“What? Is this gift just to butter me up?”
“Maybe,” she responds coyly, “My friend Ev is getting a group of us to go to Hawaii to celebrate her birthday at the end of July. I really would love to go, but I can’t have the shop closed for that long of a time. Would you be able to run things here for me during that week?”
“Auntie, I know it’s summer, but I’m a principal. I still have to work. What about Amara?”
“She’s only part time. And she will be around to do a bunch, but I really need someone to cover what I do.”
My aunt gives me her best puppy dog-eyes expression.
“Alright, alright. July is light for me at the school, anyway. I’ll make it work.”
Grabbing my hand and giving it a loving squeeze, my aunt says, “You’ve always been my favorite niece.”
“I’m your only niece, Auntie.”
A knock on my office door reveals Ava.
“Hey, boss, are you going to join the teachers to celebrate the last day of school?”
Looking up from my minotaur book, I nod.
“I need to stop getting distracted by this and finish my work. So, yeah, I should make it. Where is everyone meeting?”
“Branwen Beach Tavern, natch.”
“OK, I’ll finish up here and head over.”
Ava gives me a wave as she leaves my office. Looking over my to-do list, I decide to finish the chapter I had been reading first. I will not meet my bullman groomsman until the rehearsal dinner, but I want to learn more about minotaur culture and lifestyle.
Who knows, maybe that info will come in handy while getting to know this Angus fellow?
The rehearsal dinner is being held at Mare Pacificum, so Ava and I meet up at Leah’s house, who is another one of our friends and a fellow bridesmaid. The plan is to walk over, then crash at Leah’s for the night, so I have a bag packed and my bridesmaid dress hung up in my back seat. Stepping out of the car, Leah pokes her head out of the open window and catcalls at me.
“Damn, woman! You look hot!”
Twirling, I can’t help but giggle.
“You really want to catch someone’s eye, don‘t you?” She teases from the window.
Shrugging, I throw her a wicked grin and walk up the stairs to the front door. Ava throws it open before I knock.
“Dang. Well, Liz, you certainly look hot.”
“Thanks, babe. So do you. Looking to catch someone’s eye?”
“Lord no, woman. You know how I feel about that lovey-dovey stuff.”
Giving my friend a side squeeze, I say, “I do. But I also know that you’re an amazing woman, Ava. Any man would be lucky to have you.”
“Well, that’s true,” she jokes.
The walk to Mare Pacificum is uneventful. The greeter ushers us into a back room that Phoebe and Thoreau reserved for the rehearsal dinner. As soon as I step foot into the room, Angus immediately pops out at me. My research on his farm’s website did me well, because I easily can pick him out amongst his brothers. Every single minotaur in this room is an absolute hulking snack, but only the sight of Angus makes my pussy purr.
He stands at around 7 feet tall, with a thick, luxurious beard. The button-down shirt he wears does little to hide the rolls of muscle underneath and I can’t help but notice his pants don’t hide his package well, either.
Holy, I’m in trouble.
2
