"What happened? I assume something went down last night while I was out?" I picked up a napkin and cleaned up the mess.
She let out a long sigh and pressed her hands to her face. "I need a Masters to do what I want to do, and my parents aren't willing to help me pay for it. It's just upsetting. When I have kids, I'm going to support their dreams and aspirations. I'm not going to shit all over them."
"We'll figure out a way to pay for it. We can room together in that little studio apartment off campus that we've talked about a million times. I'll help pay for your tuition, and you can get a part-time job at that little coffee shop you love so much. Besides, you've been drooling after that blonde-haired cashier for two years. What better way to meet him?" I offered her a friendly smile and reached across the table to squeeze her hand.
"We can't live in that studio, or neither of us will meet anyone. Asking the other to leave for the night so we can sleep with someone is ridiculous." She lifted her eyebrow at me.
"We've been doing just that for the last four years. We'll figure it out. If you want this future, then we make it happen. Life's too short to do what's expected of you. No one is going to have to live your life day to day but you. So choose what you love and we'll figure out the rest. Got it?" I squeezed her hand once more before sitting back and taking the plate the server offered me.
"That should be the same for you then, Viv. If you want to be a food critic, then don't settle for anything less." She picked up her napkin. "When is the last time you submitted one of your articles to the newspaper for review?"
She was right, but she always was.
"It's been a while. When we get back, you apply for your Master’s program, and I'll submit the articles from this trip to them. Deal?" I offered her my hand to shake.
"Deal, and if that hottie takes you out again this week, you're at least getting a kiss from him so I can hear about it. Double deal?"
"Double deal, and if we go to this thing on Thursday–”
"I'm getting laid," she butted in and gave me a toothy grin.
"No. We're leaving if it gets too stupid. Promise me."
"I promise, but one of us has to have some wild-ass stories from this week. It's you or me." She took a big bite of her sandwich and nodded. "This is divine."
"We already have stories, and good. Hush so I can enjoy it without you badgering me." I smiled and let my eyes move across the three plates that belonged to me. If I was going to force Casey to live her dreams, then it was only fair that I started living mine.
Maybe bumping into Easton wasn't by chance at all. He could help with my career if we became good friends. I resigned myself to texting him after shopping if he hadn't contacted me.
If we kept things on a friend level then I would be good. Besides, not all men were cheating asses, but I'd lay the wager that most were. As good-looking as Easton was, he was teetering toward the dark side, and that was a bet I wasn't willing to take.
Chapter 12
Easton
After wrapping up a few meetings with various hotel managers, I was ready to find Viv and see if she wanted to head to the beach with me. It had been a really long time since I'd wanted to spend time with anyone, but the pretty girl was all I could think about. My dreams the night before had gone far beyond a long fuck in the shower and had moved into marriage and kids...all the things I'd never really contemplated before.
"And you're not now," I grumbled and pulled my phone from my pocket as I headed back to my room. I waited until I got to my room to call her, but the second I did, my heart started to race and nervousness filled my stomach.
"This is Vivian."
"Hey. It's Easton. I'm done with my duties for the day. Just wanted to see where you and Casey were. I thought maybe you might want some company for the afternoon." I pressed my back to the door and closed my eyes, wanting to visualize her as I listened to her voice.
"That would be great. We've just wrapped up our shopping and are almost back to the hotel. You wanna go to the beach with us? We were hoping to swim for a little bit before going out tonight."
"Yeah, that sounds great. I'll change and meet you both in the lobby in fifteen minutes?"
"Sounds good. See you then." She hung up and I couldn't help but appreciate how professional she was. It wasn't a cold, unattached professionalism, but an unassuming nature that still held up appropriate boundaries. She left me in control and quite comfortable.
"Don't let me fall in love with you, beautiful," I murmured before walking to the bedroom and changing into swim trunks and a t-shirt.
I made my way to the lobby and grabbed three beers from the bar before moving back out about the time they walked from the elevator. Where Casey was cute, Vivian was breathtaking. It was the difference between looking at a girl and admiring a woman. Cute had great appeal, but Vivian's beauty had me wrapped up tightly. It was even more attractive because the girl had no clue of her power.
"Hey. I got you guys a beer, though I'm not sure what you like, Casey. Viv here can take it out for you if you don't like it. She's a heavyweight." I handed Vivian one of the beers and leaned in, kissing her cheek before moving back.
"Heavyweight? She's been lying to you. She's the cheapest date in the universe." Casey took the beer, hit it against Viv’s and mine and moved toward the door. "Let's go soak up the sun and find me a man."
"Speaking of..." Vivian glanced at me as she lifted her beer to her lips. "How old are your brothers?"