Page 78 of Taming Waves

“Why’s that?”

He shrugs. “Bribery, remember? Plus, I was hoping I could talk you into coming out to Cali; let me treat you to a nice celebratory vacation before you transition.”

There it is.

“Or we could fly to Bora Bora. Think about it—two weeks in a hut over the ocean, snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, sunbathing nude, and making love under the stars,” he proposes.

It sounds amazing, and it would be so easy. Jake is the entire package—funny, handsome, successful, and well-traveled.

“What do you say, Red? Run away with me.”

“I’ll think about it,” I tell him.

“I’ll take that. It’s not a no, and I have two months to wear you down.”

After breakfast, I take Jake to Whiskey Joe’s to meet Brew. Leena, Leonard, and Parker are seated at the bar when we walk in. I glance at my watch in confusion.

“What are you guys doing here so early?” I ask.

Parker’s eyes flit between me and Jake and harden.

“Um, you called a meeting for this morning. You posted it in the app last week,” Leonard says. “We’ve been here for an hour.”

“Oh God. I forgot,” I say.

“That’s okay,” Leena says, but Parker stands and stomps toward the door.

“Parker.” I grab his arm as he walks past us, and he stops to look down at me. “Are you mad?”

His furious eyes meet mine. “Mad that I got out of bed on my day off to attend a meeting you couldn’t be bothered to show up for?”

“I’m sorry I forgot. I must have mixed the days up on my calendar or something,” I defend.

He looks from me to Jake and back. “Yeah, or something.”

I stiffen at his words. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

He leans down and mutters, “Next time you want to sleep in with a friendor something,at least have the decency to call the rest of us and let us know so we can sleep in too.” Then, he jerks his arm free from my grasp and stalks out.

I turn back to the others. “Excuse me for one second,” I say before following Parker.

I catch him in the parking lot, about to climb into his truck. “Wait a damn minute, Parker!” I shout.

He stops with his hand on the door handle, closes his eyes for a moment, and then turns to face me.

“Go back inside, Audrey,” he says through gritted teeth.

“No,” I say as I get in his face. “That was uncalled for. I don’t appreciate you talking to me that way in front of the others, especially insinuating I was late because I had slept in with Jake.”

“Do you really think they didn’t reach the same conclusion when you came in with him at eight in the morning?” he yells.

“Fuck you,” I spit and turn to walk away.

He grabs my wrist and tugs me back to him, pinning me between the truck and his body.

“Move,” I scream.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” he bites out, the vein in his neck pulsing as his Adam’s apple bobs angrily. “Tell me he wasn’t in your bed last night.”

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