Page 108 of Camera Shy

“Oh, no. The board of directors voted and they want to dissolve the company and sell the resorts off in pieces. They have so much potential and are already very competitive. They just want to take the simple, safe path out of this. They’d rather take their cut and sell the properties to the big names. And sometimes it makes sense for a business to do that, but Legacy could be wildly successful. And if they give up now, thousands of people will lose their job.”

“Why wouldn’t they just go work for the new resort?”

Avery removes her hands from my body and reaches for her coffee mug. “That’s not how big acquisitions tend to go. In my experience, usually only twenty percent get to keep their jobs and usually that twenty percent takes a major pay cut.”

I watch her eyes dart back and forth. She’s not being evasive. Her mind is just elsewhere. She said she had to work…clearly, she’s already working. I’m slowly learning that Avery’s biggest asset as a brand strategist is that big, beautiful brain. “You seem nervous.”

“I’m not nervous. I’m just… I’m used to telling business owners and CEOs how to connect with their consumer base. I’ve never had to convince a board of directors that their company is worthy. It’s hard to get people to see something that’s so obvious when they are dead set on a misguided narrative.”

I raise my brows at her. “The irony.”

She gestures up and down her body with her free hand. “Don’t even. It’s not the same thing.”

“It is. You are obviously beautiful and sexy and amazing in every way, but you refuse to acknowledge it. So what would work for you? What would get you to see yourself correctly?”

She grins at me as her cheeks fill with the lightest shade of pink. “Apparently, a very persistent boudoir photographer who bribes me with sex.”

My laugh comes out like a roar. “Keep thinking, sweetheart. I don’t think you can use that tactic on Legacy Resorts.”

“Well, it won’t be what I resort to first, that’s for sure. Especially if I want to take the job they offered.” She pumps her eyebrows back at me.

“What?” Tired of standing, I grab Avery’s hand and guide us to the couch. She sits right next to me and tucks in her knees carefully, still holding her mug full of coffee.

“That feels so good to say out loud. Technically, I’m not supposed to say anything, but it’s been eating away at me. That’s what Mason and I were arguing about.”

“They don’t want to offer Mason a job?”

She scrunches her lips. “SEO specialists aren’t exactly hard to come by. Their offer is for me and me alone—only if I can convince the board of directors to keep the company intact. Mason made up some story about how the CMO was a misogynist pig, but I think he suspected they were interested in bringing me on board, which is why he tried to keep a buffer between us. I might’ve gone behind his back and reached out anyway, which is why he’s so furious at me.”

“Fuck him,” I mumble. “How’s the offer?”

“Phenomenal. A seven-figure salary, perks, great benefits.”

“So, is that a promotion?”

She must hear the skepticism in my tone. “Yes. Why?

“Well, aren’t you your own boss right now?”

“Ah,” she exhales. “Indeed, I am. But most of my job is laying out a plan, providing instruction, and then moving on, letting the company execute my vision. Mason does more of the website and traffic maintenance, so he gets to create longer-term relationships with clients. I’ve always been a little jealous of that. For once, I think it’d be pretty great to have one dedicated project and see it through. To stick around to help the company shift and pivot when things get tricky again.”

I smile as I tuck my hands behind my head. When I can postpone no longer, I ask her the main question on my mind. “Where is the job?”

“There’d be some travel, but it’s wherever I want. They’ll even pay for relocation if I request it.”

Legacy Resorts and I seem to have the same agenda. Step one, offer Avery everything she deserves. Step two, take her away from her piece of shit ex. I squeeze her knee, unable to play it cool. This is just too perfect for it not to be meant to be.

“So it’s a done deal. Work your charm, save the company, secure the job, and hey, if you’re looking for a fresh start, I think Las Vegas looks really good on you.”

Her smile is half-baked at best and for a while, she doesn’t say a word. Her eyes turn down as a heaviness falls over the room. Our bodies are touching, but I can feel the distance she just put between us.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Mason?” I ask.

She nods solemnly. “If the roles were reversed and he abandoned me and the business, it’d be unforgivable. I don’t want to be in a relationship with him, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still…” She trails off, raising her shoulders and then dropping them.

“Still what?”

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