Chapter 79 PLOT TWIST
PLOT TWIST
Oliver
My new job is fucking awesome.
Roughly a week and a half after I arrived in Athena’s Rest, I’m fully in charge of the drive-in theater.
Tonight, at the vote of the community, we’re playing Sharknado.
It’s utterly ridiculous. But everyone has their popcorn, and Daphne and I are in the little building that doubles as control booth and popcorn hub, debating what we should list for choices for the next few weekends of movies.
With school starting, daily showings are going down to weekends only.
Less time to sneak kisses with my girlfriend in the booth, but more time for kissing my girlfriend at home.
Archie’s been a huge help with moving my money around to give me a large enough nest egg that Daph and I will never want for anything, while putting everything else—except my Miles2Go shares—into a new foundation.
And Daphne’s giving her notice at Beeslieve.
It won’t be without tears, but she says that’s a good thing.
That being so sad to leave means both it’s an amazing place and also that helping me give away the rest of my fortune is an even more amazing opportunity.
Carmen—who will definitely be the next CEO at Miles2Go—has confirmed for me that the M2G Foundation will keep up the charitable work I started, so my money can go toward other things.
Like saving the polar bears.
And as an added bonus to this arrangement—we can set our own hours. Which means more time for exploring the area, for working at the drive-in to see all of the movies I’ve missed, for camping, for road trips and lazy afternoons at home.
For fun.
For living.
For loving Daphne.
“I can’t believe you’ve never seen Barbie,” she says to me as she leans over the movie list.
She’s sitting in my lap, pulling my hand farther and farther up her thigh.
“You can’t?” I say on a laugh. I haven’t seen anything for years. Not until this past week or so.
She grins at me. “Fine, I can believe it. But you have to watch it. And I’m not saying that to torture you.
I’m saying it because it’s a masterpiece.
But we have to warn Bea. After raising her brothers, that one monologue always makes her completely lose it.
Maybe we can show it with a tissue break after the monologue? ”
“A masterpiece?”
“Mock all you want. You’ll see.”
“Daphne?”
“Yes, Oliver?”
“I’d rather kiss you than mock you.”
Her smile softens as she lowers her mouth to mine. “Like this?”
I slide my hand the rest of the way up her thigh and dip my thumb under the hem of her jean shorts. “And this,” I murmur against her mouth.
“You have the best job ever.”
I’m smiling as I kiss her and inch my thumb closer and closer to her pussy. She threads her fingers through my hair, her tongue touching mine and sending electric jolts through my body, straight to my cock.
Definitely the best job ever. Probably not a long-term job, or even close to long-term, but for now—for now, it’s awesome.
I’m reaching around her with my other arm to tease her nipple when the door clicks behind us.
“We’re closed,” Daph gasps at the same time I say, “Go ring at the popcorn window.”
“Kissing, ew,” a familiar voice replies.
Daph straightens so fast she almost falls out of my lap. “Margot?”
“Hate to interrupt,” Margot says dryly, “but I need to give both of you a heads-up in a place no one would see me.”
I breathe in deep and tell my cock to stand down while I spin the chair so that we’re looking at Daphne’s sister.
Who’s smirking.
“God, you two are stupidly cute,” she says.
“We know,” Daph replies cheerfully. “We’re annoying everyone.”
She slides off my lap and hugs Margot, who squeezes her back tightly, then releases her. “I can’t stay long. Dad thinks I’m on a plane headed to the Caribbean.”
Daphne rolls her eyes at both of us. “What’s with billionaire heirs lying to their parents about where they’re going?”
“Our parents are awful,” I reply.
“Exactly that,” Margot agrees. “Listen, you’re going to hear chatter that I’m having a nervous breakdown over you two getting together.
Don’t listen to it. I love you both—in the sibling way, don’t get weird, Oliver, I definitely love you less—but I do love seeing both of you happy, and I’m glad you have each other.
But I needed a cover story, and this one’s about as convenient as they come. ”
“Cover story for what?” Daphne asks.
“You should sit down.”
Daph lifts her brows. “Seriously?”
“Yes.”
Daph slides back into my lap. “Better?”
Margot blows out a breath. “Everything I’m about to say doesn’t leave this room. Understood?”
“Understood,” I murmur.
“What’s going on?” Daphne whispers.
“You can’t even tell Bea,” Margot says.
“Whoa.”
“Promise, Daph?”
“Holy shit, but yeah, I promise.”
“Thank you. I know she’s trustworthy, but the fewer people who know, the better, always.
I don’t want to pull you into this, but I might need you, so I want you to be prepared.
” Margot pauses, heads to the door, locks it, and then comes closer, squatting in front of us.
“You know how Dad’s cheated on Mom our entire lives? ”
Daph makes a face. “I mean, I suspected, but I kinda didn’t want to know.”
“Most of his affairs are covered with NDAs and payoffs, but he missed one.”
I straighten, seeing where this is going. “You’re taking him down.”
Margot waves a hand. “You and your imagination.”
That wasn’t a denial. “Long game?” I ask her.
“There are things you don’t need to know yet, and I shouldn’t even tell you this, but like I said, I think I’m going to need help, and you need time to absorb this. Daph, it turns out…we have triplet half-brothers in a little town in Colorado.”
Daphne squeaks.
Understandable.
That’s not something I saw coming.
I grip Daph tighter because she is, indeed, at risk of falling on the floor if I don’t. “Triplet half-brothers?” I repeat to Margot.
“I did a DNA test a few months ago—fake name, don’t worry—and we matched as sharing a parent. Clearly not our mothers, so by default… And honestly, who’s surprised? The triplet part aside. That part was more than I was expecting.”
“Oh my god,” Daphne whispers.
“I’ve had…something…in the works for a while, and I’ve needed one last thing, and I think they’re it,” Margot says, which I suspect is as close as I’m going to get to confirmation that she’s been plotting to destroy her father since he disinherited Daphne.
“So I’m headed to Colorado to get to know them and see if they want to… help.”
“You should probably never be around a tornado,” I tell Margot while soft screams carry through the speaker Daphne and I have set up to listen in on the movie behind us.
“Was that a Sharknado joke?” Margot asks.
“Yes. Was it good?”
She smiles at me. “It was awful.”
“Oh my god, I get it.” Daphne tips her head back and laughs. “She’d be the shark in the tornado.”
“Do not tell anyone,” Margot says.
“Triplets,” Daphne breathes.
“Identical, in fact. And from what I can tell so far through email conversations with one of them, they’re definitely related to you.”
“Oh my god, Margot, we’re sisters. They’re related to you too. As the DNA says.”
Margot smiles again. “Yeah, but you got some genes I didn’t. The fun ones.”
“You have your own kind of fun,” I tell her.
The shark smile makes an appearance. “I’m certainly about to. Oh, also—they think I’m a housekeeper. I got a job at some retreat center. Starting Monday. I’m flying into Nebraska tomorrow, getting a car, dyeing my hair, getting fake glasses, and showing up as Margie Johnson.”
I clear my throat.
Daph squeaks again. “Maybe don’t stop at any small towns with saloons that have karaoke and mechanical bulls?”
Margot cracks up. “I will not be visiting any towns where you’ve been arrested. Unless there are more somewhere in Colorado that I don’t know about?”
“Nope, that’s my only one,” Daphne says.
“Same,” I agree.
Margot nods. “Good.”
“You taking security?” I ask her.
“One man. He’ll be lying low and keeping an eye on things.”
“Glad to hear it. Check the back seat and trunk of the car for stowaways every time you get in it.”
She rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. “Not a word from either of you, please. But I couldn’t leave without telling you this part.
And to not worry about anything you hear.
I needed to tell you in person that I mean it—you two have my full support.
Provided you don’t do anything stupid, Oliver.
Ryker’s on standby to dispose of your body if necessary. ”
“Oh my god, you’re not going to need Ryker,” Daphne says on a laugh. “Will you call while you’re gone?”
“I have a feeling I won’t be able to not call. Not if they’re what I’m expecting.”
She straightens and hugs Daphne and pecks her on the cheek, then hugs me too. “Take care of each other. Trust me. Don’t listen to anything anyone says about me not supporting you. And I wasn’t here, okay?”
“Be safe and call,” Daphne says.
Margot blows her a kiss, and then she’s gone.
We both stare at the door for a minute, and then Daph looks at me. “I’m glad she told me to sit down. Holy shit. Triplets?”
I look at the door once more. “She’s gonna destroy your father. And if she’s been prepping this for four years…she hasn’t left anything to chance.”
Daphne frowns. “I don’t need her to do that for me.”
“I think she needs to do it for herself. Even if she’s telling herself it’s for you.”
She snuggles closer. “I can understand that. Telling him off—it felt good. Like I was letting go of the last bits of my relationship that I hadn’t realized I was holding on to. I needed that, and I didn’t even know it.”
I kiss her forehead again. “And now you’re free.”
“We’re both free.”
“And happy. Very, very happy.”
She smiles at me. I smile back at her.
I miss when the movie ends.
I’m too busy loving my unexpected favorite woman in the world.