Page 191 of Billion-Dollar Attitudes

"Wait! Let's have Courtney open it. She'll likely take care of the matter anyway," Guy proposed as he gestured towards the kitchen door, "let's go grab another beer!"

"Oh, did I hear someone calling my name? I was about to suggest you guys try and redeem yourselves in another cornhole match," Courtney chortled with amusement.

"Not so fast," Chase said, tossing Courtney the large envelope. "It's all you!"

"Thank you so much!" Courtney cut Chase a look.

We were mounting the back porch steps when Courtney suddenly unleashed a piercing shriek that made us stop dead in our tracks. "Oh, God. Oh, no!"

When I turned around, Courtney was sinking to the ground and barely able to sit up. I hurried over to her, but before I had the chance to inquire about what was wrong, I caught a glimpse of a picture of Amy — restrained and gagged, wounded and bruised. "Amy's been kidnapped!" my words barely made it out. "The psycho is back!"

As Ariel gave Courtney a hand up, she moaned in horror and pointed to the note. "The ransom… It's actually the rest of the money from our grant — I think!"

Ariel and Courtney wept inconsolably at the thought of enduring another attack as Meagan ushered them into the house. At the same time, the men hastily scurried over to inspect what was left behind on the picnic table. "Don't move a muscle!" Chase bellowed, quickly contacting security. "Don't touch anything."

With my hand carefully behind my back, I leaned in to investigate. "Jesus. Amy's in... she's in Vail."

"What makes you so sure?" Chase quipped, stepping closer to better understand what I was looking at.

"The bedspread. It's the one in the master bedroom!" I pointed out the photo of Amy lying on a bedspread with a distinctive blue and yellow pattern.

A ripple of shock rolled through us all as Chase put on a pair of rubber gloves the contractors had left behind and cautiously pointed to another paper, scrutinizing it. "We have until tomorrow morning to tell the state we can't finish our work on the Golden Key Project! After that, we're to forfeit the rest of the funds. It's the ransom… in exchange for Amy's life. But, Mitch, this is addressed to you," he said solemnly, handing me a small envelope.

"What the fuck... Oh, God no!" I opened the envelope, exposing another picture of Amy holding a sign with an implication that only I knew about — I thought!

DON'T COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY'RE HATCHED!!

One Big Secret

A Curvy Nanny Romance

Prologue

Mitch

I arrived at Meagan and Chase's housewarming party, excited for an afternoon of enjoyment. My trunk was filled with steaks packed in an ice chest, ready to contribute to the festivities. Eagerly, I made my way to the patio, where my colleagues had already set up an impressive and memorable celebration. The women from Rosedale Tech had gone above and beyond, adorning the space with unique decorations that even inspired a few gift ideas. En route to the party, I picked up a welcome mat from Home Depot as a practical and easily accessible gift.

As a single guy, I was impressed by the warm atmosphere at Meagan and Chase's new home. The entire group was present, including Daniel, Ryder, Guy, Chase, Brad, and me. Although most of us had started families, Brad and I remained single.

Brad was often teased for not having a romantic partner, while I harbored feelings for Amy, a central member of our close-knit Rosedale group. However, we were just friends. I had offered her a ride to the party, but she hadn't responded. As I observed Meagan unwrapping gifts and enjoying the affection of her twins, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.

Nonetheless, I was excited to contribute to the celebration. I provided the barbecue ribs while Brad prepared his secret sauce, and Courtney, Chase's assistant, took care of the side dishes.

Brad considered himself the rib expert, but his expertise was mainly in the sauce. With my extensive grilling experience, I knew these ribs were cooked to perfection. "Brad," I said, sampling a piece, "these ribs are excellent. To elevate them even further, let's apply your legendary BBQ sauce." I smiled, enthusiastically coating the ribs in the delicious, sweet sauce.

"That's enough, Mitch!" Brad scolded. "Too much sauce can kill the vibe!"

I chuckled as Brad snatched the tongs and slid the ribs onto a huge plate. He had been watching them all day, waiting for them to hit that sweet spot. These ribs were the crowning achievement of our culinary skills – the meal we had been craving all week.

I glanced at my phone, hoping for a message from Amy, but there was nada. Then, finally, Meagan noticed my distraction and asked me in a worried tone, "Hey, where's Amy? I thought you were picking her up?"

I let out a long sigh. "Nope. Amy didn't pick up when I called." I leaned in closer, "Honestly, I was thinking maybe she's coming with someone else."

"I highly doubt Amy's seeing anyone," Meagan said, distracted by a baby's cry. "She's been focused on finishing her coursework so she can graduate with her MBA. Let me try calling her again in a bit."

As she turned to leave, I caught her arm. "Please don't make this about me. I've never officially asked her out."

"Uh-huh," Meagan smirked. "Not yet, you mean."

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