Infinity

Chapter One




Charlie





“Dammit, Brad. We’re going to be late.” I throw my head back against the tan leather headrest and look up through the glass of the moon roof in complete frustration.

“What would you like me to do? Even I don’t have the power to part the sea of cars in front of us,” Brad replies while he tap, tap, taps, his thumbs on the black leather steering wheel. My fingernails dig into my palms as I try to keep my temper under control. This’s one of the habits that he’s picked up driving the freeways of Dallas.

Leaning forward, I fumble through the radio stations, hoping for a traffic report. I’ve already checked Google Maps, which indicates that we should be going fifty miles per hour. Not so much. A turtle just lapped us.

Brad’s driving is maddening, but there was no point in taking two cars so I’m stuck. Colin left in Big Bertha, his awesomely horrible truck that’s painted Dallas Cowboy colors, two hours ago. However, I’ve quit complaining about Bertha. She earned Colin an endorsement deal with Ford. And he’s fully clothed in the commercials. Score one for me.

Stuck in the car with Brad and his annoying habit. Stuck in traffic on one of the most important days of my life. Stuck behind a semi-truck so I can’t even see why we’re stuck.

I pull out my phone and text my oldest sister Chelsea.

Me: Are you there yet?

Chelsea: Been here for 20.

Me: Stuck in traffic. We’ll be there shortly. Freaking out. Don’t want to miss the party.

Chelsea: How are you feeling?

Me: Fine. Anxious. Nervous we’re going to miss it.

Chelsea: K. Be careful.

I had been so stubborn last night and refused to stay at the hotel. Colin, or should I say, Jenny, has had the hotel rooms booked since December. If I’m honest with myself, and really admit it, I was feeling needy. Colin’s schedule has been so crazy this season that we’ve been more like nomadic roommates than lovers. Last night was the first time in almost two weeks that we were both in our house.

In our bedroom.

Together.

Alone.

I chose to walk through the living room and into the kitchen nude, because I could. It was liberating.

You would have thought that we would’ve had a house full of people, but luckily Jenny, Colin’s best assistant in the world, booked enough rooms so everyone could stay at the hotel. Chelsea is on a long-term assignment for work in downtown Dallas, so she just decided to stay at her apartment.

Finally, we inch by a fender bender that’s been moved to the shoulder of the freeway. Seriously, all of that traffic for nothing. Damn rubberneckers!

“Floor it, Jeeves!” I instruct Brad as my knee bounces up and down.

Even though he’s looking ahead, I can see him roll his eyes out of my peripheral vision. “Colin will kick my sorry behind if I let something happen to you. No. I’ll drive the speed limit, thank you very much Doctor Collins.”

Brad’s Range Rover - compliments of Colin - was part of his negotiations for moving to Dallas. I told Colin that Brad was just being a brat, and he’d move here without a car thrown in to sweeten the pot. Colin insisted on buying Brad the car. I know it’s because he wants me riding in what he believes is the safest car on the road, and not my cute, little two-seater Mercedes. There are times that I fight him, and there are times that I just let Colin be Colin. Brad getting a new car was one of those times.

Brad uses the steering wheel radio controls to change the music. “Let’s listen to some Fall Out Boy, shall we?”

“I don’t care,” I reply, trying to stay calm.

The clock on the dashboard is mocking me. As I watch the red numbers change, I want to scream, “I get it. I know that I’m freaking late!”

Finally, Brad takes the exit for downtown Dallas. I want to kiss him in a very platonic, thank you way.

“Alright, missy. I’m going to drop you off in the parking garage of the hotel. Carter and Miguel should be waiting for you. I’ll see you up in the room.”

Sure enough, I see my two gigantic, no-necked bodyguards waiting for me. Carter smiles bashfully and waves at Brad as we pull up to the garage elevators. Carter is still one of the most gorgeous men I’ve seen. He looks like he’s been carved out of dark chocolate.

Brad and Carter are an interesting couple. Physically, they couldn’t be more different, yet they have so many similar interests. I love how cute they are together.

Miguel gives me a courtesy nod. I’ve made it my life’s goal to loosen him up a bit. I’ve tried getting him drunk. He doesn’t drink. I’ve tried forcing Miguel to watch a funny movie with me. He never relaxed. I’ve decided to table my efforts until after this is over. I bet I can get Colin to help me think of a way to make him laugh.