On the Shore (Cottonwood Cove, #3)(86)
Georgia
I knew it! You just needed to find the right place, Brinks. Did you sign with them?
I wanted to play a little hard to get. I said I’d bring it back tomorrow.
Hugh
Atta girl. Kicking butt and taking names. Proud of you. Have you told Lincoln yet?
He’s my next stop. I want to tell him in person.
Cage
Fix things with him. The season starts soon.
Cage
Oh, congrats on the job. I knew you’d find the right place.
Did you just ask me to fix things before the season starts BEFORE you congratulated me? <middle finger emoji>
Cage
I’m sorry. I’ve got real issues over here. Mr. Wigglestein has knocked up another bitch in Cottonwood Cove, and everyone is up in arms over here. I’m hiding in my office and taking a breather.
Georgia
Damn. Mr. Wigglestein pulls the ladies!
Finn
Have you seen him? The dude’s balls hang down to the ground.
Hugh
Cage’s balls? What did I miss?
I laughed as I called my Uber.
Georgia
OMG! We are talking about Mr. Wigglestein’s balls.
Hugh
What is your obsession with this dog’s genitalia?
Cage
That is not what we’re talking about. That was all Finn. The dude has a premiere next week, and he’s talking about a dog’s balls!
Finn
Keeping it humble, brother.
The world is going to go crazy for you, Finny. Life will never be the same.
Finn
Was that supposed to make me feel good?
Keeping it real while I wait for my Uber.
Georgia
Maddox is on the same page as Cage. He wants you to fix things with Lincoln, and he said to tell you that he refuses to take sides this time. Apparently, he gave his heart to me, but he gave a little bit of it to Lincoln.
Hugh
Lincoln has a big piece of my heart, too. I’m not going to lie.
Cage
He’s much nicer to me than you are, Brinks.
Hey! I never said anyone had to pick sides this time. We didn’t break up. I just needed to figure out my life.
Finn
Good. I got us BFF bracelets to wear to my premiere.
Cage
I just vomited in my mouth.
Finn
Because you were looking at Mr. Wigglestein’s oversized testicles?
Cage
No. Because you are a suck-up.
My Uber is here. I’ll text you jackasses later.
Cage
Make things right. We need him to put a ring on it and seal the deal.
Georgia
Go get your man, Brinks!
I chuckled and tucked my phone into my purse before sliding into the Uber. The drive to the swanky hotel was quick, and I knew Lincoln would be out of practice by now, and I wanted to surprise him.
Otherwise, I’d be sitting out in the hallway, waiting for him until he returned.
“Thank you,” I said to the driver as I hopped out of the car after he pulled beside the curb. Butterflies fluttered in my belly.
I’d barely slept, barely eaten, and barely functioned during our time apart. I’d thought about what I wanted in life, and it always came back to him.
After I’d allowed myself some time to sulk about my dream job being an enormous joke, everything became clear.
I’m my own person. I didn’t need to fear being overshadowed by my boyfriend’s fame, because only I could allow that to happen.
And I wasn’t that girl.
Not now. Not ever.
I was confident in who I was, and I wouldn’t allow my insecurities to get in the way of my happiness.
And he’d given me the time that I needed.
But now that I was here, I had no patience. I wanted to be with him right now.
I hurried to the front desk, admiring how nice the place was. There were crystal chandeliers hanging above. Black velvet couches with white floral arrangements were placed around the impressive lobby.
My hotel, where I’d left all my stuff this morning, was a few blocks away and not nearly as decadent as this place.
“Hello,” a woman greeted me. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and her red lips were perfectly lined.