Page 46 of Corporate Escapades

Paris nodded in agreement. “I need a little peace.” Looking to Vic, she asked, “Will you be able to do this, or do we need to carry you in?”

“Don’t make fun,” scolded Chase. “I’m sure this isn’t easy.”

“I’m not making fun of him. I know this isn’t easy. I, of all people, get it.”

Vic nodded in acknowledgment. He hadn’t taken Paris's comment to be a jab.

“Why don’t you give me the key?” requested Mya.

Vic dug into his pocket and gently tossed her the key. Reaching out, Paris grabbed Vic’s hand. Once Mya opened the door, she gently led him up the steps and into the cabin. He gripped her hand tightly.

“Which room is yours again?” she asked.

“I don’t think the makeup of my room changed, though I know the other rooms were modified some. It should be down the hall. The last door on the left.” He felt silly letting the past haunt him. He followed Paris to his room. He watched as she lightly pushed the door open and led him inside. He tossed his duffel on the floor and dropped her hand. “I’m fine,” he said, brushing away the feeling of inadequacy.

“You don’t look fine,” she whispered. “Your hands are clammy. Do you wanna talk about it?”

Vic sat down on the bed and watched as she seated herself next to him. Tucking her legs beneath her, she stared him down. He never spoke about his feelings. He would much rather ignore them. Why bring up the past? “I’ll be fine,” he replied. She shook her head at him. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his forearm. The touch felt warm, and it sent an unexpected tingle through his body.

“You told me it was time to move on. You can’t move on without facing your past.”

He nodded. “I guess I thought we were invincible. I never imagined I’d be living my life without Brody. He was more like a brother than a cousin.”

“I know,” she replied calmly. “So many things remind me of Alli every day. It hurts all the time. Nothing can replace them, but you said yourself, we need to live our lives again, right? Look at how much time I wasted being angry at Mya. I guesswe have to make fresh memories, but continue to appreciate what little time we had with them.” His eyes were watery, but he held it together, like most stubborn and larger-than-life men. “Just so you know, when we talk about them, you’re in a safe place. I’ll never judge or tell you your feelings are wrong. I truly understand.”

“I know you do.” He gave her a kind look. She wore a cherry red tank top and white shorts. She had messily piled her wavy black hair on top of her head, her bangs feathering out around her eyes. At that moment, he felt genuinely understood. Even more, he felt as if he was being drawn toward her. Her bright red lips looked as if they were inviting him in.

He tried to brush the thought aside, but then she placed her hand on his leg, and the feeling drove him further toward madness. Normally, he didn’t allow himself to think of her in a sexual way, but there was something to be said about knowing you were in the presence of someone who understood you. Someone you could easily talk to.

Squeezing Vic’s leg, she asked, “Do you want to lie down for a bit? I can give you some space to sort your feelings. Or, if you want, I can stay and be supportive. We don’t have to talk.” Looking into his eyes, she could see a look she’d never seen before. She continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer. Reaching up, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. She felt her whole body go weak. Placing her hand on his chest, she stopped him from coming any closer. “I’m going to get you some water,” she replied as she hopped off the bed and exited the room.

“Paris, wait.” The knot returned to his stomach as he watched her leave the room.Perhaps it was for the better, he thought as he let his head drop back onto the pillow.

Vic's advance shocked Paris. They rarely acted friendly toward one another. What was he thinking? One thing was for certain: she should not allow him to get any closer.

When she returned to his room, to her relief, he was snoring softly. She placed the glass of water on the nightstand next to him, and, closing the door behind her, she left him to sleep it off, whatever it was. Heading back to the kitchen, she found Chase and Mya had finished unpacking all the food items for the weekend.

“Which rooms should we stay in?” asked Chase.

“I’ll stay in Cristo’s room,” said Mya.

Paris arched an eyebrow and turned to look at her friend. She watched Mya’s face turn crimson. Obviously, something was going on. “How do you know which room is Cristo’s?” she asked. “You haven’t been here since they renovated the floorplan.”

“Oh, um, I already looked at all the rooms. It’s the middle room on the right, and the only one that makes sense. The décor gave it away.” She shrugged.

“Uh-huh,” replied Chase. “I’m sure it did, honey. Anyway, I’ll stay in the room next to yours. I think it’s a guestroom. There’s nothing overly exciting about it, but lots of wide-open space. Perfect for my morning yoga.”

“Perfect. I’ll stay in the master suite,” added Paris. “There’s a beautiful balcony with a view overlooking the lake and the mountains. I’d love to sit out there with a glass of wine and watch the sunset.” Turning, she headed for the door. “I’ll be right back. I need to grab my bag out of the car.”

Mya ran after Paris as she left the house. “Do you want to go for a walk before dinner?” she asked. “I want to take in as much nature as possible. We so seldom get out of town.”

“Sure,” said Paris. “Vic’s taking a nap, and it sounded like Chase might do some yoga, so we have time.” Grabbing her bag, she hauled it into the room across from Vic’s and dropped it onthe floor in front of the dresser. She was already wearing her tennis shoes, but she threw on some different clothes since she was currently wearing Mya’s.

Heading back to the living room, Paris now wore black yoga capris, a white tank, and a black and white straw hat. She was proud of the restraint she’d practiced when Mya took her shopping. So far, everything had come in handy.

“Ready?” Mya sat on the couch eating a red, white, and blue popsicle. “Oh, that looks yummy. Takes me back to childhood,” she commented. Heading for the freezer, she grabbed one for herself.

Outside, the sun still shone brightly enough for beads of sweat to appear on Paris’s skin. The breeze coming off the mountains felt refreshing, and kept the town much cooler than the temps back home. Heading out, they wandered down the dirt path behind the oversized cabin.

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