Twisted (5 page)

Good boy.

“TO
CELEBRATE EDWIN JOINING the firm, I thought we could take trip to the beach,”
Aliah had said.

I suggested we make a weekend of it.  As far I as I knew
Edwin didn’t have anything planned for the long weekend and I could use a
little R&R.  She was all game, but another week passed before we found a
free minute to do some planning.

Finally, one night after work, we sat down in the office kitchen,
sipping on iced cappuccinos and brainstormed ideas.

"Grand Bend...Wasaga Beach?  How far do we want to
drive?" I asked, looking for Aliah’s input.

Just then, Joshua Bailey hurried into the room and went right
for the fridge.  "Ladies," he greeted, with a nod.

I smiled back and he yanked open the fridge door.  Joshua
Bailey was Aliah’s boss, one of the Partners at the firm.  He was an interesting
individual, comedic, not particularly handsome, but very dark and convincing.  He
was likely
the man
in his day, but that day had certainly passed.

"What keeps you ladies here on such a lovely
night?" he asked, once he escaped from the frosty depths of the fridge.

"We were actually just talking about this trip we're
planning for the long weekend.  You and Emily are welcome to come along?"
Aliah suggested, in an obvious attempt to play the goody-goody.

It's true, his wife was youthful and amusing, but I couldn't
fathom the thought of having them around for our entire weekend.

A deep throaty laugh came from Bailey in response, instantly
relieving my worry.  "Thank you for the offer, but I think we're a little
too old for that.  You young ones go and enjoy yourselves.  You don't need us
old folkies slowing you down."  He laughed again as he tossed his apple
high into the air and caught it above his shoulder.  "Have a good night
ladies."  He promptly stepped away and disappeared into the hall.

I waited enough seconds to be sure that Bailey was a safe
distance away before letting Aliah have it.  "Are you kidding me Aliah,
Bailey?"

"What?  I knew he would say no."

"Ass kiss."

Aliah didn't care.  She shrugged her shoulders, unconcerned
with what I thought of her.

"So who all’s coming anyway?" I asked, anxious to
hear the short list.

"Let's see.  Me, you, Hunter, Edwin and TJ," she said,
tapping all of the fingers on one hand.

"I thought we were making it six, three to each cabin. 
We've got room for one more."

“Right,” she said hesitantly.  The look on Aliah's face told
me she was hiding something.

“What is it?”

"Hunter and TJ think we should invite Maddison.  I think
it's a bad idea," she said, unimpressed.

"Please tell me you're joking."

"Afraid not.  You said it.  We need another person to
put three to a room.  It'll be cheaper that way."

"Or we could split the difference and save ourselves the
suffering," I mumbled.

"She can stay in the other cabin.  It'll be fine,"
Aliah said.  “We don’t even have to talk to her.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’ll go over well.”  I knew better than
that.

"So now that we have our six, we just have to work out
the where.  What are you doing for dinner?”

"Why don’t you come to my place.  We can Google it
before making our decision."

"Alright.  Let’s get up out of here then.  I’ve had
enough of this place."

Aliah decided to drive her own car over to my place, which is
too bad for her because I was suddenly in a wicked good mood.  She rode right
on my tail most of the way home, until she couldn't handle five over the speed
limit any longer.  She pulled out into the traffic and passed me like the psycho
that she is.

I accelerated a little, just enough to keep Aliah's car in my
sights, until I hit a red light.  She was leaning against her car when I pulled
up to my house, her arms folded over her chest.

"What took you so long?" she called out impatiently,
as I clambered to the front door.

"You're a maniac," I said.

She only smiled.

AFTER A
COUPLE OF hours of serious research, we were certain that we had found the
place for us.  With one more click, the Southwind Inn was as good as ours.  It wasn't
too far away and they had only two cabins left.  It was meant to be.

"This is going to be awesome," Aliah squealed with excitement.

I was nodding my head at her when Edwin walked in the room.

"What's up ladies?"

"We just booked the trip," I said.

"Right on."  He slipped up behind me and glanced
over my shoulder at the image on the computer screen.  "Is that the
place?"

"Yup, the Southwind Inn."

"You done good.  I've heard good things about that
place."

Ali and I slapped hands in the air smiling.

"So I was thinking," Aliah said, looking to Edwin,
"since we had to get two places, what if the girls share the two bedroom
and the guys share the other cabin?"

"What?"  What happened to getting Maddie far, far
away from us?

"That's good by me," Edwin said.

"Why would you do that?"

"I was just thinking: Do you want the guys pissing all
over our toilet seat and farting up the whole place?" Aliah asked.

She would know having lived with a family of four brothers.  I
guess Maddie wasn’t
that
bad.  She was at least clean.  "Well,
you're in my bed then, because I will not share a room with Maddison."

"Yeah and like I want to be put with her.  I'd rather
take the couch," Aliah said snarling.

We both snickered at our own snootiness.

Edwin was still watching us intently, with eyebrows raised.  "Maybe
I want to be in your room!" he said, with a smirk.

I shook my head at him and narrowed my eyes without
responding.

"What?  Hunter will probably be disappointed too you
know.  It'll dampen his odds of getting laid," he explained.

"Get out of here Edwin!" I yelled, shoving him away.

His smirk only grew as he moseyed for the other room.

Aliah pitched the throw pillow she had been hugging at Edwin’s
head, but it missed by a long shot.  He left the room laughing and now Aliah was
the one shaking her head.

THE NEXT
FEW WEEKS went super slow, as we impatiently waited for the break.  Edwin had
settled into the firm nicely and we were finally used to our new daily
routine.  Since we had the same schedule now, it didn't take long for Edwin to
figure out who gets to use the bathroom first in the mornings. 
            I
do.

Bright and early one morning, Aliah called me demanding that
I go to the gym with her after work to work on our bikini bods.  How could I
say no to that?  Edwin agreed that I could drive in with him, so I hurried to pack
a lunch and finish my morning routine.  While staring long and hard at my
sizable shoe collection, I heard the rev and rumble of Edwin's truck out front
and knew that it was my one minute notice that the train was leaving the
station.

Luckily I had already packed my exercise clothes and so I
slipped on some sensible heels, grabbed my bag, and hurried out to him before
he took off without me.  Because he so would.

I lifted myself up into his huge truck, hooking my heel on
the chrome tube before tossing my things in ahead of me.  When I slid into the
seat next to him, he blasted me with a charming smile that flooded me with an
unexpected awareness.

For some reason, seeing Edwin all sexy in his business suit
this morning was getting to me.  He looked so incredibly handsome, his suit
hugging his broad shoulders, his smile shining with roguish pride.  And when he
glanced over at me a second time, with his dark boomerang eyebrows hovering
over his bright aqua blue eyes, I couldn't even hide my fascination.  He looked
delicious, and that was the only explanation for the hunger burning inside me.

A smile curled on my trembling lips, as I tried to explain
the exhilaration suddenly pulsing through my veins.  Butterflies danced in my
belly and the hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end.  Unfortunately the
tingling sensations didn't stop there. 
Am I sick?  I certainly didn't feel
ill this morning.

"Everything okay?" Edwin asked, noticing my
internal conflict.

It was written all over my face.  "I'm okay, I guess. 
My stomach's just a little upset," I said, trying hard to find something
unappetizing about him.

"You ragging?"

"Edwin!  No, I'm not ragging," I screeched, angered
by his insinuation.

"You know what I always say.  Never trust anything that
bleeds for five days straight and doesn't die," he teased.

"You stop it!"

"Just sayin’."

As we motored off, I had to hand it to him, I was acting
rather strange.  I had felt that feeling for Edwin before and I knew exactly
what it was.  But could it really be that?

My eyes trailed back to Edwin when I was sure he was
enveloped in driving, to see what had gotten me in such a tizzy.  The air
thickened between us as I admired his dark, handsome features again.  Ignoring
his bold sarcastic remarks made it easy to leave him untouched in my fantasy
land, at least in theory, because in my dreams my hands were all over him.

Edwin looked at me suddenly.

Shit!
  He totally caught me gazing at him.  Though I quickly turned away and
glanced out the window, trying to act casual, my reaction to his eyes on me didn’t
go unnoticed.

He smirked at my jumpy reaction.  "What's with you
today?”  He paused.  Even his thoughtful look was God damn gorgeous.  “I hope
you're not coming down with something.  That would blow.  And I doubt we could
find someone to go to the Southwind in your place."

I nodded and continued to stare out the side window, as
dangerous daydreams danced in my head. 
You better not replace me.

Even though Edwin and I weren't
together
, it was hard
even for a stranger not to notice our elemental bond.  I've always struggled
with the fact that Edwin had took up shop on a pedestal in my heart early on
and, despite his well-timed immaturity, I've never demanded that he step down. 
My mind drifted to my only other serious relationship in my life. 
Spencer
Caldwell.
  He has been the only man who had what it took to outlast Edwin's
strict conditions and ridiculous scare tactics.

At one time, Spencer would have done anything to be with me. 
Though he wasn't my typical type, a much slimmer build than Edwin, I think his
ability to irk and avert Edwin's angered advances was part of my strong
attraction to him.  Spencer was not afraid of a little competition, and he was
the only one who didn't fail Edwin's tests.

Edwin's large, rough hand grasped heavily on my shoulder,
breaking me out of my dreamland.  We were already parked in front of the
office.  "You coming or what?" he said, drawing his hand away as he
got out of the truck.

I gasped for air when his door clicked shut.  "Yeah, I'm
coming."

AFTER
LUNCH I WALKED up to the copier desk to pick up my printing.

"We did it!" Maddie yelped.

"What are you talking about?"  Her enthusiasm was
annoying.

"We made it!  We leave tomorrow!  I can't wait!"
she squealed excitedly.

"Yeah it's definitely gonna be fun.  You have to see
this place, it's gorgeous."

"Yeah, been there, done that.  You know another thing
that's gorgeous?  Hunter."

"About that,” I said.  “Aliah and him go way back.  You
think you could tone it down a bit when she's around?  She seems to get a
little antsy when you talk about him like that."

"Oh please.  She can handle it.  And I know she can't
deny the fact that he's fine."

Aliah suddenly walked in the room like a ghostly figure from
the underworld and I was sure she had heard everything.  “So you were talking
about the trip?" Aliah asked, calm and cool.  I could sense the fire
burning beneath the surface.

"Yeah.  It's gonna be the trip of the year!"
Maddison exclaimed.

"Okay, your energy is really irritating.  We still have
to get through today you know," Aliah said, clearly annoyed.

"But when you know what's coming, it's so worth the
wait," Maddie said, as she spun around and dashed through the front
reception door, taking a shortcut to her desk.

"I can see she's going to get annoying real fast,"
Aliah said, knowing that Maddie could still hear her.

I made a face at her and she smiled.  "It'll be whatever
we make it.  But if I want to go at all, I'd better get back to work.  I'm kind
of in the middle of something right now, so I'll talk to you later?"