Page 1 of The Anti-Bachelorette (The Anti-Bachelorette 1)

Chapter 1

Iyawn again as I take another sip of my coffee. It really is hard coming back to work on a Monday after a three week tropical vacation. That was the longest vacation I’ve taken probably since I was fifteen years old during summer break if you count that as a vacation. I’ve been working for my dad’s construction company since the day I turned sixteen, but really my dad has been showing me how to build and fix things for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a little girl.

I started out at the company just answering phones and helping him file paperwork, but after a while, I started taking on more important tasks like managing the contractors and purchasing materials. I’d help out with office duties as well such as scheduling the guys and making sure payroll goes smoothly.

My dad trusts me now to manage job sites, and I am put in charge whenever he is away on another job. I am his number two man. Have been for the past five years.

I’ve never taken a vacation longer than five days before, and it was amazing. Except now that I am back, I have so much work to catch up on, I am almost regretting it. Almost.

My best friend Angela actually won a radio contest, which is how we ended up spending the last three weeks sipping mimosas by the pool, getting a tan while overlooking the ocean. The all inclusive resort was so beautiful. Our room overlooked the ocean, and it opened up right to a walk out pool. Not to mention all the hot local islanders. I swear me and Angela danced with at least 10 different guys every night.

I sigh as I look at all my unread emails I have to get through yet. I take another sip of my coffee and get started. After I’ve contacted our contractors about unpaid bills, ordered more material and supplies, and sorted out all the payroll issues since I’ve been gone, I finally close my email and open up my monthly meeting agenda. Once a month, I sit down with each employee to discuss any concerns or suggestions they have. I have a feeling this month there will be more concerns than usual with all the problems I’ve been emailed about already this morning.

I figure I might as well get started, so I open up the schedule to see who is first. I smile when I read the first name. Let me preface this with saying that I love working at my dad’s company. I have always been interested in construction ever since I was a little girl and my dad first helped me build my very own birdhouse from scratch, but I love it even more recently because Tyler works here. He started about 6 months ago, and we have been doing some heavy flirting ever since.

I try to always stay professional with all my dad’s guys, but with Tyler I may have bent my rules on that just a little. In my defense, I think any girl would. I mean when he gives you that sexy boy next door smile and his dimples peek out. Swoon.

I may or may not have made up excuses to be near him on the job site in the past. It’s too addicting to watch the way his tool belt hangs low on his hips while he hammers and drills away while he works. His t-shirt will cling to his sculpted chest with the sweat from a hard day’s work. Most of the guys that work for my dad are older with beer bellies, but Tyler is probably only about 2 or 3 years older than me.

I could tell Tyler was about to ask me out a couple of times, but I changed the subject before he got the chance. I want to talk to my dad first about whether he’s okay with me dating one of his guys. Not that I need my dad’s permission about who I can or cannot date. I am not a little girl anymore, but my dad is the only family I’ve got, and I respect his opinion. I wouldn’t want to make things weird at work if he wasn’t okay with it.

My dad had a rough past. He grew up on the rough side of town, and he got my mom pregnant when they were still in highschool. He didn’t even know about me though until I was five years old. One day my mom decided she couldn’t handle raising a little girl anymore, and so she came and dropped me off at my dad’s place.

I haven’t seen her since that day. Good thing too. I’d rather she just be out of my life completely than have her popping up every now and then to remind me that she didn’t want me.

My dad is enough for me anyway. Ever since the day he found out about me, he has been the best dad a girl could ask for. It’s always just been me and him against the world.

It took some getting used to at first, but I was pretty young. I think it almost worked out in my favor with it just being the two of us. He had to learn everything with me. It led to some pretty open and honest conversations like when I first got my period or my first boyfriend. I think I have a closer relationship with my dad than most girls that have both parents do.

I get up and decide to search for Tyler on the job site to let him know about our meeting today. Usually I send out email reminders of when the next one-on-one is a week before, but since I’ve been gone the last three weeks, I didn’t have the chance to. I walk out of my office trailer and head toward the job site.

I don’t see anyone out front, so I will probably have to go into the actual job site to find Tyler. I pause before heading in. I have my steel toes on, but I need a hard hat. I don’t know why I forgot to grab my own. I don’t feel like walking all the way back to my office trailer, so I head over to where we keep the spares for when contractors come onsite without one.

I bend down to grab one from the box, but all the extra large ones are sitting on top. Why do we always have people with big heads as visitors? I am digging around deeper in the box to find a smaller one, when I hear a deep voice behind me.

“Can I help you with something?”

I glance over my shoulder but don’t recognize the guy. He must be one of the new contractors that started since I’ve been gone. Weird. My dad didn’t tell me he hired any new contractors while I was away. Well, I guess I haven’t actually talked to him since I’ve been back yet. We are meeting for lunch later today. He’ll probably fill me in on everything I’ve missed then.

I turn back toward the bin and reach down deep for one of the smaller hard hats. “I’m good. Thanks.”

I grab the hard hat and turn back around toward the man. He is still standing there just staring at me. I put the hat on, and he gives me a funny look. I start walking toward the job site, and he reaches out and grabs my wrist. I turn my head back around and glare back at him. “What’s your problem?”

He stares back at me just as intensely as before. “I can’t have random people walking around my site. I’ll ask again. Can I help you with something?”

I scoff. “Your site? Who do you think you are?”

He lets go of my wrist and crosses his arms over his chest. “The foreman.”

Now that he is standing back a few steps, I take a second to take in the man. He looks kind of familiar, but I can’t quite place what company he is with. If you can get past his angry scowl, he’s actually really attractive. Not like Tyler with his boy next door charm. This guy is more of a mysterious, brooding, sexy type. Where Tyler has blonde hair and blue eyes, this guy has dark, black hair and eyes so dark and intense that they are almost hard to hold contact with.

I laugh out a disgusted sound. “Do you always lie to people or am I just special?” I cross my arms over my chest. “Was that supposed to impress me or something? What company sent you here?”

He looks back at me just as serious as he was before. “I’m not sure what game you are playing here, but I’m not lying. This is my job site and frankly, you can’t be here.”

I laugh again and take a step toward him. “Oh really?” I take another step forward so that I am standing right in front of him. I can't believe he's trying to pass himself off as my dad. I look up at his face and reach my hand to touch his chest.

“Wow dad. You’ve really gotten in shape since I’ve last seen you.” I run my hand from his chest over to his bicep and give a little squeeze. It barely budges. God, this man is even stronger than I thought. Not sure why I didn’t expect that considering the way his t-shirt is stretching tight across his chest. “How did you get so buff in three weeks?”

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