Fated to Four Secret Billionaire Alphas

The Handsome Stranger

Nope, not happening, Bryon. I ran so fast back into the bedroom that I tripped on the living room area rug and fell to my knees before I could process what had happened.

I had to get out of there fast.

I filled the two large suitcases I owned with undergarments, some random clothing items in my "clean" laundry hamper that I had yet to put away, an extra phone charger, and a pair of brown ankle boots into my suitcases and headed for the door. My phone buzzed with a text message. I didn't have time to check it now. I had to get out there fast.

Locking the door, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, hauling two suitcases filled to the brim to the car. Any moment, Bryon would turn onto this street, and I would see his black Mustang heading down our suburban court.

Beads of sweat dripped down my forehead as I lunged each suitcase into the trunk. The veteran's hall was a ten-minute drive, tops. I would have even less time if he called me on the way.

I glanced at the cookie-cutter home Bryon paid too much to rent and hurried into the car. If I leave before he makes it here, it will be complete luck, I had thought to myself.

But I made it out and checked in solo at a vacation cabin in Twin Pines. The air here was clean and crisp, unlike the large cities in the valley. The pine trees seem to carry upward toward the sky for miles.

Now that Bryon wasn't going to pop up, I felt safe to finally take a minute to breathe and be OK.

BZZZZZZZZZZZ. I looked at my phone. It was Jessica.

"Where are you, dude?? Bryon is like BLOWING up my phone looking for you. I keep telling him I have no idea where you are, but he doesn't believe me."

BZZZZZZZZZZZ.

"ARE YOU OK???"

I looked away and put the phone back in my pocket. I felt terrible for worrying Jessica, but I would text her later. I retrieved the spare key from the potted pot next to the front door and let myself in.

The cabin was dark, cold, musty, and very outdated. It didn't look like the pictures. I was slightly upset. This cabin had a similar layout, but none of the furnishings were the same, and the furniture in this cabin hadn't been moved or dusted in years. I was not happy, but perhaps that's why this cabin was one of the cheaper ones.

I turned on all of the lights in the small cabin, which meant the only light in the central living area and a small table light next to a hard, pale orange accent chair from the 1960s. The cabin was covered in dust and antique photos and had only a few pieces of furniture.

Sitting on the hard, retro floral couch, I took out my phone to text Jessica and Olive.

"Hey, I'm OK. I got cold feet. My bad about Bryon. Just block him or something." Sent.

I sent the same message to Olive and put my phone away.

It was cold, and there was no stove, but the ad had advertised there was a wall heater. In the corner, I noticed a rusty, completely unsafe, and covered with cobwebs heater. It didn't even look like it worked.

I saved the contact's name and number. Paul Vega. I texted Paul, asked him about the heater, and casually mentioned it felt about ten degrees inside, even though it probably wasn't that cold. I waited a few minutes for a response, but nothing came. I would have to revisit this later. It was time to assess the food situation.

The mini fridge was empty, and since there were no cupboards, cabinets, or even a kitchen, there wasn't much food to find. I sat back on the hard-as-a-rock couch and wondered if booking a cabin in the woods with shoddy accommodations just to save a few cents was a smart idea. I could have easily spent a few hundred extra dollars for a standard hotel or motel or even just gone to a cheaper city.

But I had felt a calling to Twin Pines for some reason. So I booked the cabin for two weeks. Two weeks. I had two weeks to figure out what I would do with my life. No pressure.

I pulled out my phone and noticed Twin Pines, despite only having a few thousand residents, was still technically a vacation town, so there were a few restaurants and establishments to check out. I was starving, and I was ready for a meal after a three-hour drive. And maybe a drink.

I made the quick five-minute drive to Rockies, a restaurant they called a gastropub, but I think they were being generous. Rockies was definitely outdated as well and reminded more of old cheesy 70s pizza parlors mixed with cheers. Not that I was old enough to have been to either of those types of establishments.

Inside Rockies was the waitress/hostess, the cook, a few older gentlemen at the bar, and one family sitting in the corner having a good time. The rest of the restaurant was empty. I mean, it was a Thursday, in October, an hour before closing time which happened to be 9:00 pm here.

I nodded at the waitress, who nodded towards the stack of sticky plastic menus on the host stand. I waved politely to decline. I knew what I wanted.

"Hamburger, no cheese, fries, a glass of water, and a glass of whatever IPA you have on tap, please."

"I like a woman who knows what she likes," replied the waitress to me.

"I'm a simple gal," I smiled back.

"What brings you to Twin Pines in October?"

"I needed a getaway."

"Huh, don't we all," she said flatly, more so at the idea of getting away than at me.

I watched her saunter away and wondered if Bryon was having a neighborhood bonfire with all the clothing as kindling. I shuddered to think about my Levi's or expensive sweaters going up in flames. But I couldn't take everything, and those things were replaceable. My heart and sanity were not.

The waitress, a blonde woman in her forties, returned with my water and my beer, dropped it off silently, then walked back towards the family in the corner to catch up with them. It looks like they were regulars.

I took a sip of my beer and made eye contact with the mom. She was stunning, around the same age as the waitress, but very very thin, athletic build, in workout clothes. Her husband had on Patagonia, or North Face, and they looked very well put together and yet casual simultaneously. Most likely, they or he worked in tech, and they either worked remotely or vacationed there frequently. I wondered what that life was like.

Mom's eyes were staring past me, though, at the door. I turned slowly to see what she was looking at.

It was a man. A gorgeous man.