Chapter 11
Adriana
“Our transport has arrived,” I announced to Allan and Megan Loucester, two of the current VIP guests who had insisted I accompany them on their trip to Big Sur. I had agreed and Landon had taken over the rest of my schedule, telling me to enjoy myself.
“Great!” Allan said as he and Megan joined me to walk outside. “I’ve been told it’s magnificent.”
“You Googled it, nobody told you anything,” Megan said grumpily, but Allan seemed to completely ignore her.
He was fairly short and round, dressed in mostly flannels, while she was tall and thin, dressed as if she’d just done a shoot for a safari magazine.
It was difficult to think of a couple more opposite to one another, but somehow, they still looked like they belonged together.
Like they were the rich people in a cartoon about talking animals.
“I do hope we’ll be taken to a beach,” Allan said, chuckling. “I haven’t been to a beach in ages.”
“We went to a Spanish beach three weeks ago,” Megan reminded him, patting him on the shoulder. “But with your work keeping you so terribly busy, I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t remember.”
“Please, follow me,” I said as we exited through the doors and toward the parking lot, where a luxury SUV sat waiting. It had enough space for seven people, so with only three and the driver, it was more than comfortable.
Megan sat up incredibly straight in her seat, with both hands on her lap. Allan clambered in beside her, his eyes glued to the windows.
“We will be meeting your personal tour guide in Carmel,” I explained, checking the schedule on my tablet. “They will be taking you through to your lunch appointment, which I will not be present for, as requested. Afterward, I will meet you at the restaurant for the mini National Park tour.”
“Oh, how exciting,” Allan said with a grin. “Isn’t it exciting, dear?”
“I suppose,” Megan answered, though I did hear a hint of excitement in her tone. She was simply pretending to hate everything.
I didn’t pay attention to their conversation. I was looking forward to my own plans for lunch. My best friend, Sierra, lived in Carmel, and she’d agreed to meet me at her favorite coffee place for a quick bite.
Plus, I was escaping from the hotel and the whole Landon situation for an afternoon, which was a break I desperately needed.
The place Sierra had chosen was cozy and small, tucked away in the corner of an area slightly away from the main tourist traps. It was clearly a bohemian-style spot, with loads of plants and dream-catchers and earthy colors; exactly the kind of place Sierra would pick.
I spotted her sitting by the counter that faced the window, and hurried inside.
“Look at you!” I said, and Sierra turned, shrieking when she saw me. She rushed at me and wrapped me up in a hug that smelled like jasmine and sandalwood. When she let me go, she squeezed my shoulders and looked me up and down.
“Look at you,” she finally replied, a greeting that we’d shared for many years. “Come on, sit down, spill the tea, tell me everything about your new fancy life.”
I laughed dryly as I followed her to the counter and took a seat. We ordered a pair of iced lattes and got comfortable. I noticed that Sierra wasn’t wearing shoes; something she’d often done ever since I knew her. Usually, it meant she was in a good mood and happy about how the day was going.
“Okay, so you’re saying you met Dahlia, like the Dahlia?” Sierra said excitedly after I told her about the VIPs that stayed at the hotel.
“She’s nice,” I said with a shrug. “Her future mother-in-law is… Something else though. Pretty sure the tabloids are going to have all the drama in there. But you didn’t hear it from me.”
“My lips are sealed,” Sierra laughed. “Honestly, though, I’m not sure if it’s all worth it. Don’t you feel like pulling your hair out sometimes?”
“I do, but you know I’ve always been the ambitious type,” I answered with a drawn-out sigh. “I just can’t resist high-pressure situations.”
That made me think of Landon for a moment, and I looked away so Sierra wouldn’t notice something was up. I needed to change the subject before I blabbed too much. I was pretty sure Sierra wouldn’t be too happy to learn that I’d slept with him. I had to feel out the situation first, test the waters.
“So, how’s the business?” I asked when I turned back to her, and the waitress arrived with our lattes.
Sierra thanked her before she answered me. “Great, actually. You wouldn’t think there’d be a big market for custom frames in a place like this, but… Well. Guess I’ve found my people.”
“Are you still painting, at least?” I pushed curiously, knowing that she had difficulty pursuing just one passion. She’d always wanted to be a frame maker, but she would get bored of it eventually if that was all that she was doing.
“Mm, I’m working on a little vegetable garden,” she mused with a smile. “And I’m thinking of starting sourdough baking. It can’t be that hard, can it?”
“As long as you’re doing what makes you happy,” I laughed, wondering how it was possible for one person to dive into so many creative hobbies at once. It had always been Sierra’s thing, though; if there was a craft out there, she’d probably tried it already.
“Are you happy?” she asked, switching the topic up on me again. By now, I was pretty sure she noticed something in my face.
Usually, I was good at hiding my feelings, but that was impossible when it came to Sierra. It was like she had some kind of sixth sense. No matter how hard I tried, she’d know something was up. At this point, I didn’t really know why I was even attempting it.
But I didn’t want her to judge me.
“Yeah,” I said finally, but I knew that my tone wasn’t completely convincing.
I could hear my own uncertainty. “This job is a dream for me. It’s high-pressure, sure, but I get to solve new problems all day.
I get to figure things out. Plus, the hotel is gorgeous.
Honestly, even on my pay, it’d probably be a whole month’s salary just to stay a night. ”
“I believe that,” Sierra said, stirring her latte almost absent-mindedly. “But there’s something you aren’t telling me, isn’t there?”
“What would make you think that?” I asked, but the question ended in a squeak, and I shook my head. “Fine. Yes. But you’re going to hate me for it.”
“You sound very sure of that,” Sierra said, raising an eyebrow. “What did you do? Have you helped someone bury a body? Sneak in some drugs for some high-profile finance people? Hide a cheating spouse?”
“That last one is standard practice,” I sighed. “But, no, it’s not any of that.”
I toyed with the napkin that came with my drink nervously. I wasn’t going to get away with not telling her absolutely everything. She’d get it all out of me eventually.
Sierra leaned forward, her eyes big and curious. “Then what is it?”
I sighed again, and pinched the bridge of my nose. “So… my boss. I’m not going to say his name again, I don’t know who’s listening.”
“Oh, sure,” Sierra answered. I could see her shoulders tensing by this point.
She was obviously waiting for something big.
I still wasn’t sure that I should be saying any of this, but I needed to tell someone about it.
I couldn’t deal with keeping it to myself and having all of the thoughts piling up in my head.
“So. I…” I started the sentence, and struggled to keep going. But Sierra was patient, and simply watched me and waited for me to gather my courage. I took a serious gulp of my latte, hoping a rush of sugar would help.
Then, I realized that drawing things out like this was only making everything worse.
I needed to get it over with. Sierra would understand.
And if she didn’t, she’d know exactly what to say.
Maybe she’d chastise me, or maybe she’d have some kind of fantastic advice that I hadn’t thought of.
Either way, I needed to get it over with.
“I slept with him,” I said quickly, squeezing my eyes closed for a second.
The silence from Sierra was deafening, and she was still staring at me when I finally opened my eyes and looked back up at her. Her jaw had dropped and her eyes were wider than ever.
“I feel terrible,” I could feel that I was about to start babbling.
“It wasn’t planned, but I shouldn’t have…
I don’t know what to do. I wanted this job to be a new chapter in my life.
It’s a dream, it really is. I finally have stability in my career.
I’m good at it. And now I’m screwing it up, for one incredibly hot guy.
I know, I know. It’s awful. I’m such a—”
“Okay, breathe,” Sierra reached out a hand and put it on my arm to ground me. I obeyed, stopping my ramblings and counting as I took deep breaths.
“What do I do?” I finally muttered, and Sierra sighed in return.
“Look, it’s not an easy world to be in,” she said, moving her hand so she could pat mine. “It’s the kind of place where ethics are negotiable, where everyone and everything can be bought. That’s not who you are, as far as I know. You just made a mistake. It could happen to anyone.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, staring at how the ice in my latte moved.
“Honestly, why don’t you just leave?” Sierra went on.
“You could come work with me at the frame shop. I could always use a second pair of hands, and this place… It’s a true paradise.
You don’t need all of that money, all of that drama.
We can make a good living together, and you wouldn’t have to worry. ”
I smiled at her, and shook my head. “I appreciate that, but… I can’t give up on this job. It’s a dream come true for me, and I don’t want to lose it.”
“I figured you’d say that.” Sierra nodded. “The offer will stand as long as it needs to, though. Just… The whole thing. You know what you have to do, don’t you?”
“I have to end things with him,” I said tightly, a knot forming in my stomach as I did. “And I will. I need to… I know that it can’t keep going like this. It’s inappropriate. It’s wrong.”
“You don’t sound like you’re convinced,” Sierra pointed out, and like usual, she was right. My heart didn’t want to leave Landon behind.
“It doesn’t matter,” I insisted. “I have to.”
“Oh, no,” Sierra said, putting her hand over her heart. “You have feelings for him, don’t you? Real, actual feelings.”
The answer should have been quick. I should have just said: “No, of course not.”
It should have been easy to say. So why did I clam up? Why did I simply look away and hesitate to say anything at all?