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vladi

“ W HAT?!” Maggie shouts at the resort desk clerk. “What do you mean there’s no reservation? Can you check again? Maggie James.” She leans over the counter, nearly stealing the keyboard from the poor man. “Try Maggie as the last name. Sometimes people think James is my first name.”

I gaze around the lobby, the other guests starting to stare at the commotion she’s causing.

The tornado of chaos that is Maggie James apparently does not have a room, and if her loud voice is a clear indication, she is not happy.

I forgot how loud she can get. Sweat beads on my forehead, partly from the humidity, but mostly from being close to her today.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s nothing under that as a first or last name.”

She growls, spinning in a circle while she panics. “Try Magdalina James. M-A-G-D-A-L-I-N-A. That’s what’s on my passport, maybe they used that.”

The wind is knocked out of my chest, the world tilting on its axis as her full name hits my ears. My knees buckle, and I take a step to steady myself. “Your full name is Magdalina?” I ask, stunned by the beauty of her name. I dig my knuckles into my sternum. Why is my damn chest tight again?

Maggie slowly turns to face me, an angry annoyance in her eyes.

“Yes, Vladi,” she says in a condescending tone.

“My parents named me that ridiculous combination of letters. But as a toddler, it was hard to say, much less spell, so I go by Maggie. Any other massively important, earth-shattering questions? Or can I go back to figuring out my damn hotel reservation?”

I nod and raise my hands in surrender for the second time today. Magdalina? That is the most beautiful name I’ve ever heard. Why do I want to whisper it over and over in her ear?

“MAGGIE! VLADI!” Olivia squeals across the open-air lobby as she races toward us. “You made it!”

“Liv!” Maggie shouts as she embraces her friend in a pile of giggles and noises almost too high to comprehend. I turn back seeing Larsy walking my direction, and I split the distance, meeting him halfway.

“Hey, Vladi.” He grins, bringing me in for a hug. “Welcome to paradise!”

“Glad to be here. How do I thank you for the… surprise …on the flight?”

Larsy pulls back and flashes me that damn evil smile he’s perfected when he thinks he’s triumphed over me. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. The travel agent booked the tickets. We didn’t have any say in where you sat. Did you have a nice flight?”

I scowl at his damn meddling that was more welcome than I’d like to admit. “Fuck you. You know damn well how my flight was.”

“Do I? Please enlighten me,” he says as I shrug off his comment, both of us walking back toward Maggie and Olivia who are still trying to sort out the reservation dilemma.

“I’m sorry, but the resort is completely booked. You’re one of four wedding parties, and the owner has an event going on this week as well,” the clerk explains to Maggie.

“Shit! I don’t know how this happened!” Olivia whirls around facing a very concerned Hayes. “Everyone else is already sharing with spouses, significant others, or doubled up with another guest.”

Hayes looks between Olivia’s shocked face and the desk clerk, “Is there any room we can get for her? We’ll pay whatever it takes.” That man is so far gone. Anything to make her and her friends happy.

“I’m so sorry, sir. We are maxed out.”

Olivia looks around, wringing her hands with nervousness as she tries to find a solution. “Hayes, why don’t you stay with Vladi and I’ll stay with Maggie this week.”

“NO,” Larsy, Maggie, and I all say simultaneously.

“Liv, there is no way in hell I’m letting you not stay with your husband on your wedding-slash-honeymoon week! Let me call around to some other resorts and see what they have,” Maggie insists, getting out her phone to look up other accommodations.

I glance at Olivia seeing the clear disappointment on her face.

A pang of guilt presses against my ribs.

I hate seeing her like this. She is like a sister to me now, and I don’t want her best friend to be at another resort.

I couldn’t survive this week without Hayes, and I know Olivia won’t make it without Maggie.

Even I’m caught off guard by how easily these next words leave my mouth.

“She can stay with me.”

All three of their heads slowly turn to look at me, eyes wide with disbelief.

“What?” I reply to the group of confused and horrified faces.

“She needs a room. I have a room. We can share.” I glance at Maggie with a pleading look — one that’s hopefully conveying ‘ Don’t cause a scene.

This is our friends’ wedding, so let’s not stress them out.

’ She purses her lips, those fucking gorgeous lips, and slowly nods her head.

“Yeah. We can share,” she says in a tone that’s less angry than I thought it would be. “We are adults. I’m sure Vladi is all too happy to sleep on the cold, hard floor. It’s just like a big sheet of ice, right?”

Olivia slides closer, failing to drop her voice low enough for us not to hear. “Mags, are you sure? You really don’t have to do this. We can figure something else out,” Olivia whispers, the slightest hint of worry in her voice.

“It’s fine, Liv. It’s your wedding, and we’re here to support you.

We’ll make it work. I’m sure there’s been a lot of weddings where the best man and maid of honor shack up for the sake of the wed—” she pauses, realizing what’s come out of her mouth, and I have to hold back the chuckle threatening to burst from me.

No one makes me laugh. I smother the smile twisting my cheeks, but not before Hayes clocks it. Why does she?

“I mean…not shack up, like… you know . I meant share a room, like two platonic friends. Enemies. Shit .” Her cheeks burn a deep shade of red, her eyes unable to look at any of us fully.

“Goddammit. You know we slept together, so let’s just get it all out in the open.

We are adults . It happened. I hate him.

Let’s move on.” She struts up to me, her shoes clicking on the lobby floor as she extends her hand toward me. “Key?”

I hesitate. I only got one key, not expecting to have a roommate this week, so I reluctantly hand it to her. I can grab another from the front desk.

“Perfect. You can arrange for my bags to get taken up to the room then too,” she says as she turns on her heel. “Liv, show me around! We have so many details to discuss. Later boys!!” Maggie shouts, whisking her friend away leaving me and Larsy standing in her dust.

“Well… that went well,” Larsy snorts. “But you didn’t answer before— how was the flight? I see you are in one piece. Are you sure you want to do this? We can figure something else out. Hell, I can throw her in a room with Bougie.”

“No,” I say firmly. I crack my knuckles, the thought of my woman sharing a room with that playboy, rich-as-hell rookie makes my skin crawl. “She is not rooming with Bougie. No one deserves that bad of a punishment. I’ll be fine.”

“I have no doubt you’ll be fine, Vladi. I’m concerned about Maggie. You are one closed off motherfucker, and she is my wife’s best friend. You’ve already hurt her once, and if you do it again, I will have to kill you. Maybe keep that big Russian dick in your pants this week?”

I sigh, rubbing the growing knot on the back of my neck. “That’s the plan. We’re just roommates. Nothing more. Besides, she hates me. She’s made it perfectly clear she has no interest in talking to me, much less doing anything else.”

He nods with a knowing smirk, giving me a pat on the back. “What about you? Do you want to do anything else with her?”

“Do you want me to lie?”

Larsy laughs. “No. I just want you to be careful. She’s not as tough on the inside as she seems on the outside. Kind of like someone else I know.”

Dammit if that isn’t the truth. I crack my knuckles, turning toward the concierge with a stiff smile. This is going to be a long fucking week.