The One (The Halo Series Book 2) Read online

  “Avery,” she said flatly.

  “Hey, Angie. How have you and Fred been?”

  She went to open her mouth then stopped, tears forming in her eyes. “Fred ran away.”

  I wanted to tell her that if she had a cage for that thing, he wouldn’t have escaped, but instead I’d let her cry to me for about five minutes and I bought her a few drinks to make her calm down. Afterward, she’d asked me to go back to her place. It had been awhile since I’d last had sex, but I just couldn’t go back there. She wasn’t the one.

  Mike never called. It was probably for the best given that he and my best friend worked together at the law firm. I’d never wanted anything serious with him. I’d just wanted to have fun—and I thought he had, too. Oh well. I got over it quickly and started to shop for cute bikinis and outfits for the cruise.

  As expected, Brooke threw a hissy fit about the cruise being a singles cruise. However, I worked my magic, throwing in the fact that we could see Bailee, her sister, and Brooke caved.

  I couldn’t wait. Eight days of sunshine, no work, and hopefully a ship full of hot men.

  The day we left for California, Brooke’s boyfriend didn’t help us with our bags. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting—maybe a gentleman? He was worthless. I had every intention of having Brooke hook-up with someone on the cruise. Maybe then she would open her eyes and find someone who was worth everything that she had to offer.

  Jared was a user. He always played his stupid video games and never gave Brooke any attention unless he wanted sex. That was not love. That was not even a relationship. He had more of a relationship with his X-Box controller than he did with Brooke and I was tired of watching my friend be used.

  “Jesus, those heavy bags hurt my shoulder,” Brooke said, rubbing her right shoulder.

  “I can’t believe your shoulder is still hurting you. You need to go back to the doctor when we get back. Maybe you should see Dr. Sam instead of your doctor?”

  Dr. Sam was one of the best doctors I’d ever assisted in my nursing career. My workplace was like a mini hospital under one roof. We specialized in family medicine, but if any of our patients needed X-rays, blood work, or referred to another doctor, they typically wouldn’t have to step out of our doors.

  “I’ve been emailing with my doctor, and she just keeps telling me that muscle strains take a long time to heal. She prescribed me new meds, but I think they take some time to get into my system,” Brooke said, stepping forward in line.

  “I still find it weird that she wouldn’t run any tests and just prescribed you medication. Yes, muscle strains do take time to heal, but not this long—especially since you aren’t doing anything to strain it more.”

  If Brooke were our patient, this shit wouldn’t have happened. We would have at least given her an X-ray or MRI to confirm it was or wasn’t muscular. Brooke hurt her shoulder while bowling at her party, but her birthday was over two months ago. She should have recovered by now.

  “Me too, but she’s the doctor.” Brooke sighed, still rubbing her shoulder.

  “And I’m a nurse and your best friend. If your shoulder is still hurting after the cruise, promise me you’ll schedule an appointment with Dr. Sam?” I wasn’t joking around. Something serious could be going on and I didn’t like it. I took off my shoes before placing them in the plastic bin by the metal detector.

  “Fine,” Brooke said, taking her shoes off, too.

  We made it through security with no problem. After finding our gate, we sat down, waiting for our flight that we would be boarding in just a few minutes.

  “You’re never going to guess what Jared did last night,” Brooke whispered.

  “Anything besides playing Call of Duty will surprise me,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  “You know how I’ve been taking muscle relaxers at bedtime?” I nodded. “Well, I only took half of one because a full one makes me groggy if I don’t get like ten hours of sleep. Anyway, I’m sleeping and Jared tries to wake me up to have sex.”

  My eyes widened. “Eww, what did you do? Pretend you were asleep?”

  “I remember telling him that I took a muscle relaxer and him telling me that he would do all the work.”

  “What a pig!” God I hated that loser!

  “I know, and I really was asleep—mostly. I barely remember anything.”

  “That’s like rape,” I whispered.

  When would Brooke dump this idiot?

  “No, it’s not.” She laughed. “I would have wanted to do it if I could. Those pills knock me the fuck out.”

  “Whatever, I still think he took advantage of you.”

  I hated Jared with a passion and this was one more reason why I was determined to help Brooke find someone on the cruise. Even if it was just for seven days.

  We made it to Los Angeles and boarded the last bus to the docks. Most of the flight, I thought about how I was going to get Brooke to open her eyes and leave Jared. All the signs were there, but she wasn’t seeing them.

  “Are you going to tell people you have a boyfriend?” I asked Brooke as we sat in the back of the bus.

  “Of course. You know I’m not interested in meeting anyone.”

  “But we are going on a singles cruise.”

  “Yeah, a cruise you tricked me into going on.” She laughed.

  “Just have fun. I don’t want you moping around,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “In fact, if you do meet someone and hook up with them, I won’t tell Jared.”

  “I won’t be moping around. Don’t be ridiculous. And I’m not going to cheat on Jared.”

  “I’m serious. If you do meet a hot guy, I won’t tell. You know I hate that loser.”

  “I know, but I won’t be cheating on him. I’m here for you and to get a tan—oh, and a massage.”

  I gave Brooke a stern look and then turned to watch the California scenery pass by as we drove to the ship. She was dead set on not having a wandering eye, but I planned on changing that. I was going to point out every hot guy, introduce her to them, and hope the sparks flew. Even if Brooke only flirted, it would at least show her that there were more guys out there for her.

  Once we unloaded from the bus, we went through the lines to check-in for the cruise, pose for pictures, and have our bags checked for alcohol. It took forever. When we finally started to walk up the ramp for the ship, Brooke seemed to be in a different mood.

  “I just want to say thank you for giving me this gift. If it weren’t for you, I would be at home, doing laundry and getting ready for the work week. No matter what happens, let’s just have fun. I’ll be your wing-woman and get you a shitload of phone numbers,” Brooke said, linking her arm through mine.

  “I knew I would have to force you to come. That’s why I paid for it before I gave it to you. And I hope to get more than phone numbers.” I winked.

  Once we finally made it on the ship, we were escorted by a Steward named Waldo to our room, but I didn’t care about our room; I wanted to go to the bar and have a few drinks to build up my nerve to talk to guys. As we walked, Brooke and Waldo talked about his name while I scanned the area for hot guys. I didn’t see any. I didn’t see any on the bus and I didn’t see any while we waited in all the lines. Where were they? Hopefully, since we took the last bus from the airport, they were already on the ship. If not, all I would get out of this trip was a nice tan.

  We made it to our tiny room and I looked around the cramped space. Two twin beds lined the walls with tiny bedside tables beside each, and an ocean-view window centered in the middle over them. The blue carpet with stars mimicked the carpet from the halls.

  “You couldn’t splurge and get me a suite for my birthday?” Brooke asked.

  “You’re lucky I paid for it at all,” I said, sticking my tongue out at her.

  “I’m just kidding. This is going to be so much fun. Which bed do you want?”

  “Doesn’t matter to me. I only care about getting a drink right now.”

  “Ladies, your bag
s will be here shortly. You don’t need to wait for them, but soon there will be a mandatory safety briefing once everyone is on board and we start to depart,” Waldo said.

  We thanked Waldo as he left. I was looking forward to all the activities they had to offer, all the food we could eat when we were drunk off our asses, and soaking in the sun during the day. I’d even tried to brush up on my Spanish since we were going to Mexico.

  Our bags were delivered a few minutes later and we freshened up, unpacked, and then headed to the bar to grab a drink. Brooke wasn’t drinking much because of her pain medication, but I wasn’t letting that hold me back. I needed liquid courage.

  As we made our way to the upper deck, we stopped at the first bar we saw. It had a brew pub vibe to it and low and behold, there were hot guys there. I didn’t know if it was protocol that the guys scoped out the waters first or what, so Brooke and I went up to the bar and ordered our own drinks.

  “Okay, so how am I supposed to be your wing-woman?” Brooke asked, taking a sip of her Diet Coke.

  “I don’t know. If a hot guy comes up to us, introduce me.” I shrugged.

  “So like a ‘Have you met Nicole?’ situation?”

  “Exactly.” I smiled. “I’m keeping my eye out for you, too.”

  “No,” Brooke said, shaking her head. “Don’t you dare.”

  “Nothing’s wrong with a little flirting. We want them to buy us drinks. Alcohol’s not free on the cruise.”

  “Fine, but I don’t plan on drinking that much anyway.”

  “I’ll drink’em.”

  I was halfway through my vodka cranberry when I saw a guy approaching from my right. He was decent, but I wasn’t attracted to him. Luckily, before he could approach, the Captain announced that it was time for the safety briefing.

  “You need to calm the fuck down before they think we have a you know what in your backpack, man,” I whispered to Easton.

  He wasn’t scared of flying, so I knew it was eating him up about leaving Cheyenne. He was on edge, but seriously, he needed a vacation. He needed this vacation. I needed this vacation. We promoted Bethy to manager and hired a few more staffers before we left for the cruise, so everything was going to be fine…at least I’d hoped.

  “Yeah, Daddy, I’m gonna be fine. Grandma and Grandpa P said they would take me to Disneyland and California Adventure this week.”

  “Tell him, C.C. Tell your dad that he’s being a little B.”

  Cheyenne laughed. Easton was being a little B.

  “Daddy, I’m ten going on eleven. I think I can survive without you for a week.” She rolled her eyes.

  I’d known Cheyenne her whole life and I knew her mother. She was starting to turn into a little Dana. It wasn’t a bad thing, but if she had Dana’s attitude, Easton was going to have his hands full.

  “Since when did you become such a big girl?” Easton asked, rubbing the top of her head.

  “Oh my God, don’t mess up my hair!”

  Easton laughed. “I know you will be fine without me for a week, Peanut. I just wish you were coming with us.”

  “Uncle A told me that there won’t be any kids on the boat. I don’t want to go with a bunch of old people.”

  “Thirty-one is not old.” Easton and I both laughed.

  We were not old.

  “Yeah, huh!”

  “Keep it up and I’ll be too old to play catch with you and teach you how to hit a softball.”

  “I love you, Daddy,” she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

  I felt my heart clench. Even though Cheyenne was like my daughter, I wanted my own. I wanted the wife, the kids, the house, the dog—I wanted it all.

  After we’d said goodbye to Cheyenne, we boarded a bus to the docks. It was a thirty passenger bus and there weren’t any women around our age on it. I was starting to doubt this trip. What if it was for divorced men and women and widows and widowers? Technically, Easton was a widower, but I was talking about the ones with grand and great-grandchildren.

  I wasn’t into cougars, but if it came down to it, I might have to be…at least while at sea for seven days. I wanted to meet the one, but if she wasn’t on the ship, I might just have to sow my oats.

  It felt like hours before we were in our room on the ship. I hadn’t realized everything we’d have to go through…it was worse than the airport.

  “How the fuck are we supposed to get laid in a twin?” Easton asked, eyeing the tiny twin size beds.

  “Just tap into your teenage years and make her be on top,” I said, slapping him on the back.

  “Your bags will be here shortly,” Alex, our Steward said, giving us a knowing smile. He knew what was up. “If you need anything, just use the phone there,” he pointed to a phone on the small desk below the tiny ass TV that hung on the wall in a corner, “and have them page me. I will bring whatever you need.”

  “Thanks, Alex.” I pulled out my wallet and handed him a ten. “We will.”

  The small room did remind me of my college days. It was small and only really had room for the two twin beds. The TV was even mounted on the wall because it couldn’t fit anywhere else.

  “I’m going to laugh so hard when you fall off the bed in the middle of the night.” Easton laughed.

  “Fuck you! Like you’re used to a twin.” I paused, remembering what I had already planned after seeing the pictures online. “I was thinking…we could push the two twins together when one of us brings a chick back.”

  “I’m not sleeping in a bed that you just fucked a girl in,” Easton said, shaking his head.

  “Fine, here’s the deal. There is housekeeping twenty-four/seven, so we’ll just have them change the sheets and push the beds back, or the other one can sleep up there for the night until the sheets are changed,” I said, pointing to a piece of the wall that stuck out. “You just pull it down and it’s a twin, too.”

  “What if we both bring a chick back? We need rules. I don’t want to see your dick.”

  “I don’t want to see yours, either!” We did need rules. I didn’t want to mess up his game and I definitely didn’t want him messing up my game.

  “We should just work it so we go back to their room, and then we don’t have to worry about kicking them out or anything.”

  “Good plan!” I snapped my fingers and pointed at him while nodding my head. Easton was a genius.

  “Let’s do this—”

  Easton was interrupted by the Captain’s voice sounding through the speaker.

  “Hello! This is your Captain speaking. I hope everyone has found their rooms and is ready to meet some single people. We only do this cruise once a year, and it’s my favorite one…”

  Easton laughed. I bet single women loved the Captain, hoping to get perks.

  “Before we start the fun, there is a mandatory Safety at Sea briefing on Deck 7 on the Promenade in twenty minutes. Again, this is mandatory for all passengers. Once it is completed, you will be free to roam the ship and hopefully meet that special someone!”

  “You fucking owe me big,” Easton said.

  “Dude, you’re going to get laid. What are you complaining about?”

  “Nothing. Let’s go.”

  “You really fucking owe me,” Easton said—again.

  “Dude, relax. Trust me.”

  “Do you see these broads? They’re Ma’s age!”

  “They have activities for our age group. Fucking relax, there are chicks here our age.”

  Packed like sardines, we listened to the safety speech and watched as the crew gave instructions and performed demonstrations for us. After the speech, I turned to Easton to suggest we grab a beer. I sure as fuck needed one. Before I could get his attention, I saw that he was talking to a young brunette. A young brunette. See, there was hope after all!

  “Like I said, my friend dragged me. Nicole, this is…” the brunette said, turning to…the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on.

  “Easton,” he replied, giving a little nod. We all wa
lked a little ways to the opening where the lounge area was. I would have introduced myself, but I was too busy staring at Nicole. “And this is Avery,” Easton finally said, remembering I was there.

  My eyes stayed locked with Nicole’s as we shook hands. My hand had a mind of its own and refused to let go of hers. “I’m Nicole,” she said, smiling and biting her bottom lip.

  Fuck me!

  “Avery,” I said, my dick twitching as my brain stored Nicole’s lip biting to memory. I didn’t care that Easton had just introduced us. I was speechless. I heard the brunette say that her name was Brooke, but I only needed to know Nicole’s name. I had to pry myself away from Nicole’s deep blue eyes and focus on trying to walk around the crowds. It was definitely not the time to make a fool out of myself by running smack dab into someone.

  Nicole made me speechless. Usually, I didn’t have that problem. I could talk to anyone who walked through the doors of Halo—even women like Angie that I had no interest in ever speaking to again. But I knew if Nicole had walked into my bar, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything but stare. She took my breath away.

  She had all the characteristics that I found attractive: long blonde hair that I couldn’t wait to see spread across my pillow, blue eyes that were like the ocean we were currently traveling on, tits that were big enough for me to palm, and a body that made my mouth water. And that lip…damn that lip bite.

  “What’s the plan now?” Nicole asked, looking at me.

  I hoped that meant that she was feeling the same thing I was. I didn’t know what we were doing next, but I hoped it involved me getting to know her.

  “Our dinner time isn’t until the late seating—”

  “Us too!” Nicole said, cutting me off. I could watch her mouth move for hours as I pictured what she could do with it.

  “Perfect, do you ladies want to grab a drink with us then?”