My Guardian Bad Boy
Chapter 1
“I am really trying not to give him a free pass and everything,” Riley Daniels said, as she wiped down the bar counter at the Boomerang pub where she worked. “I mean, he’s done this before and giving in will set a course for our marriage, right?” she asked as she poured another customer a beer. She looked up at Maya Wells, one of her closest friends who had been sipping on a Sauvignon Blanc. Riley could not help but notice that her friend was being unusually quiet.
“Hello,” Riley said snapping her fingers in Maya’s face. “Earth to Maya.”
Maya ran her fingers through her honey blonde hair and sighed.
“Sorry…what did you say?” she asked.
“Forget what I said. You look like you need something stronger than a Sauvignon Blanc.” Riley poured two tequila shots and pushed one shot glass towards Maya. “Here. On me.”
“Riley…I don’t think that…” Maya started before Riley grabbed her hand and poured some salt on her space between her thumb and her forefinger.
“Don’t think. Just do it,” Riley put a bowl of lemon wedges in front of Maya. “Most of the times I offer someone a free tequila shot and they begin saying that it is not a good idea, it usually is. They just don’t know it yet.”
Maya forced out a smile.
“One shot is never enough. The hangover is usually a bad reminder,” she said.
Riley rolled her eyes and put up a well-manicured index finger.
“Just remember. Lick. Drink. Bite.” She held her own shot glass and Maya did the same. “On three.”
Maya knew that taking that shot was a bad idea. Heck, her being at the Boomerang was a bad idea all by itself but that didn’t really matter at that moment. She raised her own shot glass and did the shot with Riley.
“Now tell me that wasn’t just what you needed?” Riley asked and Maya smiled.
“Guess it was…even though it’s not really my cup of tea.”
“So, tell me what’s going on with you? Why are you so out of it?” Riley asked. “Because I can tell that this is not just a case of the Thursday blues.”
Maya nodded as she circled her finger on the glass rim.
“Let’s just say that it has been one of those days,” she said in a low voice. “Work was not as great as I had anticipated it would be.”
“The presentation you were talking about,” Riley started. “That was today?”
Maya nodded.
She had been working on the perfect advertising campaign for one of her company’s new clients and after working there for three years, she knew that this would be her one shot to the top. Unfortunately for her, someone at the office was hell bent on making sure stayed at the bottom feeding off whatever leftovers the people at the top decided to throw down and her name was Alicia Bane. For some reason, Alicia was convinced that the only way to get ahead in the office was either by sleeping her way to the top while sabotaging people as she went on. It was pitiful but it seemed to work for her. But on this particular day, she had gone a little too far. Somehow, she had managed to get into Maya’s computer, make a copy of her presentation and deliver it as if it was her own. This had not only put Maya in her boss’ bad sights but also made her look like a complete fool in front of her associates. Instead of the promotion she had been expecting, she got a reprimand from her boss who didn’t seem to want to hear a word she had to say. Even as all this happened, she could see an evil smile on Alicia’s lips but sadly, she couldn’t prove anything. At least not yet. Not without jeopardizing her job anyway. She had to swallow her pride and sit back as her boss gave her a three day unpaid leave to figure herself out.
“It didn’t go so well,” Maya said. “Actually, it didn’t go anywhere.”
Riley shrugged.
“I don’t get it.”
“Someone at work got into my computer and stole my presentation.” Maya tool another sip of her drink. “And presented it as her own.”
“By her you are talking about that bitch Anita from work, right?”
“Alicia,” Maya corrected her. “And honestly, I would rather keep on drinking so fill her up.”
“You don’t need to say anymore,” Riley said as she put another glass of Sauvignon Blanc in front of her. “I’ll ask for a plate of wings or something. You are on an empty stomach and at this rate, you will be drunk sooner than later.”
“That sounds great. Thank you,” Maya said. Riley leaned forward and beckoned to Maya to do the same.
“By the way, if it makes you feel better, there is a hottie seated at the table behind you who has been checking you out since you sat down.”