10. Jensen
Chapter 10
Jensen
P ouring his second cup of coffee in the last hour, Jensen’s tired eyes scanned the faces sitting around the breakfast table. Everyone else’s lively conversations overpowered his stoic silence and Daisy’s resting scowl into her coffee.
That morning marked the end of the retreat. Tomorrow, he and the others around the table would return to work, opening a can of worms that Jensen would rather fling into the ocean than acknowledge.
He and Daisy stayed up all night, searching for distraction between the sheets. However, even after they parted ways, Jensen struggled to sleep. From the quiet noises across the suite, Daisy didn’t find rest either.
Pretending only worked while out of the office, away from regular life. The two stewed in their silence while strong-arming coffee. None of their coworkers appeared to notice anything amiss, wrapped up in their conversations and full plates.
Something brushing against his ankle under the table drew Jensen’s eyes away from his coffee. He found Daisy staring at him; understanding passed between their linked gazes, riding on the same wavelength.
He and Daisy being on the same page still surprised him.
Jensen slid the coffee pot across the table, noticing fast how Daisy snatched it up. She sighed, "So, does anyone know what we're supposed to be doing this morning?"
“Not a clue. I thought you or Jensen would know since you’re close with the boss,” Miranda replied, mid-bite of her loaded waffle drowning in fruit syrup.
“Same here,” Holden and Iris snorted in unison.
“We’ve had a suspicious lack of team-building events this year,” Nelson mused while pushing around his over-easy eggs. “I expected a bonfire where we’re expected to hold hands and sing kumbaya.”
Jensen shuddered at the thought. Nelson had a point; past retreats emphasized team building and cohesion even while away from the office. The group had a few gatherings which felt fleeting compared to years prior.
Part of him assumed that the current retreat’s loose structure reflected the uncertainty around the future. Hidden Oasis had always been his dad's great pride; it would be someone else's in a few short months.
Hopefully his, but still.
Jensen pushed back his plate, haunted by his half-finished eggs and the crumbs of his sourdough toast sprinkled over them. “I wouldn’t be surprised by a team exercise or something last-minute. I’m sure my dad will say something.”
“Speak of the devil,” Daisy coughed, but her gaze sauntered past Jensen’s shoulder. Along with the rest of the table, he turned to spot his dad standing at the C-Suite table.
Beside him, two smiling women eagerly shook his hand. Despite their visibly bright demeanors, the hollowness of their eyes always unnerved Jensen to no end.
Virgina and Leyla Flowers owned a "corporate synergy company" where they hosted team-building and other relevant training. Hidden Oasis hired them during the inaugural retreat and each one since. Everyone in the company knew Virginia and Leyla well.
"Great. Pass me the coffee," Easton remarked, but Daisy didn’t move. The silence lingered until Iris leaned over and handed Easton the coffee pot. All that HR training oozed from even the smallest of her behaviors.
Jensen shifted in his chair, downing the rest of his coffee until his throat ached from the heat. The caffeine needed to hit fast, or whatever the Flowers had planned would drive him to unmentionable boredom.
The squeak of sneakers over the tiles of the outdoor patio grew louder as Leyla approached; Leyla always chose to work with the V-Suite, so it had to be her.
“Look at all those lovely, familiar faces!" Leyla exclaimed. Daisy once said that Leyla had 'youth pastor energy.' Jensen never forgot that comment; she wasn’t wrong. “If you’re having a fantastic day, can I get a heck yeah?”
Jensen watched the members of the table eye one another, but Miranda and Iris crumbled. They lifted their hands and chorused a quieter “heck yeah” than Leyla.
Leyla bounded around the table with the colorful highlights in her mousy brown hair catching the light. That morning, her chosen color was bubblegum pink to match her cropped top.
She paused behind Easton, hands clasped together. “I don’t see nearly enough smiles on those faces. Come on! We’re about to have a great activity today!”
Leyla circled a finger around her mouth until everyone plastered a smile onto their faces. Well, everyone but Daisy. She sipped her coffee and stared into the distance, looking like she needed a rescue. Once again, she had a point.
But, as if she sensed his thoughts, Leyla’s head snapped toward him. She bounced around the table and jammed herself into the small crevice between his and Holden’s chairs, forcing Holden to scoot toward the others.
“Hello, Leyla,” Jensen greeted, stuck under her attention like a deer in headlights. His coworkers busied themselves with their breakfast.
“Jensen! It’s so good to see you again!” Leyla gushed. Her hand grasped the back of his chair as she leaned closer to him, hair falling over her eyes. "So, there's seven of you at the table. Our activity today needs even pairs. One of you can join the C-Suite table since they have a vacancy over there."
The table members looked at one another until Holden cleared his throat. "Jensen could probably go. He'd pair off with his dad. The rest of us could figure out our partnerships.”
“If you don’t want to leave the group, I'm more than happy to join and pair off with someone," Leyla added. Everyone turned to Jensen again, some of them curious and others expectant.
But Jensen counted his moves behind a slow sip of water, buying himself more time to decide. Leaving to spend time with his dad would be an easy solution and less likely to get him stuck with Leyla for the activity.
He witnessed how fast his colleagues began to form silent partnerships. Iris and Miranda already had their arms linked over each other’s shoulders. Holden reached toward Nelson, who decided to return to his breakfast.
That left Easton. . . and Daisy as his only option. Easton’s eyes fixated on Daisy, but her focus went everywhere but him. Her shoulders tensed as one of her hands gripped her fork so hard the metal looked on the verge of bending. Her features darkened while she turned away, even when Easton touched her shoulder.
Get off her.
“Actually, I'm good. Nelson, you should go chat with the CFO. I’ve heard he’s been interested in consulting you on a project,” Jensen remarked. Everyone stopped, turning to him with their gawking expressions.
But Nelson, like the intelligent man he was, rose from his chair. He grabbed his sunglasses from his pocket, saluting. “You’re the best, man.”
"No problem," Jensen chuckled, fist-bumping him before Nelson left for the other table. He pointed to Daisy across from him. "If we're picking partners, I call dibs on Daisy."
If the table hadn’t been shocked before, the prior reaction felt tame compared to when Jensen said Daisy's name. Poor Iris spit out her orange juice, coughing hard and rubbing her nose.
The fork in Daisy’s hand dropped, clattering harmlessly onto the tablecloth, but relief slipped past her defenses as her mouth twitched at the corners, fighting a smile.
She covered it up fast, aware of all the eyes on them. She scrunched her nose, humming loudly. “Fine. You’re the lesser of two evils.”
Although she spoke to him, Jensen watched Daisy’s eyes slide toward Easton. If he noticed, then the rest of the table probably had.
"Says Satan," Jensen replied, refusing to miss a beat. They covered up their tracks with a few snarky comments, washing away the shock on the faces of their colleagues like how the ocean erased messages in the sand.
“You’re going to wish I was Satan after that little comment.”
“In your dreams.”
“My dreams always involve me hitting you with my c—”
"Okay! Everyone else has a partner picked out?" Leyla interjected, voice cracking underneath the overzealous pep. Despite the smile on her face, the look failed to meet her eyes. Iris and Miranda held onto each other. So, as the last man standing, Holden offered his hand to Easton.
“Yes,” the group chorused.
Leyla pointed to the nearby hiking trail. "Alright, everyone needs to get up for this activity. We'll be heading down to the beach. I’ll explain more before we hit the trail.”
Several groans erupted from the group. However, no one protested as they vacated their seats from the patio along the Shore Building. Leyla weaved in between the six, pushing them into their chosen pairings.
Daisy kept an arm's length distance between them, letting Jensen follow her lead. Compared to the others, their closeness would invite more questions than answers.
Hate her or love her, it didn't matter. Daisy's presence was magnetizing yet loud, commanding attention from every direction. Wherever she went, all eyes fell on her with an unspoken reverence.
No matter how hard he tried, figuring Daisy out remained an untouchable puzzle with several pieces missing. Jensen knew the scent of her favorite perfume and how sultry his name sounded on her cherry-red lips, but so much remained a mystery.
A light jab of Daisy’s elbow into his ribs jostled Jensen from his thoughts, finding them the first in line at the hiking trail. Leyla looked them over, rifling blindly through her bag.
“Okay, friends. Today’s activity will be somewhat unconventional, but we will try it out! We've had great success with our trial runs of this activity," Leyla said. "As you know, being on teams requires a certain level of trust. Pick one person from your partnership.”
Jensen exchanged a heavy stare with Daisy, who pointed at herself within seconds. He, with little choice otherwise, also pointed at her until Leyla acknowledged them.
"That makes Daisy, Iris, and Easton our first brave volunteers. The three of you will allow your partner to lead you on a trust walk down to the beach! Your eyes will be closed as you—”
“I’m sorry?” Daisy choked. Jensen’s head snapped toward her, so sure he could hear her pulse quicken. Dilated pupils darkened her eyes from their glittering whiskey shade under the sunshine. “He’s responsible for me walking down the cliff?”
"There's a paved path with ropes and wooden railings," Jensen remarked, but his commentary earned a glare from Daisy.
"What's to stop him from pushing me off the side of the cliff and claiming I accidentally tripped?"
“You’ve got to be kidding. I wouldn’t risk jail time for you!”
Leyla's smile dimmed. "No one will push anyone, and there's no jail time. This exercise is all about trust. You'll be trusted to help Jensen back up the trail after our excursion to the beach."
Daisy narrowed her eyes, arms crossed. “Alright, but you’re all witnesses in case Jensen decides he wouldn’t look god-awful in orange.”
As Leyla pulled something dark from her backpack, Jensen rolled his eyes, saying nothing else. Leyla handed it to Jensen, weakly smiling. "It's not too late to switch."
“I’ll pass,” Jensen replied, trying not to sound frightened by her proposition. He’d take Daisy and her biting commentary over Leyla any day. He stared at the dark fabric, long and thin, draped over his hand. “Daisy and I can behave.”
He lifted the item up. In the daylight, he finally realized what it was. A blindfold.
Jensen struggled to swallow around the lump in his throat while he dangled the blindfold between his fingers. He scooted closer to Daisy, lowering his voice, “I have to blindfold you.”
“Are you asking my permission?” Daisy asked.
“You know I am.”
“Mmm, I consent. You’re quite the gentleman.”
Jensen snorted softly. He and Daisy knew damn well that his being a gentleman went as far as the threshold of their hotel room.
Jensen slid behind Daisy, still careful to leave space between their bodies for the benefit of their coworkers. He trailed the blindfold over her shoulder, peeking out from her sundress, quickly pulling the fabric over her eyes.
As he tied the ends of the blindfold under her ponytail, he heard Daisy whisper, "Kinky."
“The last thing we need is to blow our cover because you can’t stop from being a tease,” Jensen murmured, a little rougher than he first intended. Daisy could readily point out his hypocrisy—considering that he pulled the sunscreen incident weeks earlier.
Daisy laughed at him, keeping her voice soft, “Oh please. . . you could do so much worse for a rebound. Look at who you dated for years.”
Jensen bit his tongue when Leyla raced past them, burying his response to Daisy’s smartass comment. Leyla gestured for the pairs to link hands, clasping hers together. So, Jensen reached around to take Daisy’s hands in his.
“Here we go.” Jensen stepped toward the trail, taking the outside edge of the path. If anyone would accidentally trip and fall off the clip, it would be him. The late morning’s heat left his fingers lightly sweaty, but he held onto Daisy tighter. “I’ll tell you every move I make if you’ll feel safer.”
“I’d prefer you didn’t. Just. . . talk to me about literally anything else,” Daisy said. If he didn’t know better, Jensen swore he overheard a quiver in her voice while they descended on the trail.
“Okay. This is embarrassing, but Piper and Hayley ambushed me the other night and talked me into letting them wax my legs.”
“No way. You’re messing with me.”
“I’m as serious as can be. They wanted to do my armpits and chest too, but I barely survived them ripping off my leg hairs.”
“Hah, you’re such a baby. I’ve fallen asleep mid-wax appointment, and I get the bikini line done.”
Jensen’s face burned, torn between pivoting away from his sisters’ torture by wax and thoughts of Daisy and bikinis. . . or Daisy in bikinis.
As the two reached the midway point of the trail, known for being the steepest part, some loose sand shifted underneath Daisy's feet. She gasped as her body slid a little, releasing her grip on Jensen.
But Jensen's hands snapped to catch her before she slipped, coiling around her waist. His arms yanked her close, safely cradled to his side with a firm grip.
Daisy yelped. Jensen could almost hear her heart jump in her chest. “This stupid trust exercise is going to get me killed.”
“Are you two alright?” Miranda’s voice echoed distantly from behind them, but Jensen kept his eyes on Daisy.
“We’re fine. Be careful of sand or gravel on the road!” Jensen exclaimed, trying to move forward with Daisy wrapped around his side. But her hands dug into his shirt, clinging like a lifeline.
"Can't Jensen carry me down the rest of the way? I doubt that twisting my ankle will make me trust people!" Daisy shouted.
“Of course you want me to carry you, Your Highness. I'll bet you also want me to become your human footstool,” Jensen grumbled. Daisy said nothing beyond a few mumbles while the two descended the remaining stretch of trail.
Daisy tore off the blindfold as soon as their feet hit the dry sand. Relief softened her features when she handed the blindfold to Jensen. “We didn’t kill one another.”
"That's a miracle," Jensen agreed, watching Leyla come down with the other pairs. “Now, what are we in for?”
Leyla pointed to the empty beach, occupied by a few seagulls on the prowl for their next meal. Otherwise, the early hour promised total privacy.
“Alright, so today’s activity is about trust and vulnerability. Each pair will take turns recalling a time of struggle, but your partner will recite the same experience back to you, reframing it positively," Leyla explained, arms open like she expected a cheer or applause.
Instead, Daisy coughed, “So. . . it’s essentially couple’s therapy?”
Leyla ignored Daisy’s remark, even though its accuracy threatened to pull a laugh out of Jensen. She waved the group off. "Find a spot with your partner, and let the vulnerability commence! Go on!"
Jensen grasped Daisy’s hand without even thinking, linking their fingers together. He tugged Daisy behind him as they moved away from the others, who dispersed as ordered.
The two marched down the beach, parallel to the low tide swaying between the edge of the damp sand and the gentle waves cresting over the tide pools by the cliffs.
Jensen plopped onto the sand. Daisy sat next to him, still maintaining a small gap between them. She tucked her knees to her chest, sighing, “So, you packed already, right?”
"Yeah, this morning," Jensen agreed. "I didn't want to rush for tomorrow's early checkout."
“That’s fair. I can’t believe it’s July already.” Daisy shook her head. When her gaze settled on the water, Jensen finally noticed the slow crumble of her guard. It started with her shoulders sliding down, then her face relaxed, losing the tension in her jaw like she clamped everything she wanted to say between grit teeth. She curled into herself, resting on her kneecaps with a quiet exhale.
Jensen leaned back on his hands, sinking a little into the sand. “I’ve never told anyone this,” he whispered, feeling Daisy’s eyes on his face. "But there was a time when I almost failed the Intro to Business course back at UCLA, and I thought I was going to tell my dad I wasn't cut out for working at the company."
“What happened?” Daisy whispered.
“During that time, Delaney and I had been on shaky ground; our relationship hit a rough patch. I took it to heart, shifting my focus to her instead of keeping up with my studies. I bombed the midterm hard. So, the professor called me into his office and explained that he thought I should transfer majors. He mentioned that I was trying too hard to be my dad."
“What a jackass.”
“He wasn’t wrong, but I learned my lesson. I worked harder, took extra credit, and studied for the final exam weeks before the study period began. I managed to pull myself up to a B, which stayed at my lowest grade throughout my studies. So, what does that say about me?”
Jensen turned to Daisy, finding her staring at him with her head cocked. Her lips pursed, but she smiled faintly. "That you persevered. Your ego took a hit, which isn't hard because it's massive, but you didn't give up. You accepted a wake-up call and didn't let hurt feelings stop you from being better. Sound accurate?"
“More like surprisingly nice,” Jensen joked, earning a quiet scoff from Daisy. He nudged her with his shoulder. “Alright. Your turn to share.”
Daisy paused, still holding his gaze with hers. Something dark and unrecognizable flashed across her eyes, gone as fast as it came. She wrapped her arms over her chest.
“Before Hidden Oasis, I struggled to hold down a job. I worked odd gigs as soon as possible, even before legal age in California. For one reason or another, I'd find myself being let go and needing another job. I considered myself a loser because other kids my age had little worries besides dating, school, and their extracurriculars," Daisy spoke, but her voice lost all the piercing confidence Jensen associated with her. Instead, she tripped over her words. For the first time since they’d met, Daisy Riggs appeared small.
“What kinds of jobs?” Jensen asked.
“You name it, I did it. Secretary, babysitting, fast food service, retail, and lifeguard are a few I can remember.” Daisy’s dry laugh startled a poor seagull approaching them on the sand. “Alright, I’m done. Feel free to lie.”
“Did you lie to me?”
“No.”
"Then, I'm not lying to you," Jensen scooted a little closer, reaching for her hand. Daisy eyed him, bristling, but she eventually let him take her hand. "As a teenager, you had the drive to go and find jobs. Nothing stopped you from putting yourself out there, not even rejection. That shows discipline and bravery.”
Silence fell between them, allowing the ocean's quiet gurgling and seagulls' far-off cry to fill space. Their hands and gazes kept them tethered to the moment, on the verge of drifting away.
"Bravery, huh?" Daisy swallowed. "Well, let's continue that trend. What will we do about our habit of falling into each other's beds when we head home tomorrow?"
"I should've expected we'd talk about this," Jensen mused. "We have two choices, really. Pierce the bubble and let this bleed into our regular lives, or pretend it never happened and leave it as a side effect of being in paradise."
"Yeah, that sounds about right. It's a corporate retreat, after all. Lines were bound to get blurry, especially with the room sharing."
“Right. But our circumstances haven’t magically faded because of a small vacation. Easton and Delaney will probably still be together back home.”
Daisy nodded. “They seem determined to stick it out and prove how happy their choice made them, but we’re different kinds of people.”
“We are,” Jensen replied, finding them circling the point. “How about we play it by ear? Things are casual.”
"I can live with that. We'll play it by ear." Daisy squeezed his hand, meeting his ambiguity with contentment. Jensen could live with that, too.