Chapter 65

Chapter 65

-MILLIE-

On my way to the villa for the preparation for Dad’s party, my phone rang. It was Andrea.

“Where do you need these?” Mara, the 52–year–old gardener, asked, lifting a bountiful basket of white roses she handpicked for Dad’s birthday celebration. The sun was bright above us, a pleasant contrast to the fading warmth of summer air as fall drew nearer. We were on the paved path behind the villa leading towards the back entrance of the function hall, where the preparation was already taking place.

“Give them to Lisa. She got instructions from Mom for the table settings,” I said, pouting at the insistent.

ringing of my phone. “I’ll be there in a sec. I just need to get this.”

“Sure thing, love,” Maria smiled, the roses leaving a pleasant smell in the air as she walked past me towards the function hall.

Answering the video call, Andrea’s gleeful voice

greeted me. “Look at that view!”

pure wonder

blanketed her face, eyes shining in awe as she stared at

something on her right.

“Hello to you, too.”

“Oh, Millie!” Andrea looked down at her phone, Candice peeking over her left shoulder. “My God. I’m in love with Clarke Bay!” she sang on top of her lungs. I’m sure the diners at the restaurant could hear her.

“She got dicked last night,” Candice pipped in, snatching Andrea’s phone.

“Hey! That’s my phone.”

Candice fixed Andrea with a scowl. “You left me in our hotel room for a stranger. I get to do what I want with your phone.”

Andrea stuck out her lower l*p. “He was a hot stranger.”

“Ok, hold up…” I butted in, trudging through the paved path towards the front of the villa. Dad’s morning routine included checking the restaurant and all his staff. He was very hands–on with Summerfield and I’m doing the rounds in his stead.

Andrea and Candice were inside a cab, and I gathered they’d been here at Clarke Bay since last night. “Can you go back to the part where you didn’t tell me you’re

here at Clarke Bay already?”

Candice pursed her l*ps, a pinch of concern crossing her face, but Andrea answered my question. “You can interrogate us after feeding us.”

I heard Andrea’s voice before I saw the cab pull to a stop in front of the villa. Half opening the cab door, she barrelled out into the dropping bay, inhaling a lungful of air, then waved at me. Candice slid out of the car after Andrea, shaking her head at our extra- energetic friend.

Both of them were dressed casually in shorts and colorful tank tops. Candice’s brunette hair was tied in a messy bun, while Andrea’s scarlet hair was in a half ponytail with a yellow ribbon matching her top.

Candice and I shared a look. Last I saw her, which was only last Friday, Andrea was still in a gloomy mood because of Nick.

‘Must be some good dick she got, huh?‘ I crossed my arms in my middle, glad to see my friends,

nonetheless.

Candice answered with an eye roll.

While the two settled in their accommodations, I left instructions to the decorating team at the function then joined Andrea and Candice for breakfast. Since we sat at our table, Andrea dominated the

conversation about how hot this mystery one–night stand guy she had in town.

“That good, huh?” I asked, picking a fry from the red basket in the middle of our table. I already had

breakfast with mom and dad, so I settled for having my second cup of coffee.

Andrea moaned through a mouthful of her eggs benedict. “He manhandled me in the best possible way. Did I mention there was spanking and handcuffs involved?

I snickered. “What? Where did he even get the handcuffs?”

Andre shrugged. “He said he had cuffs on his bike. That he wanted to cuff me to a bed, then ravish me

like I was his last meal.”

“Wait…” I raised an eyebrow. “Did he say this before or after you agreed to have a one–night stand with him?”

“Before! It was actually the selling part of his. invitation.”

Laughing, I followed up. “I’d like to hear this conversation, Andrea.”

Candice groaned, stabbing me with a pained glare. “Can I please be excused? She’d been blowing up my ears since coming back to our room this morning!”

Ignoring her, Andrea’s eyes were dreamy as she said, “So… I just got bored and went to the bar across from our hotel for a drink. Since Miss Sunshine here couldn’t drink, bun in her oven and all, I decided to go alone. He was there, alone and brooding in the corner, a storm cloud brewing above him. I got curious.”

“She was his type, Mr. Dark and Stormy, and oh, did she mention that he also rides a monster bike?” Candice butted in, sipping her orange juice.

Andrea glared at her, annoyed by her interruption. “Anyway, he’d been staring at me since I walked in. It was kind of hot and creepy at the same time. After three glasses of margarita, I finally decided to save him from his misery and asked him if he wanted to f**k me.”

“You what?” I laughed so loud, the guest on our table threw a curious gaze in our direction. “Please tell me you are sugarcoating this story.”

“No, I’m not. But that wasn’t my opening line. It goes like this. ‘You’ve been staring at me since I walked in. Do you want to f**k me?“” Andrea stabbed a bacon on her plate. “What?” she disregarded my surprise at her boldness to a total stranger. “I’m single, and I’m finally ready to mingle. I won’t miss out on life just because I’m broken–hearted.”

Candice locked eyes with me, mirroring the concern shining in mine. “Just be careful.”

“Gee…” Andrea grumbled. “It’s not like I’m dating Mr. Dark and Stormy. It’s called a one–night stand for a reason.”

I nodded, trusting Andrea knew what she was doing. “Is there another reason you guys flew early?” They were supposed to come with Nancy, Erik, and Aaron later in the afternoon.

“Uhm…” Candice chewed on her lower l*p, slicing through her pancakes. “I might have mentioned to a certain guy that you are here in Clarke Bay.”

Emergency calls only G

I narrowed my eyes at Candice. “I knew Mom wouldn’t invite Damian without asking me.”

Candice shrugged, lifting a forked pancake to her mouth. “So, how did it go?”

I leaned back in my chair, resigning from this conversation. “How do you think? He asked for a

second chance but refused to explain why he ghosted me for a month.”

Andrea stabbed her bacon so hard, the cutlery rattled against the plates. “Men… it should be us ghosting them, not the other way around.”

Raising an eyebrow, I said. “At least you know why Nick left. On the other hand, I was left wondering what I did wrong.”

“Still the same!” I frowned at Andrea. Is she high on something? She’s taking this antagonism to another level. “After we gave them our hearts, they’d discard us like a piece of meat they didn’t want anymore? I won’t wait for a man like that. I’d have a lot of one–night stands until I forget how beautiful Nick’s cock is!”

“Jesus!” the lady on the table next to us gasped, glaring at Andrea. Andrea didn’t pay her any mind and

continued eating her breakfast.

Candice reached for my hand, giving it a little squeeze. “Give him time. I know Damian. He’d never hurt you intentionally.”

“Intentionally or not, the result was still the same. He broke my heart.”

“I’m sorry, Candice, but I’m with Millie on this one. Looking past his ghosting drama is not easy,” she turned to me. “I say you make him grovel on his knees, and if you decide that you want nothing to do with him and he still insists on waltzing back into your life, I volunteer to chop off his balls and feed it to the pigs.”

Despite Andrea’s threat, I giggled. “Can you tone down on the threats? It’s only eight in the morning. Are you high on something?”

“Mr. Dark and Stormy had a very, very wonderful dick, is all,” she announced.

The lady at the next table murmured another curse, doing a sign of the cross. It seemed like she was saying a small prayer to save Andrea’s soul.

Candice opened her mouth to fire up another Damian–inspired question, pursing her l*ps when I cut her off. “I had a very interesting conversation with Dad. He wanted to up Summerfield Acres and start. accepting events, and he would like to partner with Effortless Events.”

Candice blinked, and Andrea perched on her seat. “Wow. Really?” they said at the same time.

Grateful for the distraction, I hummed a yes. “It’s gonna benefit both Summerfield and Effortless Events. We’re gonna market this place, and we will have our own place for our events.”

Eyes thinned, Candice said. “Why do I feel like there’s a catch to this?”

I shook my head. “No catch. But he wants me here.”

I didn’t have to explain why Mom and Dad wanted me out of Roslin City. There were too many terrible memories in that city, and I was beginning to like this change of scenery, at least before Damian showed up here.

“Oh… can I work with Millie here?” Andrea grabbed Candice’s arms, shaking her like a child, asking her

mom to buy her ice cream. “Please? Pretty please?”

Candice narrowed her eyes at Andrea. “I thought that one–night stand was nothing to you?”

Andrea gasped. “This is not about Mr. Dark and Stormy with a very wonderful dick!”

“Jesus Christ!” The lady on the next table stood, the foot of her chair scraping the floor, glaring at the three of us. She slapped her napkin on the table and called a server. “I’d like to move to the table as far away from these three as possible!” She made sure we heard her

loud and clear.

Liam, the server, looked at me with a frown. I nodded at him, and he quickly assisted the lady to the empty table in the corner.

Unbothered by the lady’s annoyance, Andrea bugged Candice for the position as my assistant here. “Let’s sit down with Uncle Robert before deciding what to do.”

Andrea and I agreed with Candice, and we jumped into the details of Dad’s birthday celebration when Andrea gasped, eyes pinned on the glass wall behind

mom to buy her ice cream. “Please? Pretty please?”

Candice narrowed her eyes at Andrea. “I thought that one–night stand was nothing to you?”

Andrea gasped. “This is not about Mr. Dark and Stormy with a very wonderful dick!”

“Jesus Christ!” The lady on the next table stood, the foot of her chair scraping the floor, glaring at the three of us. She slapped her napkin on the table and called a server. “I’d like to move to the table as far away from these three as possible!” She made sure we heard her loud and clear.

Liam, the server, looked at me with a frown. I nodded at him, and he quickly assisted the lady to the empty table in the corner.

Unbothered by the lady’s annoyance, Andrea bugged Candice for the position as my assistant here. “Let’s sit. down with Uncle Robert before deciding what to do.”

Andrea and I agreed with Candice, and we jumped into the details of Dad’s birthday celebration when Andrea gasped, eyes pinned on the glass wall behind

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” she mumbled, brown eyes blown wide with surprise, confusion, and dread.

Looking over my shoulder, I spotted Xander riding Calix across the lawn. He was sporting a sleeveless gray tee, fitted jeans, and cowboy boots, his shoulder–length hair tied in a messy bun. They’re headed for the grape farm, Calix’s coat shining under the sunbeams.

Frowning, I turned back to Andrea. “Don’t tell me he’s your Mr. Dark and Stormy with a very wonderful dick.”

Andrea couldn’t respond, eyes glued on Xander as he moved further away from the villa. I chuckled. “Oh, hell. This is gonna be good. That, my friend, is Dad’s stable guy. His name is Xander.” I faced Candice. She already knew what I would say before I even uttered them, smirking at me. “I think you should let her stay here with me, Can. What do you think?”

Her wicked smile grew wider. “Maybe we don’t need to speak with Uncle Robert after all.”

“I changed my mind,” Andrea snapped. “You can stay here with Millie. The green scenery is good for little peanut.”

Candice grimaced. “Stop giving pet names for my baby…”

I zoned out as they bickered, doing a double take at the couple who had just entered the restaurant. Damian was dressed impeccably in his dress shirt and slacks; hanging from his arm was a girl in a white minidress. He laughed at something she said, eyes focused on her like she was the only human inside this building.

I couldn’t take my eyes off them. They seemed pretty cozy. She was shorter than me, barely reaching Damian’s shoulder. Her shiny blond hair was curled to perfection; the tan lines on her suggested she had porcelain skin.

Damian was so focused on her, he didn’t even throw a glance in my direction or to the server as he guided them to the private lounge on the other side of the

restaurant.

“Millie, can you back me up on this?” Andrea grabbed my attention from glaring at the corner where they disappeared. “It’s a one–night stand for a reason. We were not supposed to meet in the real world. So you assigning me here, nuh–uh… I don’t want those kinds

of complications.”

“Stop being dramatic,” I snapped at Andrea. My friends paused, astounded by the sudden shift in my mood. “It’s just Xander. Besides, if you get to know him, you will not like him. He’s an ass. If you’ll excuse me, I need to check the preparations at the function hall.” I stood and detached myself from our conversation, feeling their eyes bore holes in the back of my head.