Chapter 65


    -MILLIE-


    On my way to the vi for the preparation for Dad’s party, my phone rang. It was Andrea.


    “Where do you need these?” Mara, the 52–year–


    old gardener, asked, lifting a bountiful basket of white roses she handpicked for Dad’s birthday celebrati


    on. The sun was bright above us, a pleasant contrast to the fading warmth of summer air as fall drew n


    earer. We were on the paved path behind the vi leading towards the back entrance of the function hal


    l, where the preparation was already taking ce.


    “Give them to Lisa. She got instructions from Mom for the table settings,” I said, pouting at the insistent.


    ringing of my phone. “I’ll be there in a sec. I just need to get this.”


    “Sure thing, love,” Maria smiled, the roses leaving a pleasant smell in the air as she walked past


    me towards the function hall.


    Answering the video call, Andrea’s gleeful voice


    greeted me. “Look at that view!”


    pure wonder


    nketed her face, eyes shining in awe as she stared at


    something on her right.


    “Hello to you, too.”


    “Oh, Millie!” Andrea looked down at her phone, Candice peeking over her left shoulder. “My God. I’m in


    love with rke Bay!” she sang on top of her lungs. I’m sure the diners at the restaurant could hear her


    .


    “She got dickedst night,” Candice pipped in, snatching Andrea’s phone.


    “Hey! That’s my phone.”


    Candice fixed Andrea with a scowl. “You left me in our hotel room for a stranger. I get to do what I want


    with your phone.”


    Andrea stuck out her lower lip. “He was a hot stranger.”


    “Ok, hold up…” I butted in, trudging through the paved path towards the front of the vi. Dad’s morning


    routine included checking the restaurant and all his staff. He was very hands–


    on with Summerfield and I’m doing the rounds in his stead.


    Andrea and Candice were inside a cab, and I gathered they’d been here at rke Bay sincest night.


    “Can you go back to the part where you didn’t tell me you’re


    here at rke Bay already?”


    Candice pursed her lips, a pinch of concern crossing her face, but Andrea answered my question. “You


    can interrogate us after feeding us.”


    I heard Andrea’s voice before I saw the cab pull to a stop in front of the vi. Half opening the


    cab door, she barrelled out into the dropping bay, inhaling a lungful of air, then waved at me. Candice sl


    id out of the car after Andrea, shaking her head at our extra- energetic friend.


    Both of them were dressed casually in shorts and colorful tank tops. Candice’s brte hair was tied in


    a messy bun, while Andrea’s scarlet hair was in a half ponytail with a yellow ribbon matching her top.


    Candice and I shared a look. Last I saw her, which was onlyst Friday, Andrea was still in a gloomy m


    ood because of Nick.


    ‘Must be some good dick she got, huh?‘ I crossed my arms in my middle, d to see my friends,


    nheless.


    Candice answered with an eye roll.


    While the two settled in their amodations, I left instructions to the decorating team at the function t


    hen joined Andrea and Candice for breakfast. Since we sat at our table, Andrea dominated the


    conversation about how hot this mystery one–night stand guy she had in town.


    “That good, huh?” I asked, picking a fry from the red basket in the middle of our table. I already had


    breakfast with mom and dad, so I settled for having my second cup of coffee.


    Andrea moaned through a mouthful of her eggs benedict. “He manhandled me in the best possible way


    . Did I mention there was spanking and handcuffs involved?


    I snickered. “What? Where did he even get the handcuffs?”


    Andre shrugged. “He said he had cuffs on his bike. That he wanted to cuff me to a bed, then ravish me


    like I was hisst meal.”


    “Wait…” I raised an eyebrow. “Did he say this before or after you agreed to have a one–


    night stand with him?”


    “Before! It was actually the selling part of his. invitation.”


    Laughing, I followed up. “I’d like to hear this conversation, Andrea.”


    Candice groaned, stabbing me with a pained re. “Can I please be excused? She’d been blowing up


    my ears sinceing back to our room this morning!”


    Ignoring her, Andrea’s eyes were dreamy as she said, “So… I just got bored and went to the bar across


    from our hotel for a drink. Since Miss Sunshine here couldn’t drink, bun in her oven and all, I decided t


    o go alone. He was there, alone and brooding in the corner, a storm cloud brewing above him. I got curi


    ous.”


    “She was his type, Mr. Dark and Stormy, and oh, did she mention that he also rides a monster bike?” C


    andice butted in, sipping her orange juice.


    Andrea red at her, annoyed by her interruption. “Anyway, he’d been staring at me since I walked in.


    It was kind of hot and creepy at the same time. After three sses of margarita, I finally decided to


    save him from his misery and asked him if he wanted to f**k me.”


    “You what?” Iughed so loud, the guest on our table threw a curious gaze in our direction. “Please tell


    me you are sugarcoating this story.”


    “No, I’m not. But that wasn’t my opening line. It goes like this. ‘You’ve been staring at me since I walked


    in. Do you want to f**k


    me?“” Andrea stabbed a bacon on her te. “What?” she disregarded my surprise at her boldness to a


    total stranger. “I’m single, and I’m finally ready to mingle. I won’t miss out on life just because I’m broke


    n–hearted.”


    Candice locked eyes with me, mirroring the concern shining in mine. “Just be careful.”


    “Gee…” Andrea grumbled. “It’s not like I’m dating Mr. Dark and Stormy. It’s called a one–


    night stand for a reason.”


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    I nodded, trusting Andrea knew what she was doing. “Is there another reason you guys flew early?” Th


    ey were supposed toe with Nancy, Erik, and Aaronter in the afternoon.


    “Uhm…” Candice chewed on her lower lip, slicing through her pancakes. “I might have mentioned to a


    certain guy that you are here in rke Bay.”


    Emergency calls only G


    I narrowed my eyes at Candice. “I knew Mom wouldn’t invite Damian without asking me.”


    Candice shrugged, lifting a forked pancake to her mouth. “So, how did it go?”


    I leaned back in my chair, resigning from this conversation. “How do you think? He asked for a


    second chance but refused to exin why he ghosted me for a month.”


    Andrea stabbed her bacon so hard, the cutlery rattled against the tes. “Men… it should be us ghosti


    ng them, not the other way around.”


    Raising an eyebrow, I said. “At least you know why Nick left. On the other hand, I was left wondering w


    hat I did wrong.”


    “Still the same!” I frowned at Andrea. Is she high on something? She’s taking this antagonism to anothe


    r level. “After we gave them our hearts, they’d discard us like a piece of meat they didn’t want anymore


    ? I won’t wait for a man like that. I’d have a lot of one–


    night stands until I forget how beautiful Nick’s cock is!”


    “Jesus!” thedy on the table next to us gasped, ring at Andrea. Andrea didn’t pay her any mind and


    continued eating her breakfast.


    Candice reached for my hand, giving it a little squeeze. “Give him time. I know Damian. He’d never hurt


    you intentionally.”


    “Intentionally or not, the result was still the same. He broke my heart.”


    “I’m sorry, Candice, but I’m with Millie on this one. Looking past his ghosting drama is not easy,” she tur


    ned to me. “I say you make him grovel on his knees, and if you decide that you want nothing to do with


    him and he still insists on waltzing back into your life, I volunteer to chop off his balls and feed it to the p


    igs.”


    Despite Andrea’s threat, I giggled. “Can you tone down on the threats? It’s only eight in the morning. Ar


    e you high on something?”


    “Mr. Dark and Stormy had a very, very wonderful dick, is all,” she announced.


    Thedy at the next table murmured another curse, doing a sign of the cross. It seemed like she was s


    aying a small prayer to save Andrea’s soul.


    Candice opened her mouth to fire up another Damian–


    inspired question, pursing her lips when I cut her off. “I


    had a very interesting conversation with Dad. He wanted to up Summerfield Acres and start. epting


    events, and he would like to partner with Effortless Events.”


    Candice blinked, and Andrea perched on her seat. “Wow. Really?” they said at the same time.


    Grateful for the distraction, I hummed a yes. “It’s gonna benefit both Summerfield and Effortless Events


    . We’re gonna market this ce, and we will have our own ce for our events.”


    Eyes thinned, Candice said. “Why do I feel like there’s a catch to this?”


    I shook my head. “No catch. But he wants me here.”


    I didn’t have to exin why Mom and Dad wanted me out of Roslin City. There were too


    many terrible memories in that city, and I was beginning to like this change of scenery, at least before D


    amian showed up here.


    “Oh… can I work with Millie here?” Andrea grabbed Candice’s arms, shaking her like a child, asking her


    mom to buy her ice cream. “Please? Pretty please?”


    Candice narrowed her eyes at Andrea. “I thought that one–night stand was nothing to you?”


    Andrea gasped. “This is not about Mr. Dark and Stormy with a very wonderful dick!”


    “Jesus Christ!” Thedy on the next table stood, the foot of her


    chair scraping the floor, ring at the three of us. She pped her napkin on the table and called a serv


    loud and clear.


    Liam, the server, looked at me with a frown. I nodded at him, and he quickly assisted thedy to the emp


    Unbothered by thedy’s annoyance, Andrea bugged Candice for the position as my assistant here. “Le


    Andrea and I agreed with Candice, and we jumped into the details of Dad’s birthday celebration when A


    1. me.


    mom to buy her ice cream. “Please? Pretty please?”


    Candice narrowed her eyes at Andrea. “I thought that one–night stand was nothing to you?”


    Andrea gasped. “This is not about Mr. Dark and Stormy with a very wonderful dick!”


    “Jesus Christ!” Thedy on the next table stood, the foot of her chair scraping the floor, ring at the thr


    called a server. “I’d like to move to the table


    as far away from these three as possible!” She made sure we heard her loud and clear.


    Liam, the server, looked at me with a frown. I nodded at him, and he quickly assisted thedy to the emp


    Unbothered by thedy’s annoyance, Andrea bugged Candice for the position as my assistant here. “Le


    Andrea and I agreed with Candice, and we jumped into the details of Dad’s birthday celebration when A


    1. me.


    “You’ve got to be shitting me,” she mumbled, brown eyes blown wide with surprise, confusion, and dread


    Looking over my shoulder, I spotted Xander riding Calix across thewn. He was sporting a sleeveless g


    length hair tied in a messy bun. They’re headed for the grape farm, Calix’s coat shining under the sunbe


    Frowning, I turned back to Andrea. “Don’t tell me he’s your Mr. Dark and Stormy with a very wonderful d


    Her wicked smile grew wider. “Maybe we don’t need to speak with Uncle Robert after all.”


    “I changed my mind,” Andrea snapped. “You can stay here with Millie. The green scenery is good for littl


    Candice grimaced. “Stop giving pet names for my baby…”


    I couldn’t take my eyes off them. They seemed pretty cozy. She was shorter than me, barely reaching D


    Damian was so focused on her, he didn’t even throw a nce in my direction or to the server as he guid


    other side of the


    restaurant.


    “Millie, can you back me up on this?” Andrea grabbed my attention from ring at the corner where they


    night stand for a reason. We were not supposed to meet in the real world. So you assigning me here, nu


    uh… I don’t want those kinds


    ofplications.”