“SO, HOW WAS YOUR NIGHT?” Piper asks from beside me on her matching black massage chair, and I groan. I knew it was coming. Honestly, I’m surprised it took her so long.
My cheeks flush bright red, remembering my run-in with River not even an hour ago. I groan, covering my face with my hands. “You know I might kill you, right?”
“You can’t blame her. It’s really the resort’s mistake,” Sidney pipes in.
I scoff. “Don’t you dare blame it on them. I’m on to you two. Just please tell me you have another room for me.”
Piper grimaces. “Well, I would, but I’d be lying.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” My shoulders slump, and my head falls back against the chair. I turn to glare at Sidney on my opposite side. “What do you think you’re doing?”
She fights back a grin. “What? Why do you think we had anything to do with it?”
“That look right there. That’s why I think you did this,” I say, pointing at them.
“Don’t move,” Susan, the pedicurist, warns, and I freeze in place. She’s holding something that looks like a scalpel against my heel.
“Sorry.” She gives me a small smile and goes back to torturing my feet.
I lean forward, looking at Shana for help. I barely knew her in university, but besides the guys, she’s one of Piper’s best friends. “Are you in on this too?”
“Girl, I really wish I was.” She chuckles, resting her head against the chair and closing her eyes. She’s wearing her hair in braids that she’s rolled into a bun on top of her head.
Piper’s hand closes around my forearm. “Don’t ignore the question.”
“What question?” A petite girl with green hair pulled into space buns smirks at us from the open door. “Sorry I’m late.” She hands Piper a large paper cup, and the fresh smell of coffee fills my nose.
Piper removes the lid, blowing on it before taking a sip and humming. “Forgiven.”
“Hi, I’m Misty.” The girl sits on a stool in front of us, having missed the majority of the pedicure. We still have facials after this.
“She’s the PR manager for the Bruins,” Piper adds.
“Nice to meet you. Love your hair,” I say, and she smiles before Piper starts in on me.
“No changing the subject. Answer the question. How was your night?”
“Fine.” My thoughts immediately fly to the sound of Alex’s towel hitting the floor as he was barely, and I mean just barely, blocked from view by a chair. He did it on purpose. I’m sure of it. Freaking guy always knew how to get under my skin. My already warm cheeks flame now.
Misty leans forward, eyes sparkling. “Okay, I need deets. Fill me in.”
I groan. “Piper has me staying in a villa with Alex and River.”
“The Alex and River I met yesterday? Damn,” Shana adds with a knowing look.
“I’m sorry. I’m pretty sure anyone would kill to be in your position.” Misty smirks. “Actually, do you want to switch rooms?”
The thought of someone else staying with them twists my chest, and I purposely ignore the feeling.
“You look a little red, Mia. Don’t like that idea? Maybe feeling a little jealous?” Sidney says, and all four of the girls laugh.
“Not jealous. Just don’t want to inconvenience your friend.”
“Oh, it wouldn’t be an inconvenience.” Misty’s voice drops low and is tinged with mischief.
Okay. I may be a little jealous. “That’s alright. I’m fine.”
“I’m sure you are,” Piper says.
Desperate to draw their attention off of me, I switch to a topic I know Piper can’t resist. “I spoke with Gerard yesterday. He officially gave me a time limit before it’s over.”
Piper jolts forward in her chair, startling the woman massaging her feet. She gives an apologetic smile before turning to me. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Afraid not.” I suck in a breath, the weight of what I’m about to say pressing down on me. “It would take a miracle, and I’m all out of those.”
Misty looks between us. “This is the charity Piper’s been working on? The prosthetics for kids.”
The idea for Prosthetics For Kids came after my first few weeks as an intern in the pediatric unit. There was a young girl in for a checkup after a transtibial amputation, where they amputated her leg below the knee. Even with what happened to her, she was a bouncing ball of sunshine that had the entire staff wrapped around her finger.
I overheard her parents worrying about not being able to afford all of the different prosthetics she’d need while growing up. The sheer injustice of it all hit me like a brick. The only thing the parents should’ve had to worry about was their daughter. Instead, they had this heavy financial weight hanging over them.
Within a week, I had a fundraiser started, raising money not only for her but other local kids in the same situation. It was a huge success, hitting national news, but it was a blip on what I wanted to do. Once the initial inertia was over, the funding ran out, and the entire thing fell flat.
At that point, I realized I didn’t want to only help a few kids; I wanted to provide a solution to the problem as a whole. Which meant I needed money.
I’m not talking about a local fundraiser level either. I’m talking millions of dollars in fundraising to pull this off.
My shoulders slump in defeat, and I sigh. “Soon to be was working on.”
Misty’s brows pull together before smoothing out. “Maybe I can help. Give me a few days to sort through some ideas, but I can probably get the players to pull their weight into getting it rolling.”
My chest tightens, and a grin grows across my lips. I’m really starting to like her. “That would be amazing.”
“You know what else relieves stress?” She waggles her brows.
“I’ve got it covered, don’t worry.” I remember River’s hooded gaze traveling down my chest to where my hand was tucked under my waistband and the loud vibrator filled the room. Dammit, I thought I was totally going to die from embarrassment.
“Come on. All work and no play keeps the orgasms away,” Misty says, and even I can’t stop myself from joining in on their laughter.
I have my share of toys, always finding it easier to guarantee I climaxed rather than count on a man. “Seriously, I’ve got it. Plus, I don’t do randoms.”
Piper smirks. “Who said anything about randoms? You’re single, and you have two totally hot men literally in your room. You’ve got to at least sample one of them. It’s not like it has to be forever.”
My thighs press together, my panties growing wet as her words bring up memories of Alex and River in their boxers, climbing into the bed beside mine. I want to. God knows I do. The problem is I’m not sure I can do just a weekend with either of them. “Maybe.”
Sidney whoops, a huge grin taking over her face. “I’ll take that.”
I huff out a breath, refusing to look at her, and focus on Piper. “I can’t believe you’re getting married in two days.”
Sidney snorts. “I can’t believe it took this long.”
Piper rolls her eyes. “You’re one to talk.”
Sidney’s mouth snaps shut, and a pretty pink flush covers her cheeks.
Misty and Shana both laugh at that.
“I honestly can’t wait.” Piper’s gaze softens, and I reach over, giving her arm a quick squeeze.
The girls keep talking, but my thoughts drift to River and Alex. For once in my life, I want to be selfish. To take what I want for a change.
And there’s no hiding that I want them both. Now I need to see if they’re down for that. Judging by the way River punched Alex back in university, I’m guessing my chances are slim. That’s not the risk though. The risk is how much it’ll hurt to get on that plane and never look back when the weekend’s over. Not when the last time nearly killed me.
They’re my almost. Almost kiss, almost touch, almost something. Just almost.
When I’m looking for always.
