BUSINESS BEFORE PLEASURE

Chapter 3

Courtney's POV:

When the beautiful brunette told me her name was Gia Morretti I wanted to throw up.

The biggest regret I have in my entire life is the way I treated her when we were kids.

I think deep down I disliked her because she was comfortable with who she was at such a young age. I knew I liked girls all those years but I was too afraid to come out. I'd lose all my popularity and friends.

The last time I saw Gia absolutely wrecked me. I never meant to kiss her that day. It just sort of over came me and I needed to. After the kiss I ran home and never told a soul.

The only people that know I like women are Nicole and the few girlfriends I've had throughout the years. I guess now Gia knows too.

When she said she was taking over her family's business, I saw red.

Morretti men have been robbing my shops making me lose thousands of dollars a month. I'm barely breaking even because of them.

My coffee shops are my entire life. I literally have no social life outside of work except for when my best friend Nicole makes me go out with her.

My last girlfriend broke up with me a year ago because I was putting more time into my work than I was in our relationship.

I realized then that I don't have time for anything serious. I've had a few one night stands over the last year but I haven't gotten laid in 3 months. I'm too busy to meet people.

One day I'll be able to let someone else take the reigns and relax. But that day is not any time soon.

When Reece called me telling me there were Morretti's in the shop I freaked out. I ran down the stairs with my bat ready to do some damage.

When my eyes met the beautiful Hazel ones belonging to Gia my heart stopped in my chest.

She used to be a small shy girl. Now she was tall, confident and absolutely drop dead gorgeous.

When she was flirting with me it took everything I had not to fall under her spell.

I can tell she's good at getting women. If she wasn't a Morretti I would willingly let her take me to bed.

But that's the thing. She is a Morretti. The leader of the Morretti's to be exact. She is far to dangerous to be involved with in any way. That's why I'm nervous about her coming to my shop. I'll start to gain a reputation and I will make no money. Then I'll be living on the street.

I left her with a dumb look on her face outside of my house after admitting that I'm a lesbian.

Im sure it was a shock to her system to find out the person that tormented her for being a lesbian turned out to be just as gay herself.

I giggled to myself as I sat down on my sofa to wait for my mother to come over.

There was a knock on the door within seconds of me sitting down. I got up and opened the door.

"Hi mom." I smiled and let her in the house. As soon as I closed the door she whipped around and pulled her sunglasses off her head.

"There's a Dyke smoking a cigarette on the steps next door. Please tell me that's not your new neighbor." She said disgusted.

"Gee ma, no hi, hello, or greeting of any kind?" I said laughing.

"I mean really. That woman is going to drive your real estate value into the ground." She said with her nose in the air.

I guess you could say I learned how to bully people from my mom. She has talked about anyone that is different from her like this my entire life.

As a kid it was just a normal thing. As an adult... it's terrifying. I will never be able to tell my mom who I really am.