“You sound like you’re interested in business,” his mom said.
Anna shrugged as she said, “I was raised around business, plus I have one of my own.”
“So you have a store or something in LA?” Sarah asked.
“Not a store. I have an office my team works from, but I can work from pretty much anywhere and just fly if I need to go elsewhere for meetings.”
“That would be an ideal job,” Leah said. “I guess you get to pick and choose who you have to deal with, huh?”
“To some degree. I mean, I picked my team, yes, but I still have to deal with other people on a limited basis.” She gave Leah a small smile. “I know what it’s like to prefer not to have to deal with the public at large. I am fortunate because of my circumstances that I’m able to control, for the most part, who I have to deal with. There are some major downsides to my job, but I wouldn’t change it for the world—most days.”
As Eli watched Anna talk about her job, he could see strain form around her eyes. Something there was causing her stress, but he doubted that she’d go into detail about what it was.
The thing about not talking much was that listening and observing became a way of life. He found that he ended up with a lot of information. Probably more than he ever wanted or needed. With Anna, however, he found himself wanting more. Maybe it was because she wasn't very forthcoming. For a lot of people, if they found a listening ear, they’d just keep talking, spilling everything.
Anna obviously wasn’t one to spill what was bothering her, so he hoped that whatever it was didn’t stress her out too much more.
The conversation settled down after a bit, and Eli could see that Anna had something more on her mind. She shifted in her seat, her gaze going to his mom as she played with the food on her plate.
Finally, when Sarah finished talking about her latest project, Anna said, “Can I ask you a question?”
His mom’s brow furrowed for a moment, which Eli knew meant she was bracing herself for whatever was to come, but still, she nodded.
“Do you really believe that every day is a day that the Lord has made?” Anna asked. “I saw that on the plaque in the bathroom.”
“Oh.” His mom’s expression cleared and settled into the happy look she got whenever she was presented with the opportunity to share about her faith. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Even the bad ones?” Anna asked.
“Yes. Even the bad ones.” When Anna didn’t respond, his mom said, “What about you? Do you believe the Lord makes all our days?”
Anna’s brows drew together as she focused on his mom, her food forgotten. “Yes, I do, but it’s hard to remember sometimes. Especially lately.” She picked her fork up but didn’t use it. “I also struggle to understand why bad things happen to people who believe in God. That challenges my faith more, I think.”
Eli understood that. With everything that had happened to him and his family, he understood wondering why bad things happened to people who trusted in God. He’d wondered that himself. There had been plenty of moments when he’d wondered why God was allowing their family to struggle the way they had.
“We believe that God is in control, but He gives us choices in our lives,” his mom explained. “Sometimes our choices lead to good things. Sometimes they lead to bad. We live in a sinful world where bad things happen because of sinful people, and sometimes those bad things impact good people too. But in spite of that, we know that we are not alone. Even in the worst circumstances, God hasn’t abandoned us. He is by our side, regardless.”
Anna’s brow stayed furrowed for a moment before smoothing. “So that verse, did you put it next to the mirror to remind visitors first thing in the morning to rejoice in the day, whatever it may hold?”
“Exactly,” his mom said with a smile. “Now I’m not saying that we succeed every day, but we try.”
With a nod, Anna speared a piece of carrot. Her expression had cleared a bit, but it was clear she was still struggling with something more than what she’d shared.
“I suppose that’s all we can ever do,” Anna said. “Try our best, and hope it’s enough.”
“And still try to rejoice and trust in God even when our best isn’t enough for people.” His mom gave Anna a gentle smile. “The best part is knowing that God knows our hearts and true intentions, so even while people might question or judge us, in the end, for us, it’s only God who matters.”
That, more than anything else his mom had said seemed to provoke a response in Anna. Eli just wasn’t sure what the expression was that crossed her face. Relief, maybe?
“Thank you for clarifying that for me.” She pushed her plate forward a bit and rested her folded arms on the table. “I’m dealing with some stuff that I went into with…well…good intentions, but it’s all kind of backfired on me, so I’ve appreciated seeing the plaques in the cabins.”
“Not everyone has,” his mom said. “There are people who don’t like that we have signs of our faith displayed at our business.”
“I suppose they don’t have to return, if they don’t like it,” Anna commented.
“Yep. That’s how we view it.”
“Most people are good about it, though,” Sarah said. “We have people who come back precisely because they share our faith. So for every person we’ve lost because of it, there have been several who didn’t care or who liked it enough that they return each year.”
Slowly the conversation shifted away from the spiritual side of things to the guests they now considered friends. Anna settled back in her chair, the earlier tension gone from her face. For some reason, Eli found himself relaxing as well, a feeling of contentment winding its way through him.
Before he had a chance to consider that reaction, his mom pushed back from the table. Eli got to his feet and began to stack the plates before carrying them over to the counter. Anna also picked up a couple of the bowls. He waited for his mom to stop her, but once again, she didn’t say a word. Once the table was cleared, Leah brought out the dessert which was a simple dish of fresh fruit and whipped cream—his mom’s attempt at a healthy dessert following a not-so-healthy meal.
After they were done eating dessert, and the last of the dishes were cleaned up, Anna said, “Thank you so much for the wonderful meal.”
“You’re more than welcome.” Eli was surprised that his mom didn’t move to hug Anna. She just had that look on her face. “Will you be here again tomorrow night?”
Anna’s brow furrowed for a moment, and she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Are you sure it’s not too much trouble?”
“Definitely not.”
“In that case, I’d love to join you.”
“Consider yourself invited for each evening you’re here. Just let me know a few hours in advance.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“I didn’t see your car out front,” Eli said. “Would you like a lift back to your cabin?”
Anna turned to him. “I had planned to walk for the sake of exercise, but if it’s not too much trouble, I’d appreciate a ride.”
“It’s fine. I go right by the cabins on the way up to my place.”
They said their goodbyes, then Eli led the way to his truck, opening the passenger side door for Anna. He waited as she pulled herself up onto the seat then closed the door and rounded the front of the truck to the driver’s side.
“So you live up on the mountain?” Anna asked as he backed away from the lodge.
“Yes. The road that runs between the cabins leads up to my place.”
“Are there more houses up there?”
“No. We own the land all around here, so no one can build on it except for us, or someone we give permission to.”
“That’s great. It’s so soothing here, even if the quiet seems loud at times. I’m so used to the noise of the city that hearing nothing has been something to get used to. I almost downloaded an app with the sounds of traffic to help me sleep last night.”
Eli chuckle
d. “We do have some people who bring sound machines to help them sleep. My mom actually purchased a couple, just to have on hand.”
“The nice thing is that the bed is so comfortable that it makes up for any lack of noise.”
“That’s good to hear. We invested a lot in replacing the beds last summer, so it would be a shame if they weren’t comfortable.”
He pulled to a stop behind her car and went to get out when he felt a hand on his arm. Eli turned back to face Anna though he couldn’t see her too clearly in the fading light.
“I was wondering,” she began hesitantly. “You can feel free to say no, but I was wondering if it would be possible for me to help you guys with the painting. Or even just taping things off, if you’re doing that. I really do have experience doing both.”
Eli stared at her for a moment, then nodded. “I suppose you could if you really want to.”
“I do. I’ve got so much other stuff going on that I just need a break from. Being able to do something that I enjoy would help a lot.”
“Sure. Just come on down to cabin one. We spent most of today there—Leah and me. There’s still stuff to do though, so we’ll be back there again tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” She pulled her hand back from his arm and opened her door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yep.” Eli had planned to get the door for her, but she was out and closing it before he had a chance to open his door. Instead, he watched to make sure that she made it safely inside the cabin before pulling away and heading up to his place.
Once inside, he greeted his dog, Shadow, with a few minutes of petting and scratches then dumped food into his bowl and gave him fresh water. As he headed into his shop, Eli put a podcast on his phone, piping it through his Bluetooth speakers in hopes that it would keep him from thinking too much about Anna and the complexities she presented that he found himself wanting to understand.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Arianna let herself into the cabin and went to change into something warm and comfortable. There had been a chill in the air outside that still lingered, though she wasn’t sure it had all been from the weather. Once in her favorite sweatshirt and leggings, she reluctantly picked up her laptop and phone from where she’d left them earlier.
She’d given herself until this evening to contact her team. After recording the video then watching it, she’d ended up re-recording it because she hadn’t been happy with parts of it. Once satisfied with it, she’d waited until that morning to upload it to her channel. She’d spent the day monitoring the responses to it, and now she had to deal with her management team.
Because she’d been braced for the absolute worst, she hadn’t fallen apart when the negative comments on the video had begun to pile one on top of the other. She didn’t delete comments unless they crossed the line into racism or were otherwise derogatory toward certain groups of people. Thankfully, mixed in amongst the negative comments had been some positive and supportive ones as well. It was nice to know that a few people were giving her the benefit of the doubt.
Now, however, Arianna needed to touch base with her team, regardless of how much they were likely to yell at her.
Even though she hadn’t been on her social media accounts for the past week or so, she’d left them all active, so there were plenty of comments directed toward her on Twitter. Her Instagram photos were deluged with comments, both negative and positive. It wasn’t the blood bath it could have been, but it still wasn’t great.
Over the course of the day, hashtags had started to pop up. #TeamArianna and #TeamDavid were scattered across her social media. Even #Daria, the relationship name the fans had given them by combining David and Arianna, was popping up.
As usual, it amazed her how much people were invested in her life—both the everyday stuff and her love life. It was rather scary, if she was completely honest about it. The obsession with her and David had most likely been fueled by the fact that she hadn’t been involved with anyone before—at least not that people were aware of.
It was hard to be a vlogger and balance how much of her personal life to share. She knew for certain that she wouldn’t be doing any vlogging while she was in New Hope. It felt wrong to even consider it. If she did any more videos, they would just be sit-down ones like the one she’d done the previous night.
The one that her management team was most likely losing their minds over.
To that end, she settled into the chair closest to the fireplace, wishing she had the nerve to try and light a fire. Even though Nadine had given her instructions, Arianna was still a bit reluctant to try her hand at it. Maybe she should have asked Eli to help her out.
She settled her laptop on the end table next to the chair, then picked up her phone. She bypassed all the text and voice mail messages and went straight to her contact list. It wasn’t like she needed to listen to or read those messages to know what they would say, so rather than waste time, she’d just call them and let them tell her directly.
Still, when she saw her list of contacts, her thumb wavered over which name to tap. In the end, she wimped out and started with the one least likely to bite her head off.
“Arianna?” Her assistant’s voice was wary when she answered. “Is that you?”
“Who else would it be?”
“It might have been the person who kidnapped you and wouldn’t let you contact us for ages and ages, forcing you to make that video.” She hesitated. “Although, if they meant you harm, that video wasn’t the way to do it. That was pretty bomb.”
Arianna let out a huff of laughter. Rebecca was a remarkably good assistant, but better than that, she was always a guarantee for a laugh.
“I haven’t been kidnapped. I needed some time away.”
“Yeah, I figured. I pretended like I was super worried and upset like everyone else, but I knew you were just taking a break before coming back to address everything. Too bad I didn’t make them all take bets on what happened to you. I might have made a pretty penny.”
“So give me the rundown on reactions,” Arianna said.
As she’d said, Rebecca hadn’t been as fazed by her departure as others on the team would have been. That was probably because out of all the team members, she knew Arianna the best. They spent the most time together, and if she had to pick someone to call a best friend, it would be Rebecca.
Having Rebecca report about the reactions of the team members over something Arianna had done was nothing new, but it had never been over something this big. Arianna listened as Rebecca went through each team member’s reaction.
“I think that things have swung from anger to concern then back to anger again,” Rebecca said. “But then…the video.”
“There was nothing wrong with the video,” Arianna stated, trying to keep herself from becoming too defensive.
“You’re right. There wasn’t, but as usual, if they didn’t control it, they don’t like it.
“Well, news flash, they controlled the situation that led to this whole mess. They and David’s team should have done a better job of controlling him.” Even as she said it, Arianna knew that would never have happened. Once David had feelings for her, it was only a matter of time until things fell apart. And boy, had they. Spectacularly.
“Honestly, not everyone hated the video. In fact, once they got past the fact that you’d made a move without consulting them, several of them admitted it wasn’t a bad move. That the video came off as sincere.”
Arianna scoffed. “Well, that’s because it was sincere. Not some script that they put in front of me.”
“Exactly.”
“How about the sponsors and collabs?” She had been concerned about the reactions of the companies who had worked with her on sponsored videos, as well as the people she’d had collaborations with.
Rebecca sighed. “That’s been a bit more challenging. The ones that have worked most closely with you have said they were willing to wait for you to make a statement, though they were starting to get an
tsy as the days went on. There were a couple of sponsors who jumped ship pretty quickly.”
“That’s to be expected.”
“I think now that you’ve made your video, most of the long-term sponsors will be more inclined to stick with you. Admittedly, the video didn’t make the management team look great, but I think they’re willing to take the hit if it meant the tide would turn in your favor.”
Arianna sighed as she rubbed her forehead. “And David? What’s he been doing?”
“Acting like the crazy person he clearly is,” Rebecca said with disdain. “The guy has lost his mind. Mary and I did take bets on how soon we’d be seeing a video from him, but since both of us bet on this evening, we had to go to hours.”
“Oh my word,” Arianna said, laughing. “What time did you pick?”
“Well, since I know how much Davy-boy likes his food, I figured it would be after supper, so I went with eight.”
“And did you win?”
“I can happily say that I will treat you to a coffee with my winnings when you come back to LA.”
“Okay.” Arianna leaned her head back against the chair, wondering why the idea of returning to LA sent tendrils of anxiety through her. “So now that someone has benefitted from all of this, who do I call next?”
“Well, I know you like to work your way up through the ranks when we’re dealing with a situation, but I think in this case, you need to call Steve.”
Arianna wrinkled her nose at the name. He’d been the one to push for the faux-relationship with David, so she wasn’t feeling too kindly toward him at the moment.
“Fine, but it’s late, so I’ll probably just wait until tomorrow.”
“You can if you want, but I have a feeling he’d take your call tonight.”
“Okay. I guess now that I’m taking steps forward, I need to suck it up.”
“You’ll be fine,” Rebecca assured her. “Steve will probably have a go at you at first, but just turn your volume down and make affirmative noises every once in a while. Once he’s calmed down, then you can say actual words.”
A Love So Real: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 1) Page 8
