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And if he says yes, I have a shot at replacing the editor at the newspaper I work for. Can you imagine? Me, in the coveted editor’s chair! It’s been my dream for years.
All I have to do is get Rex to say yes to the article. I scan the restaurant, which is pretty packed, until I find a familiar set of faces.
“And that’s why they call him Buzz Saw!” Cole Bennett crows.
The twelve people at the table break into a raucous laughter. His brother Brooks, the man in question, is red as a beet but laughing harder than anyone. “That’s not fair! What if I tell everyone how you peed down the slide in fifth grade?”
“I consider that a show of dominance,” Cole jokes.
The crowd laughs again.
I walk up to the group, feeling a bit nervous. My sister Savannah only married Cole a few months ago and we have been slowly introducing our groups of friends to each other. The Billion Dollar Bennetts don’t truly need any friends because there are so many of them that it’s hard to keep them straight sometimes.
“Birdie! Over here!” My sister stands up and waves me over to where she has an empty chair saved for me.
I give the group a quick smile and hurry to sit next to Sav. She usually dresses very feminine and romantic in swishy little sundresses and big bows in her hair. At the moment, she is insanely pregnant and wearing a white maternity dress sprinkled with flowers. She looks radiant and also exhausted.
“Do you want a margarita?” she asks. “We have a pitcher.”
That’s Sav; always doing everything in her power to make everyone around her comfortable.
“Yeah. But for god’s sake, let me grab it. Just relax.”
The group around us breaks up into small conversations. I pour myself a lukewarm margarita from a pitcher. I take a sip and instantly set it down.
I don’t want to insult anyone that likes this sugary drink. But it’s absolutely disgusting. Pushing it away, I eye the half-full pitcher. I should’ve known better.
I look around the enormous table at the other people assembled. Aside from Sav and Cole, there’s Cole’s brother River, River’s wife Pearl, and then the other Bennett Brothers. Brooks and Rhett, if I recall their names correctly.
Where is Rex? He’s the reason I got a babysitter for my son Dex tonight.
The names are certainly in the brown leather spiral bound notebook in my purse. I’d have to go back through my copious notes and check. The second I had the idea to do a focus feature about someone from the Billion Dollar Bennetts, I started keeping meticulous track of every interaction I’ve ever had with the family members.
Other than the Bennetts, there are several handsome men and a few insanely beautiful women. I don’t know these women from Adam. But using my reporter’s eye, I notice that they are all very dressed up. Short, expensive dresses. Long fake nails and heavy fake lashes. They are all immaculately made up, as if they are going out to a club.
When in fact, they are here at the only vaguely cool bar in South Shore. It’s mainly a pizza restaurant and it doesn’t even serve shots. Just pre-made margaritas, wine, and a lot of beer.
My gut tells me that these women are single and this group has a lot of handsome, single men. I cast a jaundiced eye over the offerings. Yeah, I can see that each man is handsome in his way. Rhett is hot in a studious, glasses wearing sort of way. Brooks looks handsome in his red plaid shirt and jeans. The other man at the table that I don’t know is wearing a light blue polo and khakis. And he is downright smoldering.
I lean over to Sav. “Who is that in the blue shirt?”
Sav looks and then nods. “That’s Walker. He’s best friends with Rex and Rhett.”
I raise a brow and make a note. The more I learn about the Bennetts, the more fascinating they become.
Savannah links her arm through mine, her radiant smile looking at home anywhere – even if it’s a scuzzy pizza joint with a bunch of pool tables in the back room. Cole moves chairs and sits by us, his hands casually tucked in his pockets.
“What’s up, Birdie?” he asks. He lifts a light-colored beer toward me and then takes a sip.
“Not much.” I force a smile to my lips. “Thanks for inviting me out.”
Cole slides a long look at Sav. Sav ignores him and leans forward to change the conversation.
I would guess, then, that Sav invited me out. Whatever. It’s not the first time I got a pity invite because I’m her sister.
"Have you been working on a new story, Birdie?" Savannah chirps, squeezing my arm.
"Maybe. I’m chasing down some leads. Trying to decide on which story I want to pursue.” A total lie. I’ve been working this Bennett story for a couple of weeks and loosely following up on other leads just to make my boss, Herman, happy. "But tonight's about cheap drinks, cheaper jokes, and catching up."
