Casanova(14)

“The ass she knows I am? What the hell does that mean?”

“You’re bright this morning.” She dropped the chopped kale into the blender with the stuff I just threw in and picked up the lid. “I might have told her one or two things.”

“Like what?

“Dana.”

“I don’t know who Dana is.”

Camille peered sideways at me with pursed lips and muttered, “Exactly.” Then she turned on the blender, effectively pausing our conversation.

I shook my head and turned away from her. I knew she’d do something like that. She was ridiculous.

But who the hell was Dana?

Camille shut off the blender and opened a cupboard. A few seconds later, she tapped me on the shoulder. “Here,” she said softly.

I turned and took the drink from her. “Thanks.”

“I’m sorry for giving you a hard time about Lani.” She pushed her hair behind her ear. “I just don’t want you to be, well, too much you around her. You’re not exactly the guy who stopped the others talking about her like she was nothing more than tits and ass anymore, are you?”

“Why? Because I am that guy?”

“Well...”

“Dana!” I snapped my fingers and took a step back. “Redhead. Big tits. Shit at blow jobs. She had the suction and technique of a vacuum cleaner.”

Camille stared at me for a few seconds before slowly looking away, jerking her head side to side in tiny movements. Then, without another word, she walked out of the kitchen.

I’m pretty sure she muttered “asshole” as she left.

Ah well.

“Oh! Mr. Walker!” My dad’s assistant, Cora, a pretty brunette a few years older than me, stopped in the doorway. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Oh yeah?” I grinned.

She chastised me with one pointed look.

Ah, yeah. Don’t flirt with the assistant.

I cleared my throat. “What’s up, Cora?”

She looked down at her iPad and tapped the screen. “Your father wants you to know that you have a meeting with Lani Montana at six p.m. tonight.”

“Six p.m.?”

“Is that a problem?” She looked up at me through her bags. “Ms. Montana has an appointment this morning and is accompanying her sister to the doctor this afternoon. It’s the only time she was free.”

“And nobody considered tomorrow?”

“Is tonight a problem?” She repeated a variation of her question. “Mr. Walker, your grandfather, wants to get started right away.”

I sighed heavily and waved my hand through the air in front of me. “No, tonight’s fine. Where are we meeting?”

“In the annex. Your father will be ensuring dinner is provided.” Her lips dragged up to one side. “Fancy.”

“I know what you’re thinking.” I pointed my glass at her. “This isn’t a date, Cora.”

“Of course not.” She pressed the button to lock her iPad and looked up at me, still half-smiling. “Everybody knows you don’t do dinner on your dates. Have a nice day, Brett.”

I flipped her the bird behind her back and successfully managed to avoid staring at her ass as she walked away.

Today was going fucking awesome, wasn’t it?





CHAPTER FIVE


LANI



“How long is the job for?” I asked Mr. Reeves, the owner of Whiskey Key Daily.

A new addition to the Key. What he put in it was anybody’s business. Although, by his own admission, the Daily was more the...Twice Weekly.

“At least six months.” He pushed his glasses up his crooked nose and looked at me through the thick-rimmed specs. “Forgive me for saying so, Ms. Montana, but I was shocked when you called me. Why exactly do you need this job? Didn’t William Walker just hire you?”

“Yes, sir,” I answered slowly. “But I’m not sure how long that will last or if it’ll even be successful. Connie has successfully guilt-tripped me into staying until a few months after the baby is born.” That and nobody was ready to give up Grandma’s house. So, it was my home for the foreseeable future.

And, despite the fact there was no rent or mortgage to pay, the cost of living in general was not, unfortunately, free. It put a bit of a spanner in the works, to say the least.

This morning at the grocery store might have been the only time I’d ever been grateful for the fast-traveling gossip around our tourist town. There I was, happy as anything, picking up milk and a few other essentials—you know, wine, bacon, chocolate—and I overheard that Mr. Reeves was out a staff member after she left on maternity leave. Apparently the “poor man” was struggling to find a replacement as nobody else on the island is qualified, so, me being me—and my sister being my bossy sister—called.

Long story short, or not really, here I was. Interviewing.

“Won’t doing both things be too much for you?” Mr. Reeves questioned. “The website needs regular updates. Unfortunately, I’m not so great with the technology.”

“Not at all. I have a laptop so I can work from anywhere if there’s a WiFi connection.” I paused. “And being around the Walkers will mean being around Camille, and Camille knows everything that goes on here.”