Misadventures with a Manny Read online

  “You made wine come out of my nose!” she complains, and I laugh before handing her a napkin. Phillip and Riana joining in.

  “Serves you right. You shouldn’t be drinking anyway.”

  Vera makes a face. “Why? I’m not driving. Phillip is.”

  Phillip gives her a deadpan look. “Thanks, Vera.”

  “What? Wait, no, you’re driving, Riana.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Whatever.”

  I chuckle as I take a long pull of my glass, but when I set it down, she reaches over and takes it. “What the hell!”

  “You’re driving,” Riana says simply. “And it’s your third.”

  “Fourth, and I can handle my drink.”

  “No, I need you to make it home,” she says before handing my drink to Vera, who sends me a wide grin before taking a pull of my beer.

  “I didn’t take you as a beer drinker.”

  Looking at me from over the mug, she smiles. “I’m an anything drinker.”

  “Amen,” Phillip jokes, but Riana doesn’t find any of us funny. She looks upset, but then the waitress sets down her baked potato, and she’s happy again.

  Pregnancy hormones. Gah.

  “So you were born and raised here. Ever going to leave?”

  I just took a bite of my steak, so chewing around it, I say, “Nope. I love it here.”

  “But you were gonna go to Germany, weren’t you?”

  I swallow my bite as I nod. “I was, but I knew it wouldn’t be forever.”

  “Do you still talk to that family?”

  I smile. “I do, daily.”

  “Wow.”

  “I miss them a lot.”

  “Yeah, but I’m glad you didn’t go,” Phillip adds, taking a pull of his beer. “I’d miss you.”

  “Aww,” Riana and Vera tease, but he doesn’t pay them any mind.

  “Hey, he’s my brother from another mother.”

  Riana rolls her eyes, but I find myself feeling a bit of guilt. I made a promise, but I haven’t been sticking to it. I flirted with Vera today, a lot, and if she even showed any kind of interest, I would have kissed her. My hand is still burning from touching her earlier. She’s so warm, so beautiful, and I’ve never wanted to protect someone the way I wanted to protect her. It’s been a long while since I wanted to fight a man, but I wouldn’t mind beating the shit out of Simon.

  He is a douche.

  “You know he is going to get married one day,” Riana says then, distracting me from my thoughts. “He won’t be with you forever.”

  I smile as Phillip shrugs. “Yes, but I got married, and we’re still the best of friends.”

  “For the love of God, you’re drunk.”

  “Leave him alone, Ri. You’re jealous,” I tease, and she sticks her tongue out at me playfully.

  “Fine, maybe a bit,” she says, but Phillip leans into her, kissing the side of her mouth.

  “Nothing to be jealous of. You’re my number one.”

  “I’m number zero,” I tease and she glares, but then her mouth is busy with Phillip, which gives me the perfect opportunity to grab my beer. But when I do, Vera does at the same time, our hands crashing together. Her eyes widen as she looks back at me, and I send her a quick wink before reaching for it to down most of it. Impressed, she claps her hands quietly, and I laugh before setting it back in front of her plate.

  She’s fun.

  Holding my gaze, she moves her fork through her spaghetti.

  “Is it not good?” I ask.

  She shakes her head quickly. “No, it’s fabulous. I just keep wondering how our paths never crossed before. I remember hearing Phillip and the boys say ‘Linc,’ but I guess I was always so busy, I just didn’t pay attention.”

  My lip quirks as I shrug. “Yeah, I guess, but you know, they did cross once.”

  Her brows shoot up. “Huh? When?”

  “Yeah, when?” Riana asks, confused. “I didn’t know that. Did you?”

  “No,” Phillip says simply.

  I just smile. “I mean, not really, but I was sleeping off a hangover one morning at their house, and you had come over to get something—I don’t remember. But Riana had asked for you to keep it down, and you said, I quote, ‘I’m not keeping my voice down ’cause some asshole doesn’t know how to handle his liquor.’”

  Her face turns beet red as a guilty smile curves her lips.

  It is honestly the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen.

  Covering her mouth, she looks to Riana. “I did do that.”

  “You did!” she gasps, pointing to her sister and laughing. “Jesus, that was eons ago! Weren’t you pregnant with the twins?”

  “I think so.”

  “I don’t remember this,” Phillip says.

  Riana slaps the table as she laughs. “’Cause you were on the floor passed out beside him! I had picked y’all up from some party.”

  Phillip goes back to eating. “That makes sense.”

  “It does,” I agree.

  Vera glances back at me. “Sorry?”

  I wave her off. “No need. It was so long ago.”

  “I was angry and pregnant.”

  “Hey, I’m not judging,” I say, holding up a hand. She grins, and a blush settles along her cheeks. I want so badly to tell her she is beautiful. That she is way too good for that bastard Simon. That I’d like to take her by that sweet face of hers and kiss the living shit out of her.

  But I made a promise.

  Fucking promise.

  “Well, let’s make a toast.” Phillip holds up his glass, and I reach for my beer, causing Vera to laugh a bit as Riana glares at me. “To new beginnings. To getting to know each other and long-lasting relationships. Oh, and to the boys, Charlie, Louis, and Elliot. May they always feel loved and needed.”

  Vera sighs happily, which is innocent enough, but apparently my cock doesn’t know that. For that simple sound has me harder than a rock as we clank our glasses together, all repeating, “To the boys.”

  Which is the reason I am here.

  Because I am the manny.

  And she’s my boss.

  I really need to keep reminding myself of that.

  Chapter Ten

  Lincoln

  Once we finish dinner and settle the tab, we gather our things to head out. It was a great night, a great day actually, and I’m glad Phillip invited me, though I’m pretty sure he did with the intentions of Vera and me getting to know each other. While that had happened, it also made my crush on Vera stronger. I enjoyed watching her eat and laugh—man, I love her laugh. Her smile, though, is the best, and not her fake smile but her real one. The one that lights up her eyes and makes the little lines by them show.

  Yup, clearly I have it bad for my boss.

  But apparently no one knows of my struggles, for when we arrive in the parking lot, Riana asks, “Hey, Lincoln, why don’t you run Vera home?”

  Phillip’s brows pull together, and I don’t miss the pure panic on Vera’s face as she eyes Riana. Phillip looks down at his wife, asking, “What, why?”

  “’Cause I want to go home,” she coos, running her fingers along his chest.

  Within seconds, gone is Phillip’s confusion. “Yes, take her home, Linc, please.”

  “Wow, thanks!” Vera calls to them.

  “Hey, I gotta get it in before this kid comes and I don’t get it at all,” he says, and Riana smacks him, but they’re both laughing, grabbing each other as they go toward their car. I’m taken by them. They are completely and utterly in love, and it does nothing but leave me envious as hell.

  I want that.

  I had my fair share of relationships, but no one ever did what Riana does for Phillip. Complete him. I want that. But I can’t help but think I’ll never find it if I’m in fact taking care of other families instead of finding someone to make my own.

  Or maybe I already found her but I can’t have her.

  Silence falls around me.

  Vera glances up at me shyly as she