Page 51 of Beneficial Misfortune

I’m dressed in dark blue shorts, a white T-shirt, and a short-sleeved button-up over it. I’ve left it unbuttoned, though, so I don’t die. However, I’ve never really been comfortable leaving the house in just a t-shirt the way Desmond and my father are. I’d like to say I’m a nice mix of my father and Nate when it comes to how I dress. I can be relaxed but still appropriate to be seen.

Desmond is wearing what looks like gray sweatpants that were cut just above the knee, an olive green T-shirt, a backward baseball cap on his head, and sunglasses.

My father wears shorts and a t-shirt as well, but his are, of course, both black because he doesn’t give a shit if it’s one hundred degrees, that’s his favorite color.

Whereas Nate is also wearing a black shirt, his is a long-sleeved button-up. He’s pushed the sleeves up to his elbows, but it’s still tucked into his dark gray dress pants, and instead of opting for tennis shoes like the rest of us, he’s also still wearing dress shoes. It’s the most dressed down he ever gets outside of the house, and even then, it’s a rare occurrence.

Vince stands near the back of the limo talking to my father, and I know without asking he will be escorting us today based on his black t-shirt and cargo pants. The guy’s so ripped that his sleeves look like they’re about to shred themselves. Of course, to everyone else, he’s our driver, but he’s much more than that. Nate has known Vince since they were teenagers, and by default, my father knows him as well. I’d say they were best friends, but somehow, that doesn’t seem right. No, they're more like brothers, and, of course, Nate gave him a job—well, more than one, I guess.

I try to keep my eyes off her. I spotted her the moment I walked out; how could I miss her? But the last thing I need after putting my foot in my mouth this morning is to be caught gawking the way Des and my father seem to have no problem openly doing.

I try and fail.

Des says something, pulling her attention to him, and I take a moment to look at her without worry.

She really is stunning.

Her long red waves are pulled up off her shoulders and secured with a clip, probably to keep them from sticking to her skin in this heat. I find my eyes roaming down her creamy white neck, unable to stop myself. Like most redheads, she has naturally lighter skin, but while she’s paler than we are, she’s not the palest person I’ve ever seen.

She’s also dressed for the heat, with a pink sundress that fits her so damn well it should be a crime. It’s tight around her waist and flows down to mid-thigh, showing off her legs. I have to forcefully pull my gaze away from them. Not that roaming up is much better. The neckline of her dress dips down; not the lowest I’ve ever seen a neckline go by a long shot, but it’s enough to show off some cleavage.

Yup, I was probably safer looking at her legs because her breasts are full and the same creamy white as the rest of her.

Damn it, I might not want her the way they do, but I can’t deny seeing her appeal.

It takes more effort than it should for me to make myself turn away and look back toward Vince and Nate, but I manage. Too bad I also catch my father's eye in the process. The smirk on his face lets me know he saw me checking her out, and I resist the urge to flip him off.

Fuck, I’m going to hear about that later.

We load up into the limo and head out. Des, of course, sits next to Kat, and Addison sits on her other side, talking a mile a minute about everything she wants to do and see.

When we get to the zoo, Vince parks instead of dropping us off like he usually does. Thankfully, our membership includes closerparking for members, so we don’t have to park so far away. Even with that, I’m sweating by the time we reach the gate.

You’d think the heat would deter people, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s still pretty packed. Kat keeps hold of Addison as we make our way through the gates, seeming undeterred by the heat as well.

The smile on Kat’s face is real and happy, and if Addison’s happiness isn’t contagious, hers is. Every single one of us wears a smile as we watch them look over the map, Addison pointing out her favorite animals as they decide where we should go first.

People around us stop and stare, some openly gawking and snapping pictures, while others go so far as to try to approach us. It’s nothing new, but it’s exhausting, nonetheless. I know we have money, and people know our faces. It's hard not to here in the city where we work and live, but when it interrupts our time doing normal everyday things, it gets annoying.

For the most part, Vince is able to keep them away, but stopping them from snapping pictures is almost impossible. On instinct, we walk around Addison, protecting her from the people and the pictures as best we can without drawing attention to them. She’s young enough that she never really notices, and with her blissfully unaware, it seems that Kat stays unaware as well. Addison pulls her from one enclosure to the next, her smile so wide as she shows her everything, and Kat seems fully invested.

“Has she never been here?” I ask Nate as we trail after them.

“Not that I’m aware of. She’s been in the city less than a year and doesn’t seem as though she goes out much,” he tells me without taking his eyes off her.

We continue on like that, making our way to the center of the zoo where they have concessions and Addison’s favorite part, the sea lion pool.

The sea lions do performances every few hours, and ever since the first time we came here years ago, it’s been her favorite part. It’s a bit of a tradition now. We come, look around, get ice cream, and watch the sea lions perform before we see the rest of the animals.

The line at the concession stands is long today, probably due to the heat. Everyone needs a cool drink or ice cream to help them fight it off. Could we walk up to the counter and bypass it, possibly, but none of us tries. Instead, we move into line and stand with everyone else. There’s no real rush, considering we have about thirty minutes before the next show. Vince stands in front with Des and my father on either side of the girls, with Nate and I behind them. If Kat’s noticed the way we close rank, she hasn’t said anything.

Addison, as adorable and smart as she might be, is still only a child and, after a few minutes of waiting, begins to become impatient. Before she gets the chance to whine or complain too much, Kat pulls her aside, dropping down to her knees and distracting her.

I can’t help the shock that fills me, seeing her disregard her appearance and probably comfort in favor of Addison. We’ve had many nannies, and while they were good at taking care of her, they were never as involved as she is.

Kat and Addison play rock, paper, scissors, and Addison’s annoyance is forgotten as Kat makes a big deal of her winning or does silly things when she wins. Without even realizing it, Kat has our attention and the attention of people around us. After a few minutes, Des sits down next to them and joins their game. Their laughter ringing out around the area.

They play on, and Vince moves with the line, keeping our place without us all having to move. He calls out to us once he finally reaches the front.

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