Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Thank you guys for letting me stay,” I said. “I know it wasn’t planned.”
Emmett pulled in a breath, looking up at the sky. God, he looked good. Like royalty, in his silk clothes, as if the modern mini-mansion behind him was his castle.
Since when did I hang out with people like Emmett?
How had I gotten here, when I’d grown up in dusty trailer parks and apartments where the drywall was crumbling in every room?
When Emmett spoke, I felt like I was in a trance. “Dad always used to say: we have to let go of the life we had planned to accept the one that’s waiting for us.”
“Another good Dad quote,” Landry said, nodding his head.
The saying hit me right in the chest. I wanted to lightly roast Emmett like I usually did. I wanted to poke fun at his constant Dad quotes or make a joke. But I was starting to think the quotes were working on me.
Let go of the life we had planned to accept the one that’s waiting for us.
I’d certainly never planned on being rich. On kissing a silver-spoon wealthy guy who drives a damn Porsche. I’d never planned on sucking his dick and loving every moment of it.
And I’d never planned on ending up here, sitting outside with him and his best friend, feeling like I actually might fit in for once.
Emotion welled up inside me, coming out of nowhere.
“Speaking of unplanned things,” Emmett said, frowning as he looked above the line of trees. “I think a thunderstorm is about to hit.”
I pulled in a breath, trying to collect myself and act normal, even though I felt like I was at risk of reaching out, hugging the guys, and singing Kumbaya as I welled up with tears.
“It was blue skies all day,” I said, doubtful. “I doubt we’ll see rain.”
Just then, as if on cue, a low, rumbling thunder sounded through the air. The pine trees shook, swaying in a small gust of wind. Pepper and Oreo both froze on the lawn, looking up at the sky.
Emmett gave me an I told you so look. “I can tell when thunderclouds are rolling through the mountains.”
“Let’s clean this stuff up,” Landry said. “I need to get back home anyway and finish some of those financials for Cutmore.”
Emmett rolled his eyes. “More of the Rodgett busywork?”
Landry pressed his lips into a thin line as he stood up, picking up our plates. “Yep. I swear Cutmore would lick the Rodgett family’s feet if it meant staying on their good side.”
“You guys aren’t talking about Frank Rodgett, are you?” I asked, furrowing my brow.
They both looked up at me. “Yes, actually,” Emmett said. “You know him?”
“He and his whole family came to the meet and greet before the last football game,” I said. “He donates to some sports charities, but that man is evil.”
“I don’t know if he’s evil,” Landry chimed in, “but he is absolutely a crook.”
“Evil,” I said pointedly. “He was bragging to us—bragging—about how his new cheap-ass clothing company found loopholes around major environmental toxicity laws last year.”
More thunder rumbled through the air, louder this time.
Emmett grimaced. “I have heard that the Rodgett clothing factories are particularly bad.”
“Worse than bad,” I told him. “Frank Rodgett was saying he literally saw entire flocks of birds outside one of his factories that were dying to the fumes, and he laughed. I almost punched him in the face instantly. Would have, if the game hadn’t been about to begin a half hour later.”
“Our boss is obsessed with that man,” Landry said as he continued cleaning up. All three of us started taking stuff back into the kitchen. “Cutmore seems like he wants the new Rodgett clothes company to be one of our main marketing clients.”
I cut Emmett a glance. “This is the guy who’s homophobic, too? Your boss sounds like a real winner.”
“It’s awful.”
As we kept cleaning up, Landry and Emmett talked more about their work and their boss, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After we’d loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the patio, I stood by the open back doors of the deck in disbelief.
“If you hate him so much, why do you stand for his shit?” I asked Emmett.
“Cutmore?” he asked as he brought Pepper and Oreo back inside. “He’s the boss. I’d rather he wasn’t, but he’s been at Lux Marketing for decades. Can’t really do anything about that.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “You could.”
Emmett shook his head. “Nope. Not unless I become a partner at the firm.” In the low light of the deck, I could see the first few drops of rain fall down and darken his silk shirt.
“You can always do something,” I said. “Call him out, let him know you don’t stand for his crap, tell him you refuse to work for assholes like Rodgett.”