Hope's Chance (24 page)

We heard the door open and at first I wanted to rush into Chances arms, but that
wasn’t
who walked in the door. It was actually my father and he wasn’t alone.

“
Buffy honey, can you set three
extra plates on the patio tonight?” He asked as he walked in.

I was speechless. Behind him was someone from my past. Someone I hoped I never saw again, and his idiot son
s
.
“Hope, I think you already know Mr. Thomas and his sons Trevor and Michael.” My dad said as they approached me.

“I know them Dad. Why are they in our house?” I said, while purposely ignoring the men in my foyer.

“Hope! Have some manners. Mr. Greg and I are working on a project together in town. I invited he and his sons over to discuss business over an early dinner.” My father announced.

Trevor was my ex boyfriend and he had made several attempts to get back with me ever since I dumped his ass. He was standing behind his father looking me up and down. I rolled my eyes. “Excuse me, I need to go change.”

I started walking up the stairs and I heard my father again. “Hope we will be out at the pool. Why don’t you get your bathing suit on.”

I wanted to scream, but I knew I had to remain calm. I didn’t want to piss of
f
my dad. “Buffy can you come here a second?”

Buffy met me in my room. I felt like I was already starting to hyperventilate. “What is wrong Hope? How do you know those guys?”

Tears fell down my eyes. “Trevor is my ex-boyfriend. He is an asshole and I hate him. How could my father think that it would be okay? Did you know about this?” I asked.

“Of course not! I would have warned you.” She gave me a hug. “What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to tell Chance what is going on. I don’t want him getting the wrong idea. Please Buffy.”
I was being irrational. Just because they were here didn’t mean I had to get back together with him. I just wanted to be able to ignore him until they left.

Buffy agreed to let Chance know what was bothering me, so that he didn’t worry. In the meantime, my father had his own agenda. I changed into the
ugliest
bathing suit I had and finished the
ensemble
off with a giant cover up.  He met me when I was coming down the steps.

“Hope, honey I need you to be nice to Trevor tonight.  His father is a potential investor in one of my projects. I can’t have him walking away because my daughter pissed off one of his kids.” He said.

“Dad please. Trevor and I are not together and I really don’t like the kid anymore.
Please Dad, can’t I just go somewhere for the night?” I begged.

“No Hope! I need you to do this for me. Just entertain them.” My father started to raise his voice and I knew there was no getting him to change his mind.

I headed downstairs and stayed close to Buffy while she started preparing the food for the grill. My father had already made his way out to the patio and I saw all three of the guys had beer bottles in their hands.

When I saw Chance I got butterflies in my stomach. He was so gorgeous.  That man could be making millions modeling underwear. His body was so perfectly chiseled that it was a sin to look at.

Buffy caught me glaring. “Hope!” She said as she smacked me on my butt.

“Sorry, I can’t help it.” I confessed.

Buffy laughed. “My girlfriends used to love spending the night so that they could stare at him all night. We were seniors and he was just a measly freshman, but that didn’t stop them all from inviting him to their prom.”

I looked over at him again, before he disappeared into the pool house. “I believe it.” I said biting my lip.

“Seriously Hope, could you stop undressing him with your eyes.”

“Yes, sorry. Here let me take that out for you.” I suggested.

I grabbed the tray of steaks and walked them out to the grilling station. My father was standing there waiting for me.  “Thanks Sweetie.”

“Can I have a beer Dad?” I asked obnoxiously.

“No you can’t young lady!” He replied.

I rolled my eyes. The two assholes were drinking and one of them was the same age as me.

I caught Trevor looking at me, before calling me to come over where he and his brother sat.
  “What have you been up to Hope?” He asked.

“Nothing much. Just hanging out here for the most part.” I said.

I saw Chance come out of the pool house. Our eyes caught for just a second and it was so hard not to smile. He gave me a quick wink before anyone noticed he was there.

Trevor
wasn’t
paying any attention  to our new company. “Have you been to the beach lately? I could take you sometime if you wanted.”

“Actually, I just went last week. It was the best day of my life.” I said loud enough that Chance could hear.

He gave a half smile before I heard my father calling us all over from across the patio.

“Greg I would like you to meet Buffy’s little brother Chance.”

Chance extended his hand out
to the old man. “Nice to meet you.” He said.

Trevor’s
older brother jumped in. “Hey is your last name Avery?” He asked.

I could see Chance tense up. “Yes, it is.”

“I saw you play ball once. Man you are an awesome short stop. Where do you play now?” Michael asked.

Chances jaw clenched. “My mother died not too long ago and I decided to take some time off from everything.”

“Man you played like Ripken himself. I bet you could get picked up by a triple A team easy.” Michael announced.

“Thanks man. I haven’t played in a while though.” Chance admitted.

“My name is Michael by the way, but you can call me Mike.” He held out his hand and shook with Chance. “So are you going to school around here this fall?”

He glanced over at me for a second. “Actually, I was considering it.”

That is why he asked me. He wanted us to go together.

“You should check out Virginia Tech man, it is great there. I have some friends on the team and none of them can play like you.” He admitted.

“Maybe I will.” Chance replied.

I sat down in a chaise lounge about six foot away from the guys. They seemed consumed in their baseball talks and I started to relax knowing that Chance was being sociable.

I closed my eyes for a second and felt someone sit beside me. When I opened my eyes I was met with Trevor. His hair was lighter from being at the beach, but those lying blue eyes were exactly how I remembered them. “Hey sexy. So what were we talking about before?” He asked.

“I don’t remember!”

“Oh yeah, the beach. So who gave you the best time of your life?” He asked.

“None of your business Trevor. Did you forget that we weren’t together? Did you forget me telling you that you would never have any part of this again.” I waved my hands around my body.

“Oh I remember. It turned me on.
“

I rolled my eyes. “Trevor please just leave me alone. We are not friends. We were never really friends.”

“I never asked you to be my friend Hope.” He admitted before walking toward the guys.

Buffy finally came outside with two margarita glasses in her hand. She handed me one and winked. My father noticed right away. “What are you doing giving her alcohol?”

“There isn’t alcohol in hers Mark.” She said.

I took a sip and knew right away that she was lying. The tequila burned going down my throat. Buffy grabbed me by the arm and led me to the pool. “Come on Hope,
let’s
get in and relax.”

I gave her a smile before realizing I was wearing the ugliest bathing suit. “Hey Buff, where is that suit that I borrowed for the beach?”

“It is still in the laundry room. Why?”

“I will be right back.” I announced.

Trevor was an ignorant bastard and he was never going to touch me ever again. He didn’t deserve me, or anyone for that matter, and I felt like rubbing it right in his face.

Chapter 30

Chance

I didn’t feel like talking to these rich guy
s
about how easy they had it, but Buffy asked me to be nice. She also told me that Trevor was Hopes ex. I could read between the lines. I saw what Mark was trying to do and I didn’t appreciate it. That was his daughter and he thought he could get in good with the father if the kids got along.

I was surprised Buffy hadn’t caught on to that. She was usually really good about reading people.

I didn’t understand what Trevor had said to Hope, but after he walked away I noticed she was gone. Buffy was climbing into the pool so I walked over to talk to her. “Hey, where did Hope go?” I whispered.

“She um, you will see I guess, but Chance please remember to keep your cool tonight. I can’t have you losing your cool and costing Mark this deal.”

“You are scaring me Buff.”

“She is putting on a bathing suit.” She blurted out.

“What suit? Not the? Tell me it isn’t that one.”
I asked, but my worst fears were confirmed when hope came back out of the house. She immediately started removing the cover-up to reveal
the skimpy bikini she wore for
me at the beach. Every single one of her perfect curves were
accentuated
. I wanted to run over and hide her.

Sure enough I saw Trevor and Mike standing there with their eyes all over her.

“Fucking great!” I said to my sister before walking back toward the guys.

Hope smiled at me in passing, but I was pretty pissed about her wearing that in front of them, well in front of anyone for that matter.

Once I got over to the guys I noticed that even Mr. Thomas was admiring Hope. Finally she got into the pool with my sister. Between the two of them, I wanted to bury myself. Was I the only one here that felt like they were being violated?

Trevor
nudged
my shoulder. “Dude you are so lucky to live in this house.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Shit, if you ever saw Hope naked you would know.” Trevor announced and then snickered.

It took every bit of my being to not take my beer bottle and hit him over the head with it. I could feel my hands trembling.

“I fucked up letting that one go. She was a great piece of ass.” He added.

I downed my beer like I was in a race at a frat party. I had to remain calm. They couldn’t know how I felt about Hope. “I guess I don’t really look at her that way. I mean she is going to be Buffy’s step-daughter.”

“Dude, you are kidding right? Look at her and tell me you wouldn’t hit that.” Trevor taunted.

I reached in my pockets pretending I lost something. “Oh shit! Be right back man.” I said as I ran into the pool house. I checked every cabinet unt
il I found a small bottle of
Ja
ger
. I took two shots and grabbed my cigarettes. I happen to look down at my phone and saw I had a text.

When you see me in this suit just remember
I belong to you. I love you Chance.

I knew Hope was in the pool so I didn’t write her back. I shoved the phone back in my pocket and took another shot. It was going to be a fucked up night.

When I got back outside Buffy had turned on music. Mike and Trevor were closer to the pool and when they saw me they waved me over. I held up my cigarette letting them know I would be a few
minutes
. Marks view of me was restricted by bushes so I could look at Hope without being in trouble.

She was sitting next to Buffy smiling with her frozen drink in her hand. She spotted me and smiled. I mouthed the words “I love you”.

Buffy saw me smoking. “When you’re done get your butt in here with us brother.”

I finished my cigarette and headed over to the pool.  Mike ran behind me like he was my golf caddy and handed me a beer.  “Thanks man.”

“No problem. Hey you got anymore smokes? My dad doesn’t know, but I really need one.”

“Sure.” I handed him one and my lighter and he disappeared behind the pool house.

Trevor sat next to me at the other end of the pool.  “So who is Hope seeing?” He asked.

I took
another drink and was thankful
that I was already starting to feel the effects of the three shots. “I have no idea. Why?”

“I just wanted to know what kind of
douche
bag she is putting out to now.  I had to tell her I was a fucking virgin to get her to put out. Her body is amazing, but she has no idea how to work it. It is a shame.”

Calm down!

“Didn’t you just say you wanted to sleep with her again?” I asked calmly.

“Well yeah, I’d fuck her every day
if I could, but it aint the best I ever had. She never even liked taking off all of her clothes. Hell, sometimes she was wearing more than she has on right now.”