Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Avery: Do you want anything from Starbies?
If I could sum up my best friend in one text message, this would be it. She’s considerate and completely out of touch, all at the same time. Asking me if I want a drink now, when she was supposed to be here an hour and a half ago, is like the dentist asking me if I’d like some Novocain when the root canal is over.
Me: You’re just going to Starbucks NOW?
Avery: I had to run back to the condo because I wasn’t liking what my hair was doing today. You know how sometimes it does that annoying frizzy thing with the whoosh and the poof?
Having attended kindergarten, elementary, middle, high school, and college together—and sharing a condo now—I know the whoosh and poof she’s talking about well. So well, in fact, I know it’s not even really a thing, and missing your first day of work because of it is truly unbothered behavior.
In all reality, it’s how I should behave too. My parents are wealthier than the Bankses, and for as little love as they’ve given me over the years, they’ve still managed to drown me in privilege. If it exists, and I want it, I can have it.
Which makes it painfully ironic, of course, that the only thing I’ve ever wanted is the one thing I can’t have—a whole, happy, loving family with parents who didn’t divorce when I was a kid and spend the rest of my life losing their minds.
That’s probably why I clung to the Banks family during my parents’ split. They were everything I didn’t have and had always wanted, and Avery was generous enough to share them with me. I spent nearly every waking moment at their house when I wasn’t at school and, after a couple years, even started staying with them to celebrate all the major holidays.
Neil and Diane are like second parents, and Avery is a sister in every way but genetically.
Beau, though…he spurs a different kind of reaction. His handsome good looks and charming smile and alluring personality make my brain go control-alt-delete.
I can’t even talk about some of the things I’ve fantasized about related to him without risking spontaneous combustion, and I sure as hell can’t talk about them in front of his family. Especially with my best friend. Avery would think I’m completely nuts if I told her the truth about my years-long crush on her only sibling.
To them, to him…he’s my pseudo-older brother.
To me, he’s my wildest fantasy.
Put the two of them together, and I’m at the center of an altogether taboo romance. And now, I’m going to be working with him every day.
What in the hell was I thinking? Yeah. Great question.
An hour into the conference call with Marcus Hughes and the important execs from his company, and my best friend is still nowhere to be found.
Though, she hasn’t stopped texting me random shit as the minutes have ticked by.
Me: At this rate, I’m not even sure if you’re going to show up at all.
Avery: Chill out, June. I’m walking into Starbs now.
Me: Great. I’m still trying to recover from hearing your dad talk about pussies for the first five agonizing minutes of this meeting you were SUPPOSED TO SHOW UP FOR, and you’re “walking into Starbs now.”
I start to close out of our ongoing text chat, but just before I can head back to my Notes app and, you know, try to do my job and listen to whatever Marcus Hughes is currently saying about the Midnight app his company has developed, another message from my best friend grabs my attention.
Avery: Neil talking about pussies? Sorry, but that doesn’t track. And it’s a little gross, tbh.
Me: The cat filter, AVERY, on your laptop. We couldn’t get it off, and your dad is evidently a time traveler from the fifties or something because he can’t say the word cat without putting pussy in front of it. PUSSYCAT PUSSYCAT PUSSYCAT
Avery: Omg, the filter! I almost forgot about that. Isn’t it great?
I quickly send three rapid texts, each one popping on the screen right after the other.
Me: “Is this your PUSSYcat, Juniper?” -Neil Banks
Me: “Oh man. Now, I’m all wet. A wet PUSSYcat.” -Neil Banks
Me: “I think I just got the PUSSYcat off.” -Neil Banks
Avery: HAHAHA
Me: It’s not funny, dude. We were already connected to the Hughes International people while this was going on. I flashed my tits trying to get it off the screen. I was so panicked!
Avery: Did you record any of it? I wanna see some footage before my mani/pedi at noon.
Me: Are you serious? You’re not even here, and you’re already talking about leaving again? This is our first official day.
Avery: Yeah, so?
Me: Not sure if you realize, but we’re supposed to actually work.
Avery: Oh my God, June. You’re too funny. Like my dad would actually fire us or something. Plus, they shouldn’t have expected us to work a full freaking day after Labor Day weekend. Like, I partied hard, you know? We should’ve at least had Monday off to recover.