Pay Me, I'm Yours

Chapter 9 - Unexpected Surprise

Chapter 9 - Unexpected Surprise

"Where are we going?" I asked Connor as we stepped into the elevator.

"Aubrey wants to see you," he said shortly, refusing to elaborate further.

This better be good.

"Do that stunt again," Gale threatened quietly, his mouth close to my ears. "And I swear I'll have you naked and tossed behind your back in thirty seconds."

I raised an eyebrow at him. So, Mr. Charmboy hated losing. "You still owe me a ten."

He bit off a grin, his eyes shining with ill disguised respect. "I'll pay you later."

"Let's go," Connor interrupted, his black eyes sparkling with secret amusement. We stepped out of the elevator with him leading the way.

"Got something on your mind?" I asked Connor warily.

"Maybe," he answered. We reached the last room when he suddenly stopped and swiped a keycard and motioned for us to come in.

My eyes automatically landed on a tall woman standing on the balcony, her back turned on us. I threw Connor a look of curiosity but he just smirked and made his way on the nearby couch.

Weird, I said to myself as I took in the woman's profile. Dressed in mini shorts, short auburn hair, plaid blue shirt, and dangerous high heeled stiletto, she was obviously a model.

And definitely not Aubrey's taste.

"Glad to see you could make it," Aubrey said as I turned my eyes away from the mysterious woman. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No," I said shortly.

"I'm not asking you," he replied. "I'm asking your boyfriend."

"Nah, I'm all good," Gale said. "But I'd like to thank you for inviting me. I hope it wasn't a drag."

"Not at all."

"Aub," Connor said from the couch, flipping through the channels. "Don't forget tonight."

"Tonight?" I asked warily, sensing that the two of them are planning something.

"Oh, yeah," Aubrey said, snapping his fingers. "There's a luau tonight. I'm thinking we should all go."

Bingo!

"I don't like to party," I groused, knowing full well how their minds work.

"Oh come on," Gale said beside me, draping an arm around my shoulders. "It's a good opportunity for me to get to know your best friends."

"Yeah," Connor interrupted and I saw the devilish glint in his black eyes. "Besides, Aub wouldn't take no for an answer. Right, Aub?"

"Right," Aubrey agreed.

"Well, since Gale wants to go, I guess I have to tag along," I said, not too happy with the situation. "Anything more? I want to get some sleep."

"You're leaving without saying hello to your daughter?"

I gasped as soon as I heard the voice. Whirling my head on the woman's direction, I squinted, trying to make sense of things.

"Mom," said the woman, a smile on her achingly familiar face as she took her place beside Aubrey.

October!

"You cut your hair," I said, staring stupidly at her now pixie cut hair.

"Yep," she replied with a breezy laugh. "Aren't you going to introduce him to me?"