Page 455 of His Virgin Romance Series
SETH
The bourbon burned my throat, but it was a nice, comforting burn. I wanted to numb myself against everything that had happened between Brie and me, but the more I drank, the more I seemed to feel. I put aside my glass and tried to figure out how to get on with my work, despite the conflict raging inside my head.
I knew that Brie had already called reception to inform them that she was checking out tomorrow morning. I looked towards the calendar standing on my desk and realized tomorrow was Christmas. It was also the official opening of the resort. There were a ton of things I needed to check on, but my mind just wasn’t capable of focusing on work.
When Ben walked in, I looked at him gratefully, hoping that he might be able to distract me. “Is everything on schedule for the ribbon cutting ceremony tomorrow?”
“Everything’s fine,” Ben nodded. “Just a few last-minute adjustments I need to take care of.”
“And the staff?”
“They’ve been briefed, and they’re ready.”
“Have you had a word with senior staff members?”
“They’ll be overseeing everything,” he assured me.
“And things are in order for the ribbon cutting ceremony?”
He frowned. “You already asked me that.”
“I did?”
“As I walked in,” he nodded.
“Uh… What did you say?”
Ben sat down opposite me. “Is everything alright?” he asked. “Because you look… Well… You don’t look so good.” His eyes fell to the half-empty glass of bourbon next to me. “It’s a little early to be drinking, don’t you think?”
“My resort is opening tomorrow,” I said. “I’m allowed to celebrate.”
“Except you don’t look like you’re celebrating anything,” he pointed out. “In fact, you look like you’re in mourning.”
I looked away from him, unable to keep the disappointment from my face.
“Does this have something to do with Brie checking out tomorrow?” he asked gently.
“You heard?”
“Of course,” he nodded. “I hear everything that happens in this resort.”
“We had a fight,” I admitted. “Well, she fought, and I just sat here like a dick and didn’t say anything. She was pissed, and I deserved it.”
“What happened?”
“She wanted to talk about what happened between us,” I said. “And I basically told her it was a mistake and we should just forget the whole thing ever happened.”
“Is that all you told her?”
“I told her I would have slept with any woman.”
“You really are a dick,” Ben said honestly.
I groaned and put my face in my hands. “Fuck,” I said loudly. “I’ve really screwed up with Brie, haven’t I?”
“You knew that before you slept with her,” he pointed out.
“She’s too good for me,” I said, trying to defend my behavior. “If I get involved with her, I’m bound to hurt her somewhere down the line.”
