Dear, sweet baby Jesus.

I wake up with a pounding headache. It takes me a moment to realize that I’m in my bedroom. The last thing I remember last night is watching Zoe dancing with her shoes.

Why the hell was Zoe dancing with her shoes?

Oh yeah. We were trying out new recipes for the store. That must have been some potent product my dad kept stashed in the vault. I very slowly make my way out of my bed and to the bathroom. The thing staring back at me in the mirror nearly makes me pee my pants. What happened to me? My hair is smashed flat on one side of my head, and sticking straight out on the other. I have mascara running down my cheeks and red lipstick circling my mouth about a half inch away from my actual lips. Is that white icing on my nose? I need a shower, maybe three, to get myself back to looking half normal.

I reach in to turn on the water and let it heat up while I do my business and take off my clothes. After I use the potty, I stop to look down at what I’m wearing. I distinctly remember being in yoga pants and a red t-shirt last night. Now, I’m in my undies and an old Bluff City U t-shirt that I had forgotten about. When did I change clothes?

I strip and get into the shower, letting the hot water soothe my aching head and muscles. I wash my hair twice and have to let the conditioner sit for five minutes before I can finally run my fingers through it without getting them caught in tangles. I scrub my face and body until I turn pink. Once I feel like I’m almost normal, I shut the water off and towel dry myself and my hair. I wrap the towel around myself and walk back into my bedroom.

“How are you feeling this morning, Alice?”

I jump in the air and throw the towel I had wrapped myself in at the perpetrator in the bedroom. Because, you know, a towel is a great weapon.

I bend over, clutching my chest over my heart. “Holy heck, North. What are you doing here? In my bedroom?”

“Umm, Alice, you might want to grab your towel, or at least a shirt or something.”

I stand up to ask North what he’s talking about when I feel a breeze across my stomach. I look down and see that I am in fact, naked. Smooth going Alice. I slap one hand over my boobs, the other over my lady bits. “Do you mind turning around?”

Dobey is still laying on my bed sound asleep. Guard dog my ass. I wait until I’m sure North can no longer see me and then I hustle over to my dresser, ripping open the drawer I keep my t-shirts in. I throw one on and shimmy into a pair of tight running pants. “Okay, you can turn back around now.”

He slowly turns to face me. “I brought you some aspirin and water. There’s also breakfast waiting for you downstairs. Cash made omelettes. He said it would help to sober you up.”

I take the two pills and place them in my mouth, then chug the bottle of water. “Thank you, North. Now, do you mind telling me why you and Cash are in my house this morning? Who let you in?”

“Actually, you and Zoe let me in. Last night. You don’t remember anything do you?”

I rub my head. “Honestly, no. I remember baking and watching Zoe dance around the kitchen. After that, everything is a blur. We let you in last night?”

North clears his throat. “Yeah. I got a picture of you with a cupcake texted to me. When I got here, the front door was open. I found you and Zoe singing into some wooden spoons.”

“Huh.” I’m wondering if it would be too much to ask the earth to open up and swallow me right now?

“Anyway, like I said, Cash has breakfast downstairs waiting for you. You probably need to get something in your stomach. You two had quite a bit of wine and weed last night.”

“Wine and weed?”

“Yep,” he pops that ‘p’ and nods his head.

“Well, alright then. Let’s go eat, shall we?” I follow North downstairs and to the kitchen.

The first thing I notice is the delicious smell, and the second thing I notice is Cash in Sofia’s apron. Zoe is sitting on a stool by the island and I take the seat next to her. Zoe’s eyes are glued to Cash’s ass and I don’t blame her. That man has a delectable one. He turns around and sets a plate in front of Zoe with a delicious looking omelette on it. Cash is saying something, but I’m completely distracted by the apron. It’s pink with ruffles on the bottom and it says This Girl Loves Meat across the chest in red. I laugh so hard I almost wet myself.

Cash gives me a flirty grin. “Like my apron, do you? What do you want in your omelette, pretty girl?”

I blush at his nickname for me. “Um, cheese, ham, and mushrooms please. This is awful nice of you, Cash.”

He turns back to the stove and continues his cooking. “How about that dinner tonight that I promised you and Zoe?” he says over his shoulder.

Zoe perks up next to me. “Dinner? Are you cooking?”

“Yep. I promised Alice that I would cook y’all dinner soon and tonight sounds good to me.” Cash turns around and lays a plate full of yummy goodness in front of me.

“Me too,” Zoe says while elbowing me in the side.

I nod my head while digging into the best thing I have ever put into my mouth. “Just let us know when to be there and what we can bring.”

Cash waves his spatula at me. “Six o’clock is fine and you are our guests. We’ll take care of everything.”

Just then, North gets a text and looks down at his phone. “Cash, man, I have something to do. I’ll see you at home later.” He walks out the door without a wave or a goodbye.

I wonder what that was about. Oh well, North and his weirdness is not my problem. I inhale the omelette and carry my plate over to the sink. I look around and notice the kitchen is clean. “Cash, I don’t remember much from last night, but I do remember baking and making quite a mess.”

He gives me a sheepish grin. “After we got you girls in bed, we cleaned up and then North and I offered to stay in case y’all needed anything during the night.”

“You didn’t have to do that, but I’m very grateful.” I stand on my tiptoes and give him a kiss on his cheek.

Cash takes off the apron and places it on the counter. “Alright ladies, I’m heading home. No more shenanigans from you two.”

“Thank you, Cash. For everything.”

He walks out the door and Zoe squeals behind me. “Ohmyfreakinggod! Al, that man is so hot for you.”

I shake my head at her. “Zoe, I’m going back to bed. My head is killing me. Be ready at five-thirty if you’re coming to dinner.”

“Sure thing, grumpy pants.”

I wake up later feeling much better than I did this morning. Zoe pops her head into my room, “Hey Alice, I’ll be ready in an hour.” She blows me a kiss and walks off down the hall.

After showering, I walk into my closet looking for something to wear. I’m thinking cute, but casual. I grab my red denim mini skirt and my low cut white crochet shirt. I paired the outfit with my Valentino Rockstud thong sandals. It’s too hot to dry my hair so I throw it into a messy bun and apply some light makeup.

Zoe meets me at the front door wearing an ankle length sundress, looking just as excited as I am. The difference between us is that she is excited for a good meal, and I’m excited for a whole other reason that I don’t want to admit to myself yet.

When we get to the guys’ house, I am a bundle of nerves. I have no clue why I’m so nervous, it’s just a casual dinner with friends. Zoe rings the doorbell and Oren answers with a sweet smile on his face. He looks good as usual in a pair of dark jeans and a light blue polo shirt that stretches across his chest. His sandy brown hair is brushing his forehead and he is wearing his glasses. Smart guys are so hot.

“Ladies,” he says while gesturing for us to come in, “Cash is just pulling dinner off the grill.” His shaggy blond hair is falling in his steel blue eyes.

Zoe rubs her stomach. “I can’t wait. The omelette he made this morning was fantastic.”

“Hi, Oren. I haven’t had a chance to thank you for last night. I hope we weren’t too much trouble.” I can feel myself blushing.

He chuckles. “Let’s just say it was very entertaining.”

We follow him into the kitchen where Cash is placing food on platters, and Ridge is opening a bottle of wine. Ridge walks over handing Zoe and I each a glass while Cash walks by with a platter of food.

Cash stops and kisses my cheek and says, “Follow me to the dining room, ladies. Dinner is ready.”

Zoe is hot on his heels. That girl only thinks with her stomach. Oren and Ridge each grab a platter off the counter and nudge me ahead of them. The dining room is large, yet simple. The walls are painted a deep burgundy with long multi colored, striped drapes. The table in the center of the room looks rustic, made with repurposed wood that seats at least ten people, with brown leather high back chairs surrounding it. There is a long buffet table on the right hand wall that is made out of the same wood as the table. Ridge pulls a chair out for me and Oren pulls one out next to me for Zoe. Cash sits down at the head of the table while Ridge and Oren sit across from Zoe and me.

“The food smells amazing, Cash. Thank you.” He gives me his megawatt smile that causes butterflies in my stomach.

I look at the table in awe. There is a platter of kabobs filled with shrimp, mushrooms, pineapple, peppers, and onions. There is another filled with grilled chicken breasts and steaks. I see grilled asparagus wrapped in bacon, rice pilaf, roasted potatoes, and grilled corn on the cob.

Ridge points to the food. “Ladies first.”

I look at the table and then at him. “Shouldn’t we wait for North?”

The guys give each other a look that I can’t decipher. Oren clears his throat. “He’s out with his girlfriend. Who knows when they’ll get home.”

North has a girlfriend? I feel like I just got punched in the gut. I don’t know why I feel this way. I don’t like the prick, right?

Zoe starts piling her plate with food. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

I try to act normal and shrug my shoulders. “More food for us then,” I say while filling my plate. Zoe and I could give a football team a run for their money with our appetites.

That’s all the guys were waiting on, Zoe and I to fill our plates, before they converge on the table like a pack of wolves.

“I can see why they let us go first,” Zoe says to me right before she starts shoveling food into her mouth.

Oren gets up and goes over to the buffet to open two more bottles of wine. He brings them to the table and refills each of our glasses. “Alice, I’ve contacted the private investigator, and he’s already gathering evidence we can use against your uncle. He has your contact information and said he would get in touch soon. He wanted to dig a little deeper first.”

I smile at him. “Thanks, Oren. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Zoe sits her fork down and takes a gulp of her wine. “Al, what do you plan on doing to him?”

I shrug my shoulders. “He thinks I’m just a little girl, so I’m going to fight like a girl. I’ll hit him where it hurts.”

Zoe’s eyes sparkle with mischief. “That’s it! That’s what we’ll call it. FLAG! Fight like a girl.”

“Call what?” Cash asks.

Zoe looks around like she’s just now remembering we aren’t alone. “Oh, a project we’ve been working on. Nothing important.”

The guys look at her suspiciously, but thankfully drop the subject. After dinner they suggest we go to the game room and play some pool. The room they take us to is basically a man cave. The walls are painted a soft grey with neon signs hanging on them advertising various beers. There’s a pool table when you walk in and a giant black leather sectional at the far end of the room. The sectional is facing the biggest flat screen TV I have ever seen, and there are multiple game systems on a shelf directly below it. Behind it sits a large bar with black bar stools and an assortment of alcohol sitting on glass shelves hanging on the wall. It’s a complete and total bachelor pad.

Zoe looks at the game consoles longingly. “Do y’all have Ghosts?”

Ridge smirks and sits on the sectional. “Of course we do.”

She grabs a controller and sits down next to him. I look over at Cash who is picking out a pool stick. “We’ve lost her now.”

Cash sighs and points at Ridge. “We’ve lost him, too. Do you want to play a game?”

I smile demurely. “Why don’t you and Oren go first? That way I can watch and get a feel for the game.” Thank goodness Zoe isn’t paying attention to us or she might let it slip that I’m a bit of a pool shark.

After they win one game each, they ask me to play again. I hop off the stool and pick out a pool cue. Cash racks up the balls and offers to break. “No thanks,” I tell him.

I line up my stick and hit the cue ball. When I break the balls, three of the solid ones go into the pockets. I don’t waste time lining up my next shot. I point to the pockets the next two balls are going in.

“What the hell?” shouts Cash.

I smile and ignore him. I take another shot, pointing out where my next ball will go and then the next. The eight ball is the only one I left. I call a bank shot into the left side pocket, and of course it goes in. I lean against the table and look at Cash and Oren who are staring at me like I’ve grown two heads.

“How the…what the…” Oren stammers.

I wink at them. “I had a boyfriend in college that worked at a pool hall. I hung out there all the time to keep an eye on him, and there were two older men who got a kick out of teaching a young lady how to hustle the boys.” I walk away leaving them stunned, and find a seat next to Zoe on the sectional.

Oren and Cash start another pool game muttering to themselves about sneaky women. I hear a girl giggling and North’s deep voice coming down the hall. I nudge Zoe in the side and nod in the direction of the door.

She pauses the game and whispers to me, “I bet she’s ugly with bad fashion sense.” I clamp a hand over my mouth to hide my giggle. I love my bestie.

Ridge looks up and groans beside us. “Damn. We were having so much fun.”

Zoe looks over at him. “What do you mean?”

He nods to the door while setting his game controller down. “You’ll see.”

They walk into the room and my stomach plummets. Of course she is tall, blonde, and beautiful with bright blue eyes. She looks like a runway model with perfectly styled hair, and more makeup than I have ever worn. She’s wearing a tight black pencil skirt, a blue silk blouse, and black four inch heels. She’s basically the complete opposite of me.

North looks over at us. “Vivian, this is Alice and Zoe.”

“Hi, boys,” she purrs while completely ignoring me and Zoe.

North steers her over to the sectional and they sit down on the opposite end. “How was dinner?” North asks, looking at me and Zoe.

Zoe speaks up, “It was delicious, of course. I think Al and I will take him home with us.”

Vivian finally notices us. “Al, is it? Are you dating Cash?”

I squint my eyes at her. “The name is Alice, and no, I’m not dating any of them. We’re all just friends.”

Cash walks over, placing a hand on my shoulder and looks down at me with a devilish grin. “Really good friends, right, pretty girl?”

Ridge winks at me. “Really, really, good friends. Isn’t that right, Hot Lips?”

My face is turning an embarrassing shade of red, and Zoe has a shit eating grin on her face. I fake the best smile I can. “Nice to meet you, Vivian. North hasn’t mentioned you before. Do you live around here?”

She looks over to North and gives him a dirty look. “Oh, really? Well, we’ve been dating for a couple of years now. We met in law school, but I moved to Los Angeles to become an entertainment lawyer. Northy plans to move there next year.”

North frowns. “We aren’t dating anymore. We see each other when she’s in town, but it’s no longer exclusive. V, you know that I do not plan to move to LA. My place is at CronCorp with my brothers.”

She looks like she just sucked on a lemon. “North, you know I hate to be called V.” Then her face changes into a sultry smile. She rubs her manicured nails down his chest and bats her lash extensions at him. “Let’s go back to your room shall we?” They stand up and walk out without another word.

“I think I’m going to puke. What’s up with ice queen barbie?” Zoe asks.

Ridge shrugs his shoulders. “They’ve been on again, off again since she moved. She’s always been a frigid bitch but for some reason, North still lets her come back whenever she wants.”

I fake a yawn. “I hope y’all don’t mind, but I’m exhausted. Are you ready to go, Zoe?”

She gives me a knowing look and fakes her own yawn. “Yep. I’m beat.”

We stand up and head towards the door. “Thanks guys. This was fun and dinner was delicious.” They all stand up and I wave at them to sit back down. “It’s okay, we know our way out. Next time, y’all can come to my house and we’ll cook for you.”

Cash laughs out loud. “That sounds great, but maybe leave the pot out. Okay?”

I walk out the door while laughing and shaking my head. That man just gave me a great idea.