Chapter 58
Selma looks up first when I make my way out to the lanai.
“Veronica! Honey! Did you bring that wine bottle with you?” She eyes my hand with the white wine bottle, now nearly empty.
I hold up the bottle in my hand, smiling.
“It’s Olivia.” I force a laugh. “And of course I did! It’s right here.”
I saunter over and set the bottle down in front of her, purposefully not adding another drop to her glass.
Lay the ground rules , I tell myself. You’re one of them, not beneath them.
I sit down in one of the chairs facing the happy couple. Quinton’s eyes graze the bit of cleavage peeking out over the top of my blouse. He doesn’t seem ashamed when I pointedly make eye contact with him, bringing his eyes back up to face-level. I’m not surprised. Hollywood isn’t known for churning out a strict moral code. But this is Dom’s brother .
“I don’t know how you ever leave this place!” I look around with a huge smile. “It’s absolutely breathtaking. How long have you two owned it?”
Selma pushes Quinton’s chin toward her, bringing his attention away from me and back to her. “How long have we owned this place, Quinny? Two years now? Or is it three?”
“No, we got that place in Aspen three years ago. We picked this place up after we went on the sailing trip around the islands. Remember? The charter we did with Roberto and Minnie.”
It takes everything in me not to gush. Roberto and Minnie are the current it couple in Hollywood right now. Apparently they vacation with the couple I’m drinking wine with.
Be cool, Olivia, I tell myself. Don’t fuck this up.
“That’s right! Minnie wanted to find something bigger. Something that didn’t have all those memories of her and her ex. She gave us a steal of a deal on this place after we stopped here during her divorce.” Selma nods at Quinton while she recounts the details of their real estate deal. “Thirty-four million for this place. Can you believe it? Bargain, right? Of course, we still need to update the pool. But it works for now.”
“The pool?” I squeak out, then shoot myself another reminder to relax. “I love the pool. It’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen in real life.”
Selma smiles at me sweetly. “That’s cute.” Then she grins at Quinton like I’m just here to entertain them. “So, you and Dom must be spending time at our pool too, then?”
I nod, forcing a smile.
“Sounds like you’ve been working all your angles to make this introduction happen.”
I try not to react, keeping the smile frozen to my face. Sometimes powerful people have a need to make others feel small. Especially when trying to put them in their place.
“Sometimes I forget how lucky we are, Quinny. What seems absolutely disgusting to us seems like God’s gift to others.”
Damn, Selma .
“Are the veggies done, Olive?” she asks. “Or should you maybe go in to check on them?”
I look to see Dom placing a lid on the wok, keeping them warm until the fish is ready.
“No, it looks like Dom has it all in hand.” I don’t bother to correct my name again. What’s the point? She’ll forget I exist by the time her head hits the pillow tonight. I turn my attention back to Quinton. He’s the one holding the key to what I want.
“What are you planning to do with the pool?” I ask him. “You obviously have an eye for beauty and design. That last film you did about the orphan family from the Congo was incredible. I think I went through an entire box of tissues at the end.”
Selma shifts off his lap, looking bored. She grabs the bottle and dumps the remaining inch of wine into her glass.
“Looks like I’m out.” She looks directly at me.
When I don’t move, Quinton pipes up. “I know Dom stocked the cellar with your favorites, honey. Why don’t you go pick out your next bottle or three?” Quinton hands her the nearly empty wine glass to finish his point.
She glares at me but takes the glass from him as she rises from the table. Then she marches inside.
With Selma out of earshot, Quinton’s smile slowly returns to his face. I can feel him watching me, so I force a grin. I came here to play ball, and in order to do that I need to be able to sit at the table with the big boys. He leans forward with his hands clasped in front of him.
Dom is watching us from inside. Purposefully hanging back a moment to give us this time alone.
“She hates talking about work on vacation,” he tells me. “Selma has started to, um, age out of the industry, as they say. It puts her on edge to discuss my success right when hers has started to fade.”
“Oh, I don’t know how that can be,” I mutter. I’m shocked he’s telling me this about his wife. We barely know each other. But, besides that, I’d be horrified if my husband were to speak about me like that to another woman. “Sure, she’s not twenty-four anymore, like she was at the peak of her career, but she’s every bit as stunning now.”
“Some women age like fine wine. I knew that she would when I married her. But there’s also nothing quite like plucking fruit, fresh from the vine, before it’s had a chance to age.”
I shift in my chair. The way he’s looking at me is making me feel uncomfortable. But I manage to hold my ground, deciding I need to change the subject before Selma gets back if we’re both going to make it out of here alive.