Page 33 of Sex, Lies, & Techy Guys (Love on the Sunshine Coast)

He has no idea the level of wrong that occurred. The plea deal is now the last thing I’m willing to consider. He sets his hands around mine in a kind gesture as he takes the water bottle and opens it for me, setting the cap beside the bottle.

I clearly couldn’t handle the water myself and I’m grateful he stepped in but I’m mad at all men right now and have a hard time not viewing his gesture as coming to the damsel’s rescue.

This damsel is pissed. If she can please two guys, she can destroy even more. Anger wins the battle inside of me.

No point spilling water on myself. With as much poise as I can muster, I clamp my hands together in my lap, sit as tall as I can, and move my gaze from Kyle to Lance to the billionaire to the other lawyer.

“I won’t be taking the plea deal.”

The other lawyer nods and I only catch the tiniest furrow in his brow. His poker face is strong because he has to be hiding his shock that I’ll risk jail time. My lawyer had previously expressed to him that I was very interested in anything that helped me avoid being locked up.

John Richards leans in and says, “What are you doing?”

The other lawyer glances at him but my gaze doesn’t budge. He runs a finger inside his collar and adjusts the top of his tie. “If you don’t accept this deal to plead guilty to cyber theft in exchange for no jail time, this case will go to trial. We will fight for everything…a guilty verdict, jail time, and returning the money to Mister Albrecht.”

John leans in. “It’s almost the plea you asked for.”

I turn my attention to Lance and Kyle. “I’ve had a change of heart. I didn’t do anything wrong and I won’t let anyone punish me for standing up for myself.”

My pause is only long enough to allow my final statement to stand alone. I dead-stare Tony. “If you want to play dirty, you met your match.”

His glare almost crushes me. What have I done? Behaved like a wild animal that’s been cornered? I rush out of the room.

Footsteps follow behind me but I have a slight lead. In the elevator, pushing the Door Close button with all my might as many times as humanly possible, I see Lance and Kyle round the corner.

The slowness of the closing doors taunts me as the men storm down the hallway.

I’m nauseous at the thought of being trapped in an elevator with them. That I gave myself to them so freely. That I believed their lie about the privacy required for their job and I had makeup sex with them for admitting it.

The doors clamp shut in the nick of time. I’m safely alone as the car lurches downward.

How could I have been so blind? So much for special accommodations for my step-brother’s friends. Is he in on it?

The spiral of uncertainty and confusion won’t stop. I can’t go home and face them even though it’s my house, or at least my business since my parents still own it.

As the elevator descends, I smash my finger into a button for one of the floors, double checking the numbers over the door to make sure I’ve chosen a floor I haven’t passed yet. Then I push all additional buttons.

It pains me to be a jerk, but I don’t want them to know where I’m getting off. To escape. To gather my thoughts. The guys will assume I was heading to my car, which I was until five seconds ago.

Slipping out on a random floor, I head down the hallway and hide in a bathroom. Hiding? Really? This is my answer?

What a fabulous role model for women everywhere. Except I will be when I stand up to those pricks in court. Of course, they’ll probably figure out my plan, but that should have them scrambling to come up with a different plea offer—one that doesn’t leave me with a criminal record that could ruin my chances of establishing a respectable business.

I laugh-cry at myself. Going public about having threesomes with strangers isn’t exactly going to win me any points with the local business association. And the possibility of the court case tainting my business reputation is ludicrous in light of that.

Tapping out a text to Lance and Kyle, I tell them to collect their belongings and leave. This was originally their last day at the bed and breakfast anyways. They need to get out before I get home.

I don’t actually think it will work, but will hopefully convince them to wait for me there rather than cause a scene here.

Over the next hour, I cry, I fume, I even slam my fist into the wall when no one else is in the bathroom.

Finally making my way to the parking garage, I’m relieved that neither of them is waiting by my car. My tears are long since spent as I start my drive home.

How evil can people be? To think I fell for Kyle and Lance’s stories about their tough childhoods and their pact to make the world a better place. It had been so heartfelt. So sincere. I’m not ready to go home. I know they’ll be there and I’m not convinced I’m strong enough to wade through their bullshit.

I pull into a parking lot and call Mila. I’m too flustered to navigate a call while driving. She doesn’t press me for details and says I can stay as long as I want. She’ll be able to convince me that I’m not a total hypocrite for being mad at them for lying when I didn’t even tell the guys my real name. But with my business, I didn’t plan on using it.

Mila has wine glasses out and sweats and a t-shirt ready when I arrive. Netflix is turned on and I noticed the ice cream scoop on the counter.

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