Change My Mind

by Ali Parker

  “Good, I’m glad things are going well for you.”

  “Very well. How’s the resort?”

  “Good. We got through Christmas and it’s still standing.”

  She burst into laughter that was a little over the top. Harper was staring out the window, ignoring the situation. Just like Tawny was ignoring her, which I found odd. I wondered if there was some argument between them.

  “I was at the winter festival,” she said.

  “I know. I saw you there.”

  “It was very well done. I think there are going to be many more successful parties in your future. I hope to attend.”

  “I’ll make sure you’re on the guest list.”

  “Us kids have to stick together,” she said with a wink.

  “Stick together?”

  “Yes, two new business owners trying to launch our businesses in the middle of the busiest season. We have to be some kind of crazy. We’re both youngish and trying to make our own way. I’m sure we have plenty more in common as well.”

  I looked at Harper. “We do have something else in common.”

  She leaned forward. “I’m sure we do.”

  “Harper. We’ve both worked with Harper.”

  She gave another flirtatious laugh before reaching out to put her hand on my arm. “Does that really count?”

  I inwardly groaned. She was flirting with me. I felt like an idiot for not seeing it earlier. “It does count.”

  “I bet there is much more than that.”

  “How is the business going?” I asked, steering the conversation back to safe territory.

  “It’s going very well. Maybe we can collaborate in some way.”

  “I don’t know how a resort and a mall can collaborate,” I said with a laugh.

  “You have your concierge recommend my mall when one of your guests wants to do a little shopping. Your resort doesn’t offer any of the high-end merchandise I do. You want to appeal to rich guests and I have what they want.”

  “Ah, I see,” I said, realizing she was looking for more than a business collaboration.

  “We would be very good partners,” she said in a sultry voice.

  I looked behind her, begging Harper for some help. She had a very dry look on her face. She did not look pleased. I didn’t know why Tawny was flirting with me, but she was going out of her way to make sure I knew what she wanted. I was very uncomfortable with the entire situation. This was not going like I planned. It seemed like I was never going to get to tell Harper what really happened with the article.

  Chapter 65

  Harper

  I didn’t know if I should be pissed or insulted by the way Tawny was acting. Technically, I had no claim to Chase, but the woman was practically throwing herself at him. I was embarrassed for her. Never had I seen a woman act like that. Well, a few times in college but those ladies were drunk and lacking maturity. Tawny should know better.

  I was certain she didn’t even know I was there. She didn’t know anyone was there. She was fawning all over him and doing some weird high-pitched laugh. She was acting like a teenage girl hitting on the quarterback of the football team. I half-expected her to pass him a note asking if he’d like to go with her.

  More giggling came from her. I watched as she touched his arm again, sliding her nails over his jacket until she touched his hand.

  As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, when she reached out and pushed her hand to his chest under the guise of straightening his tie, I almost puked. “This tie is gorgeous,” she told him. “It really brings out the color of your eyes. They are really just the most stunning shade of blue.”

  It was the cheesiest, most obvious case of flirting I had ever seen. I wondered how I missed it before. Tawny had a thing for Chase. It explained why she was so nice to me at the dress shop that day. She was sizing up the competition. This was why I had very few female friends, I thought to myself. Women like her gave good women a really bad name. She saw a man, and if she wanted him, she went for him, regardless of if he was married or seeing someone else. She wanted what she couldn’t have.

  “Thanks,” Chase replied, gently put his hand over hers, and removed it from his chest. His eyes met mine for a brief second and I could see his discomfort. I almost felt bad for him, but then I remembered the rumors. He was used to this kind of thing. He was used to women falling all over themselves to get to him. He loved the attention.

  “Are you free for lunch?” Tawny asked him in a sultry voice, practically purring as she traced a fingertip over his sleeve. “You have got to try the new restaurant I just opened. It’s spectacular. The chef is working on his lunch menu. I’m only allowing a few close friends and colleagues in this week as we dial in the menu. I’d love to get your opinion.”

  Chase smiled at her. “Thank you, but I’m here to see Harper. I don’t have time for lunch today.”

  Another shrill laugh that made me want to hold my hands over my ears. “Of course, you are,” she cooed. “Why do you think I wanted to hire Harper in the first place?”

  My interest was piqued. Chase raised his eyebrows as well. “What do you mean?” he asked the question that was on my mind.

  “I knew you weren’t going to let her go so easily. I figured if I scooped her up, you would come around looking for her sooner or later. Lucky for me, it was sooner rather than later.”

  “What?” Chase asked with confusion.

  I wasn’t confused. I knew exactly what she was saying, and I didn’t like it.

  “I have tried to talk to you on several occasions,” Tawny explained. “You are always so busy I can’t get you to stay still, but look. Here you are. This is our chance to connect. I might have had to move some chips around but here you are.”

  I was barely able to keep my jaw closed. I was pissed, insulted, and hurt. She only hired me to get to him. What the hell? Who did that shit? She was a grown woman who claimed to be independent and fierce, but she didn’t have the balls to ask Chase out? Instead, she had to use me as a pawn, rather a chip. She referred to me as a chip. I had never felt more used in my life.

  “I see,” Chase said in a tight voice.

  I couldn’t look at him. Tawny was perfect for him. She was the kind of woman I imagined him being with. She was wealthy and a business owner. She rubbed elbows with the same people he did. She was gorgeous and would look good on his arm.

  “If you prefer something more private, you can come to my place. I don’t live far. I would love the chance to get to know you better.” Just like that, the woman took her proposal to the next level. She was probably wearing some skimpy lingerie under her dress.

  The moment she got him inside her house, she would strip and throw herself at him. He was a red-blooded man and would be helpless to resist a woman like her.

  I realized I wasn’t just pissed at Tawny. I was jealous as hell. He wasn’t mine but damn if he didn’t feel like he was mine.

  I managed to keep a lid on my anger, waiting for Chase to respond to the blatant invitation to fuck. That was exactly what it was. She’d probably throw a sandwich at him at some point, but her main goal was to sleep with him, not eat with him. That was pretty clear.

  That was when my phone decided to ring. I was happy to ignore it. I wanted to hear what Chase had to say.

  Tawny turned to look over her shoulder at me, clearly irritated. “Why don’t you take that somewhere else?” she asked coolly before turning back around and facing Chase.

  So she did know I was there and was blatantly ignoring me. I bit my tongue. What I wanted to say to her was very inappropriate. I got to my feet and walked away with my phone still ringing. I was so embarrassed and pissed.

  “Hello?” I snapped when I was away from Chase and his newest fling.

  “Harper?” Parker asked.

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Fine.”

  “I wanted to give you a heads-up. Chase knows where you work and is headed over there
right now.”

  “Too late,” I muttered.

  “Shit.”

  “Don’t worry. I have nothing to fear. My rich boss has sunk her talons into him. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her fucking him on the table.”

  Parker gasped. “What?”

  “I was sitting at a table in the tea shop, patiently waiting for Tawny to grace me with her presence when Chase walked in. He sat down, and we started to talk. Then, in swooped Tawny like a vulture diving in for her kill. She completely ignored me, put her back to me, and promptly started drooling all over Chase. She touched his arm and chest, and before I was told to go to my corner, she was propositioning him.”

  “No way! Please tell me you are exaggerating.”

  “She isn’t a vulture. You caught me.”

  “She’s hitting on him?”

  “She isn’t just hitting on him. When you called, she invited him back to her place for lunch. Is that not a proposition? Wouldn’t you take that to mean she is inviting him to have sex with her?”

  “I suppose I would. Does she know about you guys?”

  “No. No one does.”

  “Sweetie, everyone does.”

  “In our circle, not theirs.” By theirs, I meant the rich folks who ran the town. Parker, Jake, and I were just the little people. We were cogs in the wheel that fed their bank accounts.

  “I’m sorry. That is awful.”

  “She actually told me to take the phone call somewhere else, like my presence was interfering with her game. Do you know what else she said?”

  “I’m afraid to ask.”

  “She only hired me to get to him.”

  “What?” she gasped.

  “Yep. She’s hot for him and couldn’t figure out how to approach him. She hired me because she knew he would come looking for me.”

  “That bitch! She did know you guys were hooking up.”

  “I don’t think she knew that, but she assumed he would want to keep me on at the resort,” I said.

  “Bullshit. She knew. Sweetie, anyone with two brain cells can see the chemistry between the two of you. It’s seriously that obvious.”

  I sighed, rubbing a hand over my forehead. “I need to go.”

  “Should I put together bail money?”

  “No. She can have him. She can have her job, him, and everything else.”

  “Don’t give up,” she said. “That isn’t like you.”

  “I’m not giving up what I don’t have and I don’t want. I’m moving on. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Wait,” she blurted out.

  “I’ll be fine. Stay on at the hotel. It’s a great job for you and I want you and Jake to be happy. This is a good thing for you.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  I sighed, my shoulders slumping forward. “I’m not sure. I’ll call you later.”

  I ended the call and stood near the bench in the center of the mall. I looked around and knew I wasn’t actually working there. I never was. It explained why she never gave me an assignment. My job was a smokescreen. Thankfully, I left my laptop at the hotel and my purse in the car. I started walking, heading out the back employee entrance and straight for my car.

  I was done with Vail. It was fun while it lasted but now it was time to get back to the real world. I had my fun and now it was time to figure out my next step. I drove back to the hotel and walked to my room. I felt sluggish, like all the wind had been taken out of my sails. I liked Tawny. I felt betrayed by her, even though I knew she owed me no loyalty. I was no one to her, not even her employee.

  I pulled out my suitcase and once again started packing. I planned on making this my last time. I was tired of living in hotels. I was tired of bouncing around. It was time to go home where I belonged. Vail was not that place. I didn’t belong there with Chase and his rich friends. It was a fun month and now it was time to return to the real world and look for a job.

  A real job. Nothing temporary and nothing without any official offer with signed paperwork. Vail was cursed for me. I couldn’t seem to find my way in this town. There were so many opportunities but none of them seemed right for me.

  As I packed, I couldn’t help but wonder what they were doing right now. Were they on their way back to her place? Did he get so excited he couldn’t wait and take her into her office? I knew Chase and his libido. When the man was excited, he couldn’t hold back. Would he fuck her on her desk?

  The very thought of the two of them together made me ill. I had no rights to him, but for some reason, the thought of him with her did not sit well with me. I could not stay in this town and risk running into the two of them together. I was sure they would be all over the society pages. They would attend every one of the fancy parties, posing for pictures in their designer clothes.

  I told myself it shouldn’t hurt. He wasn’t mine. He was never mine. A few quickies in his office didn’t make a relationship. The night in the cabin was a product of the environment. It had nothing to do with real feelings. He liked sex. We had great sex together. It was only natural we would do it whenever we could.

  But that was then. I was going to start a new life. This life would not include him. It couldn’t. We weren’t even officially together, and I was acting like we broke up again. He was not mine. I would not let him hurt me. Never again. I didn’t care how great his job offer was. It wasn’t worth it.

  Chapter 66

  Chase

  “Some people really just have no manners,” Tawny complained. “We could take this conversation back to my office where we would be afforded some privacy.”

  “What conversation would that be?” I asked.

  “We were discussing our lunch plans. Maybe if lunch goes well, we can clear our schedules for the rest of the day.”

  “I don’t think so,” I said with a smile that she seemed to take as an indication I was flirting back.

  I glanced over my shoulder, hoping to see Harper coming back any second. I knew she was pissed. I saw her expression. Not just pissed, insulted. Tawny was rude. I generally liked the woman. At least, I thought I did. Now, not so much.

  She was obnoxious. Before, there had been some harmless flirting. I supposed it could have been more and I wasn’t paying all that much attention. There was no getting away from it now. The woman was throwing herself at me.

  She was close to purring, rubbing her hand over my arm and making some rather unsavory comments. I liked women, and normally, I would have been attracted to her, but not now. Five years ago, I would have taken her up on her very obvious offer. Right now, I couldn’t get away from her fast enough. I was trying to be polite by not openly rejecting her, but it wasn’t working.

  “We should get a move on.” She winked. “I’m ravenous.”

  “Why don’t you go have your early lunch?” I told her. “We can grab lunch another time. When I have more time.”

  I was trying to be nice. I was trying to let her down easily. After all, she was a respected member of the business association and I did want to keep a positive relationship with her. Tawny was one of the movers and shakers in town. Pissing her off was like poking a hornets’ nest with a stick. It was sure to unleash the fury of those aligned with her. I was the new guy in town. I needed to keep the peace.

  “Tawny, I’m sorry, but I have to pass,” I said as gently as I could.

  “What? No. Come on. You wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings. One quick lunch won’t hurt anyone.”

  I felt like she was offering me a cigarette behind the bleachers. She had probably been one of those mean girls who peer pressured her fellow classmates into doing things they didn’t want to do.

  “I have a meeting I need to get to,” I told her. “Another time.”

  “How about dinner? I’ll have something delivered from the restaurant. We’ll share a bottle of wine and enjoy a nice evening together. Feel free to bring your jammies and we’ll make it a sleepover.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Aww, com
e on. We’ve been doing this dance for a while now. With our busy schedules, who’s to say when we’ll get the chance to do this again?”

  I realized then I liked the chase. I liked a woman that wasn’t afraid to shut me down now and again. Tawny was throwing herself at me. It was not flattering to me and it was definitely not a good look for her. Part of Tawny’s appeal was her take-no-prisoners attitude. Seeing her like this was very unattractive and unappealing. It was annoying the hell out of me, especially now that she just made my mission to win Harper back that much harder.

  I started to reject her as gently as I could, remembering she was a powerful force in the city I was trying to build a name for. “I hope we can be friends and maybe grab a drink in the near future, but I’m busy tonight.”

  “Here, take this and I’ll see you around seven,” she said and wrote down her address on the back of her business card. She slid it over toward me. “I’ll leave the door unlocked.”

  This was going too far. She wasn’t getting the hint. The woman was focused on one thing and one thing only. The gentle approach wasn’t working. It was time to change things up. “Tawny, I came here to talk to Harper. Just Harper. I’m not interested in anything or anyone else. I really need to speak to Harper.”

  She waved a hand. “Harper is cute and all but she’s a dalliance. We’ve all had them. I don’t mind playing the game on occasion, but don’t you think we should start looking forward to a future together? The two of us together could build an empire.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “Oh, I know you have the hots for her, but haven’t you gotten that out of your system by now? People like her are not meant to be in our world. You played and now it’s time to move forward. You should be glad I’m offering you the chance to be with someone like me. I’m a catch.”

  “No,” I snapped. “I’m not interested now, nor will I ever be.”

  “Oh, Chase, that’s so cute, but be realistic. It’s sweet that you are trying to be loyal, and I’m sure she appreciates it, but I wouldn’t have been able to hire her if she was interested in sticking with you. Harper isn’t one of us. She’ll never be one of us. She doesn’t know what it’s like to be wealthy and run a multi-billion-dollar empire. She doesn’t know what it means to be a public figure. She’s more the behind-the-scenes type. She doesn’t belong in our world.”