“Isn’t that Blake?” asks Becca, knowing full well who the hell it is.
“Yup.”
“Guess he’s still trying to butter up old Mr. McCaid.”
I turn and look at her. She’s got her eyes zeroed in on a parking spot to the left of the liquor store. “What does that mean?”
“Oh, I thought you knew. He put an offer in on the resort. I file everything that comes into the office for Donald and couldn’t help but read that.”
“What?”
“Yup. I think Mr. McCaid is going to go for it.”
I grit my teeth. What the hell is going on? Blake hasn’t mentioned anything like that to me. “He said he came up here for some R&R.”
“Oh, you didn’t really buy that, did you?”
My eyes fill with moisture. I shake my head, not sure if Becca can see me, as she pulls sharply into the parking spot. Thing is, I had bought it. Hook. Line. And sinker. My heart feels like it’s been crushed. We’ve both been lying to each other and knowing that hurts like hell. Plus this place has started to feel like home and I haven’t felt like that since forever. The thought of that changing is hard to digest.
“Come on. There’s only two stores in this town that might have something suitable for you.”
I’m on automatic pilot as I let Becca haul me down the street. I’m almost wishing we’d run into Blake so I could question him, but no such luck.
It’s at the second store, Marlene’s Treasures, a second-hand boutique, that Becca finds the dress of the night for me. It’s short, tight and bare in the back which according to Becca makes me look like a million bucks. I groaned when she said that. I don’t want to look good or stand out. I tried to get her to understand but she wasn’t buying it. Thirty minutes later, I’m out one hundred and ten dollars less because what’s a dress without the perfect black shoes? I fork over my hard-earned money and have a vivid flashback to all the times I never even once looked at the price tags.
We get back in the truck and it’s a one-way conversation for most of the drive back to the resort. Becca is very excited about tonight, but like me, I get the feeling she’s nervous. Noah was breaking the news to Kat, who he hoped would be super excited. Kat keeps going on how she’s hoping to impress Shannon, who according to Kat, has made her summer a living hell.
“Listen, before you go, I’ve got to ask you for one more thing,” she says.
I gulp. “Okay.”
“Will you take a picture of the anniversary couple?”
I sigh. “You know I don’t do people.”
“I know but I’m honestly begging. The photographer they hired came down with the flu. Please.”
“My pictures might suck. I’m not that great with people.”
“You’re pictures will be awesome. And I don’t have anyone else to ask. Please.”
I think about it long and hard and then finally give in.
“Great. I told them we’d do it before the event so can you come up around seven.”
I nod, feeling slightly used, but it’s almost impossible to stay mad at Becca. She’s hard-working and when she wants, I’ve discovered, she can be a lot of fun.
At the resort, I mumble a thanks and promise not to be late as I make my way to my room. Instead of sulking in my room, I grab my camera and dump my new gear on my bed and I’m out the door two minutes later. It’s only when I’m a good hour away from the resort that I realize my destination—the lake.
I’m hot and sweaty and feeling totally out of sorts. Like before I strip down and dive in, craving the cold mountain water like a slap in the face. What Blake and I have isn’t real. How the hell can it be when he doesn’t know who I am? Then again, I get the distinct feeling I don’t know who he is.
I spend a good twenty minutes in the frigid water and dry off with my shirt. I slowly make my way back to the resort, taking the time to click off some pictures when the mood hits me. It’s six o’clock when I arrive in my room. All day I haven’t had one text or call from Blake. I don’t know if that’s good or bad or even how I should feel about that now that I know his real reason for being here. R&R my ass. He’s here to low ball a price for the resort, says my gut. The bigger picture is why? Why would he go to such lengths to pretend to be something he’s not?
I quickly grab my stuff for the shower and let the scalding hot water hit me hard. I try hard not to think about the shower I had that morning and fail. I want to hate Blake, but part of me knows I can’t. I’m as bad as he is and that makes my gut twist as I get out and pad back to my room to put on my façade for the night.