Page 36 of All Signs Point to Malibu

Great, I’m acting like a weirdo in front of my new client.

“I’ll be right back. Shrimp cocktail for me if she asks,” I say and hurry away from the table and the noisy waterfall. I reach into my pocket for my lipstick and my wide-brimmed hat hits a diner in the head. They turn to glare at me.

“Excuse me. Apologies,” I whisper and keep going.

I move closer to the Bankses’ table and pretend to drop the lipstick. Luckily, the large brim on the hat covers my face as I bend to retrieve it, linger and listen.

“Three resorts in a year seems ambitious even for you, Dad,” Sonia says.

Three? Liam only mentioned one.

“Competition is rising,” his deep voice responds. “We want to be first to market on some of the newer, innovative concepts. Do you think Liam’s up for the challenge?”

I move closer, listening intently. Will she have Liam’s back?

“Of course... Though we may need to move up the wedding date,” she says.

My heart pounds. What the hell? Three months was already too fast. Pushing back the wedding date would make more sense.

“Whatever you have to do sweetheart,” William says. “Business first, remember?”

“Business first,” Sonia agrees.

I knew there was something I didn’t trust about the Bankses. Now if only there was some way to warn Liam...

“Whoa!”

I hear the voice behind me but it’s too late.

In my crouched position, a waiter carrying a tray of food doesn’t see me. He stumbles over me and the tray launches out of his hands and across the restaurant. It crashes to the floor a few feet in front of me and the clanging of metal and breaking of glass catch the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

I cringe as I slowly glance up at him.

Unimpressed, he glares down at me.

I slowly get to my feet with an apologetic look. “Dropped my lipstick,” I say lamely, holding it up.

“Hailey?!”

Great.

I turn toward Sonia and her father at their table, plastering a look that suggests this is the biggest coincidence of all time. “Sonia! Great to see you.”

She smiles, but there’s a hint of unease in her expression as she scans the restaurant. “You’re dining here?”

“Yes! A client lunch meeting. You’ve spoken so highly about the resort, I thought I’d come check it out.”

William is eyeing me, annoyed by the interruption, and I turn toward him with my most charming smile. “You must be Mr. Banks,” I say politely, extending a hand. “Hailey Harris.”

Sonia nods quickly as though she’s forgotten her manners in her surprise at seeing me. “Sorry, yes, Daddy, this is Hailey—she’s a good friend of Liam’s.”

“I know who you are,” he says to me.

He what now? My smile shifts slightly as it’s hard to detect the emotion behind the comment or the steely locked-on gaze.

“I Googled you when Sonia mentioned going to your party,” he says to Sonia. To me, “It’s a parental thing. Can’t have my daughter attending parties hosted by strangers,” he says with a chuckle, but it’s mirthless as the waiter cleaning up the mess wipes a blob of tahini from William’s shoe.

“Sorry about that,” I say sheepishly, casting another apologetic look at the poor guy cleaning up the mess. I’ll be sure to leave a big tip. “Lipstick,” I say, holding it up again. My hand shakes slightly and I quickly drop the lipstick back into my pocket.

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