"So, when are we doing your bachelorette party? I thought it was this week."

"Yeah, I did too," I said as I took a sip of my Caramel Macchiato and looked at my best friend, Lanie.

I woke up to an empty bed this morning. Even though I had been pretty drunk, I remembered the events from last night. I remember going to the bar and dancing with Jackson. I also remember him taking me home. I remember wanting sex and him dropping the hammer on that. At least, for now, until I make up my mind. But we did have a nice long make-out session.

He also left a note when he left. Short and simple. Pure Jackson:

Good morning, Princess,

Sorry to leave so early, but I had some work things to tend to. I really did enjoy spending last night with you.

Jackson

P.S. You undressed yourself in an attempt to tease and seduce me. Just remember...revenge is mine.

I may have gotten completely naked last night. I may have tried to initiate sex once...or twice. I know he was going to retaliate, and I couldn't wait.

"I don't know, Lanie. I wish I could get out of this week trip thing."

I confided in my best friend about this ridiculous out-of-town getaway we're having. The closer it got, the worse I felt about it. I didn't want to be around people I didn't know-who were going to become family through a huge wedding sham.

Lanie scoffed. "Why? Sounds like fun."

If making small talk with a ton of strangers-who would probably look down on me-was her idea of fun...

That's when an idea came to me. "How about you and the girls come? Rooms will be on Ryan's parents. We can pick a night for a bachelorette party!"

"Yes! That's perfect!" Lanie squealed with excitement before she texted my other two bridesmaids.

Out of the three of them, Lanie and Jamie were also teachers and had the summer off. Danielle owned her own company so she usually could take time off whenever she wanted.

If my parents were going to make me go to this stupid vacation, I was at least going to have some fun of my own. It would also be a great opportunity to get Jackson back for saying no to me.

My phone chimed and I looked at the caller-id. Speak of the devil, I thought when I saw Jackson's name.

Jackson: You teased me unfairly last night, princess.

I smiled as I remembered the night before. When I started to undress, he had attempted to stop me. I played the sympathy card and told him that I wasn't comfortable and wanted to get into comfy clothes. He reluctantly allowed it and waited in the bed while I went to go change. When I came back, his jaw dropped at the sight of me. I decided to walk back into the room in a black teddy. His response?

"That's against the rules, Princess. Change before I'm forced to leave and not keep my promise to stay the night."

I went and did as he said. However, I came back wearing absolutely nothing. He had actually gotten to his feet that time.

"Harper, how is this any better?"

"What?" I had asked with feigned innocence. "I only have the teddy or regular clothes. I mean, maybe I have some other kinds of lingerie..."

He knew I was bullshitting and walked towards me. I remember the way my body tingled as his eyes greedily took me in.

He didn't say anything as he took possession of my mouth and continued our make-out session.

Bringing my thoughts back to the present, I typed a reply.

Me: Come on, Jackson. Can't you handle a little teasing?

Jackson: Just you wait, Princess. Oh, the naughty things I have planned to happen on this beach trip.

My smile widened before I looked back to Lanie.

"Hey, Lanie? I think we need to do some shopping for this trip."

Not to mention, get a manicure and a pedicure.

"I think you're right," she said with a smile.

Lanie and I spent about three hours shopping for the vacation. I got a few new bikinis and some lingerie. I got a couple outfits to choose from for the night of my bachelorette party. I mainly chose things that I knew would drive Jackson crazy. He thought he was winning at this little game we were playing, and I was going to prove him wrong.

I had already made up my mind that I was going to say yes to his offer. How could I not? Not only was he phenomenal in bed, but he seemed to understand me better than anyone else I knew. Besides, at least I couldn't trust him. Hooking up with complete stranger seems more dangerous.

"So, were you going to tell me before or after the wedding?"

Lanie's voice brought me back to the present. We had been scanning things to add to the wedding registry. Since we were already at the mall, we figured why not kill two birds with one stone?

"Tell you what?" I hope she wasn't catching on to this whole arranged marriage. She had a very accurate intuition about things.

She scanned a very expensive crystal vase before she looked at me with her signature "I caught you" look. "Listen, I've seen a lot of couples in love. Take my parents, for example. When I looked at them, I saw two people who are crazy in love. When I look at you and Ryan, I don't see that. The two of you look like a gay man and a lesbian trying to be each other's beards."

I would have laughed at her joke if my heart hadn't been pounding a mile a minute in my chest. So, I picked up a fork shaped to look like King Poseidon's trident and added it to the registry. Sure, it didn't match the basic set Ryan and I had agreed to a few weeks back, but I needed something to do with my hands.

I was surprised that she brought up her parents. They had passed away four years ago in a car accident. It hit both Lanie and her brother, Nate, hard.

"How's Nate?" I asked, in a lame attempt to distract her. He was in the Army and stationed overseas.

"He's good. I talked to him last night. Now, stop changing the subject." Her voice grew quiet. "I've known you since we were three, Harp. I know you. Three months after dating Ryan, you were ready to call it quits. You told me that yourself. Then, two weeks later, you're engaged." She held my stare, daring me to lie to her. "I know you're not a gold digger. You started to tell me something about a merger a few weeks ago, but you never gave me details. Was this it? Was this something your parents concocted?"

She was right. We had been best friends since we were three years old. We went to the same schools and went through all the firsts together. Boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, first kisses...everything. There were times when we fought and didn't speak to each other for weeks. Then one of us would show up at the other's house with a smart-ass apology and candy. As we got older, the candy changed to mani-pedis.

Lanie cleared her throat and I let out a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding. Everything just came pouring out of me after that. "I wanted to tell you so bad, Lanie. I don't want to do this," I said in a low voice. "Our parents are the ones who set us up to begin with. They've been planning this all along. They want us to get married so they can merge their businesses."

"But you don't love Ryan. Does he love you?" She asked curiously.

"No, he doesn't. We tried to make it work but..."

"He didn't make your toes curl?"

Okay, how the hell is everyone guessing that?

As if she knew what I was thinking, she said, "You told me one night over margaritas that he was the worst lay you ever had in your life."

I buried my face in my hands, cdeeply embarrassed by all of this. Then panic stuck my chest as reality dawned on me. "Lanie, you can't tell anyone."

"Who am I going to tell? You know I got your back."

"Thank you."

We started walking farther down the aisle before she pulled me to a stop. "Wait, please don't tell me you have to have bad sex for the rest of your life? Is he going to read some kind of Sex for Dummies book or something?"

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks and tried to turn away from her before my face gave me away. "We are going to-"

"Harper Anne Lewis! Stop lying and tell me exactly what that blush was about."

"Fine," I said. "We're going to need margaritas."

I decided the safest place to divulge all of my hidden secrets to Lanie was my apartment where there wasn't a risk of anyone overhearing. We picked up all the items necessary to make margaritas and I sat on the bar stool while Lanie started making the first batch.

"All right girl, margaritas are being made. Tell me what's going on."

Where to begin?

"Ryan and I both tried to get out of this whole arranged marriage thing. When we realized we didn't really have a choice, Ryan came up with a plan."

"Which is?" She asked as she handed me my margarita.

"A semi-open relationship."

I laughed as she spit some of her margarita. "What! Are you serious?"

"Yes, but there are rules."

She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the counter as her eyes widened with curiosity and excitement. "Tell me!"

"Neither of us can sleep with anyone who has a direct line to the family. Neither of us can sleep with the same person twice. And no catching feelings."

She cocked her head to the side. "That seems legit."

"Mhmm," I said as I took another sip of my margarita.

"You have somebody don't you! That's why you bought all that lingerie!"

I couldn't get anything past her. "Yes. The night before the engagement party. I met someone at this bar where I was hiding out."

"Scandalous! Does Ryan know?"

"Yeah. He's been with somebody too. So, it appears to be working."

"Well, how was Bar Guy?"

I felt a revealing smile form on my face when I answered her. "I got four words for you. MIND. BLOWING. MULTIPLE. ORGASMS."