Page 8 of Between Love and Loathing
“People are paying for a Hardy-designed resort, not a—”
“Don’t even finish what you’re going to say,” she whispered with venom. “Throw underhanded barbs somewhere else, Dominic. I’m done with them. This is the last thing I’ll give you.”
And with that comment, Rita’s loud heels could be heard clicking across the otherwise empty lobby.
“Last thing you’ll give me, huh?” I murmured.
Her gaze flicked to Rita before it latched back on to mine as she crossed her arms. “Yep.”
“If you want to go head-to-head with me, you can try. You won’t win though, little fighter. This is my playground.”
“We’ll see,” she said before Rita walked up with tall and lanky Matt Connor right next to her.
“Dom, you have a meeting.” She then turned her eyes to Clara. I loved how Rita wasted no time. “Clara, it’s nice to meet you in person …”
I didn’t say goodbye or spare them a backward glance.
I hadn’t smiled the whole day, but I smiled the whole walk to my next meeting.
CLARA
Paloma: You here? The meeting is in the lobby FYI
Ifrowned at the text while I listened to my stepsister, Evie, ramble on the phone. “One whole month you’ve been in LA, and the only pictures you’ve sent me are of those kittens you shouldn’t have picked up in the first place.”
I snapped another and sent it to her. Both of those gray-and-white furballs with gold eyes blinked up at me as I shooed them away. I needed to grab my laptop because I had no idea what meeting Paloma was texting me about.
“Oh my God. They’re so small,” she cooed. “They didn’t have a collar or anything when you picked them up the other night?”
“Yeah and no microchip. They’re eating kitten food now, after I took them to the vet, and they love their beds I just bought.” That had been an ordeal considering I had no idea they needed a carrier to get into the cab because I didn’t have a car to drive myself. I’d left mine in Florida.
“Can I see a picture of their kitten beds?” Evie asked innocently.
The girl was desperate to see any part of my place but with the worn furniture and tiny amount of space, I wanted to hold off on showing anyone until I decorated it fully. I sidetracked to the corner of the living room to send her a picture of the cat post and cushioned bed on the ground. “There. Stop complaining now.”
“Oh, hardwood floors and that cute little end table with … is that me with the babies in that frame?” The landlord had been very specific about hanging anything on the walls. Each nail would cost me about a hundred dollars, he said, and so I’d made sure to grab standing picture frames.
“Found it with one of my coworkers, Paloma. Remember, she owns the retail store connected to the resort. She’s been great with introducing me to the area and invited me to go to some yard and garage sales over the weekend.” And somehow finding a maroon rug to place on the scuffed hardwood floor, new blinds to hang over the ripped ones, and a framed mirror to lean on the yellowish walls had been more rewarding than buying red bottom shoes.
“She’s bargain hunting without me, Declan,” Evie whined to her husband, the nice Hardy brother—the one I loved for loving my stepsister in a way no one else could.
“Go to the damn boutique. It’s free for you,” I heard him grumble.
“It’s not the same.” She sighed. She was breastfeeding their first baby boy, and her husband was more than a little overprotective. Still, I heard the love in her voice and knew marriage suited them well in a way it never would for me. “You know, if I would have come there, I would have been able to help you get settled in.”
“The place is furnished, Evie.” I sighed and smoothed a hand over the worn patterned couch before I went to my bedroom to open my laptop. The threading was torn on one cushion, and I couldn’t quite tell if there was a leak in the bathroom or not, but the distinct smell of mold should have probably been a cause for concern. Instead, I opened the windows every night and enjoyed the breeze.
“Whatever. How are you feeling?” It was a question she always asked now.
“There’s been small flare-ups here and there, but much better since I’ve moved honestly.” I sighed, knowing she wanted an update on my symptoms, even if she didn’t directly ask. “Being around Mom and Anastasia was difficult sometimes.”
“Good. If you start to feel anything or get too stressed with opening this bakery, make sure you tell Dom, or I can have Declan talk to him about your diagnosis—”
I stopped clicking on my laptop immediately and almost shouted. “No. Donothave him say a word,” I ground out. I did not want Dominic to hear from his brother anything about me. It was very clear he didn’t care. “Honestly, it’s a beautiful resort, and I’m very excited to have my bakery be a part of it.”
Declan didn’t hold back from shouting in the background. “Clara, don’t lie. Bleed some color into that sterile place.”
Evie chuckled, and I couldn’t stop from smiling. “I know. I know. I just don’t know that my bakery belongs here at all but—”
