by Claire Adams
I had the words ready and rehearsed. The short speech was the perfect blend of compliments, challenges, and suggestions for how our two companies could forge a mutually beneficial relationship. I listened to myself as if from a distance. The pandering was enough to make me sick, but I kept telling myself the deal was worth it.
Until I saw Corsica. She stood under the awning outside the lounge and pretended she couldn't hear us. The dazzling smile that signified the success of her audition faded as she heard my practiced spiel. I was practically begging him to work with me. Corsica already thought I was the black sheep, but now she thought I was squeezing cash out of my rich connections.
"Penn?" Alicia tightened her grip on my arm. "Why don't you let us get settled before you talk any more business? I have a table waiting for us in the lounge."
She started to pull me towards the awning and then stopped when she saw Corsica.
"I'd love to hear more, Penn," Steven said with an indulgent smile. "As long as Alicia can put up with a little shop talk."
Alicia tossed her hair and laughed again. "I don't mind a bit. Penn has great ideas that I'm sure you'll like, and then we can all celebrate."
I watched as Corsica slipped away, and her shoulders were stiff. I felt the same stiffness steal over my body, the weight of the perfect payback. Here I had been making fun of Corsica for wanting to spend her life scrambling around after the rich, and she had just seen me doing the exact same thing.
It was no use leaving to chase her. I refused any more than one drink. That turned out to be a good idea because Steven was much more open to working with me when he knew I was going to leave him alone with Alicia. We made plans to finalize our business, and I took off as quickly as I could. I got the bonus of trying out the new bike headlights on the way home and made it to the house just as the sun finished setting.
I was just in time to see two people walk out the front door, hand in hand, and stroll down the path to the beach. I squinted in the pinkish light and realized it was not my father and mother, but a younger couple. Then I saw Corsica's curls waving in the wind, and I marched down the path after them.
"I can't believe you drove here just to see me," Corsica said. Her voice was soft and breathless. "That's so sweet, Joshua."
My fingers clenched into a fist as Joshua intertwined his hands with Corsica's. "What can I say? I've been missing you. It was totally unfair of me to expect you to graduate and jump right into everything. I mean, I've had a year since I graduated, and I remember what it was like at the start."
Corsica let him tug her closer. "I'm still figuring everything out. There have been some amazing opportunities that have come up, and I don't want to choose something I'll later regret."
"Like missing out on the Ritz-Carlton job?" Joshua asked.
"Actually-"
"Corsica, please. I'm just thinking of what's best for you."
I couldn't stand it anymore and marched over the sand dune so they noticed me. "Hey! There you are. How was the audition?" I called out.
Corsica jumped and loosened her fingers from Joshua's grip. "It went really well, thank you. I got the gig."
Joshua frowned. "Gig?"
"Don't say it like it's a dirty word," Corsica said. "I'm going to sing with a jazz trio at a very nice resort."
"Singing? Again, Corsica?" Joshua looked at me and crossed his arms. His distasteful look made it clear he blamed it all on me.
I answered his accusation by lifting Corsica up into a spinning hug. "Congratulations! I knew it was more than just a hobby. And I think it'll suit you more than licking boots at some snooty hotel."
Joshua tugged down the front of his jacket. "There's a big difference between a gig and a career. I know you obviously don't want to hear my advice, but I seriously think you should reconsider. Get your job and your finances all squared away, and then you can pursue anything you want without ruining your life."
"Or do you mean her credit?" I asked. "You sound like a banker. Can't you be happy for her?"
Corsica snapped out of her thoughts and stepped between us. "Joshua is happy for me, and he also has a good point."
"Thank you." Joshua slid an arm around her waist. "There's nothing wrong with a fun summer job. How about we go out to celebrate that? There's got to be a decent restaurant around here somewhere. Then, we can talk about you starting at the Ritz this fall."
He had it all planned out, and the bright flashes of anger directed at me meant that Joshua did not want to deal with any obstacles. He wanted Corsica to follow the right path to end up with him. How could the crown prince of an exclusive inn find a match if she didn't have the same impressive names on her resume? Joshua was molding her just the way Alicia had tried with me, and the thought made me sick.
"We've got champagne on ice up at the house," I said and nodded towards my beachfront mansion.
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Corsica said you were the, what is it? Caretaker? I wouldn't want to overstep. I'm sure your employer is very understanding, but it feels rude to trespass."
I waited, but Corsica never corrected him. Instead, she looked at me and said, "Thank you, but I know you've got work to do. And, Joshua, you came all this way, so really the choice is yours."
"Just one glass to celebrate, and then you can go on your way," I demanded. "Go ahead, Joshua. We'll be right behind you."
Corsica sidestepped me with a frown, but I caught her arm. Joshua disappeared over the top of the sand dune, and she hissed, "What are you doing?"
"You can't be serious," I snapped. "You're going to go out with him and let him berate your choices all night? You got a gig today! We should be celebrating, not lining up the rest of your life into perfect little tight columns on a spreadsheet."
"Don't you have work to do?" Corsica wrenched her arm free. "I'm sure Alicia could line up a late-night happy hour with another one of her rich connections."
"This has nothing to do with me." I snagged her elbow again. "This is about you. You shouldn't have to downplay something that makes you so happy. Did he even congratulate you?"
"That's not Joshua's style," Corsica said between pursed lips.
"What about your style?" I fought the urge to shake her. "What about this great break you got? Don't you want to enjoy it? It's not just a 'fun summer job,' and I don't want to hear you knocking it down like that."
She spun to face me with flashing eyes. "It's just a few nights of singing. I'm not in it for the money, but the money will be important when our little deal is done. I need to pay my rent, buy food, and support myself."
"Corsica, please. I know what it's like to be scared of giving up everything for a dream, but you have to believe it's worth it."
"Says the man who did it all with a golden parachute," she snapped.
I cursed my father again. "I never intended to take anything from my father then, and I'm not going to now."
"But you have the comfort of knowing it's there if you need it." Corsica wrapped her arms around her. "I don't have anything or anyone. Once I'm done helping you, I'm on my own again, and I have to make sure I can make it. The chances of making it on a singer's salary is very, very slim and you know it."
"So it's not worth it?"
Corsica turned away from me, back to the waves. "You don't understand. It's working out for you, and it always will. I swear there's some twisted law in the universe that says the rich will always get what they want while the poor will always have to work. So, I don't care if Joshua didn't say congratulations. He actually has my best interests at heart. You just want me to walk out on a ledge and hope I can keep my balance when the waves hit."
A huge swell sprayed us with cold salt water. Corsica shivered and headed back up the path to the house.
"Wait." I didn't know what to say, but I couldn't stand the idea of her leaving with Joshua. "I just want you to be happy. You can't tell me that he makes you happy."
"What do you care if he makes me happy or not?" Corsica snapped.
> "Because I want to." She stopped on the path, and I reached out to spin her around. "I know you're helping me out this summer, but I want to help you, too. Didn't the audition make you happy? Aren't you excited to sing?"
Her shoulders stiffened again. "Thanks for the introductions and the audition. I owe you one."
I tipped her stubborn chin up so I could look into her eyes. "You don't owe me anything. That's the difference between him and me. Joshua thinks you owe him for all the careful grooming he's done. He expects that now you'll repay him by slipping right into the picture he's formed of his perfect life. You're not two-dimensional, and you can't let him do that to you."
Corsica's eyes burned. "What if I like the look of his perfect life? What if that's what would make me happy?"
"Liar," I snarled and caught her lips in a hard kiss. All the words I couldn't form pushed their way into that kiss as I held her tight.
Corsica pushed her fists between us, but then her hands flattened out on my chest. When her fingers gripped the front of my shirt, I was lost. The kiss consumed us both. It inhaled the salty sea spray, the roar of the waves, and the curious call of her ex-boyfriend.
We didn't hear Xavier until he was two feet away and laughing. "Guess that answers my question about the gentleman waiting in the driveway," he chuckled.
Corsica pushed free of me. "I have to go."
Xavier blocked her way. "I hope not. Alice has invited us to her place for dinner. No, that's putting it mildly. She's invited us for the big summer solstice celebration, and I promise you, it is not something you are going to want to miss."
"And I'm not missing a chance to show-off my fiancée." I dropped my voice for her ears only, "And we still have an agreement, right?"
She scowled at me and then took a deep breath and addressed my father. "Luckily, I'm in the mood to celebrate. I got a singing gig today."
They went together to break the news to Joshua, and I took my time. I knew I had won the evening by default, and it wasn't enough. I was starting to wonder how much of Corsica would ever be enough. I had never wanted a woman so entirely, and it was starting to worry me.
Chapter Thirteen
Corsica
"I'm sorry, Joshua, really I am, but I have a previous engagement tonight." I watched Joshua transform as he noticed Xavier Templeton.
His smile was wider, the dimple giving a practiced wink. "Mr. Templeton, I'm sorry if I'm trespassing. I'll get out of your hair."
Xavier waved an absent hand at Joshua and waited for Penn to walk up the front steps. "We'll give you two a moment."
"And nice to see you again, Mr. Penn," Joshua called.
I worried that Penn was going to turn around and throttle him right there in the driveway. The sparks of jealousy I had seen in his eyes had turned into a four-alarm fire when we kissed. Now that his father had interrupted us again, Penn looked ready to explode.
Joshua waited until they had gone inside the mansion, and then he turned to me with a frown. "You're making good contacts here, I'll give you that, but I really wish you would let me help you. There's a right way and a wrong way to go about cultivating relationships like that."
I licked my lips where they still tingled and wondered how Joshua would feel if I told him about the confusing relationship tangle I was getting into with Penn. I didn't even understand it myself. One moment, he was kissing me blissful, and the next, he was answering a business call. One moment, we were flirting and touching like a real couple, and the next, he'd turned it all into a lie we had to perform for his parents.
Why wasn't I packing up and going back to Santa Cruz with Joshua? I wondered.
He was still outlining the correct way to befriend someone as rich as Xavier Templeton, and I had my answer. Joshua was only interested in furthering his own career, and I was to be a useful tool. Maybe Penn was right, because I could easily imagine the tight squeeze I would feel after Joshua pushed me into the role he'd envisioned.
Penn, on the other hand, let me dangle.
"Corsica? Are you listening?"
I brushed back my hair with an impatient swipe. "I have to go inside and get ready. I'm sorry, Joshua."
"Wait, wait, wait," he gave an incredulous laugh. "You can't seriously be telling me you plan on staying here. Is it the singing? You can find a place in Santa Cruz; there's that karaoke place all the tourists like. I just can't stand here and let you make the wrong decision."
"It's my decision," I ground out. "I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions, and I'm saying goodnight. Goodnight, Joshua."
His expression was a mix of shock and pity. It was still irritating me as we drove towards Alice's encampment outside Pinnacles. Joshua honestly believed that I wasn't able to choose what was best for me.
Xavier pulled me out of my furious thoughts. "Have you ever heard the term 'glamping?'"
I blinked. "I think so. It's a mix of glamour and camping, right?"
He signaled the driver to slow down so he could roll down the window. "I thought you might like the look of it more than sleeping in a bag in the dirt. Each tent is equipped with a full-size bed, a solar-powered ceiling fan, and butler service. Who needs coolers and dirty campfire food when you have a man with a silver tray?"
Penn snorted. "It's ridiculous. Even Corsica can see that it's a total waste. If that's what you want, then you should be in a fancy hotel."
"Like the Ritz-Carlton?" I snapped.
His eyes narrowed. "Exactly."
I looked back out the window at the tents and spotted a chandelier illuminating one. "I think I would like glamping. All the comforts along with the peace and quiet of nature."
"Where's the peace and quiet when a butler keeps checking in on you?" Penn asked.
"What, you don't think I'm capable of making up my own mind about what kind of tent to stay in?" My voice rose a notch before I could get myself under control. "I can make my own decisions, thank you very much."
Penn leaned forward across the seat. "Then before you decide, you should consider the alternatives. Imagine it's just you in the woods. You have a tent and a sleeping bag and everything you actually need. The difference is you don't have any of the extras to weigh you down. There's no one there to judge your choices; there's no complicated choices at all. All you have to do is survive. I'm telling you, that's the most relaxed I've ever felt."
I hated to admit that his argument appealed to me. It had been a long time since I hadn't felt tested, graded, and compared to others. Roughing it in the woods meant I would have no one to impress and no one to please but myself.
And Penn. The thought seared through my mind before I could stop it. Ideas of how we would be together jumbled any counter-argument I might have been able to form.
Xavier chuckled. "And here we are at the spa."
I took one look at the artfully carved wooden doors and expensive Moroccan lamps and crowed with triumph. "See? Even your mother can appreciate a little luxury now and again."
Penn laughed. "Alice? In the spa? No, she's out back. Her clients meet her in a tee-pee at the edge of the trees."
I saw the tee-pee seconds before the flap flung open and Alice emerged. I was stumbling along the ice plant path in my heels when she met us with a flourish.
"I can't wait! You have to tell me all about the engagement and the wedding plans now this instant," Alice said.
"Don't you want to talk about your treatments-"
Alice cut me off as she looped an arm through mine and one through Penn's. She turned to her son. "What kind of wedding are we thinking about?"
Penn gave me a twinkling glance. "Something off the beaten path, closer to nature," he said.
Xavier immediately started to argue in my defense, and Alice swooped ahead to take him on. I crammed an elbow in Penn's side. "I know you're teasing me, but it's already backfired. Your mother loves the idea. You've made her happy."
Penn watched his parents walking arm-in-arm and frowned. "She looks so pale."
"But she's smiling. And she's in good company."
His frown turned to a scowl. "I'm never going to agree with you there."
I stopped him on the path and let his parents go ahead. "How can you say that? Xavier makes her happy; he's helping her through all of this. And she's forgiven him. Can't you see how much lighter that makes her? You're still letting it weigh you down."
"I didn't ask for it," Penn snapped.
I laid a hand on his stubbled cheek. "What if I want to see you happy, too?"
Penn's dark eyes softened. "Now you're going to use my arguments against me?"
"Only if they work," I teased.
Alice caught us smiling at each other. "I just can't wait. I got you an early engagement present! My friend Tabitha has time to see you both tonight."
Xavier groaned. "No. Why? The last thing newlyweds should face is a psychic."
"A psychic?" My stomach iced over. I couldn't tell exactly what was going on between Penn and me, so I didn't know why I should be worried that a perfect stranger could.
Penn looked as worried as me. "There's no rush. We came to see you."
"And I love you for it," Alice said. She pushed him towards a rustic trailhead marker. "Trust me. Talking to Tabitha is a great place to start. Maybe she can help you two sort out this argument about the style of wedding you want."
"That's true," I couldn't help but tease Penn and get a little revenge. "I have been leaning more towards a landmark wedding location, like maybe the Legion of Honor in San Francisco."
"No way," Penn snorted. He grabbed my hand and dragged me down the path. "All right, Mother. It looks like my bride-to-be and I will meet up with you in a little while."
"Don't rush Tabitha," Alice called.
I glanced back as Alice tucked herself under Xavier's arm. "I don't think she wants us to hurry. Looks like they might want a little private time themselves."
"I want to erase that thought from my head," Penn said.
