Page 19 of Bad For A Weekend

“Nearly an hour ago. Plenty of time to put this house back together and whip up some cookies.”

She’s like our very own filthy-minded Mary Poppins, and after the day I’ve had, she’s exactly what I need.

Owen

“How’s it going?” Hudson shouts over the music.

It’s Friday night, and somehow my brother convinced me to go to the club with him and his buddies. One of his clients owns this place and gave him VIP tickets, which include a private balcony.

“Good. It’ll be better when we catch who’s behind Baylor’s abduction.” I take a sip of my brown ale.

“Nothing else has happened after that guy followed you, right?”

“No, but she also hasn’t left the house except to go to school.”

“Damn. Shitty situation.” Hudson slings a shot of God knows what and leans back on the sofa, taking in the dance floor. “See anyone?”

I take a perfunctory glance. “Not yet.”

“Oh, come on. L.A. is full of beautiful women; any number of them would kill to go home with my big brother.”

Hudson has taken to L.A. life like a fish to water. He likes the fast-paced lifestyle where your stock depends on how much money you make, what you drive, and which part of the city you live in. And it’s done well for him. He owns a condo in the South Park district, his company is in high demand by the wealthiest of L.A., and he drives a Tesla Roadster. By all accounts, he’s done better in life than I have.

“And what? Bring them back to the pool house? Think Corey will be cool with that?”

“Fuck no. Spring for a hotel. You don’t have to be back until tomorrow, right?”

He’s right; I don’t. But I’ve been to clubs like this with Hudson before, and the women here aren’t looking for a casual fuck. They’re here to find men who can provide them with opportunities or someone they can string along, milking him for all they can before he finds someone new.

Not all of them, of course, but enough that it’s not worth the effort because I can’t provide either of those things. And even if I could, that’s not what I’m after.

The only thing I have to give these days is a casual fuck. Preferably with someone who doesn’t mind handing over their control and allowing me to do whatever I want to them. Since that kind of relationship requires trust, I don’t get laid often.

“I’ll keep looking,” I say dismissively.

“Let’s go down,” Logan, one of Hudson’s buddies, says.

“Fuck yeah,” Noah, his other friend, agrees.

“You coming?” Hudson downs another shot. The guy is thirty but parties like he’s still in his twenties.

“Yeah, let me finish this, and I’ll meet you there.” I hold up my beer, knowing full well I won’t be joining them.

They slip past the guard standing at the top of the staircase and head down. Women immediately flock to them, assuming they’re someone special because they’re coming from the elusive VIP section. L.A. makes my head hurt.

Swallowing the dregs of the only beer I’ve had tonight, I fish out a hundred-dollar bill since I doubt the others will remember to tip, and my first paycheck hit a few days ago. I head toward the exit and pull up the Uber app, ready to go home.

Forty minutes later, I’m walking around the side of the house so I don’t disturb anyone inside when I hear voices in the backyard. Turning the corner, I spot Baylor and Ziggy in the pool. She’s on his back, her head resting on his shoulder as he wades around while they talk.

A pang of something I don’t recognize socks me in the gut. Is it jealousy? The reason couldn’t be because he has his hands on Baylor’s thighs and her breasts pressed to his back. Of course not. But maybe because she’s confiding in him and not me? Maybe.

This is why I didn’t want to get close to her. She’s not my friend, and I don’t deserve to know what they’re talking about. In reality, I’m glad she has someone else to talk to. It shouldn’t have been me in the first place. She’s fourteen years younger than me and still in high school. A peer is a much better solution for her.

“Owen’s home,” Ziggy says, spinning Baylor in a circle.

I give them a chin lift, my pace increasing to get inside as quickly as possible.

“Hey, Owen.” Baylor detaches herself from Ziggy’s back.

---