Chapter 3
DASH
Mom’s house smelled like roasted chicken. I was hungry, hungover, and could use some comfort food. And I was in a sour mood. Last night had been a total bust. Not because I couldn’t have made something happen. More like the brunette in blue ruined me.
No matter who I was flirting with or dancing with, I kept looking for the woman who’d walked away. A few of the girls actually noticed where my attention was, which led to one of them insulting me, one of them slapping me, and one of them suggesting a threesome.
But when my Cinderella left the ball sometime around midnight, it took the wind out of my sails and I lost interest in anyone else. No other woman would compare to her and I just couldn’t make myself settle for anything less.
I slouched in my usual chair and watched Adrian bounce Buck on his knee while simultaneously managing to look irritated with me.
The guy was butthurt about shit that wasn’t a big deal.
I was handling things. It was insulting.
I hadn’t let anyone down yet. I was the guy who got shit done in the eleventh hour.
I needed a damn vacation. What I would give to be in the Maldives with Sebastian and Bernadette right now. Not with them, but on a similar beach with a beautiful woman and no scowling brothers.
“Dash, honey, you look tired,” Mom said, setting down a platter of green beans.
“I’m fresh as a spring day, Mom.”
“You have circles under your eyes.” She reached over and touched my face like I was twelve instead of twenty-eight. “Someone can’t handle their liquor.”
My brothers laughed and I gently moved her hand away. “I’m perfect. As always.”
“Humble too,” Briggs said from across the table. His wife, Mandy, elbowed him in the ribs, but she was smiling.
I grabbed a roll from the basket and tore into it with more aggression than was probably necessary.
The truth was, I’d barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her.
The mystery woman that walked away from me and then avoided me the rest of the night.
Those dark eyes that had assessed me and dismissed me.
I’d asked around but nobody seemed to know who she was. Not a wedding guest. Not a plus-one anyone could identify. Like she’d been a figment of my imagination.
Elizabeth was sitting to my left. “Late night?”
“It was a celebration,” I said with a shrug.
Mom settled into her seat at the head of the table.
She looked tired too, but we all were after the wedding.
As fun as it was, it was stressful for everyone involved.
The only one who didn’t seem a little worn out this morning was Bucky.
That baby was beyond spoiled. He didn’t even know how spoiled he was yet.
He babbled happily while trying to grab Adrian’s wine glass. Normal. Almost peaceful.
Then Adrian cleared his throat.
Here we go.
“So,” he said in a tone that meant business was about to be discussed whether anyone wanted it or not.
“The Greece campaign launches in three weeks. The vendor contracts need to be finalized. The hotel situation needs to be resolved. The equipment shipments are delayed. And our logistics coordinator has been—”
“Handling it,” I interrupted. “I’m handling it.”
“You will be. That’s why you’re on your way to Athens tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I looked around the table like someone was going to tell me this was a joke. “As in Monday tomorrow? Less than twenty-four hours from now tomorrow?”
“Yes, Dash. Tomorrow. You’ve had too many distractions around here to get everything ready. So you’re heading over early.”
“Just like that?” I looked around the table but no one seemed bothered about the idea, aside from me. “You can’t give me a couple days to get packed?”
Adrian shook his head. “You need to get over there. Stop avoiding your responsibilities.”
“I haven’t been avoiding anything. I’ve been handling things.” I looked at Briggs like he might have my back.
“You haven’t returned calls,” Briggs said calmly, not looking up from his plate. “You missed three conference calls with the Athens team. The hotel called Adrian directly because they couldn’t get through to you.”
“I was busy.”
“Doing what?” Elizabeth asked. She was cradling the baby while trying to eat one-handed. “From what I heard, you’ve been at the club every night this week.”
How did she know that? “I’m allowed to have a life.”
“Not when it interferes with the business.” Adrian set down his fork and knife with deliberate care. “This isn’t a request, Dash. You’re going to Greece. You’re going to fix whatever messes have accumulated in your absence. And you’re going to stay there until the campaign wraps.”
The walls felt like they were closing in. I looked at each face around the table. Mom. Adrian. Elizabeth. Briggs. Mandy.
“And I’m supposed to just drop everything and go?”
“What exactly are you dropping?” Adrian’s tone could have stripped paint. “Your bar tab? Your rotation of women who you won’t call back?”
That stung more than I wanted to admit. “Fuck you, Adrian.”
“Dash!” Mom’s voice cracked across the table. “Not at the table.”
“Sorry, Mom.” I wasn’t, but I said it anyway.
“The car will be at your place at nine,” Briggs continued. “Pack for a month. The weather’s going to be hot. There’s a full office set up at the villa where the team is staying.”
“Villa?” That was the first semi-promising thing I’d heard.
“Don’t get excited,” Adrian said. “It’s not a vacation. You’ll be working sixteen-hour days to catch up on everything you’ve let slide.”
I pushed my plate away. My appetite was gone. “Anyone else think it’s convenient that Sebastian got married and immediately left the country? He’s creative director. Shouldn’t he be there?”
“Sebastian did his job,” Adrian said. “He set everything up before the wedding. The shoots are planned, the locations are scouted, the talent is booked. Your job is to make sure it all actually happens. That’s logistics, Dash. That’s what you signed up for.”
“Yep. I know. And like I said, it’s handled.”
“There’s one more thing,” Briggs said, brushing past my comment. “We’re assigning you a consultant. Someone to help manage the operation and make sure everything runs smoothly.”
“A babysitter,” I translated. “You’re giving me a fucking babysitter.”
“Dash.” Mom’s warning was softer this time.
“A consultant,” Briggs corrected. “She’s highly qualified. Former military, runs her own logistics firm. She’s worked with Fortune 500 companies, managed events for heads of state. She’s the best in the business.”
She. Great. A woman. That would either make this more interesting or infinitely more complicated.
“Maybe you could put a tracker in my ass,” I offered.
Mom set down her wine glass. “Enough. All of you.” She looked at me with eyes that could see right through every defense I’d ever built. “Dash, sweetheart, I need you to hear me.”
I wanted to roll my eyes like a teenager, but something in her expression stopped me.
“This campaign matters. Not just for the business, but for me personally.” Her voice wavered slightly. “The swimwear line was your father’s idea. He wanted to expand into resort wear.” She stopped and swallowed. “I need this to work. For him.”
Guilt. The ultimate weapon. And she wielded it like a master.
“The runway show in Santorini isn’t just about the collection,” she continued. “I’ve invited some very important people. Friends who have supported my charity work with extraordinary generosity. These women are flying to Greece specifically to see what the Blackwell family can do.”
“Mom, I’m handling things.”
“I can’t let them down, Dash. Not after everything they’ve done. You know how important my charity work is.”
I did know. It was the thing that brought her back from the brink. That and little Bucky.
The room went silent except for the kid’s happy babbling. Even he seemed to sense the shift in mood because he quieted down and stared at his grandmother with wide eyes.
I felt the same weight that made me want to run as far and as fast as possible from anything that reminded me of the legacy I couldn’t live up to.
“I’ll handle it,” I said.
“I’m counting on you,” she replied.
“We’re talking about bathing suits here. How hard can it be? Get some gorgeous models, put them in bikinis, take them to Greece. It practically sells itself.”
“That attitude is exactly why you’re getting a consultant,” Adrian said, but there was less edge to his voice now.
“Fine. Whatever. I’ll go to Greece. I’ll work with the babysitter. I’ll make sure your swimwear line launches without a hitch.” I grabbed my wine glass and raised it. “To bathing suits and beaches. If I’m going to be exiled, at least it’s somewhere with a view.”
I could do this. I could pull it together for three weeks. How distracting could one military consultant be? I’d charm her, keep her off my back, and do what I did best—make magic happen when it counted.
I could really do worse.
Greece in the summer. Models in bikinis. Beaches and sunshine and endless opportunities to forget about the dark-haired woman who’d walked away from me at the wedding.
Yeah. I could definitely handle this.
“So when do I meet her?” I asked. “The consultant.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Mandy warned.
“What?” I asked innocently.
“She’s not a woman to chase,” Adrian said. “This woman has a special set of skills that will keep you on track. And in line.”
I laughed at the image of Liam Neeson that popped into my head. I loved that movie.
“A special set of skills? What? Special ops? A marine? Is she going to whip me into shape?”
“Careful,” Adrian growled. “She reports directly to me. Yes, she’s your babysitter. And like I said, ex-military. I wouldn’t even try to mess with her. She can and will put you in check.”
“Whatever.”
“For the next three weeks, your only priority is to make sure that all campaign-related events go smoothly. There are four events total spread across Athens, Corfu, Mykonos, and Santorini. Get some sleep, little brother. You’re going to need it.”
I stood up, suddenly needing to get out of this room and away from all the judgment. They were all waiting for me to fail. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go pack for my exile.”
“Dash,” Mom started.
“I’m kidding, Mom. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’ll make you proud. I promise.”
I left before anyone could say anything else. I didn’t want to hear anything else about my new drill sergeant.
I had less than twenty-four hours to get my shit together and prepare for a few weeks in Greece with a military consultant watching my every move.
This was going to suck.