Page 10 of The Art of Falling in Love with Your Enemy
Amelia moved to Sweetkiss Creek about a year ago, and since then, she and her movie star husband, Spencer Stoll, have been making their mark. They’ve been building their dream home on the lake, managed to open an art gallery, and bought the local campground. Sweetkiss Creek is getting a makeover, whether it wants one or not.
“Thanks, it’s the first big booking since Dylan and Reid’s wedding.” I watch as her shoulders visibly relax and she allows herself to fall back into the couch cushions. “Oh man, this sofa is comfy.”
“I know, I do all of my best thinking there.”
“So team building, huh?” Riley asks as she struts back in the room. “Is it like the escape room that’s in town?”
Amelia catches me shuddering at the memory of the escape room. Look, it’s a fun place to go. I happened to end up there on a double date with the worst person ever: Zac. If Zac only knew how cute he is, borderline hot even—until he opens his big mouth. Thanks to him, it was an impossible evening with the two of us arguing our way through the escape room for sixty minutes of my life that I will never get back.
But, the other couple on the date with us, Dylan and Reid? Worked for them; they’re married now.
I shake the memory off and turn my attention back to the room and to Amelia, who’s speaking.
“It’s kind of like that, I guess? I don’t know, I have never had to organize one of these before. I was actually going to ask the two of you if you had any ideas about team building events.”
Riley shakes her head. “I’ve never been to one or seen one, so I got nothing.”
“We did them at the winery,” I offer. “We had so many different personalities working there, so we tried to do team building every six months to keep our crew tight. It works.”
Amelia’s eyes light up. “Really? What kind of exercises did you do with them? Because that’s exactly what I need. Someone who can help me organize events for these folks to run through and possibly help me by running the whole program.”
“Have you asked Dylan?” I may be throwing my absent friend under the bus, but she does live on the campgrounds.
Amelia nods slowly. “She’s not available. She and Reid won’t be back from their epic trip in time.”
“Must be nice to take off for a month on your honeymoon,” Riley says as she sits back down on the couch. “So if she’s not around, did she maybe suggest anyone for you to try asking?”
Smiling a tight, almost creepy smile, Amelia turns in her seat to face me. “She did.”
“What are you doing,” I say, pointing to her mouth, “with your face?”
“I’m trying to warm you up to the notion that maybe you could be the one I bring in to help with this event?”
As soon as the words are out, she goes back to the creepy grin again. It actually reminds me of porcelain dolls—and I’m not a fan. I cut my eyes away, but look back only to find her eyes wider and her grin showing more teeth.
I throw my hands in the air. “Stop doing that and I’ll do whatever you need.”
“Yay!” Amelia’s up again, hugging me one more time. “Thank you, thank you. You’re hired and you start tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” This woman does not play.
Amelia’s head bobs up and down. “We’re meeting to go over the activities, they want to walk the site and go over catering…all that fun stuff. It’s not too soon, is it?”
“No. It all sounds good to me.” I stand up and grab some of the dishes off the table, clearing them to take to the kitchen. “As long as this crew doesn’t have anyone like Zac Wright in it, we’ll be just fine.”
FIVE
Etta
Pulling up the next morning for my first day of work with Amelia, I have two dogs barking their heads off in my car. Not the first impression I want to make, but sadly, it’s the only one I’ve got.
I steer my Volkswagen Beetle into a spot at the very back of the visitor parking lot and check my watch. I’m thirty minutes earlier than I need to be, and that’s on purpose. I grab my phone and text Amelia so she knows I’m here, then let the dogs out to run in the woods by the campground.
As a single furbaby owner, making sure these two are exercised and happy is my human job, so when my dog walker called out sick today, did I get a little over-the-top worried? Indeed, but when I turn around and look in the back seat at these two precious muppets, my heart skips. I know they’ll be less crazy at home tonight because they had a chance to get their energy out.
My phone beeps with Amelia texting me back that it’s all good, I can drop them in the backyard behind Dylan’s cabin. Dylan lives on site and acts as the campground manager for Amelia and Spencer. Thank goodness, as a dog owner herself, she’s already a fan of Thor and Hercules and they’ve been here before, so I’m sure she won’t have a problem with it.
I grab my backpack and we take off. I spend a good twenty minutes tramping through the woods to work their extra energy out of their systems before turning around and heading back. I make a detour on my way out of the trees and head to Dylan’s cabin. Getting them in is the easy part, sneaking away without them freaking out could be an issue.
