“He said tomorrow morning. He’ll join us for breakfast,” TJ answered as he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “When will Troy be arriving, Mila?” He looked at me casually and I just smiled sweetly. That jackass knew that there was no Troy arriving.
“He’s going to call me tonight and let me know,” I answered.
“Who’s Troy?” Barbie said, speaking for the first time since we’d left. She’d spent most of the trip playing with her hair and looking at herself in her compact mirror.
“Troy is Mila’s boyfriend,” Sally spoke up. “And I think he’ll be her fiancé soon.”
I wanted to groan out load at Sally’s words. I knew she thought she was helping me, but I knew that what she was actually doing was digging me into an even deeper hole.
“You have a boyfriend?” Barbie said, sounding surprised as she looked at me up and down. I knew I didn’t look my best, but there was no need for her to be so rude.
“Yes,” I said stiffly and looked at TJ, who had a weird smirk on his face. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” he said and then I felt his hand on my knee for a brief second. “Absolutely nothing.”
“Hmm,” I said, but didn’t get into it further with him.
“So how’s business, Richie Rich?” Sally asked TJ, changing the subject.
“As good as it can be in this economy,” TJ said, his demeanor changing. “I want to introduce some changes to the company, bring our customer service back to the United States, increase the number of plants we have, change the automation system, and bring in a new marketing company, but Dad is resistant.”
“Oh, sad,” I said, and Sally also made an ‘I’m sorry’ noise. I was sure that she, like me, wasn’t really sure what he was talking about. “Why won’t your dad make the changes?” I said and gazed at him curiously.
“He’s a cheapskate.” He sighed. “He’d rather save the dollars now. I’m telling him that we need to spend more to make more. That’s how business goes. And especially now, we need to expand.”
“Yeah, my dad won’t listen to me either. I’m trying to convince him to import this new line of rugs from Morocco,” I said with a sigh. “What’s the point of me working in the buying department if I’m not actually allowed to make any large purchase decisions?”
“I forgot you got moved from being a receptionist,” TJ said. “How’s the change in department going?”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” I frowned. “Not great. I still have no real responsibility or real money coming in.”
“You just graduated, Mila. Be patient,” TJ said with an indulgent smile. “It’ll happen. I didn’t get to where I am overnight.”
“What is it that you do, again?” Barbie asked curiously, and I smiled. If she didn’t know what he did, they couldn’t be that serious.
“TJ works for Walker Enterprises,” I answered for him and turned around to look at Barbie.
“Okay?” Barbie shrugged. The name Walker Enterprises meant nothing to her.
“His dad is Hudson Walker,” Sally said. “The Hudson Walker.”
“Hudson Walker?” Barbie said and then her eyes lit up. “Hudson Walker, the famous billionaire who dates all those actresses and models?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile. “The very same one. He might even have dated Mila Kunis.”
“Mila.” TJ gave me a look that indicated how annoyed he was, but I didn’t care. Let him deal with gold-digging Barbie. She would try to get her clutches into him even deeper now that she knew how well-connected he was.
“Yes, TJ?” I said softly and then squealed as we pulled off Old Harris Road and drove through the woods towards the lake. “Ooh, we’re nearly there.” I lowered my car window and stuck my head outside and closed my eyes as the cool breeze caressed my face. I took a deep breath and breathed in the air. “Can you guys feel and taste the nature right now?” I sighed in contentment.
“I can’t taste anything,” Barbie said. I didn’t respond.
“You really love the lake house, don’t you?” TJ said softly as he pulled off and stopped in front of my family cabin. I turned to look at him and I could see an affectionate look on his face. It was a rare sight; normally, TJ and I spent so much time sparring that we didn’t really express any other sort of positive emotion towards each other. I smiled at him, happy in my environment and at my plans for the weekend.
“I do, I feel like it’s this magical place. My own private Narnia.” I grinned at him and then hopped out of the car. I ran up to the front door and lifted up the big red plant pot and grabbed the front-door key. I opened the door and ran inside, happy to be here, finally. I really did love the lake house. It was the only place that made me feel like I was one with the earth. It was also the only place where TJ and I had once had a moment that had made me feel like maybe, just maybe, there could be something between us. It had only happened once and it had happened so fast that I wasn’t sure if I’d imagined it, but the fact that it was even a possibility in my mind was enough, for now.
“Hey, you going to get your own bags or do you expect me to be your man-slave?” TJ shouted into the house as he walked in and looked around the large living room with the massive wood-burning fireplace right in the center.
“I expect you to be my man-slave,” I said and walked up to him, my eyes laughing at him. “Just because you’re the son of a billionaire doesn’t exempt you from your duties.”
“Hmm, my duties?” He cocked his head to the side. “What do I get from you in return for fulfilling my duties?”
“You’ll see,” I said softly and stared into his eyes. “Maybe something wonderful.”
“Wonderful?” he said with a small smile and we gazed at each other for a few moments, saying nothing. I moved closer to him and was about to lean in for a kiss when he frowned. “There’s nothing you can give me that is good enough for me to become your man-servant.”
“Whatever,” I said, my heart dropping as I stepped back and walked out of the front door, thanking God I hadn’t embarrassed myself by going for a kiss. “I’ll get my own bags, lazy-ass.”
“I’m not lazy.” He grabbed my arm as I walked out and pulled me back to him. His fingers gripped my wrist and I looked at him with an angry, hurt expression. He stared at me for a few seconds and then let go. I turned back around and walked to the Range Rover, my heart thudding. What had just happened there? That had been an awkward moment and I didn’t know what it meant.
“Is this where we’re staying?” Barbie looked at me with another surly look. I swear, I wished the wind would hit her as she was pulling one of those expressions so that her face would stay that way.
“What do you think?” I snapped and looked at Sally, who was trying not to laugh. “We just parked in front of the cabin. I went and got the key and opened the front door. Did you think I was doing it for shits and giggles?”
“I was just asking a question,” she said, looking irritated.
“Uh huh, dumbass,” I said quietly, but obviously my voice wasn’t low enough because she gave me a deadly look.
“Let’s grab our bags and choose our rooms,” Sally said quickly and she grabbed her small duffel bag. “And maybe you can call Cody, Mila, see what time he plans to arrive.”
“Yeah,” I said and grabbed my small suitcase. “I’ll do that.” I walked towards the front door, feeling irritated, annoyed and out of sorts. Maybe this weekend wasn’t going to go as well as I’d hoped. I wish I’d known that peroxide Barbie was going to be joining us. I couldn’t imagine what TJ saw in her. She had no redeeming qualities, but then maybe the only quality she needed was to lie on her back and keep her mouth shut. A dart of jealousy spread through me as I thought about TJ and Barbie having sex. I tried to shake the thought from my mind as it made me want to throw up and die at the same time. I didn’t want to think about TJ with anyone else. I knew he wasn’t a virgin, I knew he wasn’t saving himself for me, and I was okay with that. But just the thought of him being with someone like her killed me. Especially after having wanted him for so many years and saving myself for him.
“Wow,” Sally said, interrupting my thoughts as we watched TJ bringing in Barbie’s suitcase. I could feel my face going red with anger and even more hate and jealousy as I watched them talking and laughing together. “Let’s go grab our room.”
“Yeah,” I said and we walked along the corridor. “I don’t know what he sees in her. She has no redeeming qualities.”
“Who is she, anyway?” Sally said. “Talk about a bimbo. I didn’t think she was his type.”
“I don’t know.” I sighed as we walked into the bedroom and I closed the door behind us and locked it. I fell down onto the bed and groaned. “Do you think I should even go ahead with my plan this weekend? It seems like it would be a waste of time. I don’t even know when I’m supposed to try and seduce him if she’s here.”