Her Big Bad Mistake
Chapter One
Becky stared at the man she’d just sat next to on the It’s a Small World ride. She was on her dream vacation at Walt Disney World. She’d been lucky enough to get a teaching job in America and, before she started, Becky was exploring America as much as she could before she had to get set up for work. She’d started in Los Angeles and had flown into Florida a day ago. Becky was staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. She was happy to pay for the luxury of staying at the Lodge as she had always wanted to stay in Disney World, and she loved that the Animal Kingdom Lodge had animals roaming free.
Damon and his friends, Jacob and Caleb, were on the same ride and the Disney employee needed one extra person for their row, which they called a single rider, and as she was the closest single person in the line she took the fourth place. Jacob had been nice and friendly as soon as she got on the ride. Now they were off and he was asking her to join their group of three men for the rest of the day.
“You can’t be by yourself at Disney World. Join us for the day. Make the three of us a foursome. We were just going to get lunch. Come and join us. You can get to know us first a little if you’d like.” Jacob smiled, and his two dimples had Becky melting.
Becky couldn’t think of a reason not to join them in a very busy amusement park. If she wasn’t safe here, where was she? The only thing that made her uneasy was that they were big men. They were all over six feet and looked dangerous. Jacob, who’d done all the talking, was the smallest. He also didn’t have as many tattoos, and he wasn’t as bulked up as the other two. “Thanks. Are you sure it’s okay with your friends?”
The second tallest, Caleb, winked at her. “I’m cool with it. As long as you talk I’m happy. I like your accent. Where are you from?”
“I’m Australian.” She was starting to get used to being complimented on her voice. Americans loved the Aussie accent.
“You’re a long way from home, little girl. How come you’re here by yourself?” Damon’s green eyes bored into her and she almost changed her mind about joining them at his intense stare.
“I’m not little.” And she wasn’t. She was a healthy size sixteen and proud of it. “Why not come here by myself? My friends didn’t have the money. I did. I’m having my dream holiday before I start work. I’ve just finished four years of university, I deserve it.” Becky didn’t tell them she’d gotten a job teaching for three years in America. She was so excited and she didn’t want to scare them off with all her energy. Her friends back in Australia said she was a handful.
“That’s great. How long are you on vacation?” Jacob asked her as he took her hand and pulled her toward a restaurant.
Becky instantly liked Jacob. “I have three weeks left. I finish in Las Vegas.” She did a little dance. “I’m looking forward to partying in Sin City.”
Jacob chuckled. “We’re on vacation, too. We have two months before we have to be back and start training. We’re going to Vegas, too. Maybe we could do—”
“Jacob, I’m sure she doesn’t want to spend more time with us.” Damon cut Jacob off and she noticed the silent stare off between the two before Jacob shrugged and nodded walking ahead with her a bit.
They walked to the restaurant. Damon told the hostess, “We have a reservation.” Then he leaned in and whispered something to her. She giggled and nodded. Then they were all being walked to a table in the busy restaurant. Becky sat next to Damon and Caleb sat across from her. She opened the menu and nearly died at the price.
“What do you do for jobs?” Becky was curious. The food was expensive and she noticed when they opened their menus they didn’t bat an eyelash at the crazy prices. They were big men and looked to be in shape.
“We’re hockey players.”
“Oh, is that your only job? Do you have, like, a full-time job as well?” Becky was the first to admit she knew nothing about sports. She knew American football was big but she hadn’t heard much about hockey.
“Yes. We—”
“We make enough to live off of it.” Damon cut off Jacob. They glared at each other, neither willing to give up.
“What is the job you’ll have when you go home?” Caleb had her turning from the pair staring at each other.
“I’m going to be a high school teacher. I’ll be teaching history and drama.”
“What made you choose high school?”
“I love little kids, but I thought if I work with them I’ll never want my own. Although, when I have said that to other people they have told me after teaching high school for a couple of years it will make you feel that more than the younger years. I like talking to the older ones, though. I love watching when they are interested in something and know they will remember you forever. That you taught them that. I mean, what teachers do you remember having more of an impact?”
Becky stared at the man she’d just sat next to on the It’s a Small World ride. She was on her dream vacation at Walt Disney World. She’d been lucky enough to get a teaching job in America and, before she started, Becky was exploring America as much as she could before she had to get set up for work. She’d started in Los Angeles and had flown into Florida a day ago. Becky was staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. She was happy to pay for the luxury of staying at the Lodge as she had always wanted to stay in Disney World, and she loved that the Animal Kingdom Lodge had animals roaming free.
Damon and his friends, Jacob and Caleb, were on the same ride and the Disney employee needed one extra person for their row, which they called a single rider, and as she was the closest single person in the line she took the fourth place. Jacob had been nice and friendly as soon as she got on the ride. Now they were off and he was asking her to join their group of three men for the rest of the day.
“You can’t be by yourself at Disney World. Join us for the day. Make the three of us a foursome. We were just going to get lunch. Come and join us. You can get to know us first a little if you’d like.” Jacob smiled, and his two dimples had Becky melting.
Becky couldn’t think of a reason not to join them in a very busy amusement park. If she wasn’t safe here, where was she? The only thing that made her uneasy was that they were big men. They were all over six feet and looked dangerous. Jacob, who’d done all the talking, was the smallest. He also didn’t have as many tattoos, and he wasn’t as bulked up as the other two. “Thanks. Are you sure it’s okay with your friends?”
The second tallest, Caleb, winked at her. “I’m cool with it. As long as you talk I’m happy. I like your accent. Where are you from?”
“I’m Australian.” She was starting to get used to being complimented on her voice. Americans loved the Aussie accent.
“You’re a long way from home, little girl. How come you’re here by yourself?” Damon’s green eyes bored into her and she almost changed her mind about joining them at his intense stare.
“I’m not little.” And she wasn’t. She was a healthy size sixteen and proud of it. “Why not come here by myself? My friends didn’t have the money. I did. I’m having my dream holiday before I start work. I’ve just finished four years of university, I deserve it.” Becky didn’t tell them she’d gotten a job teaching for three years in America. She was so excited and she didn’t want to scare them off with all her energy. Her friends back in Australia said she was a handful.
“That’s great. How long are you on vacation?” Jacob asked her as he took her hand and pulled her toward a restaurant.
Becky instantly liked Jacob. “I have three weeks left. I finish in Las Vegas.” She did a little dance. “I’m looking forward to partying in Sin City.”
Jacob chuckled. “We’re on vacation, too. We have two months before we have to be back and start training. We’re going to Vegas, too. Maybe we could do—”
“Jacob, I’m sure she doesn’t want to spend more time with us.” Damon cut Jacob off and she noticed the silent stare off between the two before Jacob shrugged and nodded walking ahead with her a bit.
They walked to the restaurant. Damon told the hostess, “We have a reservation.” Then he leaned in and whispered something to her. She giggled and nodded. Then they were all being walked to a table in the busy restaurant. Becky sat next to Damon and Caleb sat across from her. She opened the menu and nearly died at the price.
“What do you do for jobs?” Becky was curious. The food was expensive and she noticed when they opened their menus they didn’t bat an eyelash at the crazy prices. They were big men and looked to be in shape.
“We’re hockey players.”
“Oh, is that your only job? Do you have, like, a full-time job as well?” Becky was the first to admit she knew nothing about sports. She knew American football was big but she hadn’t heard much about hockey.
“Yes. We—”
“We make enough to live off of it.” Damon cut off Jacob. They glared at each other, neither willing to give up.
“What is the job you’ll have when you go home?” Caleb had her turning from the pair staring at each other.
“I’m going to be a high school teacher. I’ll be teaching history and drama.”
“What made you choose high school?”
“I love little kids, but I thought if I work with them I’ll never want my own. Although, when I have said that to other people they have told me after teaching high school for a couple of years it will make you feel that more than the younger years. I like talking to the older ones, though. I love watching when they are interested in something and know they will remember you forever. That you taught them that. I mean, what teachers do you remember having more of an impact?”