Nadine’s text wakes me. Damn her for being up so early on a Saturday morning. I stayed at the shop late the night before, taking on a few walk-ins. One was a pussy piercing for Gizelle. She is a sweet piece of ass I fucked, before giving her some new jewelry to decorate her pretty, pink slit. I smile and stroke my morning wood at the memory. Before she left, I slapped her ass and told her to come back in four to six weeks so I can look at my handiwork. She giggled and promised she would be back.

My phone pings again, bringing me back to the present and deflating my arousal.

You’re taking her to dinner after you go parasailing. You can choose where. Let me know how much it costs, and I’ll pay you back. Don’t argue please, and don’t mention this to her.

I read the message twice, before dialing my cousin. She is up to something, and I want to know what.

“Morning sunshine.” She says by way of greeting. “I didn’t expect you to call me so soon.”

“Cut the shit and tell me what’s going on? Why are you setting me up?” I say with knowledge of how she works.

“God, you are conceited. Maybe, not everything is about you. Maybe you aren’t the one I’m setting up.”

“Nadine, it’s too fucking early in the morning for this shit. What the fuck do you want with this damn date? Why are you so interested?”

“Jaci’s a friend, Sebastian. She needs to have a little fun.” She says seriously.

I sit up in bed and pinch the bridge of my nose. “And, you couldn’t set another one of your other chums up on a pity date?”

My cousin sucks in a sharp breath and I know I’ve crossed a line. “She isn’t a pity date, Sebastian. Jaci’s been through hell and is scared. I wanted you to go on a date with her because I knew she would be safe with you. Also, I was hoping since you are related to me, she would be more willing to go.”

“And she agreed to this?” I had to ask.

There is a long pause before Nadine answers “Not exactly.”

“What exactly?”

“Her twin sister posed as her and bid on you. She won the bid in her sister’s name since the rules state the date can’t be gifted to someone else.”

“Fuck does this girl know what she’s walking into?” Dammit. This is supposed to be simple, and now it looks like it’s going to be anything but.

“Her sister is telling her this morning.”

“Looks like we both got great news this morning,” I grumble and rub the sleep from my eyes. “Whatever. It’s one date. I’ll take your girl wherever she wants to go, and I don’t need you to pay for it.”

“Thank you, Bas.” I could hear the relief in her voice. “She needs this, more than you know.”

“You owe me, Nadine. No more holding shit over my head or threatening to call my mom.”

Nadine laughs, “Aunt Kathy wants grandkids.”

“I don’t see you supplying Aunt Kaila with any grandkids because she wants them.”

“I’m focusing on my career right now.” The laughter left her voice. “Your career is taking off, plus you’re two years older than me. Besides, it isn’t like I haven’t tried to find a relationship. It just hasn’t worked out.”

“Sorry, Nads,” I say with real sympathy because she was engaged once. The wedding was planned, and everything arranged to perfection. Two weeks before she was supposed to say, ‘I do,’ her fiancé was caught fucking another woman in their bed. It turns out; Derrick had been cheating on her the whole time they were together. Nadine never said who the woman was, but by process of elimination, I’d narrowed it down to one of three women. They were all supposed to be her bridesmaids, and none of them are in her life after that night.

“It is what it is, Sebastian. Please, just do this for me—for Jaci.”

“It’s done, Nads. I’ll be there.”