Blossom Beach: Perfectly Wrong

Chapter 5

Jax

The night of the big party has finally arrived. Turning twenty-one is a big deal in our friendship group. Since Owen is the last of us to reach this number, the next one we will be making a big deal out of is the big fifty, when most of us will probably be in a midlife crisis. My heart flutters a little thinking about that. I am really going to turn fifty and still be friends with these idiots. Shit, I am one lucky bastard.

Mother has stayed quiet the past couple of days. Maybe she has to talk to somebody about what is going on with her, and I'm more than ready to give her whatever she needs. Jace hasn't called to tell me anything bad about her yet, but that doesn't mean that she isn't still drinking after Lily and Jace go to bed. I have to talk to Mom when my blood isn't boiling at the thought of her. Lily called me yesterday and told me she wants to start playing tennis. I was thrilled when I heard it. Lily finally wants to do something, which doesn't require sitting in the house all day. It gives her a chance to meet new people and experience the world. Tennis will be a good start for her, and I will support her in every way possible, which means having to talk to Mother and getting Lily some fixed tennis lessons.

I walk into the restaurant with my dress shirt and dress pants, because I know how strict Dean is when it comes to the dress code of his restaurant. I move towards the table where my best friend sits. I hold his present in my hand and put it on the table where all his gifts are.

"Hey, buddy," I say as I slap him on the back.

He turns around to look at me and puts his beer down. He can finally drink alcohol legally, and I know he isn't going to exploit it very much. He is still a hard-core lawyer, and drinking too much when he might have to work the next day is a no-go for him. Thank God he is friends with me because I will help him change that. Actually, Ryder and I will. We will get him very drunk. But right now, I'm glad he is drinking something, anything.

"Jax! I'm so glad you're here." He hugs me before turning back around and flirting with a gorgeous blond with big breasts. Typical.

I spot Ryder at the opposite side of Owen and go over to him. He is staring intensely at the table. He then lifts his drink to his mouth before giving the table the same amount of attention as before.

"The table that interesting?" I chuckle, and he shoots me an annoyed expression.

"A hell of a lot more interesting than you," he replies and, this time, he grins.

Ryder and I have been very close friends ever since he pushed the boy who was bullying me in the first grade. He had a rough start in life, and I'm glad he chose me as his friend. Naturally, I would never admit that to his face.

We became even closer after Hunter and Owen joined our table at lunch one Monday at school. They joined us during lunch because they thought we looked lonely and ever since then, we have been inseparable. Owen and Hunter knew each other through their families since they were toddlers and currently live in a rental house together. They have been very close friends for their whole lives.

All three of them are as much my family as my siblings. On one hand, it's amazing. On the other, it means a lot more family drama. But they are worth it. They always have been.

After a while, Hunter comes over to where Ryder and I are standing, a big smile spread all over his face. "What are you smiling at?" I ask when he is close enough to hear me.

"I hired a new waitress." I look at him, confused why he is acting this way. He hires new waitresses all the time. It doesn't make any sense. "Let's just say that she is very beautiful, more than any girl you have probably ever seen. She is also quite shy and gets nervous easily. You should have seen how red her cheeks were when I smiled at her. It was quite cute," he informs us. The smile on his face grows bigger, and I can't help but wonder who the hell she is. She must be gorgeous if Hunter can't stop smiling.

"Who is she?" I turn my attention to the kitchen, but I don't see anyone new there.

"She's standing next to Kalia. Kalia is helping her since I only hired her today. Her name is Hailey, by the way." Hailey. I get more anxious to find out more about her.

My eyes scan the room for Kalia and when I finally find her, I see what Hunter was talking about. Hailey is gorgeous. Actually, she is more than gorgeous. Hailey is absolutely drop-dead beautiful. She is wearing an elegant dress, which hits just above her knee and is hugging every damn curve of hers perfectly. Her long, partially light, partially dark blond, curly hair is tied up in a ponytail and her green eyes are so amazing that I can see them from a distance. It's like they are shining. Plus, she has an amazing body, from what I could tell. Her legs and arms are trained but not too much. Just the perfect amount to drive any guy crazy. Fuck. She is driving me crazy. Where the hell did she come from?

"You okay there, Jax? I think you might be drooling a bit," Ryder points out. He holds up a napkin for me, and I force my gaze away from her so I can firmly nudge him in the ribs.

"Yes, she is breathtaking," Hunter says to take my focus away from Ryder. "So, what are you gonna do about it?" he asks me directly, and I concentrate on him. For some reason, I get nervous just thinking about talking to her.

"What do you mean?" My eyes are staring into his, trying to understand what he is talking about.

"Well, I don't date my staff, you know that's my rule after what happened with... well, you clearly have a thing for her." If he means drawn to her with every fiber of my being, then he is right. "You should talk to her, after her shift. She is a really sweet girl." His hand lifts to touch my shoulder, and he takes a sip of his beer. "Can you imagine that? She is sweet and looks like that. You don't find that often, my friend." Hunter smiles at me and I nod in agreement. Cara Kaston is the perfect example of a person who is beautiful on the outside but absolutely revolting on the inside.

But Hunter is right. I have never seen a girl like her and if he is right, then I have also never met a girl like her. I'm going to talk to her and see for myself. Maybe she will be even better than described.

After a moment of getting lost in my thoughts, I turn my gaze back to her to find her staring at me. She is smiling and when I catch her, she immediately tears her eyes away, a blush settling on her cheeks.

Damn, I am going to have a hard time trying not to look at her.