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I wasn't sure I'd ever have the money to take Mikala to Disney, and I knew how badly she wanted to go. Disney was practically her first word. Whenever one of us was sick, we'd do movie marathons.
But I didn't like taking charity from people. Of course, I wasn’t the one who asked…
“Are you sure it wouldn’t be a bother?” I asked, my resolve weakening. “Taking an extra kid seems like it'd be even more stressful.”
Gwynne laughed. “Are you kidding? This is the best-case scenario. Mikala is way more charming and miles better behaved than my ex's niece. And she's like a freaking Energizer bunny. Pretty much the only kid who can keep up with my daughter. Half the kids I know are passed out by the time Tempest is just getting started.” She reached over and put her hand on mine. “It really would be doing me a favor.”
When she put it that way...
“Well...” I smiled. “Why not? I think Mikala would be absolutely thrilled. I owe you one though, okay?”
The relief in Gwynne’s face was obvious. “No, I owe you one.”
Mikala absolutely lost her shit when I told her she was going to Disney with Tempest. Her only complaint was when I told her Tiffany couldn't come too. Any reservations I'd had were banished to the back of my mind in the face of her excitement. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, all I'd ever wanted was to give her a great life. I'd made some horribly stupid decisions while trying to do that, but this, I knew, wouldn't be one of them. Gwynne was a good person. My daughter would be safe with her.
It was only after packing up and sending off my daughter that I allowed myself to think about the other side effect of Mikala's impromptu trip.
I was now free to go to Hawaii with the Gianellis, if they still wanted me. It was like the universe had conspired for me to get on that island.
Technically, I needed to get Earl's approval, but I doubted it would be a problem. Still, I called my boss before deciding on whether I really wanted to go or not. He was, of course, overly enthusiastic. He said the trip would give me lots of opportunities to get the boys alone and “secure their return business.”
And that was a big benefit of going. They'd almost definitely return if I stipulated it was part of my agreeing to go. I wasn't above playing a little hardball.
But would being Dorian's date mean that I'd be expected to be his date in...other ways? And more importantly, would I mind? After all, when was the last time I'd gotten laid? And it wasn't like I wasn't attracted to him. If I'd met him without all the business stuff, and he'd wanted to sleep with me, I probably would've jumped on his dick without thinking twice.
I supposed the question actually was if I could consider the business benefits as extras, and my attraction to be the main reason to do it.
After mulling it over for a while, I decided to shelve that thought. I could deal with that when, and if, it came up in Hawaii. Which meant I had one more phone call to make. I took a deep breath and entered the numbers.
“Briana,” Enzo barked out my name, sounding pleased. “I was hoping I'd get to see you again before we left. Are you free?”
Always so charming.
I let a teasing note enter my voice. “Actually, I'm pretty busy packing.”
“Packing? Whatever for?”
He sounded more curious than annoyed, so I decided to go for it.
“Well, I was asked to go to a wedding in Hawaii as some guy's date. I'm not sure if the invitation is still open though.”
“Fuck yes!”
I heard a murmur in the background, too low for me to be able to tell what was being said, but I could still recognize Dorian's voice. Little butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and I knew I'd made one of those decisions that would probably change everything.
