Brianna Miller rested her head against the glass window in the back of the van as she watched the rain pour down in torrents. 5pm on New Year's Eve and she was driving through some backwoods town looking for a crummy hotel in a horrible rainstorm. With her head throbbing and aching back, she bitterly reflected on how a day that held so much promise was now ending as an all-out shit fest. Bri threw a bitter glance at the person sitting beside her who was tapping rapidly on a tablet. The person Bri blamed for the entire day going down the drain. The very LAST person she would ever want to be anywhere near on New Year's Eve. Erin McKinnon. Bri gave her the best side stink eye she could muster. Damn bitch Bri thought to herself.
It had all started a week ago. Everyone was happily gathered in the conference room at her job for their semi-weekly meeting. Just a few more days and there were all off to their last assignment for the year. Bri and the rest of her department were going to Miami. Bri worked for Aztech International where she trained medical professionals-doctors, nurses, hospital administrators- on the use of the new medical equipment that the company produced. Bri loved her job. She had planned on a career in medicine after getting her biology degree, but stumbled on this job and never looked back.
At age 26, she was already making $45,000 in base salary alone with monthly bonuses of at least $800.00 or more each month. She was single, no kids, and had no debt of any kind. Lately, she had even been thinking about saving for a house. The bonuses were based on the evaluations from the training participants after each workshop, as well as the post training score results of the trainees after a month of working on the new equipment. She and her training partner, Jose, had the top results each and every time. Bri was a natural at training. She was knowledgeable, engaging, and creative.
While it did involve extensive travel all over the country, sometimes up to 3 or 4 times a month, Bri didn't mind. Often, they got to train in a great city such as New York, LA , or Honolulu. Everything was paid for by the company-food, hotel, flights etc. They received generous stipends issued on company credit cards that were far more than what was needed and the extra could be used as they wished. Every so often, Bri would land in one of those awesome cities on a weekend or around a holiday where they did not have rush off to another training just yet. For a party girl like Bri, these were the ultimate assignments. She got her work out of the way and then spent the rest of the time partying her ass off on the company's dime.
This trip to Miami was going to be one of those times. Bri could hardly wait. Fucking New Year's Eve in Miami. Back in July, she and Jose had an assignment in Manhattan. While out at a club later that evening, they met Cuban businessman Alejandro Solares. A self-made multi-millionaire at only 29, the man was not only filthy rich but also gorgeous. Golden brown skin, thick black hair, and an impeccably dressed , slim muscular build all wrapped up in a sexy Cuban accent. Bri stayed by his side the entire night. He was also very generous and treated them to a night on the town and paid for all their drinks, cover charges, and ending at his gorgeous penthouse which had a wonderful view. Bri had drunk everything from Bacardi to Cristal that night. While Jose was busy in another room with a girl, Bri was heavily making out with Alejandro on his massive bed in one of the most gorgeous bedrooms she had ever seen. The next thing she remembered was waking up in his bed, fully clothed, and with a throbbing headache. Bringing her coffee and two aspirin, he said they did not have sex because it was something he wanted her to be fully present for and remember. "Trust me, you're going to want to remember it," he said. Just dripping with Cuban charm. He extended an open invitation to his penthouse in Miami anytime they were in town.
Bri had broken up with Matt 8 months ago. It had been Bri's longest relationship coming in at a solid four months. What could she say? She hated commitment and being tied down. She had to admit that Matt was actually an awesome guy who had treated her very well. He was sweet, supportive, and had a great engineering career he was working to get established. The reason for the break up resided with Bri. Fed up with her partying just about every weekend and refusing to make a serious commitment to the relationship, he gave her an ultimatum. Bri chose her freedom. So far she had been single and loving it. No constraints, but she did sometimes miss the care and support Matt gave her after she came back from a tiring training session or just wanted a listening ear and to be held.
Bri was raised by a single mother with her father bailing before she was even born. Bri never met him, but it did not stop her family from stepping in and helping to raise her. She had two aunts and a set of grandparents that absolutely adored her. Everyone did. Her Aunt Alice had three boys and her Aunt Shannon had no children. Bri was the only girl and was spoiled. And she knew it. Her uncles always stpeped in for things like teaching her to ride a bike and helping her pick out her first car. Her aunts and grandparents helped her mom with babysitting, chipping in for school supplies, birthdays and so on. Bri and her mom had a close relationship representative of single parents with only children. More often than not, they looked and behaved like sisters more than mother and daughter.
But Bri was an unapologetic party girl. She had a fun, laid back personality and was always down for a good time. Plus, she was a natural beauty. People were just innately attracted to her, guy and girls. She was 5'4, with long, beautiful reddish brown hair and deep blue eyes. She had firm B-cups and a tiny waist on a naturally slim, petite body. Other women, and some men, envied her for being able to put away pizza, ice cream, chocolate and alcohol by the truck loads, over an entire weekend, and not gain a pound. Things just came easily to her. She was the type that could goof off all weekend and write a stellar research paper in one night and get an A. She didn't prep at all for her SAT's, was late the morning of the test, but made a score that landed her a full academic scholarship.
So even though she partied hard, Bri always got her shit done. Always. For this entire year, she and Jose had been the top producing team each and every month. Earlier at the team meeting, Bri was once again named top trainer, overall, for the month. In addition to a bonus, the winner got a gift card and a cute paper certificate. Bri had the certificate playfully taped to the front of her blouse. She loved being goofy. Bri's team manager, Louis, quickly tried to quiet everyone down as he began again with more announcements. Bri's department was made up of 8 teams of at least two people. Although it was a pain of the job working on days such as New Year's Eve, the holiday pay was great and they often got to spend the next few days touring the city if they didn't have another assignment. As a top trainer, she got to pick and choose her assignments with more ease than the newer teams and she had purposely picked to work this New Year's Eve in Miami.
Some of the newer teams with less experience would be going to the smaller cities outside of Miami. "You guys are so lucky," Allen remarked to Bri and Jose. Allen and his teammate, Katie, had just been hired a few weeks ago. "We have to fly out to Amherst and the weather is supposed to be terrible. Bad rain and icy. Hope we can make it back to Miami in time." Bri just shook her head and gave him a soft pat on the shoulder. She remembered those days as a newbie where you had to take whatever backwoods assignment given to you.
"Alright, I know you are all excited about Miami," Louis said. "Well to comply with flight schedules and as appreciation for all your hard work this year, you all have until the 3rd to fly back." Bri and Jose did a secret fist bump underneath the table. This day was getting better and better. Bri gave a head nod to Crystal and Beth, their other party partners in crime, and mouthed "It's on." Whenever the four of them were in a city together, it was insane. There was the time in San Diego where both Jose and Bri ended up on a beach, completely drunk, and wearing the other's bathing suit-Bri in just Jose's swim trunks and he wearing her skimpy red bikini. They had found a puppy somewhere and were singing raps songs in front of a bond fire with an equally drunk Beth and Crystal laughing and snapping photos. Don't ask. And then there was that epic time in New Orleans, during Mardi Gras of all times. Because of her completely drunken haze, Bri could only remember bits of that night which seemed to include handcuffs, a horse, and lots and lots and lots of flashing of every body part she had. Even some of the internal ones. Don't ask.
And they all had the same oath. Whatever happens wherever they go, it stays between them no matter what. As soon as they found out about Miami, Bri sent a text to Alejandro. At first she was afraid he had forgotten her, but he immediately replied saying he would send a car to pick them up that evening after their work was done. They could spend New Year's Eve night at his downtown penthouse, and then fly out to Key West on New Year's Day on his private jet. It was going to be epic and Bri was seriously looking to pick up with him where she left off.
