Looks Can Be Deceiving

Sighing softly, I forced myself to move fully under the showerhead as the hot water worked out the kinks in my back, allowing it to soak my hair. Reaching my arms up, I raked my fingers through the wet, soapy strands of hair in attempt to get the shampoo out quicker. I wanted to hurry with showering and get downstairs to start the day.

I had some serious cleaning to do. Matt, Brian and Johnny were scheduled to go on some sort of business trip, but after Lyndsey had begged and pouted, Brian asked the others to consider flying their colleagues into town rather than traveling out. Matt didn’t seem too crazy about the idea at first, but Lynds was a woman on a mission. So now, their colleagues would be coming here, to the Sanders mansion for their oh-so-big, important meeting. I was aware that Matt had a conference room somewhere around here.

That meant I would need to cook and clean…a lot. Matt didn’t know it yet, but I’d given Anna, the maid, two weeks off. I felt weird having someone clean and pick up after me, and I was afraid that once I found my own place to stay, I’d be way too used to being pampered. I didn’t want that to happen. Besides, I knew that Matt would still continue to pay Anna even after he found out that she was gone for the time being.

I would have the rest of the day to clean and get a good meal set up. Matt’s colleagues were due this afternoon. I planned on going early to the grocery store and stocking up on the usual groceries, plus a few extra things his guests might like. He would protest, and I would ignore him and do what I do best.

Once my hair was thoroughly rinsed, I proceeded to condition it. I worked quickly, scrubbing my limbs with body wash as I let the conditioner set for a few minutes and work its magic. Once I was certain that I was squeaky clean, I jumped back under the showerhead and rinsed off once more.

The mirrors in the bathroom were completely fogged up by the time I stepped out of the shower. The inside of the bathroom was hot and stuffy from the amount of steam that had built up while I’d showered, but I liked it that way. Grabbing a wide toothed comb, blow dryer brush, moisturizer, and olive oil spray, I moved into the adjoining room and spread the items across my bed. It was much cooler in my room than it had been in the bathroom, and the sudden draft of air gave me goose bumps as I clutched my towel tighter to my body. I was really going to have to hurry.

Half an hour and several stomach growls later, my hair was dried, moisturized, and straightened twice, and my fingers were bright red from having been under the direct heat of the blow dryer. I tossed my used towel in the direction of the bathroom door before scampering over to the closet, finding a pair of yoga pants, a bright neon colored sports bra, and a pair of flip flops to put on. Shadow watched me move around the room from his spot on my bed, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

“Alright, little man, let’s get ready to roll,” I nodded in his direction, causing his ears to perk up before he happily hopped off the bed and raced for the hallway. I giggled, grabbing a leash to put on him before following him out.

The house was still pretty quiet. It was only seven or so in the morning, though I knew that Matt was up. His bedroom door was wide open, meaning he was already up for the day. Shadow’s yelping from downstairs told me that he’d already found Matt. I shook my head and made my way in that direction.

“You’re up mighty early,” came Matt’s voice as soon as I hit the last stair.

“I could say the same for you,” I smiled, looking on as he wrestled with Shadow on the floor. His hair was disheveled and a thin layer of sweat covered his entire body. He then stood, tucking Shadow under his arm as he moved closer to me. I took note of his sleeveless t-shirt and basketball shorts and knew then that he’d been working out in the underground gym, “Good workout?”

“I’d say it was,” he answered airily, turning to offer me a quick smile as he took in my appearance, “You headed out?”

I nodded, walking towards the kitchen so that I could grab my keys and my wallet, “Uh huh. I’m going grocery shopping.”

“Britt,” Matt sighed with a shake of his head, “That’s what I pay Anna for. I know what you’re doing, and you don’t need to. Anna will be by later on, so don’t worry about anything—what?”

The guilty look on my face must’ve grabbed his attention, “Hm? Nothing.”

“Nothing, eh?” Matt didn’t seem all that convinced, naturally.

“Um, I guess,” I answered vaguely, eyeing him carefully as he raised an eyebrow.

“You’re up to something,” he stated knowingly, putting Shadow on the floor and crossing his arms over his chest.

“What? Of course, I’m not!” I feigned disinterest, slipping past him so that I could grab a bagel to eat on the way to the store. He called my name, but I pretended not to hear him. Again, he called my name. He was getting frustrated. Maybe I should answer. “Huh?”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“I,” I blinked dumbly in his direction, “What do you mean? I just told you I was going to get groceries.”

“But Anna always gets groceries. Now that you mention it, Anna goes grocery shopping on Sunday afternoons,” Matt stated matter-of-factly, his expression never wavering, “It’s Monday, and she has yet to make an appearance. Yet you’re going grocery shopping now.”

Shit.

“Oh really? What a coincidence,” I all but squeaked, standing frozen, rooted to my spot as he stalked towards me.

“Perhaps,” he stated in a knowing tone, eyes darkening as he regarded me, “So, I hope she’ll be in rather early today. She’ll need a head start on the chores since we’re preparing for fifteen guests—“

I felt my jaw drop, “Fifteen?”

He nodded impassively, “Sure. Anna’s used to bigger crowds. She’ll handle everything perfectly. She always does.”

That fucker. He was smiling!

“Oh. Well, isn’t that…nice,” I grimaced, aware of his eyes boring holes into the side of my head.

He chuckled, “Yeah. Well, have fun running errands. I hope you’re back in time for lunch; Anna will probably have something really good whipped up by noon.”

With that, he grinned and pressed a quick kiss to my forehead, allowing his fingers to skim my hip as he walked past me, headed in the direction of the stairs. Shadow yelped and ran after him…little traitor. I cursed lowly and sighed, snatching my hair band from my wrist and using it to tie my hair up into a sloppy bun on top of my head. Clearly, I was going to have to hustle today.

Looking back towards the staircase, I heard Matt’s laughter echo from upstairs and snarled. Asshole. With a huff, I reached over and snatched Matt’s keys from the countertop. We’d see who’d be laughing when I got back.

Scurrying down the hallway, I turned left and jogged down the small set of stairs leading to the four-door garage. I came to a stop and opened the door, flicking on the light switch as I stepped inside. One by one, several rows of fluorescent lights appeared overhead, illuminating car after car. First was the Koenigsegg, sitting squeaky clean and smelling of fresh wax. Next in line was a sleek, silver Audi convertible, followed by a bright orange car I’d never seen before, and an all black Suburban in the far corner.

My eyes darted back to the bright orange car in the center of the garage. Bingo.

I looked back to the door to see yet another key hook on the wall, and grinned. Setting the keys to the Koenigsegg on the rack on a vacant hook, I then reached over and snatched the keys that matched with the emblem on the orange car. Squinting, I held the keys up to my face and read the tiny name engraved into the front of the keys: McLaren. Now there was something I could actually pronounce.

Shrugging, I gripped the keys and moved towards the car with lightning speed, “Sounds good to me.”

The headlights flashed as I unlocked the car and moved to open the door. It opened with silent ease and was feather-light in my hand. I jumped as a clicking noise sounded, and the door began lifting slowly into the air all on its own. The scent that hit my nostrils as I ducked inside told me that the car was brand spanking new. The interior was black, casting a dark veil over everything inside the car. It was hard to make out what was where. Where the fuck was the ignition? And what the fuck did half of the damn buttons even mean?

And people thought German cars were confusing.

After fumbling around for a solid minute or so, I finally found the ignition and inserted the key. Skimming through the few buttons that did make sense, I realized that the car had a push-to-start switch and pressed it, jumping as the engine let out a quiet roar.

Figuring out how the car worked proved to be difficult. It was clearly a manual, but the gearshift was weird. The only thing I recognized was the bright white ‘R’, which had to mean ‘reverse’. I adjusted the mirrors and looked up at overhead mirror for the garage opener, hitting the right button and waiting for the door to open.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped on the break and toggled the gearshift, shifting into reverse and easing off the break. In a swift motion, the car lurched backwards, causing my heart to drop into my stomach. I slammed back on the brake and stopped the car, exhaling slowly as I leaned back into the cool, leather seat. Cursing lowly, I said a quick prayer and tried again, willing my heart rate to go back to normal as I tried backing out of the garage. Though still a rough transition, this time was much better than the first, and in a matter of seconds, I was flying down the smooth streets of Heritage Manor.

The trip to the store was a rather quick one, which was to be expected. The crowd of onlookers was to be expected as well. Covering my eyes with sunglasses in vain attempt to hide away, I popped open the door and acted as though the car didn’t have butterfly doors that lifted up into the air as I stepped out. The doors slowly closed back and I locked the car up, choosing to look straight ahead as I entered the store.

I grabbed a cart right off the bat and flew through the aisles with lightning speed, tossing this and that into the cart as I went. I hadn’t really come up with a palette of things that I wanted to make today, but I figured inspiration would hit me somewhere along the way. I grabbed a few different spices I didn’t already have, several boxes of heavy-duty aluminum foil and parchment paper, and some extra baking pans and spatulas before moving on.

In the produce section, I took advantage of the variety of fruit present, grabbing handfuls of peaches, pineapples, apples, oranges, limes, and blueberries. The strawberries they had didn’t look appealing enough, and I reluctantly left those behind. I knew I’d end up using the majority of the fruits for marinades and sauces, as well as salads.

The meat section was my favorite. I ordered several full racks of ribs from the butcher, along with a few packages of chicken breast, pork chops, and salmon. I didn’t exactly consider the salmon a meat, but since I didn’t know who I was cooking for, I thought it best to have something halfway vegetarian friendly.

Looking at my watch, I’d spent close to an hour in the store. It was definitely time to go. I headed to the beverage isle and stocked up on drinks, knowing that the guys wouldn’t be able to stand a good meal without their poison of choice. I got a few cases of beer, bottles of vodka, wine coolers, and other premium liquors that sounded halfway appealing.

The look the cashier gave me at the checkout line was pretty interesting. I clearly had more alcoholic beverages stacked up in the cart than I did food, which must have looked insane for someone my size. I pretended not to notice and simply smiled, commenting on the weather before staring up at the ceiling with feigned interest as she rang up each item with her jaw dropped.

“Ma’am,” came the cashier’s stammer several moments later, causing me to look over at her with curiosity as she pointed to the monitor facing me, “Y-Your total is 347.11”

“Well, I’ll be darned,” I whistled lowly, cocking my hip to the side as I placed my hand over it, “Out of everything in this whole store, and I choose to buy the most expensive stuff y’all have!” I chuckled with a shake of my head.

“Do…d-do you have a Kroger Plus card?” the brunette asked lamely, as if any sort of rewards card could drastically change the price on that screen.

Oh well, what the hell.

“As a matter of fact, I do!” I smiled widely, reaching into my purse for my wallet. As soon as I opened it to grab my card, a shiny piece of gold plastic caught my attention. It was a credit card, and it certainly wasn’t mine. Holding it up, I squinted at it.

MATTHEW C SANDERS

A silent growl rippled from the back of my throat as I moved to toss it back into my wallet. That fucker was always stepping in, and I wouldn’t let him. Just as I began putting the card back, I noticed a hot pink sticky note tacked to the back of it and frowned.

Use it or I’ll be forced to reimburse you for whatever you spend. Ken Steeling on speed dial.

With a grimace, I held the card in one hand and fished for my rewards card with the other. I quickly located it and handed it over to the cashier. She ignored my disgruntled expression and scanned it, then handed it back to me and waited for me to swipe the credit card. I inwardly cursed Matt for having all the damn connections in the world, including the number of my fucking accountant so that he could put money into my fucking bank account. Rich fucker.

As the cashier handed me my receipt and announced my dollar amount in savings, another employee finished bagging everything and loaded it all into my cart. I smiled gratefully and thanked him, tucking my receipt and cards back into my wallet before grabbing hold of the cart. I pushed with all my might, no doubt receiving my half an hour’s worth of exercise for the day as I hauled the cart in the direction of Matt’s car.

Getting all the groceries inside the coupe proved to be a challenge in itself, more so than hauling the damn cart. I struggled for the longest time, stashing all of the drinks away in the tiny trunk before stacking all the meats and heavier items on the floor of the cramped backseat. The lighter items sat on the seats, though I knew that they’d be on the floor once I’d finished joyriding on the way back to the mansion.

I sighed in relief as I pushed the now weightless, empty cart towards the cart return station, hearing laughter sound from my right. Ignoring it, I gave the cart a final push and watched it slam into the metal rod of the station, successfully coming to a stop with the rest of the returned carts. With that, I turned on my heel and headed back for the car, stopping short when I noticed just who was standing in front of me.

“Can I help you?” I asked testily, planting a hand on my hip as I stared down the nameless, home wrecking, knocked-up slut who stood just a foot away, smirk on her face and two cronies flanking her sides.

“As a matter of fact, you can,” she smiled smugly, and I cringed at hearing the annoying sound for the first time, “I was hoping you could give me some directions—”

“To Hell?” I countered with a sneer, “Take another step in my direction, and I’ll gladly show you the way down.”

She seemed unaffected by my hostility, “I may just do that as a quick pit stop. Actually, I was curious to see if you knew any great real estate agents. You see, Ty has been promoted and is expecting a nice salary by the end of the year, along with a hefty bonus.”

“Your point?” I glared impatiently at her, itching to push past her and knock her ass to the ground. Fucking pregnant bitch.

She smiled almost evilly then, “Well, Ty tells me that you’ve had experience in contacting real estate agencies in the past. He’s interested in buying property in some little town along the coast,” she flapped a hand dismissively, while dread filled my stomach, “Though for the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the place. Harper…Hampton…Huhh…Hope Ranch!”

I felt my insides turn to mush as I quivered with apparent rage, regarding her with disgust. She simply smirked in my direction, even going so far as to chuckle in my face, but I wasn’t fucking laughing. And if she didn’t get the hint and know what was good for her and her bastard kid, I’d be glad to show her something that I would fucking find funny.

“Tanya,” warned the brunette from her left side, poorly highlighted bangs falling in her face as she spoke, “Maybe you should back o—”

However, the bitchface ignored her little minion, “Ty says he’s been eyeing property over there for a while. He mentioned you knowing a thing or two about that community, but seeing as you’re no more, I highly doubt you’ll need that information. That being said, I’d like to check the place out for myself, and I’m sure you have connections to people who know the area well.”

If I wasn’t angry before, I was livid now. Who the fuck was she to waltz into my life, fuck it up, then reopen fresh wounds and attempt to ruin the new one I’d made for myself? Who the fuck was she to simply assume that I would stand here and take that shit from her, of all fucking people? This bitch had another fucking thing coming to her.

I was subconsciously aware of the video camera hoisted on top of the store, facing the very parking lot we stood in and forced myself to not hit the trifling cunt. Holding my anger in with everything I had in me, I took one step forward, my breath mangled and ragged as I felt her baby bump against my flat stomach. I paused for a second, watching as apprehension and doubt appeared in her eyes, and smirked.

“You’re right, I do have the connections,” I smiled viciously, my eyes never leaving hers, “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay the fuck away from me so I won’t have to give the wrong people your information.”

So, I was bluffing. From the unmasked terror in her eyes, she seemed to believe it.

Silence. Not a word came from the three women as I sneered in a near-whisper, “Move.”

Quickly, they each stepped aside and allowed me to pass, and without another glance in their direction, I heatedly stalked towards Matt’s car. I stabbed the unlock button with my thumb and waited for the door to lift open, flopping down onto the cool leather seat when it did. As the door closed, I punched the key in the ignition and jabbed the start button with more force than necessary. I peeled out the parking lot and headed straight for the highway.

As angry as I was, there was no way I could go back and face Matt in this state. Some high speed driving to calm my nerves was in order.

**************

How I didn’t have a speeding ticket tacked to my name by now was beyond me. Better yet, why wasn’t my license cut in half and why hadn’t I been carted off to jail yet? The traffic laws I’d broken in the past hour would probably be enough to put me away for life, but luckily, I hadn’t been caught.

As I neared the gated community of Heritage Manor once again, I quickly adjusted myself, raking a hand through my hair and wiping my eyes before I returned my hands to the steering wheel and gearshift. I’d cursed, I’d screamed, I’d cried and then cursed some more as I flew down the highway. Through my breakdown, I’d had half a mind to drive up to Santa Barbara, but I knew that wasn’t a good idea.

Now I was all cried, screamed, and cussed out. My throat was sore, which would undoubtedly shatter my voice for the rest of the day. My head was spinning, and every limb and surface on my body ached something fierce. It was hard enough just to keep the car on the road as I concentrated on slowly making my return to the Sanders mansion.

While the sting of Tyler’s betrayal was nothing new, the newfound depth of it was. Just when I thought I could get no lower, he always came and surprised me. First it was to find out that the girl he’d been cheating on me with was pregnant and now engaged to him, and now it was that he was thinking of moving her into the beach community we’d both dreamed of living in someday. Our happily ever after spot, if you will. Knowing how much I’d wanted a quiet, relaxing place to raise a family – something he’d also promised me – and then fucked me over and promised that life to another girl, knowing it’d get back to me was just a new fucking low.

I’d learned my lesson. I’d learned the hard way that he didn’t care. But was I that insignificant and disposable to him? Had that really been how he’d felt about me all along?

I couldn’t think about this shit. As tired as I was, it would only start me up again, and that was the last thing I needed as I pulled up to the mansion. I entered the guarded gates to the estate and slowly drove up the stone driveway, reaching up momentarily to hit the garage opener. As the doors opened back up, I eased the car inside and parked, hurriedly killing the engine.

Packing all of the groceries into the house was a rough one. It took several trips of stumbling across Matt’s hardwood floors before I got everything settled into the kitchen. Everything was still pretty quiet, though one of the TVs was on upstairs. Matt and Shadow were nowhere to be found.

I paid the silence no mind, savoring it as I put the groceries away and began setting up. I’d decided at the last minute that I’d just cook everything, and then worry about side dishes once I figured out what kind of aromas and tastes went best with one another.

I started by pulling several pans and plates out, along with vegetable oil, red wine, and a few of my favorite spices. I set those aside and opened up the ribs, knowing they’d take the longest to cook. I had roughly two hours before Matt said his guests would be likely to arrive, and that was going to be a stretch. I worked quickly, soaking the ribs in a marinade used with pineapple chunks before making a rub to cover them in later. I then began rinsing off the chicken under hot water from the sink, preparing it to be fried.

The minutes ticked away as I began making the batter for the fried chicken, adding my own little touch to it with the fruit and seasoning. The ribs were ready to be covered with the rub, and getting through that was a mighty sticky job. Once they were finished, I covered the pan with aluminum foil and stuck them in the oven. They wouldn’t be finished for a while. I chose to fry half the pork chops, and to grille the rest. I used the same batter to fry the chicken and pork chops, which didn’t take long. The salmon was the easiest. I used the fruit and light seasoning once again before sticking that pan in the oven, just above the ribs.

While I monitored the progress of the meats, I covered the fried food and placed it on a hot plate in the center of the island before searching through the cabinets for possible side dishes. By then, my creativity juices were running slow, so I picked something easy and simple. Mashed potatoes with asparagus bits and bacon, grilled corn on the cob, sweet potato casserole, and pasta salad. And of course, the beloved fruit salad. I mapped out how I would tackle the rest of the mini-feast with enough time, and smiled at how far I’d gotten.

“Remind me to allow you to dismiss Anna from her chores more often.”

My heart skidded to a stop as I whirled around and faced Matt with surprise, taking note of his light expression, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. I stood stock still as he stepped forward, stopping just before me to eye the mashed potatoes I’d begun, “Looks good.”

I found my voice then, making sure to speak softly, “It will be.”

“I have no doubt about that,” he murmured seriously, eyeing me with a look that I didn’t think he meant for me to see. I quickly turned back towards the stove and began absentmindedly stirring the heating potatoes as he continued, placing a large, warm hand on my hip as he breathed into my ear, “Did you have fun?”

I was sure that he was referring to joyriding in that bright orange, European wonder of a machine, but somehow my thoughts were directed elsewhere. Because I had been having a good time…until…fuck. I squeezed my eyes shut momentarily, concentrating on forcing the anger to subside as Matt’s fingers twirled at the loose ends of hair that had fallen out of my bun.

“I…I did,” I nearly whispered, having no choice but to face him as he turned my body around, taking in his appearance with a tiny smile, “You look nice.”

And he did. Dressed casually – well, casually for him – in a dark ensemble, I found it hard to breath as I took in the black button up shirt he was wearing, sleeves rolled up to the elbows and first few buttons loose, exposing colorful bits of skin covered with tattoos. The shirt was fitted and untucked, and a dark belt peeked out from underneath part of it. And then there were the dark slacks he wore, tight but not too tight.

To say I was ogling the man would be a cosmic understatement.

“You’re eye-raping me, sweetheart.”

Gulping, I tore my gaze away from Matt’s pants, thankful for the distraction as I sputtered, “N-no, I wasn’t!”

“Yes, you were,” he stated matter-of-factly, crossing his arms above his chest. In turn, the muscles of his biceps rippled, and the pool of heat in my stomach exploded, “I would know. I give you looks like that quite often.”

I faltered then, turning back to the stove once more, “I attempt not to notice that.”

He chuckled behind me, the sound of his footsteps letting me know that he was moving away from me, “And how’s that been working out for you?”

“Fine,” I squeaked, grimacing when I heard how unconvincing my lie had sounded.

It was silent for a moment.

“How about now?”

I rolled my eyes, reaching over and tossing a piece of bacon over my shoulder in his direction, “Matt, you’re a pig.”

“And I tend to eat very well,” he chuckled, and this time I whipped around and glared at him, watching as he laughed loudly at his joke, “I’m just saying!”

“HONEY, I’M HOME!” came a familiar, wild shriek from the front door.

“And, here comes Jimmy,” Matt grinned, leaning back in his seat so that he could peer out into the hallway, “Hey, Jim!”

With his signature uncoordinated walk and goofy smile, Jimmy barreled into the room and grabbed Matt up for a rough hug. I smiled at the two as Jimmy swayed them from side to side, hollering about how he’d missed his best friend before he smacked a big kiss on the top of Matt’s head and released him. Then his gaze turned to me. I gulped, and within a second, the lanky, eager man was towering over me with a manic expression.

“Hi, Slim Jim,” I smiled up at him, yelping when he yanked me up into the air. He always took me by surprise when he did that, and I was sure to let him know, “Dammit, Jimmy! Put me down, fool!”

“Why should I?” he taunted playfully, beginning to swing me around in circles as I groaned, “You scared of heights?”

“Yes, the fuck I am,” I whined, squeezing my eyes shut, “I’m five foot two and Lord only knows how tall you are, yet here I am at fucking eye level with you and spinning in circles! I’m gonna be sick!”

“C’mon, Jimbo, put her down,” came Matt’s warning tone from beside us.

I could practically see the pout on Jimmy’s face, even though my eyes were closed, “But Matt!”

“Jim.”

“Oh, fine. If it makes our Mattiekins happy, I’ll set her down. She’s just so cute and tiny!” Jimmy screeched, placing my feet back on the floor.

“She’s not a toy.”

“She has a name,” I interjected with a grumble, clutching my head in attempt to keep my brains from scattering, “It’s Brittany, and Brittany feels like she’s going to blow chunks all over the floor.”

“Just out of curiosity, is there anything else Brittany blows? I’m sure Matt would like to know—Oww!” I gaped at Jimmy as Matt shot a deathly glare in his friend’s direction. I didn’t know what was going on with the two of them, but this situation sure just got awkward. Jimmy glanced innocently between Matt and I with a smile, “What?”

I blinked and slipped past the two of them, “I’m gonna leave now—” I stopped short and turned around, eyeing the food I’d been cooking, “On second thought, I’m not done cooking. So, y’all get out.”

Despite their protests, I shooed both men away, ignoring the rather awkward conversation and concentrating once again on the side dishes I’d been juggling. The pot of mashed potatoes was done, so I added butter and then let them simmer on low heat. As I checked on the meat in the oven, I heard the front door open and close several times, alerting me to the others’ arrivals. I could distinctly make out Raychel and Johnny’s voices, but that was about it.

I finished the macaroni and the pasta salad a little later before checking the time and venturing off into the living room. There I found Raychel and Zacky curled up on the love seat, mumbling quietly to each other as he held her close. Jimmy was sprawled out across the other couch, his legs dangling off the back of the couch as he watched TV upside down, a concentrated expression gracing his features. I wasn’t too sure where Johnny had gone, and Matt was missing, too.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, Matt rounded the corner from the direction of his office, tucking a phone into his pants pocket, Johnny following behind him, “Security just identified them at the entrance, so let’s go ahead and set up.”

Zack was up in a flash, giving Raychel a kiss before heading down the hallway in the direction that Matt had come from. Johnny waited for Jimmy to leave the couch before they too sauntered off in the direction that Zack had gone. Matt stayed behind, regarding Raychel and I with a secretive smile.

“Everything will be ready within the next hour or so, so whenever y’all get ready to eat, it’ll be here,” I shrugged, not knowing if they planned to interrupt their discussion to eat, or if they’d wait til they’d finished everything before eating.

A smile spread across his face, dimples appearing in his cheeks as he stepped forward and pulled me into a gentle hug, “Thanks for doing this. It smells great.”

“You’re welcome,” I muttered into his chest, finding myself slightly distracted by the scent of his alluring cologne and bulging muscles. Why hadn’t I noticed these things before?

With a chuckle, he gave my waist a quick squeeze before turning me loose, flashing me another smile. My mind felt a little fuzzy and scattered as the warmth of his body dissipated, but I was quick to compose myself. Lyndsey appeared by my side and pulled me into a tight hug as Matt stepped aside, and I greeted her enthusiastically.

As she moved to embrace Raychel, Matt turned back to me, regarding me seriously, “Do you know where the conference rooms are?”

I shook my head slowly, “I have no clue.”

“They’re on the far west end, underground by the gym,” he nodded, pointing to our left and then gesturing downwards, “If you need anything, there’s an intercom system just outside the foyer that will call to the room.”

I cocked an eyebrow, “Well, that’s mighty technologically savvy of you.”

He chuckled with a shake of his head, “Sweetheart, this is a big house, and it’s easy to get lost in. Take my advice and use the intercom first, if you need to. We’ll be out shortly.”

With that, he nodded towards Raychel and Lyndsey before sauntering up the hallway, no doubt in the direction of the front door. I shrugged and moved back into the kitchen, my friends following suit as they giggled at something together.

I returned to my post in front of the stove, checking over everything as Lyndsey whistled lowly, “You’ve been busy today.”

I smirked at that, “I had no idea that we’d be having guests, let alone fifteen of them. I kind of gave Matt’s maid two weeks off the other day.”

Raychel snorted with a shake of her head, “Nice job.”

A sighed dramatically, “I aim to please.”

I then watched as Lyndsey went through all of the drinks I’d bought at the grocery store, “They’re gonna fucking love this.”

“I already love it,” Raychel mumbled, reaching down and snagging a bottle of Mike’s Hard Lemonade with a toothy grin. Lyndsey moved toward the cabinets and fetched her a glass, helpfully filling it with ice from the dispenser and handing it to her, “Think of how much money the government makes in sin taxes off people like us.”

I giggled at that, “Between just the boys alone, it’s probably enough to buy and sell this estate ten times over.”

“Easily,” Lyndsey nodded in agreement, peeking into plate with the fried chicken and pork chops, “Everything looks so good. You’d be the perfect gazillionaire housewife.”

I paid my best friend no mind, moving to sit at the island with Raychel, “Matt and I are just friends, Lynds, and I have no plans on getting married anytime soon.”

“You’re only saying that because Tyler was such a prick,” Lyndsey stated knowingly, hopping up from her seat to raid the freezer, “Matt could be good to you and make you really happy. And then—”

“Oh my God,” I groaned with a roll of his eyes, “Why do you always do this? We’re not interested in one another. We’re not—”

“That’s not what I heard from the last function,” Raychel piped up quietly, flashing me a wicked smile. That shut me up. What the hell did they hear?

“That’s right,” Lyndsey grinned in agreement, whirling around with a pint of ice cream as she kicked the freezer door shut, “I hear Matt has many more hidden talents than we originally thought. Who knew that he’d be such a great dancer?”

Shit. Well, there was no way of getting out of this one.

“So, are you gonna bullshit us again about not being interested in each other?” Lynds asked innocently, ripping off the lid to the ice cream and jabbing a spoon into the creamy dessert.

Yes. “Dancing with each other doesn’t mean we’re interested in one another,” I answered defiantly.

“No,” Raychel agreed thoughtfully, taking a large gulp of her drink, “Regular dancing usually doesn’t. But that wasn’t regular dancing, and you know it.”

I was caught, “So!” I sputtered, flailing my arms about, “I’m single and he’s single; we can dance however the hell we want and make it mean whatever the hell we want! Who’s to say it meant what you’re implying?”

“No one has to imply anything,” Lyndsey shrugged with a smug expression, “Your bodies seem to do the talking for you.”

There was no end to their tirade and I sighed, “Anything else you want me to know while you’re at it?”

“Zacky says that he likes it rough,” Raychel answered seriously, smiling brightly at me as Lyndsey giggled.

I cocked an eyebrow, “And if Zacky has firsthand knowledge of this information, maybe you should watch your back. Keep a tighter leash on your man.”

Lyndsey began laughing insanely at that, spewing ice cream all across the island. Raychel’s face turned into one of disgust as she grumbled incoherently to herself, taking another gulp of the liquor in front of her. I shook my head and silently tossed a damp dishrag in my friend’s direction. Throughout her hysteric fits of laughter, she managed to clean the mess she’d made.

“Okay, new subject,” Raychel pouted, looking over at Lyndsey with a semi-glare, “Have either of you noticed how secretive the guys have been about this meeting they’re having?”

I frowned at that, “What do you mean?”

Lyndsey dropped her spoon on the countertop and nodded, jabbing her finger in the direction of where the guys had gone, “Brian won’t tell me what their meeting’s about. He never calls his associates by name. Stuff like that,” she answered with a shrug, returning to her ice cream.

“Mmhmm, Zacky, too,” Raychel chirped, pushing the now empty bottle away, “He’s always vague about business partners. He’ll give a detail here and there, but nothing to let me know what’s going on.”

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the girls were right, “Matt only mentions business when he’s ready to celebrate some victorious deal he’s made. Other than that, he handles everything in his office and doesn’t mention it outside of there.”

“That sounds just like Brian,” Lyndsey nodded in agreement, looking thoughtfully out the kitchen window.

I frowned once more, “Well, have you ever directly asked him what he does?”

Again, she nodded, pouting this time, “Every time I bring it up, he distracts me with sex.”

Raychel giggled at the forlorn expression on Lyndsey’s face, and I rolled my eyes. God only knew what was going through her mind now that Brian was brought into the conversation. Shaking my head, I contained my laughter and grabbed an oven mitt, preparing to pull the salmon out of the oven.

“Whatever that is, it smells so good,” Raychel grinned, rubbing her hands together as she eyed the steaming pan of fish. I winked knowingly at her and set it on the stovetop, peeking under the foil to make sure it’d been cooked enough, “Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I think they’re involved in the porn business!”

I couldn’t help it. I dropped the spatula in my hand, allowing it to hit the floor with a loud clatter, gripping onto the handle of the oven door as I shrieked with laughter. Out of all the people in the world, Raychel would be the one to accuse our friends of being secret porn industry giants. Raychel, the quiet, logical one of us all.

She pouted over at me, throwing her hands up defensively, “What! Why else would they have this much money and have girls giving them secret smiles everywhere they go!”

I tried to picture each of the guys standing on the side of an adult film set, Zacky directing how the scantily clad women would pose with his signature snakebitten smirk, while Johnny went around pinching the actresses in the ass with a mischievous glint in his eye. Brian would sit there in one of the director’s chairs, smoking a cigarette and keeping a stony, tough guy expression on his face as he watched everything. And I could see Matt sitting right beside him, aviator shades covering his eyes as he too watched and directed silently from his own chair. Jimmy – oh, poor Jimmy – would no doubt be MIA with the missing actress that everyone seemed to be waiting on.

I shook my head, hoping to clear the image from my mind, “As funny as the thought is, it seems reasonable. Besides…I found some things in Matt’s closet a few weeks ago during that thunderstorm.”

“Things? Like what?” Lyndsey asked, seeming perplexed as she leaned forward on her elbows at the island, giving me her full attention.

I chewed my lip, contemplating on how to word what I’d found, “Well, Shadow ran off and sent me on a wild goose chase. Long story short, I discovered that Matt has a secret room inside his closet with posters of naked women and boxes of dildos in every color imaginable.”

Now it was Lyndseys turn to shriek with laughter, “Are you fucking serious! What the hell?”

Raychel shook her head, smirking ever so slightly, “I fucking knew it.”

“Well, wait,” Lyndsey held her hands up, “How do you know that he’s just not a closet kink?”

“Because then he’d have other toys hidden in there, and not just boxes of the same kind of toy with the same manufacturer’s label all over them,” I stated matter-of-factly, as Raychel slammed her tiny fist down onto the countertop.

“I FUCKING KNEW IT! I SO KNEW IT! THEY ARE!” she screeched suddenly, launching into a victory dance that honestly had me questioning her sanity at that very moment, “I mean, why else would Zacky be on the phone with the others, referring to stuff as ‘shipments’? Why else would they be so vague about their meetings and business trips? They’re probably porn conventions!”

I cringed at that. That sounded purely fucking awkward.

Lyndsey looked to be in thought as Raychel began prancing around the kitchen, chanting ‘I knew it!’ in a singsong voice over and over again. I shook my head and simply watched her, having never seen her with this much energy unless she was on a caffeine high. If she was this excited to find out that her boyfriend was possibly an adult film director on the low, then I was only imagining the things going through her mind when she decided to confront him about it…ew.

“What’s going on here?”

Lyndsey blinked, tearing herself from her stupor as I looked over and saw Zacky strolling up the hallway, one hand in his pocket and an unlit cigarette hanging from his pierced lips. Raychel went silent and when I turned to glance at her, I saw the rather explicit look she gave him. My stomach knotted up as I looked away; I definitely didn’t need to witness that.

“You guys all done?” I asked innocently, turning back to Zacky. He continued to eye his girlfriend carefully, cocking an eyebrow at her rambunctious behavior. I felt Lyndsey jab me in the side with her elbow, catching her smirk out of the corner of my eye.

“Yeah,” he answered distractedly, inching somewhat closer to the fridge, where Raychel stood, “It was…it was just a quick meeting to tie some loose ends and uh…make a few new proposals.”

If that wasn’t vague, I didn’t know what was.

“Oh,” I replied dumbly, exchanging confused glances with Lyndsey, “Okay. Where’s everyone else?”

“Why, did you miss us?” came Johnny’s voice, a teasing edge to it as he rounded the corner with a calm smile.

I grinned as he neared, allowing him to pull me into a tight hug, “Maybe just a little. Besides, I cooked. Didn’t want the food to get cold and go to waste.”

“Part of the reason we finished up so fast,” an unfamiliar voice sounded from my right. I looked up and saw a man of medium build with light eyes, specks of gray streaked throughout his shoulder length mane of hair, “We couldn’t concentrate much with such a delicious smell wafting through the air.”

I smiled in gratitude, “Well, if everyone’s ready to eat, c’mon and fix yourselves a plate.”

Looking around, the rather spacious kitchen felt tiny and overcrowded as several more men, plus the guys, filed into the room. Lyndsey had begun stacking all of the drinks I’d bought earlier onto the countertop in the far corner of the kitchen, while Raychel directed for Zacky and Johnny to start filling glasses with ice. I weaved through each of the men and began uncovering pots and pans, and Brian began cheering once he caught sight of the ribs that had just finished cooking.

Matt appeared by my side shortly after, placing a hand on my back with a smile as he spoke loudly, “Alright, fuckers. Ladies first. She did make everything, afterall.”

“What happened to Anna?” Brian asked curiously, snatching the plate that I’d fixed for him. I chose not to say anything and watched him dig into his food instead.

“Britt thought it’d be a good idea to give her a two-week long vacation, then try to hide it,” Matt answered casually, as though this were an everyday occurrence.

Jimmy gaped, “You let someone dismiss your staff and they’re still breathing?”

I blinked, looking over at Matt for his reaction. Was he that much of a control freak when he was in business mode? Suddenly, I found myself extremely happy that I was his friend and not one of his employees or business partners.

With a chuckle, Matt coiled an arm around my waist, pulling me into his side as he hungrily eyed the pork chops, “I’d say she’s already made up for her transgressions. Wouldn’t you agree, sweetheart?”

I rolled my eyes, “Oh, Mattie. There are no ‘transgressions’ when it comes to me.”

He grinned at my defiance, a certain glint in his eyes, “How right you are.”