Chapter 5
“I should have veto power.” ~ Paisley
Paisley
Maya peeks into my lab. “Are you ready? If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”
I check the time. “We won’t be late. It’s a three-minute walk and the meeting isn’t scheduled to begin for another fifteen minutes.”
Chloe moves Maya to the side. “I want front row seats.”
Of course, she does. If Chloe isn’t the center of attention, she wants the chance to become the center of attention.
“I don’t understand why I have to attend the meeting.”
“This is ridiculous,” Sophia mutters. “I’m not standing in the hallway.” She barges past Maya and Chloe. “You are attending this meeting.”
“But—”
“But nothing. All of us are going.”
“I’m with you, Paisley,” Nova mutters. “I don’t understand why we have to attend this meeting. ”
Chloe gasps. “It’s a meeting to decide how to proceed with the sexiest man of the island competition. Of course, we have to be there.”
“Aren’t you married to the sexiest man on the island?” I ask.
She smiles. “I am.”
“Nuh-uh. I’m going to marry the sexiest man on the island,” Sophia protests.
They begin to bicker and I return my attention to my work. Maya sidles up to me. “Nice distraction but you aren’t getting out of this.”
“Fine.” I stand and herd everyone out of my lab.
“I tried to stop them,” Blossom hollers as we pass her desk.
“If the principal in high school couldn’t stop us, you don’t stand a chance,” Chloe declares as she flounces past my assistant.
When we arrive at city hall, the meeting room is already crowded. Chloe scowls. “I want to sit in the front row.”
And I want to hide in the back but it appears neither one of us is getting what they want today.
Sophia grins. “Oh look. Parker’s here. Let’s join her.”
“I need the restroom.” I pivot on my heel to escape but Maya and Nova each grab an arm and drag me forward.
“What are you doing? You don’t want me to have an accident, do you?”
Nova giggles. “You have the biggest bladder of all of us.”
“Do you remember the time we did the stake out outside of Hudson’s house and she didn’t pee once all night?” Maya asks .
“Probably because I wasn’t doing shots of moonshine with you.”
Nova’s nose wrinkles. “Oh yeah. I forgot.”
Maya giggles. “I didn’t forget the way you tried to tackle the cheerleader when she left Hudson’s place.”
Nova sniffs and lifts her nose in the air. “Yeah, well, I’m engaged to Hudson now and we have a baby so little Miss Cheerleader can go for a short hike off a cliff.”
They maneuver me until I’m sitting in between the two of them in the second row behind Chloe and Sophia. Why am I not surprised Chloe and Sophia managed to finagle front row seats?
“Is this seat occupied?”
I drop my chin to my chest at the male spoken question. Seriously? What is he doing here?
“Nope.” Nova smiles at Eli. “Please, join us.”
“Thanks. How have you been?”
Why didn’t I bring earplugs? I have a supply of them at the lab. If I could plug my ears, I wouldn’t have to listen to Eli speak. His gravelly voice causes tingles to erupt in places tingles have no business erupting when it comes to Eli, aka Enemy Number One.
“I’m good. And I’ve heard you’re doing extremely well.”
He chuckles. Ugh. How can a chuckle from a jerk sound this good? It’s unfair. And plain wrong.
I eye the exit. Maya clamps a hand down on my thigh and leans close to whisper, “You’re not going anywhere. ”
I narrow my eyes at her. “I can make all of your romance books disappear.”
She giggles. “No worries. I have an e-reader now, too. Caleb bought me one as a surprise gift. He claims there’s no more room for books in the house. He’s silly. There’s always room for more books.”
Maya is obsessed with romance novels. If she’s not working or hanging out with us, she has her nose buried in a book. Or, at least, she used to. Now she spends her free time with her fiancé. I’m happy for her. I am. Caleb fought his demons for her. And she’s happy. She deserves it.
But I am not happy with how she’s teamed up with the rest of our friends to tease me about Eli. I thought she’d ignore their attempts to matchmake me. I thought wrong.
Chloe glances behind her. “Oh, hey, Eli. I didn’t expect you to be here.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You didn’t contact my assistant and ensure this meeting was on my agenda?”
I should have known. My friends and their matchmaking. They need to stop interfering in my business. If they knew what Eli had done, they’d… Hold on. They don’t know. Maybe I should tell them. I scowl. Tell my friends about the biggest humiliation of my life? Nah. I’ll pass.
Chloe bats her eyelashes at Eli. “Who? Me?”
He chuckles. “My mistake. It must have been another Chloe Summers.”
She waves her left hand at him. “It’s Chloe Fellows now. ”
“Congratulations. I heard you got married. I can’t believe a man on Smuggler’s Hideaway managed to tame the wild child.”
“Lucas isn’t a native smuggler.”
“I call this meeting to order,” the mayor, Lana, hollers from where she stands in front of the room. “There’s one item on today’s agenda – the sexiest man of the island competition.”
Several people in the back catcall. The competition is a favorite among natives and visitors alike. Probably because it’s required to kiss a man before you can cast your vote for him. Which is also why we’re here today. The kissing requirement is under fire. As it should be.
“I’m afraid I’ve brought you here today under false pretenses.”
At the mayor’s announcement, the chatter in the room increases until it’s nearly a roar.
“False pretenses?” Chloe rubs her hands together. “This is going to be fun.”
Sophia bumps her shoulder. “Don’t get too excited.”
“Too late.”
“Settle down!” Lana yells and quiet descends in the room.
“What’s going on?” Chloe shouts. “What are these false pretenses?”
“My email said we need to discuss the kissing rule. And we need to. But there’s a more pressing problem. Funds.”
“Funds! What funds?” someone shouts from the back.
“Exactly. There aren’t any funds for the end of the summer dance when we announce the sexiest man of the island. ”
Eli stands. “I’ll pay.”
“Typical billionaire,” I mutter under my breath. “Always showing off their wealth.”
He glances at me. Maybe I didn’t mutter as quietly as I thought.
“I meant the distillery will sponsor the dance provided our beverages are exclusive.”
I jump to my feet. “What about Five Fathoms Brewing? You can’t have a party on Smuggler’s Hideaway without our beer.”
“You can co-sponsor.”
“How would—
Maya tugs on my arm. “No, we can’t. We can’t afford it. The expansion into Gourmet Corner grocery stores throughout the US will use up all of our contingency funds.”
Eli smirks. “ Buccaneer’s Whiskey will sponsor the entire event. No problem.”
I glare at him. He had to add the ‘no problem’? Supreme Jackass.
“Must be nice to be a billionaire and use your private funds for your little pet project.”
“Pet project? Are you referring to my distillery as a pet project?”
“I didn’t stutter, did I?”
“Considering Five Fathoms can’t afford to sponsor maybe the brewery is the pet project.”
I snort. “Pet project is an activity you engage in during your free time.” I tap my chin. “For example, a distillery you only work at when you’re not involved with your real job. ”
His nostrils flare. “The distillery is my real job.”
“Dang it. I should have brought popcorn. This is the best entertainment,” Chloe mutters.
“Here.” Sophia hands her a bag of peanuts.
I grit my teeth at their act. “Can you two please behave?”
“Why?” Chloe asks as she chews her nuts. “This is fun.”
I push my glasses up my nose as I contemplate how much trouble I would be in if I smacked her. Probably a lot. After all, she is married to a police officer.
“Why don’t we put it to a vote?” the mayor asks.
“Put it to a vote?” I frown. “You’ll actually allow an event to occur on Smuggler’s Hideaway that isn’t inclusive?”
Eli chuckles. “Your definition of inclusive is wrong.”
Nova giggles. “Oh no, he didn’t.”
I cross my arms over my chest and meet his gaze. “Inclusive is defined as including all the items normally expected. Considering Five Fathoms beers are served at every bar and restaurant on Smuggler’s Hideaway and the beers have been available at every festival on the island since our establishment, I do believe excluding Five Fathoms is not being inclusive.”
“Here! Here!” Chloe lifts her hands in the air and peanuts rain down on her.
“I’m merely trying to help the island,” Eli claims.
I raise an eyebrow. “Help the island or help your distillery?”
“I’m sorry, Paisley,” Lana says before Eli can respond. “But without sponsorship of some sort, there aren’t enough funds to proceed with the end of summer party. Considering the party brings in a ton of tourists, I don’t want to cancel it. ”
“I don’t understand why there aren’t enough funds. Smuggler’s Hideaway hosts numerous festivals. Where did the proceeds from these events go?”
Lana frowns. “To road construction after this past winter’s unexpected snowstorm.”
Dang it. I forgot about the snowstorm. I usually don’t forget anything. But my brain goes on the fritz whenever I’m around Eli.
“I understand,” I mutter and sit down.
Lana claps. “Excellent. The party will be sponsored by Buccaneer’s Distillery and Paisley will join the party committee to help.”
Wait. What?
I spring to my feet. “I didn’t agree to join the committee.”
Lana smirks. “You got volunteered.”
“Fine,” I grumble since it’s impossible to fight Lana once her mind’s made up. The mayor is a force to be reckoned with. Just ask her three ex-husbands.
“It’s good you know when you’re defeated,” Eli says.
Asshole. He couldn’t quietly accept his win and let it be? He has to remind everyone I’m the loser? Did I say asshole? I meant Grade A Asshole.
“I am never defeated. This is merely a setback.”
He chuckles. “Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night.”
Sleep? I won’t be sleeping at all until I devise the perfect plan to prank Eli. I could ask Chloe for help. She’s a master pranker. But I want to do this one all on my own.
Eli will feel my wrath.