purples, and blues over a white background.
Ben nodded in approval when he saw her.
“You look great. This is going to be fun.”
They were meeting Bethany and Alexis at the club and when Mia stepped inside, she was immediately reminded of the club her parents belonged to in the Hamptons. There was an aura of obscene wealth and people that were used to it. Bethany and her friend Alexis arrived a few minutes later, and it was immediately apparent to Mia that this was meant to be somewhat of a setup for Alexis to spend time with Ben.
Alexis was a beautiful girl. Mia guessed she was late twenties, a few years younger than Bethany. She had long blonde hair and an enviable figure, full in all the right places but with a tiny waist and a flat stomach. Mia stood up a little taller and was glad her new skort had an elastic waist. Mia wasn’t overweight, but she’d never be as thin as Bethany and Alexis and she didn’t mind too much. She didn’t want to worry about every bite she put in her mouth, the way she knew Bethany did. She enjoyed food too much for that.
“So, are we ready?” Ben asked.
He led them out to where the golf carts were. “Mia and I should probably ride together, since we’re sharing clubs, right?” Bethany asked with a sweet smile.
Ben hesitated for a second before saying, “Sure, of course. Alexis, you can hop in with me.”
After Ben and Alexis drove off, Bethany followed them and as they rode along she said, “Alexis recently broke up with her boyfriend. She needs to meet someone new. I thought she and Ben might get along. She lives and works right in Manhattan, too.”
“Oh? What does she do?”
Bethany laughed. “As little as possible. Her father is a mucky-muck at some investment company and she works for him.”
“And she’s never golfed before either?” Mia was starting to feel nervous as groups of golfers walked by.
“Never. And I’ve only been out a few times. I’m pretty bad.”
“Won’t we hold everyone else up?”
“We would, if we played the way they do, but Ben will have us play best ball. Whoever hits the best shot, we’ll move our balls there and that will keep things moving along.”
“Oh, good.”
They followed Ben’s cart to the first tee, and Ben gave them all a quick lesson on how to swing. He went first, and they all watched in awe as his club made a loud cracking sound as it hit the ball and then it soared, going so far and fast until it finally landed way down the fairway. Bethany went next and wasn’t as bad as she had led Mia to believe. Her ball didn’t go as far as Ben’s but it was nice and straight.
Alexis stepped up, swung and missed. Mia was glad to see she wasn’t the only one that happened to. She hit on her third try, though it didn’t go very far and landed in the rough just off the fairway. Finally, it was Mia’s turn, and she took a deep breath as she stepped up to the tee. She tried to keep in mind everything that Ben had taught her—arms straight, eyes on the ball, keep her feet down. She swung hard and connected well with the ball, and it landed just behind Bethany’s.
“Good job, you guys. Now pick up your balls and bring them down to mine and we’ll hit from there.”
It took them just under two hours to play nine holes and when Ben suggested an after-game drink in the club house, they all happily agreed. Ben ordered a round of drinks for the four of them and they took their drinks to an outside table. Bethany chatted about her wedding, with Alexis asking questions now and then. But she seemed more interested in Ben than in the details of Bethany’s wedding.
“Are you heading back to the city after the wedding?” she asked him.
“No. I’m not anxious to get back there yet. The fall is still gorgeous here. I was thinking probably just after Columbus Day weekend, so mid-October.”
Mia hadn’t realized he planned to stay that long.
“You don’t have to get back sooner for your work?” she asked.
He grinned. “There’s some flexibility about that when you work for yourself. I can do a lot online.”
“I bet you’ll get bored after Labor Day when most of the tourists leave,” Bethany said. She turned to Mia. “Don’t you get homesick in the winter? This place