“Mothers.”
“They’re a pisser.” James grabbed the bottle and poured us each a shot.
We toasted to various things, drinking shot after shot until the bottle was empty. I listened to my cousins talk. They’d never been so happy in their entire lives.
I didn’t know if I’d ever feel that way. Finding a woman who was willing to put up with my shit would be a difficult endeavor. I hadn’t given up on love, but I didn’t think I was ready.
For now, I’d bury myself in my work and enjoy learning the Floridian way of life. Everything moved slower here, and it would take some getting used to.
The rest of the evening breezed by. We danced and drank until most of the guests left. When I’d had enough, I found Ma still sipping on a “fruity drink.” She was too drunk to care.
“Night, baby,” she slurred.
“Night, Ma. Love you.” I gave her a kiss.
“Love you too,” she whispered.
I wandered to the front yard and grabbed a taxi. Auntie Mar, in all of her wisdom, had hired a horde of them to take guests home who were too smashed to drive home.
Tomorrow was a new beginning. I’d make a plan and meet with Thomas at the office while James and Izzy jetted off to their honeymoon.
Life was looking up, and change was on the horizon.
Chapter Four
Sunshine
Morgan
It wasn’thard to say goodbye to Chicago. After I served in the army, it didn’t feel like home anymore. It took me a week to gather my things and head south.
Four days after I’d arrived in Florida with all of my belongings in tow and passed the exam for my Florida PI license, I was ready for my first day of work.
I stopped in front of the doorway to ALFA PI and cracked my neck, shaking my hands to calm my nerves. Even though my cousin owned the company, I didn’t want to fuck shit up.
When I pushed the door open, Angel had the phone resting on her shoulder as she jotted down a note.
“I’ll have Mr. Gallo call you as soon as his meeting is over, sir.” She held a finger up.
The wall behind her desk had the company logo with the wordsAggressive-Loyal-Fearless-Accurateinscribed underneath. I stared at it for a moment before taking in the rest of the office. Modern interior, gray and black walls, and not a knickknack or file visible. Sunlight streamed in from the wall of windows that comprised the eastern side of the building.
“Hey, Morgan,” Angel said as she hung up. “Thomas is expecting you, and I’m excited to have you here.”
“Thanks, Angel. I hope my cousin is happy too.”
She smiled, rising from her seat. “Oh, he is. They’ve been so busy we’ve had to turn away cases. I know they sure could use your help.” She motioned for me to follow. “Let me show you to his office.”
As we walked down a hallway, a door caught my eye and I stopped.
It read:
Morgan DeLuca
Intelligence Services & Surveillance Specialist
I couldn’t help but feel my insides warm.
“I told you he’s happy to have you,” she whispered.
