Page 75 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

"Is Andrew okay?" Megan asked me, pulling me to one side of the reception area, away from the women behind the counter and also from Elisa, who would shoot photos of me in the women's lounge.

"He's upset," I murmured. "But he doesn't want to let anyone down. Neither do I."

"I know I've been a little rough on you at times and probably too demanding—" Megan said.

"Probably?" I interrupted with a smile.

She tipped her head. "Okay, definitely. There's a lot riding on this campaign, with Victor and Bennett being so heavily involved. I never saw Bennett as competition before because he barely worked. I thought he just wanted to enjoy his father's money, but suddenly he has his nose in everything, and he's continually second-guessing me. I've been doing marketing for years. He's been doing it for like three months, and he thinks he knows more than I do. But I have to deal with him because he's the boss."

"I know he can be challenging, but he is building relationships with very popular influencers and going after a non-traditional customer market for Carrington Resorts. Maybe he brings a fresh perspective that his father could use."

"I don't think they're getting along at all. I met with them earlier, and they were definitely jabbing at each other. They were also very upset about the discovery of Andrew's friend and how that might affect the grand opening."

"That's understandable. What is the plan?"

"Well, Bennett wanted to ignore it completely, but Victor felt sure someone on the staff or in the sheriff's office would leak it, so it was better to get ahead of the news by stressing it was an accident. Victor wants to control the narrative."

"I agree with Victor."

"So do I, and I said that, which didn't go over well with Bennett. Anyway, besides that incident, there's trouble brewing between Victor and his son, and I hope it doesn't erupt before we get through the grand opening."

"They both know how important this launch is. I'm sure they'll keep the peace."

"I hope so." Megan paused. "I feel badly about what happened to you yesterday, Lauren. I can't imagine how you felt watching the yacht sail away from you. You must have been terrified."

"I'm not sure that word is strong enough. I've never felt so scared in my life. I didn't think anyone knew I was gone."

"Harper made them stop the boat when she realized you were missing."

Andrew had told me the same thing, but I was still surprised Harper had noticed my absence. She'd been so into Colin; I hadn't expected her to be the one to realize I was gone. A tiny voice inside me wondered if that was because she'd seen me go in the water, like maybe she'd pushed me in and then had second thoughts about letting me die.

I shook that thought out of my head, knowing my insecurity was making me distrustful of everyone.

"I'm very grateful to her," I said to Megan, trying not to show any ambivalence on my face. "And thank you for the nice text you sent last night."

"It was the least I could do. One last thing, Lauren. We did film your rescue. I don't believe it will ever be seen by anyone, because it's not something Victor wants to publicize, but I wanted you to be aware we have that footage."

"I don't want to see it," I said quickly. "I'm trying to forget the whole thing, and I'm hoping this spa day might do the trick."

"Then let's get started."

The spa shoot took forever. It was after four when Megan finally called it a wrap. We'd had massages, manicures, pedicures, and facials. We looked good, but I didn't feel good, and I didn't think Andrew did, either.

As we left the building, I let out a sigh, happy to be outside and on our own again. It would also be nice to have a break before the party tonight. Not that I wanted to go to another party, but I was quite certain that Andrew did. This was an excellent opportunity for him to build a professional network, and it wouldn't be bad for me, either. I didn't think as much as Andrew did about the importance of a network, but I also wasn't trying to build my own business. And he'd done everything he'd been asked to do for the marketing campaign; I needed to do the party for him.

I looked over at Andrew, who was reading something on his phone. "Should we go back to the suite?" I asked, feeling a little uncertain about what I wanted to do next. While I was tired of having my photo taken and pretending to be rapturously in love with my husband, I also wasn't looking forward to being alone with him and probably ending up in another awkward conversation, because his mood today was all over the place, and I didn't know which mood was real and which was an act.

"What?" he asked, giving me a distracted look.

"Do you want to go back to the suite? We have a couple of hours before the party at Victor's villa."

"No. I need to talk to Colin and Jay about some work issues."

I wondered if they would discuss work, or if Allison's death would be the subject of their conversation, but I wouldn't ask him that. If he needed to mourn her death with people who knew her, then I wouldn't stand in his way.

"I'll be back at the suite around five thirty."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

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