Page 40 of Best Laid Plans
But no. Tricia was looking at her, full-on judging her, as if Tricia were more than just the help, at the end of the day.
“This is my business consultant, Elle.” Cam said before she could let out the scoff that was building in her throat.
Elle swallowed, as Tricia gave her another appraising stare, this one with only the smallest hint of additional respect.
She shot him a look, but all he did was smile affably, like he didn’t have a care in the world. Which wassounlike Cam that now she really wondered what was going on.
“Well, then, welcome to both of you. Let me give you a tour around the clubhouse and then we’ll check out the kitchen. Sound good?” The disappointment in her tone was clear, as she looked at Cam and Cam alone, waiting for his agreement.
He put his hands in his pockets and cocked his head toward Elle. “Does that work for you, Elle? You’re the boss here.”
Now she was sure that she’d knocked her head and was living in some kind of parallel universe. She nodded. “Let’s go.”
Cam at her side, they followed Tricia through the large lobby, seating areas with plush wingback chairs flanking both sides.
Tricia pointed to the left but didn’t stop. “The cigar room is through there.” Ten feet ahead, she stopped at a hallway. “Down this hallway is the fitness center and changing rooms. Separatedoors on each side,” she said, pointing like a flight attendant, “lead out to our recently renovated tennis and pickleball courts.”
Cam leaned over, and she could smell his aftershave as he whispered in her ear. “Really something for everyone.”
She elbowed him in the ribs and resisted the flurry of butterflies in her stomach, but all it did was make him laugh. Where was a bat when she needed it?
“Look good so far?” Tricia asked, turning around and looking at Cam again. So Elle wasn’t really Cam’s business consultant.Triciadidn’t know that.
Elle did not like this woman. At all. “Can you tell us a little bit more about the charity that the club is raising money for this weekend?” Tricia’s eyebrows rose, but Elle pushed on, a wide smile on her face. “Isn’t that really the most important thing at the end of the day? Who or what this event will be helping?”
She knew that the actual recipient of the donation funds was little more than an afterthought to places like the Rock Harbor Country Club. The real point was schmoozing and patting one another on the back for a job well done, helping the society that they were gutting live to see another day. Create the problem to maximize profits and then be lauded as heroes for helping to fix it. Double dipping at its finest.
Tricia shot her a glance that fell just on the defensible side of disdainful. “We’re partnering with the Rock Harbor Beautification Project,” she said, her voice oozing condescension.
Elle nodded somberly. “Well, who doesn’t want to ensure their hometown retains its whimsical charm.” Visions of bows on lamps and benches with plaques dedicated to the country club came to mind.
In what universe did Cam want to help these people? She gave Cam a puzzled look, but all he did was smile back, like he didn’t have a care in the world.
Tricia gestured down another wide hallway. “Let’s continue with the tour?”
“Sounds great,” Cam beamed, falling into step behind her. Elle scurried to catch up, wondering how this day could get any fucking weirder.
An hour later, Elle and Cam were seated at one of the tables in the dining room.
After showing them the rest of the grounds, along with a more extensive tour of the kitchen where Cam talked to the chef along with the staff working today, Tricia had blissfully left them to their own devices.
Cam looked around the room, which had filled with a decently sized crowd for a Tuesday lunch. “Does no one work anymore?” Cam joked in between bites of his salmon. She knew by the way he was chewing quickly that he wasn’t very impressed.
Elle put her fork down, unable to shake how strange this entire situation was. She’d never done well with ambiguity. “Cam, seriously. What’s going on here? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.”
He lifted a brow. “Can’t my consultant and I have a nice lunch on someone else’s dime? I was under the impression that these are the perks of my C-list celebrity status.”
Elle’s face reddened. She hadn’t realized that Cam could hear her when she’d been talking to Becca a few days ago on the phone. In her defense, being trapped in such close quarters with him all weekend hadn’t been good for her sanity. “That comment was taken out of context,” she defended. “And I’m not your consultant, so I don’t even get why I’m here.”
“Who would tell me which fork to use?” he asked seriously.
Elle laughed. “You’re just like my dad.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he beamed, taking another small bite of his salmon.
She started swirling her spoon around in the clam chowder she’d ordered, which didn’t come close to what Pierce’s Lobster Co. served daily. “Well, I think you bringing me along did more harm than good to your reputation. Tricia did not seem like my biggest fan.” And she was not going to explain to Cam that it was because Tricia had looked like she’d wanted to climb Cam like a tree, and Elle was getting in the way of that.
“Sorry about that,” Cam said, genuinely remorseful. “I wasn’t expecting her to be so…”
