THE FOREVER FLING
A Billionaire Love Story
Anna Lakewood
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Preview: Her Sweet Affair
A Special Thank You!
Copyright © 2016 by Anna Lakewood
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Chapter 1
The view in Ruby Valley seemed to stretch on infinitely as if the rows of grape vines were slowly colliding with the setting sun. It was beautiful this time of year in Northern California. A slow breeze ruffled the skirts of the women dressed in their bridesmaid dresses. They were gathered outside of a vineyard, searching for the perfect pose.
“Squeeze in a little to the left, hun,” said the women behind the shutter, Beth Davis, as she stretched her arm and pointed to the tiny flower girl. “That’s perfect, okay, now everyone smile.”
Click.
The shutter went off once again. The life of a freelance photographer would have to do until Beth finally made it as a successful artist. Beth loved photography but with every click of a photo, she felt like her dreams were passing her by at shutter speed. She longed to be capturing views that didn't involve wedding dresses and flower girls for once.
Beth wiped the dirt from her knees, careful not to get any on her dress. She let her camera dangle casually from her hands as she studied the picturesque view of the vineyards in the distance. Beth often pondered what it might be like to live on a vineyard. She imagined it to be very peaceful.
"Thank you, Beth," said one of the bridesmaids.
“You're welcome,” she responded cheerfully. “I got some great shots for the reception. Thank you, ladies. I will see you at the wedding."
Beth gathered her equipment and walked to her car. A bead of sweat glistened on her tan forehead as she loaded her things into the trunk. She slouched into the driver’s seat after another long day of shooting. She tried to smooth out her new light blue dress which had been a feeble attempt not seem so out of place among her upscale clientele, but the fabric just floated around her.
Beth prepared to start her long drive home to the outskirts of Ruby Valley when she heard the faint ding of her cell phone. She searched through her messy purse. It was filled with receipts, miscellaneous camera lenses, and scattered art supplies. She never seemed to have to time to organize the contents.
“Hello?” Beth answered her phone, slightly exhausted from what had seemed like an archaeological dig through her belongings.
“Hey Beth, it’s me, Josephine.” Her sister’s voice calmed her down a little. Although she was older than Beth, they had always maintained a very close relationship. By the way, she had said her name, Beth could tell her sister was still at work.
“I will never get used to calling you Josephine,” Beth retorted. Her older sister had always gone by Jojo, but now that she was a teacher at their former high school. Jojo now went by her full name f Josephine and sometimes Ms. Davis.
“Neither will I," Jojo replied. "But I would get the nastiest stares from the other teachers if I let my students call me Jojo." Beth believed it. The kids at Dalton Academy were all wealthy, skating into Ivy League schools on their family names and fortunes.
“Yes, that would be very improper of you.” Beth chuckled. "So what do I owe this call? You never call me unless it's your day off."
“Can't a girl just call her little sister?" Jojo paused. "Okay, fine. I'm supposed to help out at the ten year Dalton Renunion tonight and—"
“I already told you," Beth interrupted. "I'm not interested in going."
“Oh, come on.” Jojo begged. "At least stop by and see me. I'm going to be bored stiff. Don't you want to know what all of your classmates have been up to all of these years?"
“Absolutely, not." Beth cleared her throat, suppressing the memories she'd buried inside. And for good reason. "They were all rich kids back then and I'm sure nothing has changed.”
“One drink. They’re free. You can hang out with me the entire time.”
"Does this have anything to do with the fact that you forgot to hire a photographer?" Beth asked, catching on to her sister's hidden agenda.
"Well …" Jojo took a deep breath. "You are always saying how you're short on cash."
“Jojo, I had a really long day and I’m not dressed for it anyway,” Beth said, her voice faltering under her sister’s subtle pressure.
“I’m sure you look great, as always. Just one drink, a couple of snaps, and then you can call it good for the evening." Jojo eagerly awaited her little sister's decision. "It pays pretty well."
“Fine." Beth rolled her eyes. She couldn't deny that she really needed the money. And most of her classmates wouldn't remember her anyway. "I'll stay for thirty minutes, no exceptions.”
Beth rerouted her drive to Dalton Academy. The closer she got to the school, the more her mind conjured up all the reasons she did not want to return. Living on the outskirts of Ruby Valley had been tough. Beth and Jojo were not able to afford the tuition at Dalton Academy. Beth's mother had been a teacher there. And though Beth had to leave her friends at public school, she'd known that she couldn’t pass up free tuition at one of the most elite private schools in the state. However, Beth had quickly realized that her free tuition did not come with free friends.
After almost turning back twice, Beth reluctantly drove past the well-manicured lawns and iron gates of Dalton Academy. The school towered over her in all of its glory. The front gates, however, seemed less menacing to her now. Perhaps it was because she knew she could leave anytime she wanted.
Before carefully examined her face in the rearview mirror. Her deep brown eyes look tired, and she suddenly wished she had eye drops in her cluttered purse. Luckily, Beth found some concealer and carefully rubbed it beneath her eyes. She hoped it would hide her exhaustion from working all day. Something she was sure her ex-classmates didn’t have to worry about.
In one easy grab, Beth untangled her locks from the messy bun atop her head. Her hair tumbled down around her face in waves. With her hair down and her new dress, Beth thought she looked at least somewhat presentable.
Beth felt queasy as she walked down the same hallways she had as a teenager. She found her sister, dressed professionally in well-fitting black slacks and a nice purple blouse. Jojo's style these days was nothing like the way she'd dressed in her teens. Jojo had been somewhat of a wild child. The fact that she was now private school teacher still baffled Beth sometimes.
“Jojo,” Beth called, causing her sister to look up and smile.
“I�
�m so glad you’re here.” Jojo tried in vain to jog the distance between them in her heels. Beth put her out of her misery and ran to meet her with a tight embrace.
“The last time I saw you in this hallway, you looked a little different, Josephine.” Beth laughed.
“Oh, stop it,” Jojo said, giving Beth a playful nudge in the arm to lessen her embarrassment. “Yeah, just a little.”
“I believe your shorts were short enough to see that tattoo on your thigh. And what color was your hair back then? Blue, I think?” The image in Beth's head contrasted greatly with the calm educator that stood before her.
“Those were the days,” Jojo said. "But I still can't believe I had barbed wire tattooed on my thigh of all things."
“I'm sure it looks just as cool now as it did back then,” Beth said jokingly.
“Very funny," Jojo responded. "Listen, you go inside. I just need to sort out these papers, and I'll meet you in the gymnasium." Jojo got back to work as Beth nervously prepared to face her fears.
Beth walked into the lowly lit auditorium, seeing small groups of cliques already forming. She made a beeline for the drink table to dodge any unwanted attention, though she knew there was only one person she wanted to avoid. But he would never be caught dead at a thing like this.
After one drink and much more confidence, Beth pulled out her camera and snapped a few pictures. She listened curiously, eavesdropping on multiple conversations. Most of her classmates had followed the typical Ivy League path until they'd received their inheritance. Beth chuckled to herself and searched the crowd for more subjects. She locked eyes with someone unexpected. It was enough of a shock to take her breath away.
It was him alright.
Liam King.
Beth was frozen. Liam stood tall, his white toothy smile grinning down on everyone as if they were his subjects, and they might as well have been. Liam came from the wealthiest family in Ruby Valley. His family owned most of the vineyards in the area, especially the largest, most profitable ones. Already people rushed towards him in a frenzy as soon as he joined the party. It was like high school all over again.
Liam's green eyes grew wide when he spotted Beth, and Beth immediately felt sick. Beth weaved her way in and out of the crowd, trying to avoid Liam at all costs. Her heart couldn't stand seeing him any longer. Even being in the same room was painful.
Someone grabbed Beth's shoulder, and she jumped.
“Is everything okay?" Jojo asked. "You look like you’re about to have a panic attack.” Beth breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was her sister, but tears welled in her eyes.
“Jojo, it’s him,” Beth said, barely able to speak. "He came. He wasn't supposed to be here."
“Yikes,” Jojo muttered under her breath. "Listen, I never would have asked you to come if I knew he was going to be here. I checked the list a hundred times. I swear. He never responded to his invitation."
“The last time I saw Liam, I told him I never wanted to see him again.”
Beth tried desperately to think of something, anything, other than Liam King. But Liam was the only thing on her mind. Her thoughts raced to the first time she had ever spoken Liam. It had been eleven years ago, almost to the day.
Chapter 2
Eleven Years Ago …
Beth pressed the play button on her family’s answering machine once more before she left for school. She desperately needed her sister’s assurance that everything would all work out. "Hey Beth, it's Jojo. I just wanted to call and say good luck on your last first day of high school. High school sucks. College is where it's at. Trust me. Bye, sis!"
Beth had been waiting for college since she'd entered Dalton Academy. Sure, she had a great G.P.A. and would most likely get a scholarship to the schools she applied for, but she still didn’t feel at home at Dalton even after three years. Beth wasn’t like the other kids. After her sister had left there was no one at Dalton she could honestly call a friend.
Going through the motions of her classes was easy to Beth, being a natural student. She had her usual routine. For every class she would walk in, smile at the few people who acknowledged her, sit in the front row, take diligent notes, and nod at the teacher. Doing well in school was an art to Beth, and she never really understood why some of her peers complained about grades.
The blue and white Dalton tiles lit Beth's path to her next class. The hallway was crowded, filled with students carrying books for show and whispering the latest gossip. Beth seemed to be the only one concerned about making it to class on time. Her navy skirt bounced on her knees as she walked. Her white button-down shirt hung loose over her waist, just a little too big. And her long hair was slicked back in a ponytail.
By the time Beth got to her seat and threw her old purple backpack in the first row, most of the other students were in the class talking to one another casually. No one had noticed Beth's near tardiness. Photography was Beth's last class of the day. That summer, Beth had discovered her grandfather’s old camera in the attic. She had become instantly entranced with taking photographs. She knew that most other people were taking the class for an easy A, but Beth was curious about photography.
The bell rang, and the teacher, Ms. Remy, began her surely rehearsed prelude. She was young and pretty, which meant the class’s respect for her dwindled quickly. New teachers often had that problem. Ms. Remy's voice was harsh, and Beth could tell that she took photography seriously. Maybe her class would far from an easy A?
“Alright class, I know this is an elective, but in this room, photography is more than—“
The door opened abruptly in the middle of her speech. All heads turned toward the back of the room. There were quiet murmurs among the girls when Liam King, the school heartthrob, sauntered in like he hadn't a care in the world.
Liam's tight navy pants showed off his muscular legs, and though it was against school policy, Liam’s white shirt was un-tucked, and his tie was loosened, giving everyone a glimpse of his toned chest.
“Ah Liam," Ms. Remy said, "nice of you to join us. As you know, more than five minutes late counts as a tardy, and I take the rules here very seriously.” Liam still made his way to an open seat. He hadn’t even blushed when he was called out. Instead, he just looked up and smirked.
"I got lost." Liam shrugged. He eyed a seat in the back row.
“Actually, Mr. King,” the teacher interrupted, “why don’t you join Beth at the front.” Ms. Remy pointed to the empty seat.
Beth froze at the mention of her name. She would have to sit next to Liam everyday for the next year and she wasn't prepared for the extra attention that might bring. Beth refused to look at Liam when he walked past her chair. Liam didn’t look at Beth either.
At the end of class, Ms. Remy announced there would be a group project. The teacher assigned each partnership based on proximity which meant that Beth and Liam were going to have to work together. Most of the students smiled at their partners and happily left when the bell rang. Beth glanced at Liam, her heart pounding. She nodded, grabbed her things, and raced to the door, but Liam followed her.
“Hey,” Liam yelled, jogging a little to catch up with her. Beth pulled her books closer to her chest.
“What?” she replied.
“So, I guess we're partners,” he said with a grin. “I'll let you go ahead and take the lead on this one. You seem like the sort of girl who gets all A's. I'll tank our chances at a good grade. Trust me."
“Hoe generous of you,” Beth responded, rolling her eyes. Beth knew how Liam's type pf guy worked. He would let Beth do all the work and skate by with an A and smile. "But I'm afraid I'm not like the girls you're used to. I'm not doing all of your work for you. Sorry."
“Hey, I'm just being honest. I haven’t gotten an A in two years.” Liam continued to follow Beth.
Beth kept walking, eager to remove Liam from her presence. She looked down at her worn out sneakers. They looked horrible compared to his expensive shoes. Thinking of her old camera and what
it would cost to restore it, an idea popped into Beth's head. She stopped walking.
“Two years, you say?” Beth asked, finally making eye contact. "I have an idea then. Why don't I tutor you?"
“I've had many tutors.” Liam winked in response.
“None like me. I'm talking about actual tutoring. Nothing else.” Beth strained to keep her face stoic, but her mind was racing. If she could get Liam to pay her for tutoring, she might be able to save enough money to restore her old camera or even buy a brand new one. "That is, of course, if you're even interested in earning all A's?"
“What's in it for you?" It seemed like a strange question to ask but Liam had the habit of asking it. Most of the people in his life had only shown interest in him when they needed something.
“Money," Beth answered honestly. "Obviously, I'm not like you and the other students. I don't have cash to burn." Beth’s attitude was all business, and it intrigued Liam.
“Will you help me with all of my classes?”
“I that's what you want,” Beth agreed. "We can meet in the library after school."
“The library? That's lame. No, you'll come over to my house." Liam's house was so large that he could have the entire over and his mother wouldn't notice.
“No," Beth responded. "The library. Take it or leave it."
“Fine.” Liam had never met a girl like Beth. She wasn't afraid to tell him no.
After a few weeks of tutoring and Beth shutting down any passes that Liam had made at her, the two had become friends. It was hard at first for Beth to get past her obvious attraction to Liam. Her education meant a lot to her, and Liam was a dangerous distraction. But witnessing Liam’s quick wit and charm during their study sessions, Beth knew he would never go for a girl like her. They were too different.
“You know, you really are good at this. I'm getting better grades already and it's all thanks to you.” Liam randomly confided in Beth one day. "I honestly didn't know I had it in me."
The Forever Fling: A Billionaire Love Story Page 1
