1

Months later, well after the bombshell that was dropped to all the children of the two families, everyone went their own ways for once. There were hardly any phone calls. No one seemed to want to see each other. Small talk, if they ran into each other, was kept short and to the point. Bailey was finally happy with everything.

The new job she got was paying off, and she loved what she was doing. Though it wasn’t all that tough, she knew she was helping make a difference in things. She could find the balance in her life that she had always strived for. Life was good.

That was until she got home on a Friday night and saw a card in the mail addressed to her. It wasn’t a holiday or her birthday, so she was slightly confused. She went into the house and then sat it down on the counter. She looked at it and knew without a doubt the hand that wrote it. She wondered what the hell her mother was up to now.

When she opened the card, she had to go over it a few times to get the words on it to make sense.

We request your presence for our announcement.

Bailey had to laugh. The divorce for her parents had only been signed from what she heard. The ink was barely dry. She loved the fact everyone had gone after her father for possibly having an affair when this nearly proved that her mother had been just as guilty. She shook her head and then left the announcement card on the counter and went to get ready to go out.

She was meeting a friend at one of the local clubs. Though she had given up on looking for love, she did like to go out every once in a while to just have fun. It seemed that she was the only one who was comfortable in her own skin. She had watched her brothers and sisters try to find themselves again as their parents divorced as if it really was the basic structure for their own lives.

As she got to the club, she saw a few other faces that she knew. It wasn’t like they lived in a big area, so it wasn’t uncommon to run into the family that she had grown up with alongside her own. This night she saw three of the men from that family and two of her own brothers as well. She shook her head. She looked down at herself and knew one or more of them would have something to say.

She found her friend, Marco. They went to a booth that he had reserved. “Sorry, kids, I forgot that this is the happening place.” He chuckled.

“You mean cause they are here? “She asked as she looked around. “don’t worry, they won’t come up to me here.”

“Sure, they won’t. I think they have just spotted you.” He laughed.

“They don’t know it is me, though.” She said as she laughed. “They just see a piece of meat in leather pants.”

“Well, now.” Marco laughed. “Let me go get some drinks.”

“Just soda tonight.” She called out, and he waved his hand. She placed her coat down in the booth as she looked around. She was surprised to see one of the members of the other family on the dance floor already with a woman.

“Yeah, so Gavin is here, and so is Sam.” She heard a voice behind her. “Gavin’s girlfriend is a piece of work.” She turned to see Max behind her.

“And what are you doing here?” Bailey asked as she watched his eyes start at her face and then wander down her body. For the first time she had known him, he looked at her like she was a woman instead of an annoying child.

“Gavin’s girlfriend is a twin, and apparently, she wanted to go out with me,” Max said with a deep laugh.

“Why?” Bailey asked, and he laughed harder.

“She wanted the original version of her sister's guy, I would have to guess.” He finally said. “And thank you ever so much for the boost to my fragile male ego.”

“Yeah, whatever.” She said as she looked to Marco, who was walking back to the booth. “Thanks.” As he placed her drink down on the table. He nodded, and then he walked off to let them finish having the conversation they seemed to be having.

“I didn’t think you liked places like this,” Max said as he took a step closer to her.

“I do need to go out as well,” Bailey said as she looked up to him. All the men in that other family were tall, and they made her feel even smaller than she normally did.

“And that guy?” Max asked.

“Is a coworker. “She said as she rolled her eyes at the question.

“Oh,” Max said as he grinned for a bit. “Can I ask you for a favor?”

“What do you want, Maxwell?” Bailey asked, and he laughed again.

“Bay, if I need help getting away, could you help?” he asked as he looked down at her.

“Getaway?” She asked.

“The twin is not exactly what I like. She is actually slightly horse-faced. I don’t think this is going to end well.” Max said with a sigh.

“And you don’t want to get Gavin mad?” Bailey asked.

“Exactly.” He replied. “Look, just a simple thing a friend would normally do.”

“Just give me a signal, and I will find a way to get out of here that won’t piss off Gav.” She said as he chuckled.

“Thanks.” He said as he grinned again at her. She sighed when he walked away toward his brother and the group of a few women. Bailey looked them over and saw that none of them were what the guys would normally like. She would have to watch and wait for her cue.