Under the Influence

Prologue

Oh, if you only knew what we've been up to
I guarantee you'd keep it secret.
——————

Erin

Las Vegas.

The City of Lights.

The only place that made sense to have my sisters bachelorette party.

"Erin, hurry up! You're cutting into our pool time!"

I opened the door of my room in our suite and peeked out, glaring at my sister, Amber, as I grabbed my bag that held a towel, sunscreen, and my sunglasses.

"Maybe if you didn't take your sweet time at the airport, we could've been out there an hour ago," I countered as I nodded towards the door of our suite.

We met the rest of Amber's bridal party outside and they had already secured our chairs next to the bar.

As we settled in by the pool, I laid my chair back and soaked in the rays while my sister and our friends sat at the bar directly to my left.

"My sister is single! Who wants to buy her a drink," I heard my sister yell out as she gestured to me.

"Amber, are you serious right now?" I grumbled as I lifted my sunglasses to look at her.

As I looked at her, I couldn't help but notice the group of men that she and her friends had been talking with. They were in shape and had the most godlike abs that I had ever seen in my life. Before I could look away, one of them walked over with a drink and offered it to me.

"You must be the sister," he laughed.

I graciously took the drink from his hand and nodded.

"And does the sister have a name?"

I couldn't help but laugh as I rested my sunglasses on the top of my head.

"Erin," I replied, offering my hand.

"Bradley," he returned, shaking my hand.

"So you're what? Air Force?" I questioned, taking a sip.

Crown and coke.

"What would give you that idea?"

The stache.

"My dad was stationed in Colorado Springs when I was growing up and I met more cadets than I cared for," I laughed. "And then the two Air Force bases were there too. I know Air Force when I see it."

He watched me for a long moment, clearly amused, before deciding to reply.

"Navy," he chuckled, taking a long drink of his beer before glancing to his friends.

"The mustache had me fooled."

I took a drink to hide my laugh, watching the man over the top of it.

"Yeah, I've surprisingly heard that a lot," he chuckled. "I'll let you get back to your tanning."

"Thank you for the drink."

"Maybe we'll run into one another again," he replied, a smile playing on his lips as he rejoined his friends.

————————

The next morning, I groaned as I opened my eyes to the sun shining brightly through the window.

What. The. Fuck.

Beside me was the man I had met at the pool the day before and as I looked around, I saw it. The simple silver band on his finger.

He was married and I was a homeworker without knowing it.

"You're married?!" I spouted loud enough for him to wake up.

"What?" He groaned, pulling the pillow over his head before he realized that I had been in his bed.

"What? No, I'm not married."

"Then what is that on your finger?" I questioned as I got out of bed and pulled on my dress from the night before.

I watched Bradley look at his finger and then he looked to me.

"I'm not married. Are you married?!" He groaned and I looked at the big sparkly diamond on my own finger.

My heart dropped.

No way.

No. Fucking. Way.

I scrambled around the room looking for any sign of what happened and on the floor beside a bottle of wine and two glasses, there it was.

Bradley saw where my eyes landed and walked over, picking it up.

A marriage certificate.

Sure enough, there was my very distinct signature at the bottom of it right next to Bradley's.

"Do you have a receipt?" I questioned as I snatched the certificate out of his hand. "We can fix this. We can just give it back."

"Erin, it's a marriage, not the wrong brand of noodles from the grocery store, you can't just return it for a refund," Bradley replied as he took it back and scanned it over.

I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and frowned deeply as I caught a glimpse of the time.

"Shit. I have to get to the airport before I miss my flight."

"We have to figure this out," Bradley called to me as I hurried to the door.

I quickly walked to him and took the marriage certificate, tossing it in the trash on my way out of the door.

"Problem solved."