Author's Notes: Everyone in this story is eighteen years or older.
* * *
"Really feels good, the positive balance," said Lance, grinning. "I've cleared all my credit card dues and still have money in my account. Never happened!"
"Yeah, new experience," said Amee. Our team had handled a product launch with higher incentives, and our Branch Head had doubled it later. Everyone in my team had received the credit two days ago.
"Well, be wise," I said. "Don't waste your money on silly stuff."
"Don't worry, boss," said Drake. "We won't be putting it in savings plans or investing it. We'll use it all for boozing and clubbing."
"Yep, you don't have to worry about us at all," said Winona, grinning as I facepalmed. "One good shopping spree, and it'll be history. What're you planning with your managerial loot?"
"Mmm, I was planning to visit Emi in Miami." My brother, Emiliano, was a freshman there and had invited me for the long weekend. "But it fell through. His professor dumped some work on him."
"Ooh, Miami!" Winona exclaimed. "Sunny skies and sand and warm sea. Would have been nice!"
"Want to go? I asked, smiling. "Emi and I booked two rooms at a resort in Naples. We're not getting much of a refund. You can have them."
"Wow!" said Lance. "What an offer, Winona. Pack Brett and take off!"
"Let's all go!" said Amee. "Since we didn't make it to the Bahamas."
A trip to the Bahamas had been the incentive for meeting the launch target, but we had fallen short. I looked around at my team. "Seriously? Flights aren't too expensive right now. And it's not the Bahamas, but Florida can be great too."
* * *
"I don't believe it." Amee was ahead of me in the security queue. "This plan really worked out!"
"Well, we already had two rooms booked," I said. "The resort had two more rooms available. We're all going to enjoy a four-day holiday."
"Miami, here we come!" Lance had a huge smile plastered on his face. "Has anyone been there before?"
I nodded. "I visited Emi at Thanksgiving. He and his roommates showed me around. It's an exciting place."
"I bet!" Amee rubbed her hands. Then, dropping her voice, "How'd you get Brad to join us?"
"He asked me out for a drink last week." Bradley and I had worked in the same team for two years and gone out a few times. Then I got promoted to manager, and he had abruptly stopped asking me out.
"Finally," said Amy, clapping her hands delightedly. "His place or yours?"
"Huh?" I said. "No, we went to that bar round the corner from our office. It's not too noisy, and we both like it."
"So, then?" Amee put her phone and belt into a tray for the scanner. "You invited him for this trip?"
"I wanted to, but I thought this trip was for our team, so I didn't." I got a long look from Amee. At work, I was her manager. In personal matters, she sometimes treated me as a feeble-minded child. "But Brett invited Brad. It's my guess Winona put him up to it."
As a new manager, I had a small team consisting of Amee, Drake, Lance, and Winona. Brett wasn't on my team; he worked in the IT department of our company. He was Winona's boyfriend and shared a flat with her.
I was spared a dressing down from Amee as she stepped into the cubicle and took position for the scanning. After my own scan, I joined her and the rest of our group.
I looked with pleasure at Bradley as he hefted my carry-on bag and his own. At six feet, he was about seven inches taller than me and had the broad shoulders that go with being a competitive swimmer. He kept his blond hair trimmed short and was always immaculately turned out, one of the things that had attracted me to him.
"So we have Brett to thank for Bradley joining us?" Amee asked Winona as we three found seats near our gate. The guys had wandered off towards the bar and restaurant area. "What made him think of it?"
"Brad was cribbing to us at lunch one day. He wanted to take Luciana out, and she had turned him down, saying she was going to Miami with us." Winona grinned. "I had to kick Brett under the table about four times before he got the idea and invited Brad to join us."
"Umm, that's all very well, and thanks," I said. "Brett and you will share a room, of course, and Lance and Drake will share one."
"Okay," cut in Amee. "I know you and I were going to share a room, but that's all off now. I'm going to enjoy having a room to myself."
"Brad and I haven't reached that stage yet, Amee." I realized she expected me to share a room with Bradley. I rubbed my nose, feeling my friends were moving up the gears of my love life too quickly. "Can we share a room to start with and then see how things go?"
"No, I'll be stuck with you all vacation." Amee was inflexible. She reached out as Lance returned, holding cans of beer between his arms and chest. "You share with Brad and let me enjoy having a room to myself."
"But Brad may not want to share a room," I argued. I accepted a can from Lance. "It's not like I'm some hot chick he finds irresistible."
"Excuse me," said Lance. "After the Success Party, we know exactly how furnace-level hot you are."
I felt the heat rising in my face and throat and felt grateful for being dark-skinned. Our company had held a party a month ago, and I'd had to strip halfway through it because of a lost wager. I'd spent over an hour naked, and almost everyone in the office had been there.
"She's blushing." Winona giggled. "But Lance is right. Nothing that breathes is going to say no to sharing a room with you. And Brad has it bad for you. Just do it, Luciana. We're on holiday and far from home."
* * *
It was late evening when we landed in Miami and drove to Naples. The front desk checked us in smoothly, and we all had our keycards within minutes. I was nervous as Brad closed the door behind the bellboy.
"Thanks for inviting me on your team's trip, Anna," said Brad, sitting down and pulling off his shoes. "They're a fun bunch, and I'm really looking forward to four days with you."
I grinned at him. "That's sweet of you, Brad." Moving to his chair, I climbed up onto his lap and turned my face to him. He was surprised but met my open lips with his. He held my waist as I held his head and pushed my tongue into his mouth.
Brad smelt faintly of an after-shave as I moved my head back to take a few deep breaths. Then I attacked his mouth again. His lips were firm, and I enjoyed mashing them against his teeth with mine. I moved my legs to straddle him and held his head as our kiss went on. His hands on my waist felt so good...
Brad got into the kiss and tightened his grip. I leaned back, letting him hold my weight. He leaned forward as his tongue flickered around mine, and my breathing became irregular. I felt his hands find the hem of my top and raise it.
"Let's not keep the others waiting," I suggested. "They'll all be wanting to go to dinner. Shall I shower first?"
* * *
"I wish we could have stayed a day in Miami and looked around," said Drake. He reached out and served himself. "Would have been fun, I guess."
"We should plan a trip just to Miami next time," said Bradley. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer. "We'll just leave the planning to Anna. She makes things happen."
"Luciana does that all right." Drake looked at me, and I looked back at him and then at the others. I was ridiculously pleased to find that their looks held mainly affection, though I was their manager. Brett wasn't on my team, but his girlfriend was, and he seemed happy with me, too.
"This trip happened because my plan fell through," I said, laughing. "Emi and I had booked rooms, and we couldn't get a refund. I can't take credit for planning this trip."
"Is Emi going to graduate this year?" Amee asked, pouring herself another glass of wine.
"No, no, he's a freshman." I stopped her from topping up my glass. "A long way to go."
"Ah, so he's much younger?" Drake asked.
"He's 23, six years younger than me," I answered. "He got a job after high school, but he always wanted a college degree. When I got promoted, I told him to go ahead and apply to colleges." I felt a hand on my thigh under the tablecloth and smiled at Bradley, sitting next to me. "His roommates are all eighteen or nineteen -- just out of school."
Conversation at our table flowed easily. The server was attentive, and the food was good. I kept to my usual limit of two glasses of wine, knowing what it did to me. I noticed that Bradley was also sipping his wine very slowly and preventing the server from topping his glass off.