Free In Paradise by Brit Blaise

Inviting anyone inside gave me hives."
    "We'll let Boyd"—Jake stopped speaking to laugh—"take care of this." Jake laughed louder.
    Boyd huffed. "Laugh if you will. I'm in paradise here."
    "I wouldn't wish this on an enemy." Jake laughed until he was holding his side.” And you don’t have a clue what it means to be in Paradise.”
    "You won't be laughing when your new wife has to look after my house for me while I'm here caring for her mother, neighbor."
    Jake laughed louder.
    Di watched the exchange with trepidation. It almost seemed as the two of them had resolved their differences. "If it wasn't for Boyd, I'd never have met you."
    Jake pulled her into his arms. "I always knew Boyd would make up for breaking up my first engagement."
    "That's what your feud has really been about?"
    Boyd threw his arm around Jake. "I knew that woman wasn't right for Jake, even if he couldn't see it."
    "But did you have to sleep with her?"
    "I figured you'd be pissed for a long time so I should get something out of it. I just didn't think you'd stay pissed. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to find Di for you?"
    "Excuse me?"
    Di turned back toward the doorway to see the elderly lady from the plane. What?
    "Is Rachel ready to go to lunch?" the woman asked. "I nearly cancelled. The dog got hold of my teeth again last night."
    "Who are you? Are you stalking us?"
    "Goodness, no. I went to school with your mother. I'm one of the few people she's confided in over the years. When she wanted me watch out after you, how could I refuse?"
    "You went to Hawaii to watch out for me?"
    "You nearly gave me a heart attack when I realized you were boinking a famous author on the plane. You aren't at all what I expected."
    "Boinking?" What had happened to her boring life? Now Di lived from minute to minute wondering what would happen next.
    Just then Jake swept her into his arms. "Tell me I only have to carry you one flight of stairs to your room."
    "That's not very gallant," Boyd complained.
    "Not now, Boyd," Jake warned.
    Di sighed. "Tell Mom I'm upstairs boinking if she needs me."
     
    The End
     
    Also Available:
    The Virginia Model-Logues
    by Brit Blaise
    Chapter One
     
    November 10th
    Dear Diary,
    I’ve decided to do whatever is necessary to survive. I have an interview for a modeling job today, broken leg and all. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. My previous life of glamour and luxury as a top model is now just a distant and bittersweet memory. If this is my Karma, I can’t figure out what I’ve done to deserve it. One can only imagine what I’ll have to do to get a gig as a vagina model. This isn’t going to end well for me…
    * * * * *
    “Please have a seat.” The cute little receptionist with a trendy Goth-Emo haircut gave a surfer hang-loose, wagging gesture. Her neon-purple bejeweled thumb and pinkie rings matched the streaks in her hair. “We’re running a bit behind. ”
    Gina touched her fingertips to her lopsided wig, straightening i t with a quick tug before darting a furtive glance around the crowded waiting room. There was a single empty chair in the corner.
    She had to make a decision fast. Stay…and eat tomorrow, or leave, only to have her prestigious family finally discover the dreadful truth about her financial state . She was a dismal failure, a loser with a capital L.
    She’d rather become a bag lady than go to her well-to-do family and tell them she was penniless. She’d been to enough cattle calls to ace this job. Right?
    Gina pivoted on her crutches and headed for the chair before she lost her nerve. How bad could it be? She’d walked the runway for the most prestigious fashion houses in NYC, Paris, Milan and London.
    Back stage realities had long ago stripped away any modesty she’d once had. How hard would it be to lie on a table and spread her legs? Five thousand dollars would come in handy.
    Hell, three dollars would come in handy.
    Gina had her subway card with six trips left on it. If she didn’t