Chapter 13
13
EMBER
I meet the girls at Crystal River's main park.
Ava and Olivia come together for this interview. They walk toward me across the park like an army readily approaching battle. It’s no wonder they’re arriving as one - I’ve read that they’re best friends from college and have been even closer since they’ve both got together with two of the Penmayne brothers. Olivia is the pretty girl I met at Spencer’s lecture hall at the university, but Ava is someone new to me. She’s tall. I can make it out even before she reaches me that she’s taller than me. And she is, simply, stunning . I don’t need to be up close to understand that. She is beautiful in an otherworldly supermodel sense. She has long platinum-blonde hair and smooth, perfect skin with full lips. The most interesting feature about her is her eyes... one is blue and the other one green.
They’re both dressed casually in jeans and shirts, as am I. That’s good. I was worried about being overdressed and too intimidating. It’s already been hard enough convincing them both to come for a chat without scaring them off in my usual businesswoman take-no-prisoners journalist attire.
“Hey!”
Ava and Olivia both smile warmly at me as I wave them over.
“You must be Ember,” Ava says.
“And you must be Ava Matson. It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” she replies sweetly. I can see why she has the reputation that everyone falls in love with her - she’s so bubbly and friendly. I can already tell she’ll be easy to get on with.
So very different to Connor.
“Hey, Ember,” Olivia greets.
“Thank you both for meeting me here today,” I say. “And for taking the time out of your busy schedules.”
“It’s been no problem,” Ava replies. “When Olivia told me about you, I desperately wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
“Well, hopefully I ain’t a letdown.”
“I’m positive you won’t be.”
Ava is with Damon Penmayne – the real bad boy of the billionaire family. He’s the one who owns the brewery just outside of town, but it’s practically an open secret that he’s truly involved in the criminal underworld. He would be a scary man to date, I’d imagine. Ava is a brave woman.
“Getting interviewed is a weird thing,” I remark. “So I totally understand if you both want to take things slow. Just let me know if I ever stray past the line. I can be clumsy sometimes.”
“I’m sure you won’t,” Olivia says. “I am sure you’re better at your job than you’re letting on.”
I laugh.
“Maybe I am.”
“We best be careful, then,” Ava says, winking at her best friend. “Don’t want to spill all our deepest, darkest secrets to this hack.”
“Let’s sit on this bench,” I suggest, gesturing at one by my side. “It’s probably the best place here to conduct this.”
We take our seats while I pull out my phone to record the conversation. I’ve made the deliberate choice to do this at the park, in this informal setting, on a bench like this - I want an honest, real interview with these women and not one where they might feel the need to be guarded.
We’re across the road from the fire station. Damn , it seems like I can’t escape Connor Penmayne in this small town even if I try.
“So this is all about Connor, then?” Ava asks me. “Olivia and Spencer told me that’s why you’ve come all the way here to Crystal River. Really?”
“Well, it wasn’t for the sightseeing,” I say. “I’m here to get Connor on the record. I’m here to write an entire article about him.”
“You’ve set yourself one hell of an impossible task there.”
“That’s what I told her,” Olivia says to her best friend. “That it would be impossible .”
“I’m sure I can manage him,” I say. “I’ve interviewed some fucked-up people.”
Ava smiles.
“Have you met him yet?” she asks.
“Yep.”
“And you still think you’ll get him to talk?”
“Yep.”
“You have got lady balls, I’d give you that,” Ava replies to my positivity. “But Connor is a Penmayne , don’t you forget.”
Now it’s my turn to smile.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean that he’s as stubborn as they come,” Ava explains. “All the Penmayne brothers are. They are stubborn bastards who won’t budge an inch. For anyone.”
“Really?”
“And Connor is the most stubborn of them all,” Olivia adds. “He won’t want to talk about himself, and he certainly doesn’t want to get famous from some article or news piece.”
“Never take his photo,” Ava says. “Don’t you dare send paparazzi on him. Don’t attempt any secret photos from bushes or anything like that.”
“Why not?” I ask.
“Because he really doesn’t want to be famous,” Ava replies. “That’s the very last thing he wants. He barely speaks to his own brothers, so hell would have to freeze over before he even contemplates speaking to a journalist. Don’t you dare make him famous. He’ll never forgive you if you do.”
“He can’t be that bad, can he?”
Olivia shrugs. “He’s a Penmayne. Don’t get on his bad side. It’s simple.”
“But what about you two?” I ask. “You’re both dating Penmayne brothers. How do you do it? What’s the appeal?”
Ava and Olivia smile knowingly at each other before turning back to me.
“There’s something buried deep in each Penmayne,” Olivia says, whispering as if in a conspiracy. “Something they don’t like to expose.”
I lean in as if I am now in on this conspiracy.
“And what’s that?” I ask, whispering as well.
“They all have a heart of gold ,” Olivia answers.
“They’re actually incredibly sensitive,” Ava adds. “Big, tough guys who have a hidden soft spot.”
I snort.
“Connor seems miles away from having anything like that,” I say.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Olivia says. “He’s probably the most sensitive of them all.”
“I don’t believe you,” I say.
Ava smirks.
“Well, I guess that’s why you want to talk to us, isn’t it? To get our side of the Penmayne family and of Connor, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Well,” Ava continues, winking at Olivia. “Let us tell you everything you need to know...”
Oh, I can already tell this is going to be good .
I don’t get a taxi back to the motel. Instead, I walk. It’s a long way, but I want the time to think and reflect on what I just heard...
That was one hell of an interesting conversation with Ava and Olivia. I really started to like those two girls the more the interview went on. It’s weird to think they’re dating Penmaynes – they seem so... normal .
You’d have to be crazy to even think about dating one of those brothers...
And yet they told me everything I needed to know about the family. Well, nearly everything. It’s clear they’ve kept some secrets back. They are loyal to the men they so clearly love.
And, judging from what they told me, it seems like Connor is going to be even harder to crack than I first thought. Not impossible, but damn hard.
Ugh.
This is going to be more painful than going to the dentist.
According to the women, he’s stubborn. Guarded. Cautious. Unwilling to expose his heart.
I doubt he has a sensitive side like they were insisting he has. A man like Connor Penmayne doesn’t tend to be a man who cares .
But I’ve been sent here to do a job. Or my career is flushed down the toilet.
And now I am positive I’ve come across one hell of a tricky interview subject.
I’m just going to have to knuckle down and do the work to get him to talk...