Page 29 of Accidentally Hitched (Unintentionally Yours #1)

Amanda

A lone…for the night. But that doesn’t turn off the lights. From the stars…they’re still bright. The memories of you are hard to fight. Everyone wants inside my head. But I’ll lay here and think of you instead…

I go to the BlueJay before anyone else is even awake.

Callum gave me the code for the back door which is wild.

Wild that he has it. Wild that he’d trust it to me.

But after our little…jam sesh…in the recording booth, I left walking on clouds, and he seemed to like that.

He liked it enough that the man who does not smile more than he has to was grinning and even grabbed my hand.

I told him I would live in this studio if I was a millionaire. I’d order bibimbap from GrubGrab and write songs all day. Never see the sun.

He laughed (laughed!) and gave me the code.

I don’t think he was supposed to.

041914.

But here I am. 8am in the BlueJay recording booth that still smells like his cologne and the residual high from yesterday, strumming and humming out a song that is buzzing around in my frontal lobe like a busy beehive. Not an angry one. Just an active one.

In here I have no sense of time. I don’t think it matters. There were no clear instructions for what we are supposed to be doing today. A lull in the normal chaos. I’ll take it. Alone time is my favorite. I’m not a person prone to loneliness.

Of course, as soon as I think that, as soon as I say it, the door opens. I expect an angry manager or even Callum. Who I’m not expecting is–

“Zoe.” I say, setting the guitar down as she walks into the booth, hips swaying, makeup already painted on. She doesn’t bat an eye at anything in the room. I doubt she sees anything but status and dollar signs anyways.

“Hey babe, you bored?”

I blink, a small smirk tugging at my lips. “Not really?”

“I am,” she looks down at her nails. “Bored to death. The guys are out golfing. In this heat. Like…why? Golf is boring.”

“Yeah I’m not really a sports person either,” I say slowly, still slightly amused. She stands out in the room like a Christmas tree in a Halloween shop.

“Let’s have a girl’s day. I need a manicure. This acrylic is like two weeks old. It’s embarrassing. And I’m sure you need one too. Let me see your hands.”

Before I can say anything, she grabs one of my hands and visibly cringes. “Have you EVER had a manicure? In your life?”

I pull my hand away, but I’m not embarrassed. Honestly, I’m used to this shit because of Kate. “Nah. Nail biter.”

Zoe’s expression dilates like she’s about to get hit by a bus. “You bite your nails?”

“Since I was seven. Nervous habit.”

“Oh God, honey. Yeah we need to get to a salon. Especially if you’re on the arm of a Hardin.”

“I don’t think anyone cares what my hands look like,” I say. I don’t think most people even notice me.

“You’d be surprised what the paparazzi will zoom in on for clicks. Trust me on this, babe.”

Zoe grabs my arm and pulls me out of the booth and down the hall. Even in her heels she can walk faster than I can, and I am struggling to keep up. Maybe because she’s dragging me. Maybe because going to a nail salon is the last thing I want to do right now. Or ever.

“You know, Zoe, I’m not really a manicure kind of girl.”

“Don’t worry. We can change that. I have Avery’s card. We’ll get you a full package.”

“I don’t really want to change that.”

Zoe laughs. A feathery, high pitched, bored laugh. “Babe, it’s not about what you want. You’re married to a Hardin. It’s all about face now. Speaking of face, when’s the last time you had a facial?”

“Also, never.”

Zoe makes a sound like she’s going to faint and starts walking even faster. “One full blown glow-up coming right up.”

I plant my sneakers on the floor and yank us to a halt. “Listen, Zoe. I appreciate it. But I’m not really a glow-up kind of girl. I’m just a songwriter.”

“A songwriter who is married to Callum and works for Hardin Records. I hate to break it to you babe, but it doesn’t really matter what kind of girl you were. It matters what kind of girl you are now. And that girl is going to be in a lot of photos and reels. I promise I’m doing you a favor.”

“And I promise you that nails aren’t my thing. They make playing the guitar a little tricky.”

“Right…” she says, clearly having no idea what I’m talking about. “Fine. No nails. But we are definitely getting massages, facials and tans.”

“Massages, no facials and a swim in the hotel pool. It has a waterslide!”

Zoe looks mortified. “Massages, facials and cocktails by the pool. No slide.”

“Deal.”

With that, I silently say goodbye to my quiet studio.

“But first! Brunch!” she says, and I shrug. I could eat.

After a later breakfast of pancakes for me and fruit salad with egg whites for her (not to mention a literal pitcher of mimosas), we head to the hotel spa for facials and massages.

“I can’t believe you only drank half a mimosa,” Zoe says through barely moving lips (because her face is caked in some kind of green mud, complete with cucumbers on her eyes. I can’t say anything though because I look the same. And you know what? I kind of don’t hate it.

“It upset my stomach a little,” I admit. “I’m not sure why.”

Recently, my stomach hasn’t taken kindly to a lot of things, alcohol being at the top of that list. I’ve always had an issue with food when I’m stressed. Either I eat too much or nothing at all.

Those pancakes hit the spot though…

After the facials, we roll right into full body massages and oh…my…God.

“I don’t know how I’ve never done this before,” I mumble as the masseuse digs deep into my shoulders.

“I get one once a week. It’s hard work being with Avery.”

“I bet,” I say, my filter gone. I’ve only been around him a handful of times but I’m not a fan.

“You know, I do think he’s the hotter twin. No offense. But I think you got the sweeter brother. Avery is always so grumpy.”

I think about that. They are extremely different. Enough so that I am surprised Hiram hasn’t just handed the keys to the company to Callum straight up. But I suppose with them being twins it’s more complicated than that.

Honestly, Avery has always kind of given me bad vibes. Callum is different. He’s got a softer side, but I don’t think he lets most people see it. I mean I have seen ALL of him, not an inch spared, and I still only get the smallest hints of that. But it’s in there. Passionate. Musical. Intuitive.

I wonder why it’s buried so deep…

Speaking of deep. This massage is heavenly. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until now. Zoe and I are miles apart in most ways. But if we are going to hang out…going to be sisters-in-law (Jesus Christ…) I guess there are worse ways to pass the time.

After the massages, we head to the pool.

Zoe shows up in a white bikini that is literally two triangles and a thong.

Her skin is the color of a caramel latte and flawless.

She lays in the sun, toned stomach facing the sky, sunglasses taking up half her face.

Her beach waved hair is draped loosely over one side and her expression looks bored.

RBF at its finest.

And it’s getting her the attention of every man in a fifty-foot radius.

I am in a yellow one piece. Despite it being full coverage, it doesn’t cover much in the way of my boobs.

But that’s normal for me. My skin looks like it’s never been outside, and my red hair looks like it’s on fire.

My shades, dollar store knock-offs, are white with black polka dots. And the heat is really getting to me.

That slide is looking super fun right now.

No one is on it. It’s not kid size. Like it’s legit a real full-blown water slide. A sunburned lifeguard who doesn’t look a day over fifteen is sitting at the top staring at his phone.

“I need another cocktail,” Zoe says.

I look over at the bar which is literally less than twenty feet from us. No line either. Then I look back at her.

Zoe sits up, arches her back, shakes her hair back and glances in the direction of the bar. That’s all she does. She looks at the bar. And within ten seconds the bartender hops over the bar top and sprints over to us.

“Can I get you another drink Mrs. Hardin?” he asks.

“A Mai Tai. Make it strong this time, babe. I’m not paying for juice.”

“Of course, Mrs. Hardin.” He scampers off as quickly as he jogged over and gets to work.

“Mrs. Hardin?” I ask as Zoe leans back down.

“Trying it out. Seeing how it sounds. Honestly, I prefer my own name, but Hardin sounds so…rich.”

“Gets you fast drinks, that’s for sure.” I shake my head.

“Aren’t you going to have one? You do know it goes on their tab right?”

“Yeah, I’m not really thirsty. Actually, I am kind of nauseous.”

It sweeps over me pretty fast and super hard, like a wave threatening to make all the pancakes from a few hours ago come back up.

“Excuse me…” I hop up from the lounger and rush towards the bathroom, nearly taking out a cabana boy in the process. I barely make it to the toilet and sure enough, I am sick.

It comes out of me in two Exorcist style heaves and then…I’m fine. I lean back against the stall, wiping my mouth with the back of my wrist. I’m still shaking, still sweating, and very much not great but the nausea is gone.

“Amanda?” Zoe’s voice echoes through the bathroom and I shove the door open, still sitting on the floor.

“In here.”

“Oh…oh…babe, are you sick?” Zoe is concerned but the majority of her tone is drenched in the ick. If I had to guess she doesn’t handle bodily fluids well.

“I mean I got sick,” I tell her, running a hand through my hair.

“You’re pale as fuck. I am going to get the medic.”

I shake my head. “Oh, no I’m fine. I don’t need–”

“Hey pool boy!” Zoe calls out and I cover my face in embarrassment. It’s one thing to be sitting in a bathing suit in a puddle on the bathroom floor. It’s another to have Miss Thang calling out to hotel staff like they’re servants. “Yeah you. We need a medic in here. My friend is…ill.”

Jesus.

A minute later two men in EMT uniform rush in, cramming into the stall with me.

“I’m fine, really,” I insist as they start checking my vitals.

“Have you been drinking, ma’am.”

“Only water,” I answer. “I’m okay, seriously. I just got nauseous and dizzy and–”

“Do you get dizzy spells often?”

“No. I…I don’t.”

“I’m going to call Avery and tell him to send Callum back to the hotel,” Zoe says, pulling out her phone.

“Oh, I should mention, we did get massages today and you should drink a lot of water and stay out of heat when you get a massage. Oh, hey babe! Yeah I miss you too. Hey, can you tell Callum that Amanda is super sick, and he needs to come back asap? Yeah. I don’t know.

She puked everywhere. Yeah, gross I know… ”

I let out a defeated sigh. “I’m fine,” I tell the EMTs again. “I probably just didn’t drink enough water.”

“We understand ma’am but it’s protocol to check everything. Any chance you’re pregnant?”

“No, of course not?—”

I stop.

What day is it?

Saturday the…27th.

Fuck…