Page 2 of Holiday Friend Zones
“No, you need to go fixsomething.You know what,” she said.Whe narrowed her gaze at my boss, and Lex sighed.
“Okay, I’m throwing you to the wolves.Sorry.”And with that, Lex scampered off into the crowd, and I lost him.
I blinked after him, confused.“What just happened?”
She rolled her eyes, though her smile was genuine.“Family.We’re fun, but we’re loud.Come on, let me show you around.”
In the end, I met another six Montgomerys and found myself standing in a corner with Crew, who was engaged to Aria Montgomery, one of Lex’s cousins, and Dash, who was also a cousin, but Lex’s real cousin, and not a second cousin twice removed or something like that like most of these people were.I knew Crew because I had helped build a couple of his properties, considering I was the master plumber for Montgomery Construction, and I worked with Dash.The kid was over a decade younger than me, and yet we got along just fine.In fact, he was sometimes my boss on a few properties.And thankfully, the Montgomerys didn’t make it weird.
“I’m glad you came,” Dash said as he grinned at me.That was Dash, always happy and bubbly and looking as if he had a few secrets to share.He also got shit done.He was the main foreman for Montgomery Construction, just like Lex was an architect.
They were an offshoot of Montgomery Builders, which was the Fort Collins branch, and Montgomery Inc., the Denver branch.Instead of the next generation trying to figure out which branch to join, they had just made their own, combining everything into one trust.I was still shocked that anybody could make all of that work, but if anyone could, it was this family.
“I’m glad I could come too.I brought cheese and wine.”
“I suppose you’ve learned how to work with the Montgomerys after a decade,” Crew said as he lifted his beer bottle to his lips.
My lips quirked into a smile.“I try.Although I swear these parties are getting bigger and bigger.”
“People are getting married, and we’re adding more staff that we actually like hanging out with.”
“I’m going to take it as a good thing that you’re saying it in front of me?”I asked, teasing.
Dash blushed.“Sorry.I mean, you’ve been working for my family longer than I have.”
“Considering I don’t think you were even in high school when I started working for the Montgomerys, albeit your uncle’s company, yeah, probably.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot that.Well, I bet Lex was glad to get you considering you’re the guy who can pretty much do anything when it comes to plumbing.”
“I should really put that on my business cards.Or my dating profile,” I said dryly.
Dash’s brows rose.“You’re back on the apps?A glutton for punishment, are you?”
I mentally winced.“Not right now.They don’t really work with the holidays.But eventually I’ll get out there.Find someone.”
“I’m sure this one has a cousin or four,” Crew added, pointing his thumb over at Dash.
The younger man beamed.“Andone that doesn’t work with us.Plus, Lex has a whole other set of cousins that live in other states.I mean, we aren’t as big as your family, but we’re getting there.”
“That statement scares me,” Crew said dryly.
Honestly, the sibling and cousin math made my head hurt.“I may have moresiblingsthan you do, but I think we have the same number as at least one of the generations in this group did.Either way, both of my parents each only had a single sibling and they didn’t have kids, so it isn’t like I have any cousins.”
Dash put a hand over his chest, his face mock surprised.“No cousins?How does that work?”
“I’ll tell you all about it when you’re older,” Crew said as he tipped back his beer.“And on that note, I see the person I was looking for.”
Crew didn’t even bother to acknowledge us as he pushed past us and set his beer bottle near the other empties.He grinned down at his fiancée as Aria beamed up at him.And he put both hands on her face and kissed her soundly on the mouth.
Some whistled, a few groaned, and another even threw a balled-up napkin.
“Whoever threw that better clean up after themselves!”a woman’s voice shouted as the entire room broke out into laughter, her included.
I joined in before taking a sip of my beer.“You guys know to how to throw parties.”
Dash began to talk about the project we were on, invested in the number of growing enterprises the Montgomerys were working on.I listened with half an ear, but I couldn’t help but think about the one person who had been on my mind for far too long.We hadn’t seen each other in forty-eight hours, which, considering Posy never left her house as she worked from home, it made sense.But I liked having coffee with her at Latte on the Rocks and going for walks because she had said we both needed the fresh air.
She told me she would be here as she and her friend Mercy had been invited by Lex’s mom, so here I was, wondering again why I was stressing out about seeing a woman that I saw often.
