes in.
“Definitely not skiing,” Levi states. “I’m thinking more along the lines of a beach vacation.”
“Dude, I can’t afford something like that.” Hawk winces, shaking his head.
Taylor is searching on her phone. I see because she is sitting next to me. She is on some last-minute deals website.
“Be careful, I heard there were scams going around,” I warn after seeing it on the news.
“What kind of scams could there be?” Jack laughs.
“The kind where someone sells you an all-inclusive trip to an island that doesn’t exist,” I deadpan.
“Is Punta Cana a real place?” Taylor asks, lifting her cell. The pic on her phone is a gorgeous hotel with a huge, oversized swimming pool and turquoise ocean water.
I haven’t heard of it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real.
“Fuck yes, that’s in the Dominican Republic,” Levi cheers, smacking his hand on the table with excitement. “How much?”
“Four hundred and fifty bucks,” Taylor says with a victorious tone.
“You’re lying,” Levi accuses.
“It sounds too good to be true. With the one hundred dollar bonus Jace is giving us, it would be like three hundred and fifty bucks,” Taylor calculates excitedly.
“Too good to be true,” I confirm.
“Briar, stop being a party pooper,” Lynsey chides. “A beach vacation sounds like a dream.”
“Seriously, I could definitely swing three fifty,” Ivy says.
“So what does everyone think?” Aaron asks, looking around the table. I don’t even know why he thinks he should be coming with us. He’s only friends with Levi.
“Dude, you don’t even work here,” Simon announces.
“So what, this isn’t an employee trip. This is a pleasure trip. Think about how much fun we would have at an inclusive resort. Free drinks and food. A nice place to stay,” Aaron says with a singsong tone.
“Dude, aren’t you going home for the holiday?” Levi asks him.
“Not this year,” Aaron replies and there is something cryptic in his tone, but what do I know? I’ve only met him a handful of times.
I don’t want him joining our trip. I prefer to stay away from jocks. I know their type. They get around a lot and think they are a gift to women. Their egos are bigger than their cocks. It’s the last thing I need to be around.
“I’m sold. When is the departure date?” Nolan asks.
Taylor stares at her watch and bites her lip. “The only time the four-hundred-and-fifty-dollar deal is available is leaving tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. with a return on Thursday.”
“That’s in six hours,” Levi announces wide-eyed.
“No, bro, it’s in three hours. For international flights you have to be at the airport three hours before departure. Looks like we aren’t sleeping tonight,” Simon cheers.
“We’re doing this?” Taylor asks, looking at each of us sitting around the booth. My stomach is turning. I’ve never been on a plane. Hell, I’ve never left Michigan.
“I’m in,” Sofia whoops.
Her response causes a chain reaction. Everyone around the table says they are in. By the time they get to me, my response is automatic. “I’m in.” There is no way I am staying in Riverside by myself over break.
We all use our phones to book the trip. Since the hotel requires dual occupancy, we all discuss who will be rooming with who. Hawk is pushing to stay with Taylor, but then it sets our numbers off since we are six girls and six guys. We finally decide to divide up with guys rooming with guys and girls with girls. Sofia asks Lennon to be her roommate and it’s obvious Ivy and Lynsey will be rooming together, since they are besties. So Taylor asks me if I want to room together. I say yes, but I wonder where it will leave me if her and Hawk decide to spend the night together. We finish the bookings.
“Done,” I say. “This is crazy.”
“It’s okay to do something crazy,” Sofia notes. She knows me well. We spent a lot of shifts together. She knows I’ve planned out every aspect of my life. I’m not a fan of surprises or change. This trip is very unlike me.
“I don’t know about that,” I bite on my bottom lip.
“This trip is going to be good for you,” Lennon says. “You never let lose.”
She isn’t wrong. I’m at Riverside U because I made it on to the gymnastics team, which was no easy feat. I spent the better part of my childhood in a gym competing. Growing up with a single mom meant she didn’t have a college fund set aside for me. Even my gymnastics extracurriculars put a huge strain on her, but she did it for me because she wanted me to attend college. It was something she didn’t have the chance to do.
“Should we Uber to the airport together?” Ivy asks.
“Good idea,” Lennon answers. “But I think we should split up. There isn’t an Uber large enough to take all of us.”
“I can schedule the Uber,” I offer. “3:00 a.m., right?”
“Yeah,” Taylor says then squeals, “OMG, this is going to be so much fun.”
The guys hear our plan to schedule an Uber, so Levi offers to order one for the guys.
We clean up the table and put our aprons away. We all head out of Black Jack’s. Since I have my SUV, I give Taylor and Lynsey a ride to their place.
“What do I pack?” I ask once we get in the car. The car is frozen and it takes some time for it to warm up.
“Bikinis?” Lynsey states the obvious.
“Shorts, tank tops, maybe a summer dress or two,” Taylor continues.
“It’s four nights and five days,” Lynsey says. “We shouldn’t overpack. I’m thinking of taking a carry-on and forgetting about a suitcase.”
“That isn’t a bad idea,” I agree. There have been horror stories on the news about airlines losing luggage all the time.
I drop the girls off at their house.
“See you at three,” Taylor says as she leaves my car.
“See you soon,” Lynsey says.
“Bye, see you both soon.”
I drive toward my house, inhaling a big gulp of air. I want to embrace the idea of taking a trip, but so many things could go wrong. I’m terrible at giving myself a good pep talk. If I was talking to a friend right now, I’d know exactly what to say to encourage them.
Okay, Briar, pretend you’re speaking to Annie. She wants to take this spontaneous trip. What advice do you give her?
You deserve to let loose and have fun. The weather will be beautiful and you get to swim in the ocean. There will be free everything so you don’t have to spend money, other than the initial costs. You’re going with friends. Wait a minute. The guys are coming too. It isn’t a secret the waitstaff at Black Jack’s tends to hook up. When I think of all the different pairings, my head spins. And then there is Aaron. It’s annoying that he invited himself along. He hangs out at Black Jack’s a lot. He’s too cocky and gorgeous as hell, with that flop of dirty-blond hair and those searing green eyes. Gah, he’s so annoying. Wait. I already said he was annoying. Being annoying for being handsome doesn’t make any sense, but in Aaron’s case it does. I’ll just have to stay far away from him.
I pull into the driveway of the house I share with another five housemates. They all went home for the holidays, so things are quiet around here. I don’t want to go home for the holidays because Mom has her new husband and kids. They are one happy family. I’m just a reminder of a time in her life she would love to forget. My parents were married for over a decade. My dad is a high school teacher. You would think a teacher would be reliable, honest, and caring. That wasn’t Dad. When I was ten, he left Mom for one of his student teachers. She was ten years his junior. He left town and we didn’t hear much from him over the years. What I did hear all the time was how Daddy was a big football guy in high school. All the girls flocked to him and his ego was the size of our state. It was all true. Daddy is a handsome guy and, according to Mom, couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. I wish I didn’t have to know that part. I head up to the front door of the house. A loud yawn escapes me. I need a little sleep but I figure it’s probably best if I shower now and shave. Going to a warm climate means I will be wearing shorts.
I head up to the second floor to shower and pack. I still have an hour or so before the Uber picks me up, so I close my eyes and put on an alarm.
“That’s So True” by Gracie Adams blasts on my phone, scaring the living daylights out of me. Why did I set the alarm so loud? Geez. I feel like this trip is something I dreamed up. But when I receive a text from Lennon asking if I’ve booked the Uber at 2:45 in the morning, I know it’s very real.
I slip on a light, heather-gray jogger and pair it with a cropped white tank top. I also put the same color hoodie on, figuring if I get hot at least I can take it off. I place my wavy caramel-brown hair into a messy bun and slip on my sneakers. I pack a pair of flip-flops for the beach and high heels for the one dress I brought.
I don’t take my winter coat, figuring it isn’t something I want to lug around Punta Cana. I head out to the Uber. The girls are already inside and everyone is super sleepy.
“My plan is to crash on the plane.” Taylor yawns.
“Which seat number are you?” Ivy asks.
We all go to our phones to call out our seat numbers. Taylor is in the same row as Sofia. Lennon is sitting behind Ivy. Lynsey is at the back of the plane, and I’m smack-dab in row five.
“Guys, I’m nervous about flying. Can you give me some tips?” I ask.
“Just listen to music or watch a movie,” Taylor suggests.
“Or I can give you a gummy,” Ivy offers.
“You know that isn’t my thing,” I tell her. “Wait a second. Are you taking drugs over the border?” I ask wide-eyed.
“Shit. I hadn’t thought that through. Don’t worry. I’ll flush my stash down the toilet in the airport.” She blows out a breath.
“Ivy, what are you thinking? You could’ve ended up going to prison,” Sofia chides.
“I know, I know. I wasn’t thinking,” she admits.
“So who do you think will hook up on the trip?” Taylor asks.
“We know who isn’t going to,” Lynsey chimes and she’s looking directly at me.
“I hook up,” I argue, but it falls flat. Since Jade and I broke off our situationship I haven’t been with anyone.
“Sure you do, honey.” Lynsey laughs.
We arrive to the airport and meet the guys at check-in.
My hands are clammy as we make our way to security. Since I’ve never flown before, I just follow what everyone else is doing. Mom insisted I get a passport when I started high school. Now I’m happy I listened to her, even though I don’t travel with her new family. I took one ski vacation with them and it wasn’t pleasant at all. Her husband wasn’t very kind. He acted like I wasn’t there and told Mom I should stay in and babysit their kids. It’s like he thought of me as hired help rather than her daughter.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Lynsey notes as our whole group clears security.
“I’m just nervous about flying,” I whisper.
“You really don’t need to be. My favorite part is when the plane takes off. It’s like a roller coaster filled with an adrenaline rush,” she explains.
“I hate roller coasters,” I state.
Lynsey winces. “But you love gymnastics. All those tucks and flips you do. That’s scary. Flying is easy.”
“Funny, because those flips and tucks make me happy. Being in the air when I have no control
sounds awful,” I say.
“Ah, so this is about giving up control,” she notes. “Sometimes it’s a good thing. Like when you’re having sex. Don’t you cede control?”
I bite my lip. I know Lynsey is trying to help. “No.”
“No?” she questions.
“Most guys couldn’t you know. . .” I can’t bring myself to say the words as we walk toward the gate. This hall is very long. It looks like it’s never-ending. By the way Lynsey’s jaw is dropped I am getting slightly uncomfortable.
“You haven’t orgasmed?” she asks, her voice a little loud.
Aaron is walking at least six feet in front of us. His head whips around and he looks at me, his green searing eyes zeroing in on me. The corner of his lips tips up and a mischievous glint fills his eyes. “Briar, are you guys talking about orgasms?”
“No,” I counter like I’m two.
“I heard you. You haven’t had an orgasm?” he asks, flabbergasted.
Lynsey has the decency to mouth, “Sorry.”
It’s too late. The cat is out of the bag.
“We aren’t talking about this, Aaron. Just go back to doing whatever it is you do, or think about, and act as if I’m not here,” I encourage.
Hawk and Jack slow down so they are walking beside us too. “Did I hear that right?” Jack asks.
I groan. “Guys, please drop it. We have to work together. We don’t want things getting weird.”
Hawk laughs. “Come on, Briar. You know we all hook up on occasion. We are all still happy at work because we’re relaxed with all the orgasms.” He waggles his brows.
What did I get myself into? This vacation is going to be an orgy not a party on the beach.
“Don’t look so sullen, Buttercup,” Aaron says.
Huh, Buttercup? Where did he come up with that one?
“We’re going to have one heck of a time,” he assures. I just want to run away from everyone.
We all reach the boarding area. Since there is still time, we take a seat together.
“I’m going to pee,” Sofia announces. “Nolan, can you watch my bags?”
He nods.
“Me too,” I say to him.
I join Sofia in the restroom because I really do need to pee. Taylor comes after us.
“OMG, Aaron wants you,” Taylor tells me from the next stall.
“I hope you’re talking to Sofia,” I tell her.
“Nope, it’s you,” she confirms. “You just gave that boy a challenge.”
I groan. That wasn’t my intention.
“I don’t care. I’m not hooking up with anyone,” I state. “Aaron can think what he wants.”
“Briar, he’s freaking gorgeous. He’s fun. I bet he knows how to deliver multiple orgasms,” Sofia says.
After taking care of business, I go to the sink to wash my hands. The three of us are all washing our hands in a row.
“I’m not a science project. I need you guys to stop focusing on what you heard. I’m happy with my life. I’m not looking for multiple orgasms. I’m looking to finish my degree, head to the Olympics, and go to grad school. I’m almost there,” I say to my friends.
“You can still have fun while you’re at it,” Taylor points out.
Fun does sound nice. It’s the reason I took this trip, but getting caught up with a jock is a dangerous move.
“Do me a favor and drop it,” I say, looking between my two friends.
Sofia sighs but I see in her demeanor that she’s conceded. Taylor, on the other hand, doesn’t look convinced.
We head back out in time to board the plane. My heart rate picks up pace. I hate not knowing what to expect from an experience, and being in the air with no way of escaping does not sound like a joyful day at the park.
I find my seat and pick up my carry-on to put in the overhead bin, but I’m too short to reach. From behind me a guy says, “Here, let me help you with that.” I turn around to see it’s Aaron.
Just great.
“Thank you.”
I take a seat in 5C When Aaron puts his carry-on in the same bin as mine, I begin to worry.
“Sorry, I just need to get by you,” he says, looking down at me.
My heart skips a beat.
“Why?” I ask.
His lip curves into that annoying smile again. “I’m sitting in 5B.”
This can’t be happening. Of all the seats on the plane, Aaron has the seat beside mine.
I move my legs to the side, so he has room to pass. Aaron is not small by any means. He must be six foot three to my five foot three. As he passes, I take in his intoxicating scent. Why does he smell so good?
He takes the seat and exhales then puts his seat belt on. I straighten out, but I feel him watching me. When I side-eye him to check, I see he is watching me.
“I don’t bite.” He smirks.
“Are you sure?” I reply, unable to hide my attitude.
He laughs. “Okay, fine. But it’s not like we don’t know each other, Briar. We have friends in common. We just went out to Fair Shot together,” he reminds of the night my friend group went axe throwing.
“I’m aware. I think we should set boundaries for this trip,” I suggest.
“What kind of boundaries are we talking?” Aaron asks with that same mischievous smile and glint in his eyes. He gives off the vibe he is intrigued by everything coming out of my mouth, which is bad.
The flight attendant’s voice rings through the speaker. I direct my attention to her. She explains how to put on the seat belt. She also explains about some flotation device under my seat and some oxygen that will drop from the ceiling if things go south.
This whole situation puts me more on edge. I begin to sweat.
“Is it hot in here?” I ask, fanning myself.
“No,” Aaron says, his brows drawing in as he focuses on me.
The plane starts to move. I grip the armrests on both of my sides.
Aaron is still watching me. “You’re scared to fly?”
“How observant of you,” I reply without looking at him. I’m just focusing on my breathing.
“You don’t need to be scared. It’s so much safer to fly than it is to drive a car,” he states.
“That isn’t helping,” I reply.
We move toward the runway and we begin to speed up. I am holding my breath.
“Hey,” he says, placing his hand over mine. I’m white-knuckling the armrest. “Take a deep breath. You’re safe.” He takes hold of my hand. His is large, warm, and calloused. A spark of something warm shoots through my body. “Tell me what I can do to make you feel better.”
He’s being sweet but it doesn’t matter. It’s a cover for what is really under the surface.
We take off and my stomach dips. “This is supposed to be the fun part, Briar. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Worrying isn’t going to change anything or help you in any way.”
“You aren’t wrong.” I release the armrest because he has a point.
We level off. I take a deep breath. Everything is fine. I’m okay. Aaron is right. Worrying won’t change anything.
When the flight attendant comes around, I order a double vodka on the rocks.
“You aren’t playing games,” Aaron snickers.
“I never do,” I inform him.
“Come on, you must play games sometimes. Life is no fun without play,” he states.
The flight attendant brings my double vodka. I throw it back, enjoying the burn at the back of my throat, but it only lasts a second and I begin to cough.
“I think she needs an orange juice,” Aaron says to the flight attendant. “Can you make that two?”
I’m still coughing when the flight attendant passes me a cup of orange juice. I sip it slowly and it helps ease the coughing.
“I can’t believe you can drink this early in the morning.”
“You don’t know me,” I inform him.
“True, but aren’t you a gymnast or something?” he asks.
“I am,” I confirm.
“I don’t drink much during the season, so this little break with free alcohol is very much needed,” he explains.
I don’t reply to his comment. I don’t think we should become friends. Instead, I put on a movie and place earbuds in my ears. The movie I’m watching is a comedy, which I find relaxes me. We still have a good four hours to go, which sucks. An hour into the movie the pilot comes on to the speakers to say hello and warn that we may experience some mild turbulence soon.
I know that means pockets of air that can cause the plane to jump a little. How bad can it be? Now I’ve lost my focus on the movie and I can’t get back into it. I stare into space, feeling like my stomach is tying into knots. When I side-eye Aaron, I see him watching a movie on his phone. The plane starts to shake. I go to grab the armrest, not realizing his hand is there. I grab hold of his hand, which is super embarrassing. I pull my hand back like I’ve been burned.
“Sorry.”
He takes his earbud out of his ear. “You okay?”
“Totally.” I bob my head, my voice high-pitched.
When the plane starts shaking harder, the seat belt sign turns on and the pilot comes on the intercom and asks everyone to take a seat. There is apparently a freak storm.
“We’re going to die,” I inform.
“That’s dark, Briar. Think positive,” Aaron encourages.
The plane is shaking so much I feel like my insides are in a blender.
“OMG, I shouldn’t have come on this trip. It’s just that a beach vacation was on my bucket list and my list is so long. I said to myself, just check one thing off,” I rant.
“What else is on your bucket list?” Aaron inquires calmly, despite our impending doom.
The plane drops. I squeeze my eyes shut. “Going to the Olympics, having an orgasm, going to grad school, watching the sunrise,” I blurt quickly. My eyes are still shut. I don’t even think I am breathing right now.
“Hey.” Aaron takes hold of my hand. “I’ve flown many times. This is normal. It’s a little shakier than usual, but I’m sure our pilot has everything under control.” His thumb is now rubbing circles on my hand. It’s feels nice. Comforting.
The plane stops shaking, so I open my eyes. “Is it safe to breathe?”
Aaron laughs like maybe he thinks my comment was cute. “We probably got past the turbulence.”
Not a moment later, the pilot’s voice rings on the intercom. “Sorry for the bumpy ride. It should be smooth sailing from here.”
I let out a long breath. “Okay, this is fine.” I also realize Aaron is still holding my hand, making delicious circles on my skin with his thumb.
“Having an orgasm is on your bucket list. Maybe you need to check off more than one item,” he suggests.
Oh shit.
I bite my lip. “I thought I was going to die. Now that I see we’re going to live, I’m not talking about this.”
“Oh, come on,” he whines. Why does he have to be interested in my sex life, or lack thereof?
“Can we move on?” I ask.
“But I’m trying to understand. Are you a virgin? Like you’ve never been touched?” he asks.
“That’s intrusive,” I chide.
He winces. “Sorry, I just don’t understand how a pretty girl like you has never gone over the edge.”
Taylor comes up to us. “Are you okay?” she asks. “I thought you may be freaked out with all the turbulence.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve been taking care of her,” Aaron informs.
“I’m okay,” I assure.
Taylor gives Aaron a curious look and then raises her brows to me.
I just shrug. “I’m never going to fly again.”
“Oh, come on, you get used to the turbulence. It isn’t that bad,” Aaron says. “And how will you check things off your bucket list if you don’t fly?”
“I can check off watching the sunrise and finishing my degree from Michigan,” I state.
“How long is this list?” Aaron asks.
“Okay, well, I see you’re doing okay. I’m going to use the restroom,” Taylor says with a singsong voice. She’s probably wondering why Aaron is being so attentive. I’m kind of wondering the same thing.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Aaron says to me.
“Huh?” I ask.
“About the list. What else is on it? Is it more sexual stuff? Do you want to see Bora Bora?” he guesses.
There may be some sexual things on my list, but I won’t be sharing those with him.
“Bora Bora is in fact on my list but given how long a flight would be to get there, I don’t see that happening now.”
“Taylor is right. You just need to fly more to desensitize yourself,” he says.
“What would you know about anxiety?” I ask, realizing that’s a little too personal. “Never mind, sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. My first year on the team was stressful. I had to make sure I was performing, but I kept feeling anxious every time I got on the ice,” he explains, surprising me that he is sharing something so personal.
“That must have been tough. I know something about that. I felt that way when I started on the gymnastics team,” I offer.
“What did you do?” he asks.
“You tell me first.” My response is immature, but I am not big on sharing personal details about myself, and it helps if he shares first.
“I told myself I would try my best and the rest was out of my control,” he says.
“Easier said than done,” I huff. “As a gymnast, the pressure is real. A foot out of place gets you docked points at a competition.”
“Hockey is also intense. We’re all just trying to gain enough points to make it to the NHL,” Aaron says. “It took a lot of work to get out of my head. I realized I could be my greatest cheerleader or my worst friend. For the longest time, I was the asshole putting myself down. I had to kick the asshole’s ass, and now I’ve just got the cheerleader.” His lip quirks in the most adorable way. “That sounded wrong.”
“Actually, it makes perfect sense.” I smile. I don’t know why I have butterflies in my stomach right now. I better refocus. Aaron Murray is a nice guy. There is more to him than his cocky, gorgeous exterior. That’s a bad thing. I need to go back to disliking him.
“Good, so will you just chill out now? Honestly, what you need is a good orgasm. Some endorphins will have you feeling like your head is in the clouds, and you’ll stop being a worrywart.”
That was mean. Good. He is an asshole like I first thought.
“That was rude. I don’t know why I bothered talking to you,” I snap to him. I turn away from him. Things were getting a little too personal anyway.
“Because you find me hot and maybe you want to check off another item from your bucket list,” he whispers against my ear.
Shivers run down my spine of the good kind. I ignore him but, damn, he got me there.
“Aaron, you and I are never happening,” I assure him.
“Briar, if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you should never say never.” With that he puts his earbuds in his ears and goes back to doing whatever he was doing. And me, well, I know I’m screwed.