I start looking for him, starting with the control room. He’s not seated in there, the bedroom, the small kitchenette, or the lounge. Finally, I make it to the small office, the door slightly ajar.
“Brody?” I peek inside, and sure enough, he’s sitting in a T-shirt and sweatpants, staring at the computer screen. I furrow my brows as he looks up from the monitor.
And doesn’t evenpretendto be happy to see me.
“You’re awake,” he grunts, his tone borderline cold. “I was wondering when that was going to happen.”
I swallow hard. “Um… yeah…” My voice trails off as I push the door in, just enough for me to step inside. I tug at the hem of my T-shirt, suddenly more than aware of how short it really is. “Is… is everything okay?”
“Yeah, well…” Brody’s hair is tousled, and he looks tired as his eyes fall back to the laptop screen. “What happened last night was a big mistake, Georgia. I should’ve never let you stay in my room up here.”
My chest tightens, and I cling to the material of my shirt. “I thought… I thought last night was good?” My face begins to heat up with embarrassment. “Was it not… was it not good for you? Did I do something wrong?”He sure as hell seemed to enjoy it.
He purses his lips and then leans back in his chair, letting out a heavy exhale. “Look, Georgia…” He meets my gaze. “Things just got a little out of hand last night, and honestly, it should’ve never happened. I’m your dad’s best friend—and a solid twenty-two years older than you. What happened should’ve never happened. Not to mention, we’re in a working arrangement currently.” The professionalism in his tone stings.
I swallow the knot in my throat. “Um, okay. But you didn’t mention any of those things being a problem last?—”
“I obviously wasn’t thinking very clearly,” he cuts me off, his tone bitter and sharp. “Last night was a mistake, it shouldn’t have happened, and itwon’thappen again.”
I nod, unsure of what else to do. “Yes, sir.” With that, I spin on my heels and jet out of the room, picking up my pace as I rush back to the bed. I flip through the covers until I find my underwear and pajama shorts. I slide them back on and then nearly sprint to the exit.
I hold back all of my emotions until I make it safely to the lowest floor, and only then do the tears slip from my eyes.I’m so stupid for letting something happen between us. What was I thinking?
I swing my door open and step inside, closing the door shut behind me. My back slides down the steel as I try to steady my racing heart.
It was a mistake. He thinks it was a mistake.
A sob racks my entire body, and the fact that I’m sobbing over someone who acts like I’m disgusting only makes me feel even more stupid for ever letting myself go to him in the first place. I should’ve just stayed in my room last night, and not gone running to him.
I’m so dumb.I let myself cry for a few more minutes before forcing myself to stand up and walk across the room to my nightstand. I sweep up my phone and call the only person I think will listen and not judge me—outwardly, anyway.
And thankfully, Daisy answers on the first ring.
“How’s it going?” She sounds as bright as ever, and I hear her husband’s laughter in the background.
How nice it must be to have someone who loves you.
“Hey…” I can’t bring myself to answer her question directly, and my voice shakes as I try to hold it together. “I think I made a huge mistake taking this job.”
She’s silent for a beat. “Why? What happened? I just talked to you yesterday, and you were on cloud nine.”
“I know…” My voice trails off as I plop down on my bed and run a hand over my face. “But last night… there was this storm that came through, and I got scared—and I don’t know what came over me. I went to Brody’s cabin.”
“Okaaay…”
“And then Brody and I slept together.”
“Oh my god,” she gasps. “This is juicy. How was the sex? Obviously, it must’ve been horrible since you’re saying it was a huge mistake.”
“No,” I shake my head, batting away fresh tears. “That’s the whole problem. I thought it was an amazing night. Like,” I pause, holding it together, “I thought it was the best sex of my life.”
“Okay, so I’m really not following,” Daisy lets out an awkward laugh. “You had the best sex of your life, but right now you sound like someone just died.”
I breathe out and then let myself fall backward so I can stare at the ceiling. “This morning, I woke up, and he wasn’t there, so I went to look for him, expecting…” I have no idea what I was expecting. “Anyway, he was a huge dick to me. He said the whole thing was a mistake and that he’s too old for me, and that, you know, he’s Dad’s best friend.”
“Ouch…” Daisy lets out a sigh. “So basically, he was all into it last night, and now he’s cold?”
“Yep,” I pop the ‘p’ in the word. “And I feel like the biggest idiot ever. I still have weeks left on this trip, and I’ve already created a problem. I’m so unprofessional.”
