by Liz Madrid
When I open my mouth to say something like — did you just say porn? — Heath’s grip tightens and I shut up, a wide fake smile somehow migrating to my lips to match his own, though inside, imaginary me is punching Heath’s smile from his face.
12
Charade
So the charade has begun, though why Heath neglected to tell me that we’re supposedly dating each other is something that will have to wait till we get to where we’re staying for the night, a separate guest house on Harris’ property overlooking the beach.
With Pam heading back to bed, Harris tells Heath that he’ll see us at the main house for breakfast in an hour, and that should we want to go down to the beach, all we have to do is follow the path along the side of the villa that leads directly to the water.
“You could have given me the heads up that I’m your girlfriend,” I say as Heath shuts the door. “This was never in the plan, Heath.”
“What would you have told them, Billie? That you’re really here to find Blythe and take her home with you because someone’s setting her up on embezzlement charges? Or maybe that you’re a business associate, who happens to be Blythe’s sister? Unfortunately, I don’t have time to do business with small souvenir shop owners though I do have time to date beautiful women from time to time — even fly them halfway around the world,” he says. He’s stern again, the smile gone from his face.
“Well, now that you said that, I can’t help but feel special,” I say wryly.
“I admit that we should have discussed our story back at the plane,” he says as I follow him along the foyer leading to the main living area. “But given that it’s the only thing I can think of-”
“That we’re dating?”
“Yes, that we’re dating. Besides, isn’t that what Blythe already believes, that you’re sleeping with the enemy? How do we know that Harris doesn’t know that you’re with me, given that they were here yesterday?” he asks. “Besides, how else can I expect people to believe that you’re not here against your will?”
“Who said I was-”
The rest of the sentence is quickly forgotten as soon as we turn the corner and I’m faced with the view of the beach and part of the Pitons against the backdrop of a clear blue sky. The ocean breeze blows through the wide open balcony that features an eternity pool, the sound of the flowing water a perfect compliment to the waves lapping against the shore just below the balcony. It’s like a dream come true, the walls on either side of us framing my full view of paradise.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.
“Knock yourself out,” Heath says as he hands me a digital camera and walks towards the couch where the staff left our suitcases. “I didn’t know which suitcase had your casual clothes, so I just had both brought down here.”
“You don’t even see it,” I say, staring after him as he unzips his backpack and pulls out his laptop.
“I’ve got work to do, Billie. I’m not here to have fun.” He sets his laptop on the dining table, flips it open and switches it on. When he catches me still staring at him, he shrugs. “The market’s about to open and there are things-”
“That’s not my point,” I say. “I don’t care if the markets are about to open for the trading day or that, yes, you do have to work. But you haven’t even looked at what’s in front of you. It’s as if it’s not even there.”
He turns to look at the view for a few seconds, before the pinging of his email program prompts him to press a key on his laptop. A split second later, he looks away from his screen and looks at the view in front of him. But like a child forced to look at something he doesn’t want to, he exhales and I’m expecting him to say, happy now?
“You don’t have to look at it, you know, if you don’t want to,” I say.
“Just don’t get used to it, Billie. This is all temporary,” he says just as his phone rings. He answers it immediately, his voice businesslike. “Tyler, what is it?”
As he turns away from me and types on his laptop, it’s like I’m not even there anymore. His brow is furrowed as he listens to what Tyler has to say, his eyes narrowing as he goes through some emails. Blythe was right — he really is all work and no play.
I force myself to find something more casual to wear, opening one of the suitcases and rummaging through the stacks of clothes without messing them up too much. I’ve always been a terrible packer since I hardly ever go anywhere, so I’m doing my best to keep Alicia’s original arrangement of clothes and shoes untouched. It’s the first thing I photograph with the camera that Heath gives me, proof that once upon a time, I did have a killer wardrobe.
Still, I can’t help but feel disappointed that we have to leave so soon, which is ironic, because just 24 hours earlier I’d have given anything to be on a plane back to Sacramento. And now, it’s the last thing I want to do. I wish I could run down the path that leads to the beach and dig my toes into the sand for the rest of the day instead of having to sit through breakfast with Harris and Pam and look pretty.
If this is the world that Ethan offered Blythe from the beginning, then I don’t blame her for falling hard for him. I’d have been blind to everything else, too, considering we had to fight for everything we had while growing up, working together behind our make-shift lemonade stand right outside the shop doors when we were both only ten years old. And then later, as we grew older, Blythe worked after school at a local massage college processing applications, checking tests, and being the massage model while I helped mom and dad at the shop, handling inventory and filling in during days when they needed to get away for their usual weekend dates out in the river or just for a hike, coming home with their arms full of blackberries, their mouths and fingers stained black.
Yet even then, with our earnings, we could never have afforded anything as extravagant as this, Saint Lucia with our very own guest villa and a view of the ocean right beyond our window. This was a world so unknown to Blythe and I then, and now as I face the ocean and the view that no camera can ever do justice, I can understand how difficult it would be for anyone to turn away from all this. And as I turn to look back at the view of paradise behind me, I wonder if Blythe and I aren’t so different after all.
I settle for a two-piece bikini under a crocheted beach cover-up and a wide-brimmed hat that Alicia had had the foresight to include in my wardrobe. I braid my hair, letting it fall along my left shoulder before heading towards the door. Heath is still on the phone when I tell him I’ll be back in forty minutes though I doubt he even heard me. I grab a can of spray-on sunscreen and spray it all over myself as soon as I step out of the door. I’m a girl on a mission and I will get my butt into that clear blue water if it’s the only thing I get to do today.
I don’t care if I’m alone in this lonely stretch of beach, hidden away by lush rain forests on either side of me. The water feels cool against my skin as I wade deeper, letting it lap around my ankles at first, then my knees and finally, up to my thighs before I return back to the beach, pull off my cover up and my hat and dive in till the water’s up my chest and Heath can come get me if he has to but I’m not getting out of the water now. I only glance back at the beach house once, and I see Heath standing on the balcony watching me, still holding a phone to his ear. I don’t know why I’m feeling like he should be here with me, but grumpy Chairman of the Board or not, it would have been nice to enjoy this moment with someone.
By the time I return to the villa, I’m feeling pretty good about myself till the moment I see Heath waiting for me by the front door with a thick beach towel, which he drapes over my shoulders.
“Sorry I’m late. Should I shower first?” I ask but he shakes his head. “Dress?” He shakes his head again. “I think I need to put some make-up on, I look terrible-”
“You look beautiful, Billie, with or without make-up. Besides, we’re in Saint Lucia, not Miami Beach,” he says and that’s when I notice that he’s now wearing cargo shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, and flip-flops. Somehow I had no idea he
had it in him, but I can’t help but admit that he looks amazingly…relaxed.
“So what’s our story?” I ask him as we take our time walking along the garden path leading to the main house.
“First of all, Harris Colman is one of the original directors of Kheiron Industries. He started the company along with my father, and has been on the board about 35 years, though these days, he’s more of an advisor to us young guns, and will probably step down at the end of the year,” he says. “But don’t be fooled by the grandfatherly act. He’s shrewd, and he didn’t end up as co-chairman next to my father without being as smart as he is.”
“Then how did your dad end up losing all that money in bad investments? Couldn’t his friends have advised him against them?”
“My father was always a shrewd investor, but as he got older, he stopped being too critical of balance sheets. All you had to tell him was that you had a dream, and he’d invest in it, like he was making up for past mistakes,” he says as he glances up at a parrot flying overhead and landing in one of the branches of a tree. He stops before a row of flowers, giving me time to smell them as he continues speaking. “Don’t say anything about the embezzlement, nor about the documents. Pretend you know nothing.”
“Pretend I’m stupid, basically.”
“No, I didn’t say that. Just pretend it’s none of your business. Harris is also old-fashioned, just like my father was. He doesn’t believe women can do a better job as men, especially in the boardroom-“
“I’m sure in the bedroom, he didn’t mind,” I scoff.
Heath shrugs. “Maybe it’s a generation thing, I don’t know. But this is what I grew up with, Billie, that when men talked business, women went to the other room and talked about their children, the PTA, or whatever the current fashion trend was. But you don’t have to leave just because we’re talking business.”
“I’m not letting you discuss anything without me, Heath, not when you could be discussing Blythe and your plans of arresting her. He is a member of the board, which means he should know about the embezzlement.”
“Yet he hasn’t said anything,” Heath says slowly, “not to me, not even to Tyler, who is my co-chairman. Now if Harris is waiting for me to say something, then it would make sense if he said it to me now, in person, and that’s one reason why I’m here.”
“But only because Ethan came here first with whatever paperwork he got from your mother,” I say. “So does that mean you guys are basically spying on each other?”
Heath thinks for a moment. “Business is much dirtier than it looks, Billie.”
“But are you sure Blythe is going to be okay?” I ask as we reach the top of the hill. “I’m just afraid that if Harris finds out and decides that the rest of the board should know about this embezzlement, then anything on your end to stall it will seem suspicious.”
“I’ll have to see what he knows first.”
“Is he close to Ethan? Is that why Ethan came here? To show Harris what he took from your mother? I mean, were they legal documents?”
“Ethan is his godson, and as far as what the document is, I’ll tell you more later. But for now, we’ve got an audience,” he says, stopping to pluck a few jasmine flowers from a shrub along the path and tucking the blooms in my braid. It’s a simple gesture that does catch Harris’ attention, for if he’d been standing with his back to the balcony, he’s facing us now and watching the show unfold.
“You’re really putting on a show,” I tell him. “It’s actually not necessary, you know.”
“Can’t a man just tuck flowers in his girl’s hair?”
“First, I’m not your girl-”
“You are, as far as this trip is concerned. And don’t worry, there won’t be any sex, just like you said earlier,” he says. “So stop fighting me for once, Billie.”
“And second,” I pause, blushing as I gather my braid and see the white fragrant blooms tucked neatly between the sections, “thank you. Act or no, it’s still sweet.”
“You’re welcome, love,” he says though he narrows his eyes, waiting for me to react to his term of endearment. When I don’t react, he smiles. “Nothing to say? Good, guess there’s hope for you yet.”
“What do you mean, there’s hope-”
I don’t finish my sentence because Heath kisses me. It’s a gentle kiss and one that would have shut me up even if that hadn’t been his intention anyway. His kiss is soft and warm, almost tentative at first, his teeth catching my lower lip and sucking on it gently. And with his hands cradling my face, it’s perfect, especially for a girl like me who hasn’t been kissed like this in a long time.
But with Harris watching us from the balcony, I understand his kiss is not what it seems. It’s not like brothers haven’t dated sisters throughout history before, though Blythe and I have never done that, not when she and I ran with different crowds — her with the prom queens and me with the awkward nerds. Still, as I pull away from Heath, surprised that my hands have somehow made their way behind his neck, my fingers running lazily through his hair, I tell myself the same thing that Heath told me earlier, when I fancied myself in love with the view beyond the balcony.
Just don’t get used to it, Billie. This is all temporary.
13
Dead To Me
We have breakfast on the same balcony where Blythe and Ethan had theirs the day before and where Blythe delivered her sisterly message to me via her Instagram post. Harris’ hilltop balcony has the breathtaking view of the Pitons, two volcanic spires that make up the Soufriere Volcanic Centre. According to Harris, the designated World Heritage site is the remnant of one, or possibly more, collapsed stratovolcanoes.
Harris is warm and friendly, and I can see how it’s easy to drop one’s guard with him, with his easygoing personality and nurturing energy, for it really does radiate from him. He wants to know everything about you, and seems genuinely interested in what makes you happy and sad, even fearful. But it’s this skill of his with questions that reminds me of Heath’s warning about his grandfatherly act.
But grandfatherly act or not, he also reminds me of the grandfather I’m named after, and soon I’m laughing at his jokes and feel flattered by the way he doles out the compliments, about how I’m definitely warmer and friendlier than my sister, or that he’s figured out how to tell us apart.
“It’s the way you smile, dear,” he says. “It’s from your heart. You’re authentic. I can see that as clear as day. Now I’m not saying Blythe doesn’t smile from the heart because she does. Yours is…dare I say…so pure, so unaffected by the world. Now I just want to know where Heath has been hiding you all this time. You’re such a gem, my dear!”
“Nevada City,” I blurt out, every single word of warning that Heath gave me earlier forgotten. I feel Heath’s hand covering mine on the table, a gesture that isn’t lost on Harris who beams.
“She’s precious, Heath. I wish you both nothing but the best in the world,” he says as the staff arrive to clear away the table, leaving us with our cups of coffee and a bowl of fruit. “Now don’t let this young man hide you away where no one can see you, Billie. He can be such a recluse at times I’d hate to see your beauty and your light just tucked away-”
“Harris, don’t scare the poor girl. Just because you don’t see me traveling the same social circles as you and Ethan doesn’t mean I don’t get out at all,” Heath says and though he’s smiling, there’s an edge to his voice. Behind us, two of Harris’ security team pretend to look at the view but I can’t help but think they’re hearing every word.
“That’s because you don’t!” Harris laughs, “or at least not where I get to see you as much as I would like to. There’s more to life than just the boardroom, Heath, or work for that matter. You really do need to live life a bit more, and I know you don’t like it when I say such things to you — I’m sure it reminds you of your father-”
“It does,” Heath says, his voice clipped.
“But I can’t help it,” Harris says,
laughing as he gives me an apologetic look. “Did you know I watched them all grow up — Heath, Ethan, Jessica. They’re like my own children! They used to play with Daniel and Sylvia up until they all had to go to finishing school. Daniel and Ethan did theirs in England, as did Sylvia and Jessica in Switzerland, and-”
“I’m sure Billie would rather hear of more exciting things than where we all went to school, Harris,” Heath says. “Don’t you, Billie?”
I flash him a smile and shrug. It’s the only thing I can do and appear neutral.
“Anyway, I do hope I get to see you both in Santa Barbara in time for Ethan’s tournament,” Harris says, turning to look at me. “Tell him to go to Santa Barbara, my dear. If you’ve never been to a polo tournament, then this is the place to be. I hear Prince Harry is going to be playing.”
“I’d appreciate it if you don’t tell Billie what to do, Harris,” Heath says. “By the way, where are Ethan and Blythe staying? Small world to have them here having breakfast with you yesterday, and now, here we are.”
And like a light switch that’s just been turned on, the atmosphere around the table thickens with something that doesn’t feel quite as friendly as it had been — not that Heath hadn’t contributed to it already with his warning to Harris about not telling me what to do.
“Feel free to walk around the grounds, my dear. I’m sure we’ll be boring you to death in no time with our talk of business,” Harris tells me.
“I’ll get up when I’m bored, if that’s okay,” I tell him, flashing him the friendliest smile I can manage. I’ve always hated confrontation and though my first instinct is to do as Harris says and flee the table, maybe even run back down to the beach and enjoy myself, I won’t, not when I’m here on a mission.
“In fact, I’d love to see, or even talk to Blythe if I can, while I’m here,” I say, realizing I could actually use this moment to find out Blythe’s phone number. “I lost my phone, and can you believe it, but I don’t have her number memorized! Do you know where she is?”
