She’s so pure-looking, I wonder how the hell I mistook her for a call girl.
Am I a moron?
Yes.
And the third reason I will stay away from her is she’s been traumatized enough. I manhandled her. Fingered her without express permission. Sure, as a call girl, I assumed her very presence in my room equaled express permission, but I’m not allowing any excuses for myself. She was probablyterrifiedto return to work today.
“Damn,” Calder, my blond best friend, says as he adjusts himself in plain view of anyone who is watching. “I don’t know what’s giving me this boner. That fuckable little maid or the way Tripp just looked at her like he wants to take her straight to pound town.”
“Seriously,” Shawn agrees, staring at the spot where Vida disappeared down the hallway. “I’ve never seen him look atanygirl like that.”
Goddammit.
I’ve drawn their attention to her.
That’s never good.
Calder and Shawn are perpetually bored and forever looking for something to amuse themselves. I’ll be damned if it’s going to be Vida.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say, giving them both a dark look. “Shut the fuck up and get back to lifting. I’m not carrying your dead weight around the field this year.”
“Someone is touchy!” Shawn exclaims.
“Indeed,” Calder says, stroking his chin. “Methinks our captain needs to get laid. Maybe we should have sent the call girl this year. It was beginning to feel like a waste of money. You always say no.”
“I would have said no this time, too,” I reply, knowing it’s true.
Knowing I have the willpower to say no to anyone but Vida.
Why?
What is it about her that’s got me on a razor’s edge of lust?
“Aw, come on, Captain. Sometimes your best friends just know what’s best for you,” Shawn says, once again checking out his biceps in the mirror. “Pick a girl on the beach, work out some frustration in that fancy room of yours, and kick this vacation off right.”
Calder makes a sound in his throat. “I’m seriously thinking of kicking things off with that maid.”
He sticks his tongue out suggestively, and I almost rip it clean out of his mouth.
“Shouldn’t be much of a challenge, right? I’ll just make her believe I’ll take her away from all this servitude one day.” He rolls a shoulder back. “Piece of cake.”
“God, you’re such an asshole,” I manage, because my throat is shrinking to the size of a pinhole at the thought of one of my friends making a play for Vida, let alone putting their fucking hands on her. “Not every girl is a gold digger.”
Shawn snorts. “You’re saying that she wouldn’t enjoy being taken out on your yacht, Tripp? Or treated to a shopping spree at Prada?”
“A lot of girls would like that, rich or poor,” I point out.
“Yeah, but rich girls don’tneedyour credit card. They just like knowing you’re willing to spend your money on them.” Calder suddenly looks thoughtful. “You want to fuck the maid, don’t you? That’s why your panties are in a twist?”
Get their attention off her.
“I didn’t say that.”
“I’ve got an idea.” Shawn’s shit-eating grin instantly makes me nervous. “Why don’t you play with the maid for a while and see if she shows her true colors? I bet she’ll be asking for a black Amex by the end of the week.”
“She won’t.”
I don’t know how I’m so certain.
