by Adele Huxley
“If we want to go?” she said incredulously. “If? You’re kidding, right?” Ali was already stuffing her clothes into a suitcase. “When a rich gorgeous man invites you up to his vacation house in Sonoma-frickin-California, you go.”
“But don’t you think it’s a little weird?”
“Yes, but again, when an extremely wealthy, connected, and well-known investor invites you to his vacation house for Fourth of July weekend, you go. It’s fine! He’s not just some guy off the street. We’ve already Googled him and we’ll be together. I’m not getting any rapey vibes here and to be honest, I wouldn’t mind if that guys locked me his basement dungeon for a while. Now, get your ass in gear and start packing!”
“Okay, I suppose it beats what we were planning on doing.” Lauren grabbed her suitcase and paused. “This is completely crazy, right? Like, totally bonkers?”
“Completely and you just got another text.”
Lauren practically leapt across the room to grab it off the bed.
Sorry Lauren, something came up, I couldn’t tell you straight away. An investor, Landon DeWitt, called the office and offered to pay to change your flights. I accidentally let it slip you were with Ali, sorry! It’s already come through, I’ll forward the reservations now.
“I can’t believe any of this is happening,” she muttered.
“What? What now? Is he flying us to St. Kitts or something?”
“You got your wish, Llama. We’re flying back first class,” she said shaking her head in disbelief.
She rushed over to Lauren and took her face in her hands. She kissed each cheek with a loud smack. “I am so unbelievably happy I came on the this trip with you,” she declared before bouncing away in celebration.
Lauren could do little more than laugh as she packed up her things, her mind a jumble. Is this just business or something more? What if I misread the entire situation and he really just does want to talk about StyleSpur? I have to remain completely professional until I’m sure...but even then, what about Nick? I shouldn’t even be having feelings for someone else yet, right?
Traffic was light as the limo cruised over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a rare clear day so the girls took photos of the city, poking their heads through the sunroof like a couple of kids headed to prom. They settled into their seats and after a little giggly deliberation, decided to pour a couple vodka tonics from the wet bar. Ali was in the mood to celebrate but Lauren simply needed to settle her nerves. This whole thing was so unlike any experience she’d ever had. The day before, she hadn’t even been aware of Landon’s existence yet here she was going up to stay at his vacation house for the weekend. It’s business, she chastised herself. I’m getting all worked up over something that will probably turn out to be nothing at all.
With the city behind them, Lauren was surprised how quickly the suburbs trickled away to rural land. The colors shifted to muted browns and oranges, almost the colors of the desert. The California landscape was everything she’d expected but at the same time surprising. The iconic palm trees were a familiar sight but she hadn’t anticipated the beautiful steep, undulating hills created by eons of tectonic activity. With sun-bleached grasses and groves of trees sprouting from the small valleys, it was almost as if she could see the Earth moving and shifting before her eyes.
After a few twists and turns, they found themselves cruising through wine country. Huge vineyards dotted the landscape, the tan grasses giving way to lush greens. The perfectly ordered and straight rows of vines hugged the terrain, rolling and curling with the ground. The hills opened up and offered long breathtaking views of the valleys below. They passed several handsome estates offering wine tasting and vineyard tours, their parking lots filled to the brim.
“You do realize we’re doing that before we go, right?” Ali said pointing out the window. “Nothing is more upper class than getting drunk in the middle of the day on an expensive bottle of wine.”
The limo slipped through the small town of Sonoma. Through the tinted windows, Lauren saw tourists strolling the sidewalks. They ducked into art galleries and antique stores hunting for that one treasure they could take back home. It was a quaint town that was obviously dependent on tourism yet remained authentic enough to still feel like a hidden gem. The trip became much more interesting as the town disappeared behind them. A few miles down the road, the limo turned on to a smaller road and pulled to the shoulder, parking in front of a black convertible. Ali and Lauren looked at each other in confusion.
“What’s going on?” Lauren asked. The driver of the convertible was removing their luggage when their door opened.
It was as if they stepped into an oven. The cooling effects of the bay far behind them, the heat truly felt like California in the summer. Her body quickly growing damp with sweat, Lauren repeated her question to the driver.
“The road becomes too narrow and winding for the limo to safely navigate. Mr. DeWitt has arranged for this car to take you the rest of the way.”
Lauren turned to Ali and saw she was still holding her drink. Ali raised the glass, downed it in one gulp, and handed it to the driver.
“I knew I packed my booty shorts for a reason! Let’s go!”
Lauren called thanks over her shoulder as Ali pulled her towards the convertible, now packed with their things. This driver looked more like a gardener or housekeeper, with his tanned skin and dirt stained white shirt. He held the seat forward as they climbed into the back. Ali folded in her impossibly long legs and the girls buckled up.
“All set back there?” he asked, elbow flung over the back of the seat.
“Yeah, how far is it?” Lauren asked. She was growing more anxious by the minute.
“Only a few miles, we’ll be there soon.”
The convertible peeled away from the shoulder, spitting rocks and dust in it’s wake. The girls let out surprised yelps and latched on to each other, laughing. The breeze felt great and instantly dried the sweat on her brow. Within a mile she understood why the limo couldn’t go any further. While paved, the road resembled a mountain path full of steep switch backs. Left and right, left and right they made the dizzying climb through a thickening forest. The road was dotted with gated drive ways and they could only catch glimpses of the sprawling mansions hidden deep within.
“Listen, I wasn’t going to say this but now that we’re getting closer I have to. Because you’re with me and because I’m here on business, we need to be on our best behavior, okay?”
“You mean I have to be on my best behavior,” Ali said with a smirk.
“Both of us. I just don’t want to blow this.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s not gonna be a business deal you’re blowing this weekend.” Lauren slapped her knee and hoped the driver hadn’t heard her. She hated that Ali could see right through her.
“Just business and a little bit of controlled, adult fun.” Ali opened her mouth but Lauren cut in, “Not that kind of adult fun. Fun that you have like when your parents and grandparents are around, okay? You perv.”
Just as Lauren started to feel nauseous from the movement, the car slowed and stopped in front of one such gate. After a pause, the gate opened, the house appearing through the trees as they slowly made their way down the drive.
“Holy shit,” Ali whispered.
The driver smiled. “Pretty nice, eh? Wait till you see the other side.” He grabbed their bags from the trunk and led them through the front door. “I’ll take these to your rooms. Mr. DeWitt is in the middle of a long business call but wanted you to make yourselves comfortable out on the patio. There’s a bar and some food prepared. My name is Phillip and if there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Phillip,” Lauren smiled.
Ali grabbed Laurens hand as they walked through the house to the back, their heels echoing on the tile.
The contemporary architecture was masculine and simple. Sharp corners, dark stone, and huge expanses of windows that felt as though the h
ouse were part of the forest outside. They walked through the open plan kitchen and living room and stepped out on to the patio. A variety of seats and lounge chairs surrounded the deck side of the infinity pool. A small spread of berries, cheeses, meat, and crackers was arranged on the counter beside the clay oven. Lauren grabbed an ice cube from the chilling wine and held it against her neck, noticing that the forest was expertly cleared to provide an amazing view of the green valley below.
“This is just...unbelievable,” Lauren said in a hushed voice. She was uncomfortable not knowing where in the house Landon was, so she kept her voice low. The girls grabbed a little food and two glasses of wine and reclined by the pool.
“I feel like I’m in an episode of Cribs. Or Punk’d...I don’t know, something produced by MTV. I’m just saying, if Ashton Kutcher pops out somewhere, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Ali said before biting into a juicy strawberry.
“Well, I didn’t expect this to happen when I woke up this morning. I’m literally going to sweat to death out here. I didn’t bring anything to wear for this kind of weather.” Uncomfortable, Lauren pulled her long T-shirt away from her sweaty skin.
“You can borrow something of mine for tonight and we can do a little shopping tomorrow.”
The girls chatted quietly for over a half an hour. The wine did a great job settling Lauren’s nerves until she heard Landon’s voice echo in the house behind them. It sounded like he was finishing up a phone call while walking towards the pool. Her heart racing, Lauren did her best impression of calm.
“Ladies, I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting.”
He was barefoot in shorts and a white T-shirt, his blond hair tousled. She was surprised to see more than a couple tattoos, some exposed, some shadows under the shirt but all expertly placed to be hidden by business attire. The girls stood awkwardly as he approached.
“Lauren, I’m so happy you made it,” he said shaking her hand with a quick kiss on the cheek.
“I can’t thank you enough for inviting us. Your home is amazing. This is my friend Alanna. Everyone calls her Ali or Llama, but that’s a long story you probably don’t want to hear.” Lauren bit her tongue as she started to ramble.
“You can just call me Ali, that’s fine,” she said sweetly, extending her hand and offering her cheek.
“It’s a pleasure. Well, I’m glad to see you helped yourself to refreshments. I was just about to get started on dinner but I can show you to your rooms first. By the time you freshen up, dinner should be just about ready.”
As he led the way to their rooms, down a hallway to the left, Ali silently went crazy. Mouthing hubba hubba behind his back, she pretended to swoon, to pant...generally, she looked like a Warner Bros. cartoon from the 1940’s. Luckily, Landon didn’t see her antics but Lauren cringed at the thought of an entire weekend like this.
6.
Lauren leaned back in the deck chair with a satisfied groan. She glanced at Ali who was trying to fork up every last morsel and wondered if she would go so far as to lick the plate. Dinner was seared salmon over a bed of fresh summer vegetables and quinoa. Landon had whipped together an amazing sauce that was better than anything Lauren had ever tasted.
“That was delicious,” she said wiping her mouth with a paper napkin. “Where did you learn to cook like that? Don’t tell me you’re a trained chef too.”
“No, no. A little more depressing than that,” he said as he gathered the plates together. Lauren snatched hers before he could take it and followed him into the kitchen.
“When my parents split, they both became workaholics so I suddenly had a lot of free time on my hands. With no brothers or sisters to play with, I did what any normal 12-year-old boy does...I got hooked on cooking programs.” He was rinsing the plates off and setting them in the sink. Their fingers brushed as Lauren handed him a plate, the connection brief but lasting.
“Awww, that sounds like the beginning of a movie” said Ali. The girls leaned against the dark marble island in the center of the kitchen as he finished up.
“I actually got a little chubby from eating all the time,” he laughed. He turned and leaned against the counter, drying his hands on a towel, slinging it over his shoulder when he was done. “I didn’t hit my growth spurt until I was fourteen or fifteen. They didn’t forbid my cooking but they did hire a personal trainer to balance things out.”
“Well clearly you’re in fine shape now,” Ali said. Lauren resisted the urge to elbow her sharply in the ribs.
“In any case, I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Lauren couldn’t tell if he was starting to blush or if the redness was a little too much sun. A brief silence fell over the group, Ali’s obvious flirtation hanging heavy in the air. Lauren raced to find something to say but before she could Landon continued, “Ali, perhaps you’d like to take a swim while we hash out some business? It won’t be very exciting stuff I’m afraid.”
“But I just ate! What if I get a cramp? Will you jump in and save me?” Ali said fluttering her eyelashes. Lauren glared at her. Unbelievable. She’s like a feral animal in heat.
“What kind of publicity would I get if I allowed an up and coming actress to drown in my pool?” he laughed. With a satisfied smile, Ali returned to her room to get changed. “Let me top up your wine. We can get this out of the way and enjoy our weekend, sound good?”
“Yeah, sure. Absolutely.” Despite a few drinks and conversation over dinner, she still felt flustered and scattered when his brown eyes locked with hers. Thank God he can’t read my mind.
She did allow a quick peek at his ass as he turned, leading the way back to the patio. Lauren had changed into one of Ali’s long maxi dresses before dinner. It was so long she had to lift the bottom as she walked, praying with every step she wouldn’t trip and expose her breasts. After sunset, the air was cooler and pleasant. A fog rolled in over the hills on the horizon, gray against the bright pinks and oranges cast from the setting sun. House lights flickered on across the valley. He navigated to a long L-shaped bench covered in blue and white striped pillows.
“So, StyleSpur,” he said crossing his legs. “Let’s hear it.”
“If you want I can go grab my laptop and give you the full presentation,” she said moving to get up.
“No, no. Just talk. I want to hear you tell me all about it.”
Lauren started off shakily but after a minute found her footing, even under his intense gaze. She’d given the presentation so many times in the past two months, she wasn’t surprised to find most of it memorized. In any case, she understood so much about the company she didn’t need to follow any script. Lauren found herself pitching to him in the way he himself had suggested; apparently a few of his talking points from the conference had stuck. He let her speak uninterrupted for several minutes, his focus unyielding.
As they talked, Ali strutted out from the kitchen in her new polka dot bikini and sheer cover up. Lauren continued speaking as she peripherally watched her friend lay out her towel on a lounge chair, seductively slip the cover up over her head, and step slowly into the pool. Landon’s attention didn’t waiver for a moment.
“So what are your future plans once you acquire funding?”
“Parker wants to expand. He’d like to grow the sales team and move offices, of course, but he’s also interested in pushing into new markets; children’s clothes, pets, things like that.”
“But you don’t agree?” he said as he leaned his elbow against the back of the bench, their knees nearly touching. She could feel the heat from his proximity and was momentarily distracted.
“Oh, it doesn’t really matter what I think. Parker has a vision for the company. It’s not like he listens to me anyway,” she heard herself say. She tightly pressed her lips together after the words tumbled out. Landon’s expression didn’t change, in fact if anything, he looked to be studying her. She tried to remain calm under his gaze but her twitching foot betrayed her discomfort.
“Don’t worry. I told you, I know Parker. Well, I know o
f Parker.” He took a sip of wine and looked to the horizon. The sun had long disappeared behind the hills and a few stars had emerged. The accent garden lights around them flickered on as the darkness deepened. Ali peacefully floated on a raft, her fingers dangling in the water. “You said you were their first hire, right? How much was there when you first started?”
His lack of response emboldened her. “Honestly? Enough to prove the concept. They hired a contractor to hack some software together they could then present to clients but it wasn’t more than a demo. I think they ended up spending more money on a designer so it at least looked pretty. After they secured their first round of funding, they hired me and I pretty much had to rewrite everything.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Well, the company mainly grew because of Parker’s connections. If there’s anything I’ve learned in this industry, it’s that knowing the right people can be more important than having a good idea.” She was surprised at how cynical that sounded. Maybe it was being in this house, actually seeing how the other half live. She thought of the tiny apartment she could only afford because she shared it with a stranger. That’s what hard work earns you.
“StyleSpur has succeeded because it was innovative and industry changing, not because it was the best idea in the world. Already you have what, two or three direct competitors eating up your market share?” He took another sip of wine and said, “I can’t deny it helps to know the right people or to be born in the right family.”
Ali flopped out of the raft with a splash and walked out of the pool, grabbing the towel. “Alright you two, I’ve had enough fun and excitement for one day. I’m going to collapse in that fluffy king size that probably cost more than my monthly rent.” She rung the water from her hair. “Don’t stay up too late now.”
“Good night Ali,” Lauren called out, thankful for the brief respite. She couldn’t believe how much she was spilling about the company, so much more than she should be. It felt cathartic to speak to someone who understood what she was going through, to empathize, but she had to remember where her loyalty remained.
