Alpha Billionaire Series
Loving the One I Should Hate Chapter 7

MANDY

I didn't want to run across the lawn or somehow call attention to the fact that I was walking back from Grant's house alone. I couldn't believe that I had done that. I had just met the guy, barely introduced him, and was suddenly tearing his clothes off. He was that hot. I was that needy. I was desperate for someone to love me without it draining me of every last ounce of fortitude I had. I didn't have to guard myself against something he might say that would trigger a flood of emotions because he didn't know. I didn't have to be strong for him because he wasn't fragile.

And he didn't have to have shields in place in case he did say or do something. He wasn't constantly editing his thoughts and gasping in shocked guilt every time he slipped and said something that I might take the wrong way. The time in Grant's arms had been the sweet reprieve of emotions Vivica kept telling me I needed. She was right. I needed that.

Based on the look on her face, I was pretty sure she had meant for me to get that moment of carefree enjoyment of life on the back of a jet ski, or while eating popsicles while sitting on the end of a dock with my feet in the water. And not getting twisted up in some guy's sheets during the middle of a party.

"Enjoy yourself?" Her tone was scathing.

"Why, yes, I did. Did you go talk to Craig?"

"I did. He's a complete idiot. I've never met a man who wasn't interested in talking about himself. I would think with all that flaming orange hair there would be a spark of something in that pea-sized brain of his."

I couldn't stop laughter from bubbling up at her description. "I can't say I've ever talked to him long enough to notice. I did try to warn you."

"No, you said he was gawky. And I was thinking he had filled out, cause, damn those are some good shoulders, but now I realize it's his brain that's... I mean he ignored all of this." She ran her hands down the sides of her body in the air, presenting herself. I shrugged.

"Fix your hair, it's all mussed," she sneered but I could tell by her grin she was teasing.

My hand immediately went to my head, and I fluffed my hair, making it even more messy. Vivica looped her arm through mine, and we headed to the buffet table. I was hungry, and Gracie always had the best party food.

"Enjoying yourselves girls?" Gracie asked, floating past us as we filled up our plates with food.

"Absolutely," I said.

"I saw you talking to Craig," Gracie had that hopeful to get some gossipy tone in her voice. Her statement came out more like a question.

"Yeah, he's grilling," was all Vivica said as she held up a paper plate with a couple of hot dogs and assorted casserole and salads.

I knew she was disappointed. Vivica had been hoping to have some wild vacation fling while visiting. So far, she had barely found anyone worth flirting with, and I had managed to already hook up with some guy I first saw at some store. It was messed up, and I knew

it.

"He's such a good young man," Gracie said as she flitted off.

"I wouldn't know," Vivica pouted.

"Hey," I bumped her shoulder with mine. "We can head home after we eat. No reason to hang out here other than for the food. I'm sorry Craig turned out to be so Craig."

Vivica sighed. "What about Grant? Are you just going to leave him?"

I shrugged. I wanted to run back across the lawn and climb back into his bed, and into his arms. But that's not what was going to happen. He was a weekender; he wasn't here for the full season. He may not have said as much, but I knew his type.

If anything, more serious happened between us, it was going to be a long slow development. I shrugged. "He was fun, but I think that's all he is gonna be."

My gut clenched as soon as the lie was out of my mouth. I wanted it to be true. I wanted what had happened between Grant and I to be nothing more than a bit of fun, but he had unlocked something deep inside. Something I didn't have time for.

I had to fix things with MiMa Play. The finances were in bad shape. Mom relied on that income, so did I. And right now, there wasn't much that we had access to. Dad had really done a number on things.

I ate, not talking much. I had too much on my mind. Thoughts and worries I hadn't given a spare second to while I had been with Grant. From the time he said hi until I walked away from him, I had been blessedly free of my worries. Now I had the business in the back of my head, and in the front of my head I was calculating how much more sunlight we had before we needed to get in the boat and row ourselves across the lake before we got stuck out in the dark.

I wasn't worried about getting lost. I had been out on the lake plenty enough in the dark. I knew where the lake house was. It was the crazies who drove their boats too fast in the dark that I was worried about. I didn't want the wake of a speed boat to swamp up, overturn us, or worst case scenario, run over us. The little canoe didn't have running lights.

"We should probably go soon," I said as I realized I wasn't hungry any longer.

"Sure." Vivica stood and took my plate. She crossed over to the trash can and dumped our garbage.

Not seeing Gracie doing her social butterfly flitting about, I made sure to walk in the direction of where Scott was parked with his foot propped up before making my exit.

"Thanks Scott, tell Gracie we had a good time and to call Mom!" I called out as I waved goodbye.

Vivica and I headed down the vast sloping lawn to where we had dragged the canoe out of the lake. It was still light out, and the bugs were getting obnoxious with their need to feed on our skin. Out on the water we would be slightly less targeted.

"It really is so peaceful out here, isn't it?" Vivica asked. She stopped rowing and pulled her oar over her lap. "Even if I don't meet the love of my life out here, this has been wonderful. I can see why you are staying."

"Mom sold the house." I blurted out. "It was live here with Mom or replace an apartment. Like you said, they are crazy expensive."

"What?" The canoe rocked as she twisted to look back at me.

"Dad took out a loan to pay for some of her cancer treatments. The specifics are a mess. He put MiMa Play up as the collateral and the terms are positively loan shark level bad. I almost expect some brawny bald guys to show up and threaten to break my knees at some point. It was like selling off a piece of property or losing it all."

I stared out over the water. I hated the thought that my access to this place might be next.

"Mom wanted one last summer up here before she decided if we sold off this house or not. It's her house. Her grandparents gave it to her in their will. She's the one who renovated it when I was little. It's hers, no matter what happens with MiMa, the lake house is not considered an asset, not like the house we just emptied into storage."

"Oh Mandy, that's tough. Your mom shouldn't have to sell off her home. I know you're going to hate me for saying this, but do you really need to save the company? Would it be so bad to let it go?"

I wiped tears from my face. It was a thought I had more than once. Could I let my last connection to my father go? Could I let Michael go?

"Mom doesn't realize how strapped we are. We've talked about her moving up here full time. It's close enough for her doctors, especially now that she only sees them a few times a year, and not a few times a week. I don't want her to sell the lake house. Financially to save MiMa, it might have to happen."

I sniffed.

"And yes, I have to save MiMa, it's that important," I said with determination.

"It just seems to me that you are saddled with the financial mistakes of your parents. You've always picked up the slack."

How did I explain that MiMa existed because of me? "Dad started MiMa because of my love of sports. He wanted to show his kids that their passion was his."

"Yeah, your passion as a seven-year-old got you a new knee by the time you were nineteen, a dad you never saw because he worked himself to death, and an MBA you're going to be paying student loans on for the rest of your natural life."

Vivica's comments stung. But they were all true. I had been encouraged to pursue the MBA. I was led to believe there had been money for me to pursue a specific educational course. After one semester replaceing out there wasn't money, and that dad had financed my school with a private loan, I had to take charge of paying for my schooling. I should have dropped out at that point and just gone to work for Dad. But I wouldn't have learned anything about how poorly MiMa had been managed for the almost seventeen years it had been in business.

But I did get the MBA, and I now knew better. I could turn MiMa around. I was the only one left who could.

"Start paddling," I said. "We don't want to be out here without any lights."

"Mandy," Vivica started. She lowered her oar and began a slow paddle. "You're my best friend. I love you and I want you to be happy. If saving your company will do that, then save your company. I just want you to be certain of your motivations. Same thing about that guy Grant. Don't fall in love with him if he's not exactly what you want."

I laughed. "Who said anything about falling in love with Grant?"

"Don't forget I know you. You fell in love with the first boy you kissed."

"I was thirteen!" I complained.

"And you had your whole life planned out, how many kids, what kind of car, and what kind of dogs. If he's as good in bed as your shit-eating grin indicated, you're probably already in love with him." I really hated it when she called me out like that.