Page 5 of Friends With Benefits

“Well…yeah.”

“We should probably get a professional to do it.” Sela dismissed her idea. “Someone who knows website design. And that’s not a priority right now. I’ll get to that eventually.”

Kerri swallowed her disappointment. Well, like Mitch had said, Sela was a shrewd and successful businesswoman. She must know what she was doing. Clearly, Sela didn’t need any suggestions from her.

Kerri sighed. It was always that way. Sela was ten years older than Kerri, the oldest of the four Harris siblings, and a natural leader. An over-achiever who’d excelled in college, she’d graduated with her business degree then used her entrepreneurial skills to start her own business with only a little financial help from the family. There’d been a few ups and downs in the early days, but now her spa was the most popular day spa in Santa Barbara.

Not only that, she’d met her husband through her business. He was her accountant, a partner in a lucrative practice, and they now had three gorgeous teenage children. Sela managed to combine being a professional woman with a being a devoted wife and mother. She was the epitome of “having it all”.

Kerri let out a long breath. She was almost thirty and had no hope of having Sela’s life. Yes, her yoga business was doing well, not surprising to her, but apparently surprising to her family. Sela’s spa business had seemed very entrepreneurial, but when Kerri had followed a similar path and used her business degree to open a yoga studio, withnofamily money, she was proud to say, the family had smiled and rolled their eyes.

Okay, so the money wasn’t rolling in, but that wasn’t Kerri’s definition of success. Her goal was to help people achieve inner harmony, improved health, emotional well-being, mental clarity and joy in living. She was doing all that and managing to make a living for herself.

Just then, the karma ring tone of her cell phone chimed, vaguely East-Indian and soothing. She flipped the phone open and checked the call display. “Hey, Mitch!” She pushed her hair back off her face. “What’s up?”

“Hey,” he said. “Listen, I checked with Trevor and we’re going to meet for drinks after work on Friday.”

“Ooh, I forgot! I got thinking about something else here.” She smiled at Sela and waved as she left the spa area. She stopped in the hall where it was quieter. “Okay,” she said eagerly. “Tell me about him.”

Chapter Three

“He’s a real estate developer.” Mitch sounded about as enthusiastic as if he were calling to make an appointment to have his chest waxed. “Trevor Simmonds. I know him from the gym.”

“Is he good-looking? Successful? Nice?”

“You don’t want much, do you?”

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “Looks don’t really matter.”

“But the money does?”

“I didn’t say that! But he should be successful. That doesn’t necessarily mean rich. If you like what you do and you’re happy, I consider that successful, and that’s important to me.”

“Well then, I’d say he’s successful. But as for good-looking, I have no clue. I guess he’s not too repulsive.”

She nodded. “Okay, so when is this happening?”

“Friday night work for you? I thought he and I could meet for drinks and you could join us. Then I’ll take off. You can take it from there. If things aren’t working out, you can easily leave.”

“Perfect. For a lawyer, you can be a sweetheart sometimes. Thanks, Mitch.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said darkly. “Don’t thank me yet.”

She laughed, and they arranged a time and location to meet.

As she closed up her phone, one of Sela’s spa technicians beckoned to her. Kerri hurried over.

“Hi, Amanda. What’s up?”

“That oil you gave me,” Amanda said, eyes darting around furtively. “I need more.”

Kerri also glanced around. “Why are you whispering?” Were they doing a drug deal or something?

“I’ve been using it for some of my massage clients and Sela doesn’t know that I’m using something different.”

Kerri was puzzled. “She wouldn’t mind if you changed massage oil, would she?”

Amanda rolled her eyes. “She has to control every last detail of this place,” she hissed. “I love her and she’s great to work for, but you know her…she’s your sister.”

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