“So now that I’ve explained myself, may I please take you out?” I ask Sasha trying to be as nice and proper as possible. It seems like that’s what she’s into. She doesn’t answer me, and as we just stare at one another, I want to do so much more than just take her out.

“I’m sorry, but you’re not the kind of guy I’m into.”

“Bullshit!” I shout.

“You can think whatever you want, but it’s the truth. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an early morning meeting tomorrow, so I’d love to grab a bite to eat and then get to bed.”

I lick my lips, my mind going wild with so many wicked images from that one sentence.

Oh, I have something you can eat, sweetheart.

“Okay, then what about dinner tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Lunch?”

“Nope.” She’s stubborn, not giving in and before I ask again, she turns and walks away from me just like she did at the airport.

“Breakfast,” I holler after her and she gives me the bird, my eyes fucking the shit out of her tight ass.

“Please?” I pathetically beg, but she shakes her head at me, and I swear if it would help, I’d drop to my knees and plead with her. Jesus, I don’t have a clue how a woman I barely know can have this power over me, but she does.

I watch Sasha until she turns down another block before going back to the hotel. The chick I was with is flirting with another guy at the bar. Fine by me, I was on the fence if I was gonna fuck her, or not.

Taking my seat, the bartender asks me, “You want another?”

“Nah, just close me out,” I tell him and then raise my drink to the man the woman’s now with.

After paying my tab, I walk past the front desk, and I’m tempted to see if I can figure out which room Sasha is staying in. Maybe I could send her some flowers, or wine, or something to show her that I’m not a bad guy. But considering she’s made it clear I’m not her type, that would only make things awkward. Plus, knowing my dumb ass, I’d just show up at her room.

Sticking with my gut, I head back to my room, pushing away all thoughts of Sasha. Once inside, I click down the AC a few degrees, as it’s hot as hell in my room, then grab my iPad to check my email and see if Dex sent me the last of what I need for the deal I’m working on while here. TIC, as they call themselves, is expanding and contacted us to engineer the design of a new building, which is not the normal way things go in my line of work. Normally, we bid on deals that we are interested in and only take what we like. However, the money behind this deal was too good to turn down or question, for that matter. Typically, we would never take on a project knowing so little about it. But both Dex and I agreed this, along with Anderson Global and now Casper Industries, is what we need to take our company to the next level.

In my email inbox are the first plans I’ve seen from the architectural company. They just came through, and if I’m honest, they are really confusing. Grabbing my phone, I call Dex to see if he’s looked them over, so maybe he can help me make sense of what the Architect is proposing. After all, we have to engineer their design, and I’m already going in blind.

“What’s up, bitch?”

“Did you look over the blueprints for the TIC deal, yet?”

“No, did they come in?”

“Yeah, and they don’t really make sense.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, they are all out of order, and I can’t decipher what’s what or where to even start.”

“Well, that’s why you’re there to figure it out. With how much they are paying us I’m sure you’ll get it all straightened out in the meeting tomorrow.”

“Really? That’s all the advice you have? You aren’t even gonna take a look at the plans with me?”

“I’m not your babysitter, Westin,” he says and then whispers, “I have my hands full here.”

In the background, I hear my cousin Ally talking and ask Dex, “How’s she holding up?”

“She’s good.”

“I’m not good,” my cousin hollers and I let out a laugh.

“Let me talk to her.”

“Hey,” Ally answers in a somber tone.

“What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

“My feet are so swollen, Westin. I don’t even have ankles anymore.”

“Damn, you got a bad case of the cankles?” I tease her.

“Screw you!”

“I’m only joking. Did you call your doctor?”

“Yes, I’m going in tomorrow.”

“Well, rest; put your feet up. I’m sure nothing is wrong. Plus, fat ankles or not, Dex isn’t going anywhere.”

“Geez, thanks.”

“I mean it,” I tell her.

“I know. Hey,” she whispers, “don’t forget to pick up that thing we talked about.”

“I won’t. Now go enjoy some relaxation before you have a screaming baby at home. I still remember when your mom and dad brought you home from the hospital and how loud you were. God, I hated you.”

“And I love you, too.”

She knows I’m joking. My cousin is the only family I’ve got. My parents passed away in a car accident when I was just out of college. It forced me to understand a harsh lesson that life is too short. After they were gone, I had to grow up faster than I’d ever imagined. One day, I was ready to take on the world, and the next I had to suddenly bury both my parents and handle all the affairs of their estate. Which is something I still don’t know how I managed to do.

But thinking back, losing them brought Ally and me closer than ever. Minus losing my parents, I wouldn’t change a thing. It taught me that anything you want out of life, you have to work hard for and cherish because nothing is promised.