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  “Hey Parker, meet our new friends, Briella and Mila. Briella’s mom just moved here from New York, and Briella and Mila are here to help her move in. They leave tomorrow to go back home,” Kason said as the girls shook hands with Parker.

  “Nice to meet you, Parker. Thank you for lunch, it was excellent,” Briella said. She couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of Parker. She was expecting some sixty-year old lady, not the pretty, young woman standing before her.

  “Oh, you’re welcome. It was nothing. You’ll have to come sometime when I cook an actual sit-down meal. Much better than chicken and rice!” Parker smiled.

  “It was wonderful Parker, thanks!” Mila added.

  “Okay, we’re going to go shower now. Parker, why don’t you show the girls to the game room? Have fun! We’ll be back in about half an hour,” Kason said, as he walked up the stairs. Dexter started to follow him, but turned around and gave Mila a quick kiss on the cheek. He then turned and ran up the stairs.

  Parker led the girls to the game room and showed them how to work the television. When Parker turned to leave, Briella called out to her and told her to come and sit with them.

  “So, how long have you worked for Kason?” Briella asked her.

  “Um, it’s been about a year now. He’s a great boss. He was really uncomfortable having me work for him at first, but he’s finally getting used to it. He hates giving orders, so I have to basically do things on my own. I’ve got a routine going so that he doesn’t really have to tell me what to do. It makes it easier on both of us,” Parker said.

  “So, you must have gotten pretty close to him over the past year?” Mila asked.

  “Yeah, I mean we have a pretty good relationship. He is probably the nicest and most genuine person I have ever met.” Parker replied, then stood up. “Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I need to get some stuff done before I can get out of here for the night. It was nice meeting both of you, and I hope to see you again.”

  The women said goodbye and Parker walked out the door. Mila turned to Briella. “So, tell me how your Jet Ski ride was. I bet it was nice to have Kason’s arms around you, holding you tight,” she teased.

  Briella blushed. “He definitely made me feel safe, but it doesn’t really matter anyway. We leave tomorrow, or have you forgotten? Why bother getting attached?”

  “Are you asking about my feelings for Dexter or about how you’re already attached to Kason even though you don’t want to admit it?” Mila asked.

  Before Briella could answer, the guys walked in, looking clean and smelling great.

  “Ya’ll ready to head out?” Kason asked.

  “Yeah, let’s go. I could really use a shower right now,” Briella said.

  “Yeah, a cold shower,” Mila muttered under her breath after Briella and Kason were out the door and out of earshot. Dexter looked at her and laughed.

  After Briella and Mila had showered and changed at her mother’s house, they rejoined the guys and headed out. They all got into Kason’s SUV and drove to a small bar for karaoke night.

  “So, Country Boy, what’s with the ‘Big Tex’ tattoo that I saw earlier?” Briella asked during the drive.

  “What do ya mean? It’s just a tattoo. Not a big deal. ‘Big Tex’ is pretty common here in Texas, and a lot of guys called me that because I’ve always been bigger than them. Since I’m 6′4″, I kind of tower over a lot of people. So they call me ‘Big Tex’, and the other part of the tattoo is my college mascot. I was pretty drunk when I got it.”

  He blushed as he admitted this. “What’s with your tattoo?”

  “Which one?” Briella asked.

  “You have more than one?” Kason asked and Briella nodded. Kason swallowed hard, wondering where the other ones might be. “Um, the ladybug?”

  “Ah, that one. Makes sense. I don’t think you saw the other one, or ever will see the other one,” she said with a mischievous wink, making Kason blush harder.

  “Anyway, it symbolizes my grandmother. When she was in the hospital dying, there were a ton of ladybugs on her window sill. Just before she died, she commented that they were for good luck. After she died, whenever I thought about her, a ladybug would often fly by me. Then on the first Thanksgiving without her, we had ladybugs sitting on the ceiling fan over our dining room table, like she was there with us. So I had a ladybug tattooed on my shoulder, to help her look out for me. She will always be with me.” Just thinking about how she lost her grandmother brought a shimmer to her eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Briella. I didn’t mean to bring it up. If I’d have known…” Kason said, and reached over and grabbed her hand. Just then the vehicle stopped.

  “So, we’re here, let’s go!” Briella said and jumped from the SUV, wiping her eyes and hoping no one noticed.

  The three others followed Briella into the bar and saw her motion for the bartender. She ordered beers as well as shots for everyone. “Okay, let’s just have some fun tonight!”

  “Let’s sing something,” Mila said, and Briella nodded.

  “I suppose we have to sing something country, huh?” Briella asked. Mila grinned. “Okay, we’ll do one together, then one each alone. I pick yours, you pick mine?”

  “You got it. I got the perfect one for you already! Oh, hey, are you guys singing?” Mila asked Kason and Dexter.

  “You bet,” Kason declared. “Would we be here if we weren’t?”

  They all went to the deejay and signed up for their songs. While they waited to be called, they had some more drinks and played a few rounds of darts, with the girls beating the guys two games to one.

  Finally, the girls’ names were called to go up and sing. Together they sang “Any Man of Mine” by Shania Twain. After they finished, the crowd roared with applause. After deep bows to the crowd, Briella and Mila made their way back to Kason and Dexter.

  Dexter kissed Mila lightly. “Okay, that’s it, I’m not singing. You guys were awesome. No one is going to sound good up there after that performance.”

  “Ha-ha, whatever, joker,” Briella said.

  “That was unbelievable!” Kason yelled, and picked Briella up in a hug and swung her around.

  Just then Dexter’s name was called and he went up and sang “Don’t Take the Girl” by Tim McGraw. Mila stood rooted to her spot, amazed at how good he was, and how touching the lyrics were. By the end of the song she had tears in her eyes.

  “Unreal!” Mila said to Dexter. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard. When she finally released him from the kiss, they were both a bit lightheaded.

  “Get a room!” Briella teased. She was really happy for Mila, but worried at the same time, since they were leaving soon. She didn’t want to see her best friend get hurt by having to leave someone she cared about.

  The host announced that it was Mila’s solo turn.

  Mila broke away from Dexter and turned to Briella. “What did you pick for me?”

  “Something really appropriate. You’ll find out when you get up there,” Briella told her, and pushed her toward the stage.

  When Mila heard the first few notes of “Cowboy Take Me Away” by The Dixie Chicks, her eyes started to tear up. Briella always knew the perfect songs for the perfect moments. Mila hoped she could make it through the song and not mess up.

  Mila sang beautifully. Dexter was quite impressed with her voice. When Mila and Briella sang together, they sounded good, but apart, he could hear how soulful Mila’s voice was. He met her at the stage when her song was finished and hugged her tight.

  Then they were calling for Briella to come on stage, and she looked at Kason. “Why haven’t you gone yet, Country Boy?”

  “I asked them to let me go last. Not a big deal. Get up there!” Kason said.

  Briella’s heart almost stopped when she realized what song Mila had chosen for her to sing. “Thinking About You” by Trisha Yearwood started playing. Boy, did Mila ever know her, but she didn’t want Kason to know she had been thinking about him.
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  Briella sang the song, and as hard as she tried, she couldn’t look away from Kason. Her eyes were glued to him, as his were to her. Even after the song finished and she was walking back to where they were sitting, she couldn’t look away from him. When she reached their table, Kason stood up and hugged her.

  “I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout you too,” he whispered in her ear as he held her close. She smiled and sat down, as Kason made his way to the stage.

  “Okay, I know this is a country bar, but I’m going to break from tradition and sing something other than country,” Kason spoke into the microphone. “Here’s one for Briella,” he said.

  The song he had chosen to sing was “Time of Your Life” by Green Day. At the first line of the song, the crowd hushed. Briella stared with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open. The voice that came out of him was smooth as silk!

  “Wow, looks like you aren’t the only one who knows how to pick good songs!” Mila said. “He’s really good!”

  “Yeah, he is. I’m shocked!” Briella said.

  “He’s been singing since high school, just for fun. I’ve never heard him sing this well though,” Dexter said. “You must have really touched him, Briella.”

  The song ended, and no one else had signed up to sing, so the deejay started playing music. Dexter and Mila got up to dance, and left Briella sitting at the table alone to wait for Kason. When he showed up, he had another round of drinks for everyone.

  “I was wondering where you went to,” Briella said.

  “I thought I’d give you a few moments to yourself. Looked like you had a lot going through your mind,” Kason told her.

  “Yeah, thanks. I do have a lot going through my head.” She thought for a moment, then admitted, “You know, you’re making it hard to leave, but I have a life back in New York. I have a job where I am finally gaining some recognition, and I have friends. I love New York. I am not meant to live in the south. I’m a northern girl. It just wouldn’t work between us, you know?” Briella rambled on.

  Kason grinned. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

  Briella ignored his remark. “I’ll be visiting my mom every now and then. We can be friends. We’ll talk on the phone and stuff. It’s not like we’ll never speak again,” Briella said, staring off into space. After a long moment she shook off the funk and smiled at Kason.

  “Come on, Country Boy, let’s dance.” Briella pulled Kason onto the dance floor. When he took her into his arms she said, “Thank you.”

  “What for? For dancing with you?” Kason asked.

  “No, for the time of my life,” she said, and smiled as she gazed into his eyes. “I really have enjoyed the time that I’ve spent with you. I promise that when I come visit my mom, we’ll spend some more time together…that is, if you want to,” Briella said.

  “I’d like nothing better,” Kason said, and kissed her cheek.

  “Ah, how cute!” Mila teased as she danced by. “You know, I hate to break up a really fun night, but we have a plane to catch tomorrow morning at nine, and we still need to pack.”

  Dexter and Kason both groaned. “You can’t leave yet. What if we kidnapped ya’ll?” Kason asked.

  “Nice try, Country Boy. Like you have a mean bone in your body. Our boss would kill us if we didn’t show up on Monday. Vacation is over,” Briella sighed.

  “You are always too sensible,” Mila chided. “Maybe we aren’t feeling well?”

  “Yeah, you’re funny. Just call me the responsible one. We have to be on that plane tomorrow.”

  “Okay, let’s get you home then,” Kason said, clear sadness in his voice.

  “Oh, hey, do you need a ride to the airport in the morning?” Dexter asked, grasping at straws.

  “No, we still have the rental car, and we have to turn it in at the airport,” Briella explained. “We’re saying good bye to my mom at home so she doesn’t have to drive all the way there in a separate car.”

  “Okay. Just a thought.” Dexter didn’t try to hide his disappointment.

  The guys drove the girls home. Before Kason would let them out of the car, he had them write down their phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Dexter and Kason did the same for Briella and Mila. They all got out of Kason’s SUV and hugged each other. Dexter took his time hugging Mila and saying good bye to her. He kissed her tenderly and she promised to call him as soon as she got home.

  Kason took Briella in his arms and hugged her tight. She put her forehead on his shoulder and tried to stop the tears from rising, but it was no use. Kason tilted Briella’s chin up and looked into her watery eyes, with tears of his own forming.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he said. “We’ll talk on the phone and stuff. This isn’t good bye.” He leaned down and took her lips with his. It was a soft and gentle kiss, but one filled with many emotions. Briella didn’t bother trying to act strong - she just kissed him right back.

  The two couples broke apart and switched hugging partners. Kason hugged Mila, and she told him to keep an eye on Dexter for her. Kason told her to keep an eye on Briella for him.

  When they released each other, Briella turned to Mila and hugged her, and Dexter jokingly pulled Kason into a hug. The girls walked slowly to the front door, and turned to wave at the departing SUV.

  “That was harder than I thought it would be,” Briella sighed, and opened the door.

  The next morning, Briella and Mila said goodbye to Charlee through hugs and tears. Briella didn’t want to leave her mom, and wasn’t sure when she would be able to visit again. She had rarely been far from her mom in her life, so this was hitting hard. The same thoughts were troubling Charlee, but she put on a brave face. Briella was already upset enough as it was. .

  The ride to the airport was a quiet and solemn one for Briella and Mila. They dropped off the rental car and went to the terminal to wait for their flight to be called. The two women both wanted to cry, but they were holding in the tears for the sake of the other.

  “Everything will be all right Mila. It has to be!” Briella tried to reassure Mila, though she wasn’t so sure herself.

  Just as their flight was announced to begin boarding, Briella thought she heard someone call her name. She turned to look behind her, and saw Kason and Dexter running toward them. She blinked and stared for a moment, then Briella grabbed Mila’s sleeve and pointed in the guys’ direction, unable to speak.

  “We had to see ya’ll one last time,” Kason said when he reached them, out of breath from the run. “There was something I didn’t get to do last night.”

  “What is it, Country Boy?” Briella asked, just as his lips came crushing down hard on hers. Briella froze at first, shocked by his kiss, but then relaxed and opened her mouth to allow his tongue entry. The kiss started out hard but then turned long and lazy as he took his time tasting her right there in the airport for everyone to see.

  When he finally released her, she looked like she was in a daze. Her eyes were wide with surprise and wonder. “Wow!”

  “I agree!” Kason whispered, unable to find his voice. “If I’d have known it was going to be that good, I’d have done that a whole lot sooner!”

  They both looked over to Dexter and Mila, and found them kissing too. The sight of that made them want to kiss again too - so they did, ignoring the looks they got from people walking to the plane.

  “Come on and walk us to the gate,” Briella said when she broke away to take a deep breath. She grabbed Kason’s hand.

  “Let’s go, Mila!” she yelled.

  “Oh, this is for you,” Kason said, and handed Briella a long stem white rose. She took it from him and inhaled deeply of the scent as the gate agent declared last call for boarding.

  “Thank you. I can’t believe you came to say good bye!” Briella said, blinking back the tears of happiness. “You just wanted to see us cry again, didn’t you?”

  “I never want to see you cry, Briella,” Kason said, and kissed her again.

  They all reached the gate and
shared one last hug and kiss before Briella and Mila disappeared down the hall to get on the plane. The women were lost in their thoughts, remembering the feeling of wonderful kisses. The men stood looking at the doorway they had disappeared through, hoping this wouldn’t be the last time they saw the women who had already managed to get their attention and maybe even a little piece of their hearts.

  Chapter Five

  The plane ride home was relatively quiet, with both girls lost in their own daydreams. When they landed in New York, they hailed a cab and went back to their apartment.

  “Mila, I think I need to break up with Jameson,” Briella announced as soon as they closed the door behind them. “Not just because of any feelings that I may or may not have for Kason either. Did you see how much of a puss he was when we were moving my mom’s stuff in? Not to mention he didn’t call me a single time after he left. What kind of relationship is that?”

  “You need to do what is right for you,” Mila said. “I know that it’s not good to say negative things about my friend’s man, but I have always had my doubts about how Jameson treats you. It just seems that he serves the purpose of being comfortable with you, rather than being a true boyfriend.”

  Briella sighed. “I know you’re right, and I’ve been thinking on this for a while. I just don’t feel like we were meant to be together. You know what I mean?”

  “You are too worried about his feelings and not enough about yours. You need to do what is going to make you happy for a change!” Mila said. “Now, as for me, I’m going to go and call Dexter to let him know we made it home alright.”

  “Okay, I’m going to shower, then I’ll go talk to Jameson,” Briella said, and walked to the bathroom, already dreading what she had to do, but not doubting that it must be done.

  “Hey Kason, it’s Mila. How are you guys doing?” Mila said when Kason answered the phone.

  “Hey Mila, we were wondering if you had made it home yet. We’re just sitting here eating one of Parker’s fabulous meals. How’s Briella?” he asked.

  “Well, she’s trying not to take leaving her mom too hard, but she’s struggling with it. I think she needs a little time to accept it. She’s going through some other stuff right now that is taking her mind off her mom a little though, so that helps.”