#and when someone laugh when i say that im a workaholic i feel so awful because it's not a joke to me it's a real problem that affects my

[drysauce]

uni definitely isn't for me but everything else isn't for me either so i have to somehow bear with it i guess

[i-smoke-chapstick]

AAA thank u for writing my request ♡ !! im rewatching workaholics so the brainrot is so real. could you please write anders x reader where he tries to seduce (se-ders) the reader ? ur choice either sfw or nsfw !! thanks in advance 😽

‘GORGEOUS,

-ANDERS HOLMVIK X READER-

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ; Anders Holmvik is horrible at flirting…but it somehow works.

⋆ tags/warnings. Anders Holmvik x female!reader! FLUFF!!!! Anon I am SALIVATING for workaholics requests please keep them coming!!! I LOVE this idea btw, (se-ders is incredibly accurate!!) Made this SFW since i was getting tired but anon PLEASE send in some more NSFW or SFW requests for the boys if you’re comfortable i feel like i’ve missed an opportunity to make this smutty >.<

♫ “You should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk. / You’re so cool it makes me hate you so much.” Gorgeous by Taylor Swift

The moment you caught his eye at the party, he’d called dibs.

It was some house party you were invited to by your friend. You can’t say that the place is put together…but it’s certainly unique. And you’ll never pass up a chance to drink and give some guys a good flirt. You’re friend said she was invited by a group of guys who were appearently the hosts. She said they were weird as hell, and that you just had to see it for yourself.

Well, you’ll bite! Parties were never not fun, and almost immeadiatley upon entry, you understood exactly what she meant.

You and your group of friends were probably the only girls there. The rooms were cluttered up with junk, which was surprisingly unique. A Juggalo tapestry (interesting…), a whole ton of magazines, and the distinct smell of weed. You kinda liked it. It was homey.

Scanning around the room, you finally got a drink, and sipped on it lazily. You wandered from bathroom to bedroom, ignoring the commotion in the living room. One of the hosts, the short one, was trying to do a backflip on the dining table. You’d prefer not to see someone break their neck in person.

A voice grabbed you out of your thoughts, nearly scaring you half to death. You probably shouldn’t be snooping. Oh well. You looked up to find him. The tall one of the party hosts. He was wearing a polo, odd party attire you noted. You mentally prepared him to ask just what the hell you were doing, wandering around in his house.

Instead, he came over, wearing this god awful smirk.

Little did you know, he’d already been watching you carefully. RA instincts from back in college. He wondered why this super duper hot chick was sneaking around the house, but he didn’t really mind. Why not give it a shot? You were so pretty, in fact, that he was sure you only talked to, like, model looking guys. Which yeah, threatened him a little.

But he kept imagining how your kids would look like with him, and how that party dress hugged your waist, and how you laughed like a literal angel. So, he got a cup ready for you and walked over.

“Hey, uh, do you want a drink?” He asked, looking down on you, clearing his throat. Oh. That’s why he came over. You were used to getting hit on at parties. You wondered what pick-up line he would use, curiosity peaked. “It’s, uh, a special concoction I made. I call it… Anders’ Elixir of Love. Pretty impressive, huh?”

Well, wouldn’t hurt to humor the guy. Your red solo cup had been drained empty minutes ago anyways.

“Anders’ Elixir of Love?” You repeated, mildly confused and intrigued.

“Actually, it’s Anders. Like, Ahn-ders,” He quickly waved off and corrected you. “Not “Ann-ders,” like you’re struggling with basic phonics. But it’s cute you tried.”

You nodded in understanding, a bit impressed by the…confidence (?) to correct you. Not to mention the blunt insult. For some reason, whatever technique he was poorly aiming for was working.

“Okay, Ahn-ders. What’s in the drink?”

“Oh, you know, just a bit of this and that. Mostly, uh, vodka and… more vodka. But it’s all in the wrist action when you mix it. Really important. You look like you could use some of my, uh, mixology expertise.”

You’re eyebrows scrunched together, and you couldn’t help the small smile playing on your lips. You take the drink from him, taking a sip. Yep, thats all vodka. You fight the urge to make a face.

“Thanks,” You respond. “Do you normally host parties like this?”

He seems like he’s pysching himself up, and attempts a painfully awkward smirk.

“Oh, yeah. I’m, uh, kind of a big deal at parties. People just, you know, can’t resist my charm and my… face. I mean, look at this jawline. It’s like chiseled from marble.”

He immeadiatley bends down and shifts so you can see his side profile.

That illicts a chuckle from you, and you see his eyes brighten up.

“Is that your friend out there? On the table?” You reference the short one, with an eyebrow raised. These guys are certainly…interesting.

“Oh, Adam?” He looks back, before his attention turns to you. At the name, he seems tired. He waves the guy off, a roll of his eyes and a huff. “Ignore him. He’s insane.”

So maybe he’s the sane one? You think.

“But back to you, girl. You got a body like Pamela Anderson in Baywatch and I’m tryna ride that waaaave.” He leans against the door frame and slowly strokes his chin, biting his lip and squinting his eyes.

Ah, and he’s ruined it. He speaks with a tone of superiority and a he’s bit overly-confident. He gives an awkward, almost manic giggle when he realized you’re silent. Maybe he’s not the sane one, but he’s got a charm to him. You could do worse. You shrug.

You carefully inch closer towards him, and put a hand on his shoulder. His confidence almost immeadiatley slips, and he stands up straight, correcting his posture. At the contact, his mouth drops open, and lets out a small gasp. He quickly attempts to recover with a hard swallow, as though he can’t believe this is actually happening. Like really, for real, actually happening.

“Show me what you can do then.”

Before you know it, his hands are on your waist- like magnets connecting, and he’s holding on a bit too tight.

You love parties.

[miruka-cioccolata]

la squadra with a cuddly/ physically affectionate gf?? idk im kinda cuddly so yeehaw

(oh yes, I’m all for some cuddly Squadra hcs)

Risotto Nero:

Risotto is all hard muscles, but that won’t stop is s/o from hugging him at any possible occasion.Being the workaholic that he is, he doesn’t really have much time to tend to his girlfriend’s cuddle requests, but sometimes he just swoops her up onto his lap and lets her snuggle up to him while he finishes up some paperwork.Only time he’s really up for cuddling is in the morning when lounging together in bed.Riz would probably always be the big spoon since he’s a pretty tall guy and it just feels amazing to lay on his broad chest with his one arm pressing her close to him almost possessively.

Prosciutto:

Prosciutto isn’t really a very cuddly person per se and while he won’t be as rash about it as Ghiaccio, he too will grumble all the while his girlfriend hugs him. He’ll often say stuff like ‘Not now’, ‘I’m busy’, ‘Come on, I’ve got work to do’, however, at the end of an exhausting day, he’ll gladly let himself melt into his girlfriend’s embrace and showers her with kisses and praise.

She’d open up his tight hair buns and let her fingers glide through his hair while he just enjoys her gentle touch.

Pesci:

Aw, he’s a total cuddle bug! Pesci gives the best hugs out of all the Squadra guys and when being in his arms, his girlfriend just feels so safe and warm and nice. He’s always so careful with her and ask her if he’s holding her right and if she’s content, he just wants her to feel good. Spending time together with her always makes the boy sooo happy, he lives for her affectionate cuddles.

Also his girlfriend would never have to worry about blankets or being cold, she’d just have to ask Pesci to hold her and she’d be good considering how soft and warm he feels.

Formaggio:

Perfect match here, because Formaggio mostly expresses his affection by physical touch too, he just can’t get his hands off his cute girlfriend! He’s also not against cuddling in public, other people should know after all that his wonderful s/o is all his.

Especially loves nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck or tickling her, anything to get her laughing and smiling. Best time for cuddling in his opinion are lazy Sunday afternoons when he just dozes off with his lover snuggled up to him.

Illuso:

Illuso doesn’t mind his girlfriend being so cuddly all the time, he actually likes it when she plays around with his long hair and demands to braid his pigtails.

For a cuddle session he’d get some blankets and some hot beverage and then he and his girlfriend would snuggle up close together, just basking in each others warmth and presence, maybe even with a good movie to relax a from work. Sometimes she’ll lay her head into his lap and he will softly brush through her hair and it’s the nicest thing ever.

Melone:

Melone being Melone, he very much indulges in physical contact with his s/o, the boy will look for any excuses to cuddle with her and show her just how much she means to him.

He’s a big fan of just hugging his girlfriend from behind when she’s doing the cooking or other chores and just lets his head rest on her shoulder, whispering soft 'I love you’s to her while peppering her cheek with kisses.He can get quite clingy at times when he’s really needy for affection and just wraps his arms around her, not letting her get up from the cozy bed.

Ghiaccio:

Ghiaccio’s like an angry cat whenever someone tries to be affectionate with him, like he’ll try to shove his girlfriend away when she’s in a cuddly mood and tells her to leave him alone, but after a while his harsh words loose their edge and then he just lets her cuddle him even though he’ll proclaim that he hates it (Ghiaccio secretly enjoys it though, he’s just a massive tsundere about it and can’t help it). Also his hugs are anything but warm, his skin is always ice cold after all, so he’s perfect to snuggle up to during summer as a refreshment.

[artificialqueens]

Here I Go Again! (Group Fic) - Chapter One - pureCAMP

A/N - without further ado, here it is! i hope u enjoy it as much as i do because im the hugest mamma mia fan ever

Honey, Honey - I Have A Dream - Money, Money, Money 

One wedding. One husband. One mom. Three dads. Trixie held her breath and gazed out at the horizon. The way that the sun reflected off the sea water, creating idyllic crystals in the midst of their paradise, was something Trixie had always loved. As a little girl, she’d stare from her bedroom window at the glittering ocean until the sun sank beneath the waves, and she would be put to bed. She would never not love staring out until her eyesight went blurry.

  However, there was one thing she loved more, and that was when the gentle waves of the sea were interrupted by a boat carrying her two best friends. Stood at the dock, she bounced up and down, unable to control her excitement.

  “TRIXIEEEEE!” Naomi yelled first, descending from the boat with ease. Her long, slender legs carried her over the wobbling of the little boat and onto the wooden planks with all the grace of an aspiring supermodel. Kim wasn’t so lucky. She stumbled, almost falling in, but managed to regain her balance and land on the dock with a slightly louder thud. Both girls opened their arms instantly and crushed Trixie in a sweaty hug.

  It had been too long. Kim had been staying with her father and living away, whilst Naomi attended a girl’s school far off in Italy. Of course they’d kept in contact, but it was nothing in comparison to having her girls back again, in the flesh, under the baking Greek sun.

  “I’m so glad you’re here!” Trixie beamed, regarding her friends. “Everything’s been so crazy! Mom is gonna be so happy to see you! Although I’m sure she’ll start to stress even more now that guests are arriving.”

  Trixie’s mom, Sharon, was the definition of a workaholic. The moment she’d seen the ring, and Trixie’s huge smile, she’d taken the idea of a huge white wedding in her stride, as though it was something she did every day. Money was tight, and it added on a boatload of extra work, but she didn’t care.

  Naomi smiled. “I can’t believe little Trix is getting hitched! I can’t wait to meet your guy and all his hot friends.”

  Kim rolled her eyes. “You’re really thinking of your vagina right now? We’re here for Trixie’s wedding, not so you can flirt with some oiled up Greek dude!”

  “That’s what Trixie did, isn’t it?” Naomi shrugged. “Let me find one, too.”

  “Brian isn’t Greek.” Trixie told her, laughing. “He’s Russian-American.”

  Part of Trixie couldn’t believe it - she was getting married. Sure, she’d always believed it would happen someday. Most people did it. But to be the first out of her friends - both of them uniquely beautiful, their complexions darker and smoother than Trixie’s - it was incredible. At only twenty, somebody had seen past her red cheeks, her freckles, her dimples and her clumsiness, and fallen hard for her. Brian was a blessing.

  “Aw, you’re all lovesick! Your eyes are sparkling!” Naomi cooed.

  “Ew.” Kim shook her head. “Keep your oily Greeks away from me.”

  “That’s probably offensive.” Trixie said. “Hey, come on! Let’s get off this dock and actually catch up. So much is happening right now!”

  Beneath her feet, the white sand was soft and almost powder-like. Over the years, Trixie had gotten used to it, barely noticing the way it stretched around the perimeter of the island that encased her wonderful little home. Bright sunlight glazed overhead as she led the girls up the rocky path to the cliffside, her eyes fixed on the white buildings at the top, but she stopped short at the entrance to one of the small caves.

  When they were children, living on the island, Trixie often escaped from the hotel and taverna by skipping down the cliff face towards a little cave. It was perfectly safe, inhabited only by some of the island’s native flowers, and she’d proclaimed the three large rocks there to be her pirate ship, Naomi’s ship, and Kim’s. Years and years had been spent playing there, or gossiping as teens - anything it was needed for. Now, it was serving a different purpose. Hiding a secret.

  “Are we stopping for a rest break? Thank God.” Kim huffed, catching her breath against the steep edge of the cliff. “I don’t know how you do this everyday.”

  Trixie shook her head. “I have to, I live here. Now shush, I have something I need to tell you.”

  Naomi’s eyes widened. Kim’s jaw hit the floor.

  “I’m not pregnant!” She held her hands up, her skin blushing furiously. “God, it’s like I can read your minds! No babies here, no way. I’m way too young for that! It’s actually… about my dad.”

  As she’d expected, both girls looked confused. Kim inclined her head. “The dad you’ve never met and know nothing about?”

  Trixie sighed. “That’s the one. It’s just… with all this wedding stuff happening, I keep thinking about him. Everything is so traditional except the fact that I don’t have a dad to give me away at the beginning of the ceremony. I know mom can do it, but it isn’t the same.”

  Not having a dad hadn’t really had the hugest impact on Trixie’s life. At the end of the day, one fantastic parent was much better than two mediocre ones. Still, she’d always felt like a part of her identity was missing. She loved her mom dearly; she’d be forever indebted to her for everything she’d done for her. But often, she didn’t recognise herself in her mom. There had to be something more. Part of her she had to have gotten from her dad - the man she’d never met.

  “But how?” Naomi fretted. “I know you want the perfect wedding, but no one knows anything about your dad. There’s no way you’ll find him.”

  Tentatively, Trixie removed the book from beneath the rock she’d sat on. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine as she looked at it, even though she’d already examined it cover to cover. The tie-dyed front was old and withered, the pages curled with age. She leafed through it again carefully, acting like it was made of gold. If young Trixie had been a pirate, this was her treasure.

  “Well… Mom wrote about him in this - it’s the year she got pregnant with me. I found it when searching for some wedding decorations. I read it, and invited my dad.”

  Kim bit her lip. “Didn’t Sharon say your dad was long gone when she found out about you?”

  “Yes. And he was.” Trixie replied. “But she never said anything more. Claimed she forgot. I never knew if he was an islander, a long-term boyfriend, a summer romance, I didn’t even know his name!”

  “And now?” Naomi pressed.

  Trixie began to read aloud.

  July 17th Dear Diary, What a night. Justin thrills me in the BEST of ways. He has the most beautiful eyes. His hands are so strong. His arms are so muscular… I’m rambling. I can’t help it. Justin’s the one, I know he is. I’ve never felt like this before. He makes me feel so safe, so loved, so… You know. Tonight was the best night of all. I rowed him over to the little island again, and…

Naomi pulled a face. “And what?”

  Kim smacked her upside the head. “Naomi, you dumb bitch. If you were writing a diary about your sex life twenty years ago, you’d use dot dot dot. Keep up, please.”

  Dear Diary, WHAT. A. NIGHT. Justin is a fucking beast! I feel like I want to scream when he does his thing! He’s just oh-so-amazing! Every single night, we just…

  “Your mom really knew how to party.” Kim nodded, impressed. “So your dad is some unidentified guy named Justin. I’m sure there isn’t many Justin’s out there in the world. You’ll find him easy.”

  Trixie rolled her eyes so hard, she thought they might fall out. “I’m not done! It’s not that simple.”

  “Glad you caught on.” Kim murmured.

  “Not like that!” Trixie defended herself. “Just… there’s more.”

  Dear Diary, What a night. Justin’s a liar, a dirty cheating rotten liar and I never want to see his fucking face ever again. Engaged! Engaged! All this time, he’s been holding me in his arms, telling me he’s in love with me… and he’s engaged. He’s gone, and I’ll never see him again. Off to get married.

“Asshole.”

  “Cunt.”

  “But not, like, unheard of.” Naomi commented. “Some asshole dumped your mom for another woman. A stupid move, but that’s men for you.”

  Trixie grinned. “Keep listening! The plot thickens!”

  August 4th Dear Diary, What a night! Jaremi said to hell with my tiny sailboat, and rented a huge motorboat for the two of us! He’s so sweet. Every single part of me wants Justin to come back, but Jaremi… he’s so good to me. I couldn’t help it. It was late, we were happy… one thing led to another…

  “DOT DOT DOT!” Kim screeched gleefully. “Get it, Sharon!”

  “Shh!” Trixie smacked her arm, paranoid that someone would overhear. As overjoyed as she had been at her new discoveries, she couldn’t risk her mom finding out.

  “Okay. So Jaremi is your dad, then. Easy peasy?” Naomi stated uncertainly.

  Trixie shook her head, clutching the book to her chest and beginning to make her way up the rest of the cliff. Left with no choice, the girls followed, calling at her to slow down as she read on, still grinning.

  Dear Diary, Jaremi’s gone. Without a trace. Supposedly he sailed off in the night and now he could be fucking miles away. So much for a good guy.

August 13th Dear Diary, What a night! Willam is the funniest guy I think I’ve ever met. He sings so well, and we had so much fun on the guitar he bought for me. Not to mention he’s pretty cute, and well…

  “So which is your dad?”

  Trixie stopped in the middle of the open hotel courtyard, deftly hiding the book behind a plant pot and smiling nervously. “I… I don’t know.”

  Kim frowned, peering round the freshly-laundered bed sheets that hung on the rows of washing lines to try and see the diary. “Read on, then! Doesn’t Sharon say later on?”

  She shook her head. “I already read ahead.” She admitted. “When I first found it. The last entry is just the word ‘Pregnant’ in shaky handwriting. No dates, no names. I’m sure she knows, but I can’t ask her. Especially not now.”

  It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Everything seemed like a good idea at that time of night. When the sky turned inky black, and the moonlight created idly glittering circles on the waves, it was peaceful and perfect. It was the kind of night, the kind of atmosphere where nothing could go wrong. With high hopes and a gentle song, she’d posted three envelopes.

  Justin Honard.

Jaremi Carey.

Willam Belli.

  One of them had to respond. All three, well - that would be amazing. Trixie would find her dad, she’d be able to be given away by him… everything would fall perfectly into place. The way it should be. The piece of her that had always been missing would finally be filled. She clung to that hope with all she had.

  “Wait… which one did you invite, then?” Naomi asked.

  Trixie waited for them to catch up, her beaming smile something of a giveaway. Slowly, recognition dawned in both of her best friend’s eyes.

  “ALL THREE?!”

  “All three what?”

  In unison, Trixie, Naomi and Kim all jumped out of their skin, scrambling to face Sharon and attempting to not look guilty - a feat which made them all look incredibly guilty.

  “All three of us, together again! How… how awesome!” Kim fumbled. It was a bad lie, but it was the best they could do.

  Nevertheless, Sharon’s face broke into a smile. “You’re all so big now… go back to being babies! Stop getting older, it’s awful! Still, I’m glad you’re having fun. I used to have fun.”

  Trixie put her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows humorously at her mom. There were definitely many undeniable similarities between the mother and daughter. Both of them had shining golden hair and bright blue eyes, although at almost forty, Sharon’s hair was streaked with bits of silver and lines had begun to surround her eyes. They shared the same mischievous smile, the only difference yet again being that Sharon’s held a few more summers of laughter and stress in the lines around it. Whilst Trixie’s fashion sense was girlish and pink, Sharon had to settle for practical, work-appropriate clothing in order to be the one-woman hotel staff committee that she had devoted her life to being.

  “You sure did have fun,” Naomi mumbled, earning a sharp kick and a yelp from Trixie. “Me and Kim, we’re going to, uh… unpack in our rooms. Bye!”

  Before she could get suspicious, a familiar voice rang out.

  “USED TO HAVE FUN?! SO WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR, TO BE FUCKING STATUES?!”

  Sharon grinned. “With you two, you’d be gargoyles! Get out here, you old crows.”

  Jinkx came strutting forwards first, fully decked out and prepared for the island’s weather in an enormous floppy sun-hat. Her tufts of ginger hair were visible against her forehead, and she squeezed Trixie tightly in her arms as soon as she saw her.

  “Aunty Jinkxy!”

  “Trixie Needles, you need to stop being so beautiful right now! It’s so lovely to see you, all grown up and ready to be a bride. I’m hoping to meet the mystery man soon!” She trilled, squeezing hard once again before releasing Trixie from her grasp to press a kiss to both of her cheeks.

  Raja came strolling through a moment after Jinkx, with the leisurely supermodel walk she seemed to have perfected. Her long, shapely legs were exposed through her wraparound skirt, and she was decked out in lavish jewellery. Her dark eyes glittered behind designer sunglasses, and her lips curved upwards into something of a smize.

  “Aunty Raja!”

  As usual, Raja’s hugs were less warm and soft than Jinkx’s, but she smelt of expensive perfume and clung tightly to Trixie before surveying her up and down.

  “I definitely wasn’t this beautiful at my first wedding. He’s a lucky guy!” She beamed, ruffling Trixie’s hair.

  Together, the three of them were an odd pairing. Jinkx was short, pale and utterly hilarious, with her screechy laugh and generally odd taste. Raja was tall, statuesque even, and loved anything and everything expensive and fashionable. Sharon was the only one of them to have children. There shouldn’t have been any correlation, anything obvious to link the three together - but Trixie knew from the diary that their youth had been filled with days spent with one another. It felt nice, knowing that other side of the women she’d grown up around.

  “Mom, have you seen Brian around?” Trixie asked. “I want to talk to him about something but goodness knows where he’s got to.”

  Sharon laughed, somewhat sarcastically. “He was doing ‘important stag do prep’ last time I saw him - studying cocktail recipes with Karl and the rest of the boys. Maybe he’ll be stumbling to the aisle tomorrow.”

  “I’m hurt that you think of me that way, Sharon.” A pair of warm hands came snaking around Trixie’s waist from behind, Brian’s familiar cologne being the giveaway. He kissed her forehead gently. “Krasavitsa, tell her I’m nice.”

  Last summer, Brian had arrived in Greece for a lad’s holiday that had gone wrong. Half the group fell out, some of them had gone home, and Brian had decided to kiss all his asshole buddies goodbye and vacation on his own. By chance and local recommendation, he jumped onto the bi-weekly boat trip that led tourists to the island. There, Trixie met him on the beach and hit it off with him instantly. The following spring, he’d proposed.

  He made Trixie’s heart do all kinds of flips and somersaults. By no means was he traditionally handsome, with his buzzed blonde hair and high cheekbones, but when he smiled and laughed, he revealed a goofy, warm-hearted persona that she’d fallen head over heels for. He was strange, eclectic - every word under the sun. Trixie had spent months howling with laughter at his odd little thoughts, his off comments, his mismatched attempts at flirting. She was sure they were meant to be. Fate had brought them together.

  “My little girl…” Sharon smiled wistfully, reaching out to twirl a lock of Trixie’s hair around her finger. “Back in my day, we sure didn’t get married at twenty. Remember those t-shirts we used to wear?”

  Trixie grinned. She loved it when her mom started to talk about the past, even just a little bit. She was always so fixed and focused on the day-to-day that the rare moments of talking about how things had once been had always interested Trixie.

  Raja chuckled. “Marriage is an institution-”

  “-For people who belong in an institution!” Sharon finished.

  “Handmade, too,” Jinkx winked at Trixie and Brian. “Scribbled on with pen. Mind you, I suppose your old mom has had to change her tune nowadays, eh?”

  Sharon blew a raspberry at her friend. “Old! Bah, you’re right. Anyway, on the topic of weddings, I have work to do! And so do you, Mr McCook - not stag prep! Get those lazy friends of yours back on track, and whilst you’re at it, make sure my bar staff aren’t handing out free drinks to the ladies again!”

  “Yes, ma’am!” Brian saluted like an army recruit, and kissed Trixie’s hand. Raja, Jinkx and Sharon began to disperse.

  This was her chance.

  “Brian, wait.” Trixie spoke softly. “I need to talk to you about something.”

  Instantly, all of Brian’s attention was focused on Trixie. His blue eyes searched her face, concerned but gentle. “Everything okay?

  “Yes, yes, I’m fine.” Trixie muttered. “It’s not me, it’s -”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Trixie spotted a small sailing boat on the horizon. After years of living on the island, she was quite well versed in timings - she knew it would arrive at the shore very soon. Normally, she wouldn’t have cared, but this was no ordinary boat.

  The sailing boats weren’t for hire, so whoever was sailing it had to own it. Typically, locals used them to get to and from the mainland when they felt like it, but this one had only three passengers, dressed in everyday clothing and holding suitcases as though they didn’t live nearby.

  Three men.

  Suitcases.

  Had they been ordinary tourists, they would’ve been arriving on the bi-weekly boat which was scheduled for four days time. The only reason anyone would’ve sailed to the island was if they had a specific reason that couldn’t wait, such as a wedding invite for the following day…

  Trixie’s heart leapt into her mouth.

  “It’s - It’s nothing.” She rushed out, her eyes widening. “Mom will want you to go do your duties, you know what she’s like. We can talk later. Bye!”

  Before she could run off, Brian twisted her around, meeting their lips in a sweet kiss. Under normal circumstances, Trixie would’ve melted into him, leaning against his chest for another few moments of peace before the continued wedding chaos, but not now. She needed to make sure that nobody - especially not her mom - found these three familiar strangers arriving at the island. All hell would break loose if she wasn’t careful.

  —

  Thankfully, she got to the dock just in the nick of time. The three men were just stepping off the boat and talking quietly amongst one another when Trixie caught them. For a moment, she just stared. They were each attractive in different ways and all around the same age. One of these men was her dad. There was just no way of telling which.

  “Perhaps this young lady will be able to help us… Hello there! We three strangers have been invited to a wedding by Sharon, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about what’s going on, would you? I’m Jaremi.” The tanned man spoke first, offering his hand for Trixie to shake. He wore glasses and an adventurous look about him.

  When Trixie spoke, she sounded breathless. “Yes, yes… Yes, we’re expecting you. You two must be Justin and Willam.”

  She directed her attention towards the other two men, both who smiled and differentiated themselves. Willam was blond and well-off, judging by his clothes. Justin was lankier, with dark hair and a handsome face.

  “Come with me, we have rooms for you. Well… one room. We’re a little tied up for space at the moment, with this wedding that’s happening.”

  As she made her back up from the dock, the three men following, she started to feel uneasy. What angle should she play here? Should she admit that she was Sharon’s daughter, and risk them knowing that they could potentially be her dad? Should she say that she was the one getting married, again risking her secret being exposed, or act as though it was someone else?

  Still, beneath her panic, hope fluttered in her chest like a butterfly escaping a chrysalis. Despite not knowing which one yet, she was in the presence of her dad. He was here, on the island, and going to be attending her wedding. Even though there would be carnage in the long run, Trixie was excited. This was her dream, materialized. She just had to do what felt right.

  “We’ll, uh, have to go round the back of everything.” Trixie told them, steering them out of any paths that her mom might’ve been on. “Everything’s a little hectic, so it’s easier that way.”

  “Seems fair. Is Sharon around?” Justin spoke up.

  Trixie froze a little, but quickly recovered. She clambered over the remains of a broken door, discarded in a little alley, and beckoned the three men to follow her round the back of the hotel. Luckily for her, the room that she’d preplanned wasn’t too far, tucked away at the back of the hotel. Three beds were already waiting.

  “Not at the moment, but I’m sure she will be.”

  With a winning smile, she opened the door to the room she’d prepared, closing it behind her once everybody was inside. She took a moment to inspect each of them properly, noticing the three of them doing the same to her.

  “Sorry if this seemed a little rushed… I’m Trixie.” She smiled sweetly.

  “You’re the girl getting married?” Willam asked.

  Trixie grinned, pointing at the ring on her finger. “Now, about this door - it gets a little stuck sometimes because it’s old, but if you just shove against it real hard-”

  “You’re Sharon’s daughter.” Justin said. It wasn’t a question.

  Left without a choice, Trixie nodded. Stay calm, she told herself. There was a good chance that none of them would realize why they’d been invited, at least not yet. She had time to come clean, confess and settle everything before the big day.

  “I knew you looked familiar. God, I bet she hasn’t aged a day.” He sounded wistful. “I know she’s busy, but can I see her? I want to thank her for this invite-”

  “No!” Trixie panicked, internally cursing herself as soon as the outburst came. “I… shit. Mom didn’t send the invitations to you, I did. She doesn’t know you’re here.”

  Three pairs of eyes stared at her - concerned, confused, amused. The truth was coming out a little sooner than Trixie had anticipated, but that was fine. She was crafty. As long as her mom didn’t find out until the very last second, it would all turn out okay.

  “Listen.” She whispered, drawing closer. “She’s been so stressed constantly about my wedding, so I felt bad and invited you guys to cheer her up. She talks about her friends from the past all the time, I thought she’d like it.”

  All three of her guests reacted slightly at the word ‘friends’. Perhaps that wasn’t right; it was clear from her mom’s diary that they had been so much more than that.

  Trixie took a deep breath and continued. “Just… if she sees you, don’t tell her you’re here for my wedding. Make something up, a happy coincidence that you’re here. Please. She’ll freak out at having unexpected guests, I just know it, but once she gets past the stress she’ll be so happy.”

  Justin sighed heavily. “I shouldn’t be here, I should go. Trixie, your mom hates me.”

  “Maybe she did, twenty years ago.” Trixie countered. “No one can hold a grudge, or any kind of feeling, for that long. You can’t just go! I want you at my wedding, all of you!”

  Slowly, surely, Jaremi and Willam began to laugh, coaxing Justin to join them. It was totally absurd, it really was. Trixie herself could see the bizarreness of the situation, and giggled along with them. It felt nice. Laughing with her dad - or at present, dads.

  Jaremi took his hat off and grinned. “You’re a firecracker, like your mom. He’ll stay, won’t you Justin?”

  Justin shook his head, smiling. “I suppose I have to. Seems like your mom’s taught you all her old tricks. There’s no way of getting out of this, is there?”

  Trixie beamed. “Nope! Remember what I said - lie, lie, and lie again. She can’t know I invited you, or that you’re here for the wedding. She’ll go insane.”

  The worry in her chest started to settle. Justin, Jaremi and Willam were amazingly sweet, and had agreed to cooperate and go along with a few white lies. Trixie was sure that in no time, she’d find out which one was her dad, and be able to have the perfect wedding with her dad walking her down the aisle to give her away. In an ideal world, maybe her mom would even make peace with her old flings, and revive some old friendships - but she knew not to hope for too much.

  “I need to get going…” Trixie murmured, feeling slightly regretful. She wanted to stay, to learn more about each of them. “Thank you so much for accepting those invites.”

  Justin snorted, but there was no malice in it. “It was always impossible to say no to your mother. Twenty years, and nothing’s changed.”