Free Thick: A Stepbrother Romance by L. M. Roberts

argued.
                  She cleared her throat. “It’s been ten years since you’ve been home. The only time we see each other is when I come up there for a visit.”
                    I started thinking of the last time I had been there, and found she was right. That dreadful, earth shattering day had been my last one there. What the hell was wrong with me? I was so busy that I couldn’t visit my own mother that was a mere eight hours away.
                  “That is right. Damn, it’s really been that long?” I asked, stepping through the door to put in my emergency vacation request of time off.
                  “Yes it sure has. But darling I have to go. Call me when you’re on your way.” With that her side of the line went dead.
                  After putting in my time off, I went to meet Alex at the restaurant she texted me she was at. I was so lost that I almost got off on the wrong floor more than once. I would definitely need more than one margarita on this lunch break. The phone call with my mother threw me for a loop and a half. I let out a half crazed laugh, before exiting the elevator. She didn’t know how to do anything half assed, that was for sure.
                  Taking my time, I walked through the turnstiles, exited the building. As I stepped outside the July sun beat down on me, as the humidity did wild things to my hair. I inwardly groaned at the mess I knew my hair was going to be by the time I made it to where Alex was. No amount of hairspray was going to fix the frizzy mop on my head. Searching through my bag, I found a hair tie tying my locks into a ponytail.
                  A vivid flashback stopped me in my tracks. It was of Brad pulling the hair tie out of my hair at school. The same day he had found out that I loved him. I clenched my jaw, and screwed my eyes shut. Willing the memory to leave me. It was going to be hard enough to go back to my home town after being away for so long. Just thinking about him would make it harder.
                  Pushing him from my mind, I continued on to the restaurant. Walking for seven blocks in four inch stiletto heels was not for the weak, not by any means. But to me it was another day in paradise. Opening the door, I was met with a cool blast of air. I sighed, letting the cool air envelop me. It was not a pretty sight to see a woman sweating all over the place. I wasn’t about to be that freak of a woman that looked like she just stepped out of a gutter. Nope, no way.
                  Spying Alex in the corner, I made me way to her. I shimmied past people that had their chair too far away from the table, and people that just did not have any reservations about themselves as a couple grabbed my ass. I rolled my eyes and continued on, daring not to make a scene. I was already too keyed up from the phone call. I wasn’t about to let the men in here, that I was sure had too much to drink, get to me.
                  Just then I saw a person that I did not want to see. Brett. Just my fucking luck too. Brett had been a fling I had a few weeks ago. I shouldn’t say fling, no. That would be giving him too much credit. Half assed one night stand was more like it. I cursed when I saw him walking toward me. I had almost made it to Alex, but I wasn’t fucking fast enough.
                  “Hey Claire.” He smiled brightly, pulling me into a hug.
                  “Hello Brett,” I greeted.
                  When he didn’t let me go, I curse Alex for choosing this place. Damn, she was going to hear it.
                  “I was wondering, you want to get together later. You know we could go back to my place,” he seduced.
                  I inwardly gagged. “Nope. There’s no possible way I can do that. I have to leave town tonight. Sorry.”
                  Yeah,