Page 16 of Beach Bum Billion-Heiress
"If you're sure you can handle it..." My father sounded unconvinced.
"I know I can handle it. Let me prove it to you." I stood and paced back and forth in my bedroom, anxiety from the phone call making me crave the movement. "I can't always rely on you, father. I need to do this on my own." I knew he'd agree with that statement.
"You're right about that.” A harried breath. “Okay. Call me when it's done."
The click in my ear was a blessed sound, meaning I'd escaped a visit from my father's minion for just a bit longer. I'd long ago given up hope that he would end a call with a heartfelt 'I love you' or a quick inquiry about my day. My father was all business, all the time.
I sat back down, my coffee gone cold on the table beside me. I may have been living in paradise, with the open sky and expansive ocean fooling me into believing I was free as a bird. I was anything but free, simply in an invisible cage of my father's creation.
There was nothing for it. I needed to regroup, forget any feelings I may been harboring for Jax, and get my head back in the game. I had a property to buy, a restaurant to build, and a trust fund to grab.
* * *
"Ya'll are sick little bunnies, you know that?" I managed to gasp out. My calves were on fire and I thought my heart would beat right out of my chest. Bent over, my hands on my knees, I wondered for the first time if I was all show and no go. Going for a run was a usual occurrence for me back home, and I looked like your typical lean runner, but that flat trail had nothing on this sand that you sunk into with each step. It was like trying to run through quicksand and going nowhere fast.
Hessa barked out a laugh. "Oh yes, I know what you mean. These girls took me jogging when I first met them too. It's a near death experience for the first few months. Then you acclimate and just like that, it feels remarkably pleasant."
I swiveled my head in her direction, the only body part not in pain right then, and found myself eye level with her legs. "This must be why you have such kickin' stems."
The girls all giggled. "We've heard Kai likes those legs in your high heels and pencil skirts, Ms. Woodland," Esa ribbed Hessa.
"All right ladies, we're here to solve a problem for Sage and Jax, not to speculate about Hessa's love life." This came from Shasta, the woman I'd met when I came down to the beach to meet up with the Beach Squad. She was older than the rest of them, maybe in her late 40's, and I was quickly seeing that she was the mother hen of the group. Like a drill sergeant. She kind of scared me.
She turned her attention to me and explained. "We never leave a woman behind. Let's walk for a bit." Then she marched off, confident we'd follow.
I pulled myself upright and promised myself a massage tomorrow if I didn't embarrass myself in front of my new friends. Whining was not okay in my book. Suck it up, buttercup.
As I hobbled along, I tried to explain my point of view, knowing they were probably all on Jax' side, given their prior relationship with him. My guilty conscience needed to feel like they at least understood where I was coming from. Like their understanding would assuage my guilt somehow.
"You guys already know, if I don't buy that property and build a successful restaurant, my father's company is ripped away from me. My father made it perfectly clear that he'd brook no argument on this. I know Jax isn't making much money, if anything at all, with The Surf Shack, so it just makes sense to buy it from him and move on. Jax gets money in his pocket, I get my restaurant. It's really a win-win."
There was silence for a few minutes as everyone thought about my predicament. I let hope bubble up in my chest, starting to believe my own spin on the deal. Maybe if I got them to see it from my point of view, they'd even help me convince Jax.
Bailey didn't look at me as she kept walking along the water's edge, but I could tell her words were for me. "Did you know Jax was about to marry his high school girlfriend up until just a couple years ago?"
I almost stumbled as a pain shot through my chest. A pain that felt a lot like jealousy. Which was ridiculous. I'd just met the guy and I certainly didn't have strong feelings for him in just a matter of a few days. And besides, he was old enough for me to have assumed that he had serious relationships before. It would be weirder if he hadn't had a long term, serious relationship by now. I frowned as I realized that I hadn't, so maybe I was the weird one. Reaching up to rub my nose, I was a little ticked off it hadn't started tingling to warn me about this dangerous turn in the conversation. Great, now my nose was failing me too!
"Jax had picked out a ring and everything. A few days before their eight year anniversary, and the day he planned to propose, she broke up with him. Left a note on his bed, cleared all her stuff out of his apartment while he was at work, and left."
That pain in my chest turned to sympathy for Jax. What a terrible thing to have happen. He must have been so hurt. I mean, I was happy to hear they weren't together any longer, but what a hurtful way to end a long relationship.
"You know the worst thing about it? She told him in the note that she was tired of him working all the time and having so little to show for it. Can you believe that shit? I mean, the guy works two jobs and that bitch up and left him over money. Don't get me wrong, he lucked out in the end not marrying her, but still. Damn heartless."
I waited a moment and then piped up, hoping I wouldn't piss them all off. "I can't imagine how hurt he must have been. But, what's that have to do with me?"
"I think what Bailey is trying to infer is that Jax won't take kindly to you charging in there and waving some money around to get your way. In fact, that'll probably make him even more stubborn in his stance." Brinley's voice still tripped me out. She had the body of an Olympic athlete, a machine in a woman's body. And then she had this high pitched, sweet voice like a Disney princess.
I thought about what she'd said, but couldn't see how offering to buy his shop was the same as me waving my money around. In fact, I was pretty damn careful to not give off the image of a spoiled, rich girl. Years of dealing with people only wanting me for my family's money had shaped my clothing choices, hairstyles, and even my car selections. Just ask my father. He was flat out appalled with how ‘cheap’ I looked.
"Well, I'm sorry, but that misperception is on Jax. I haven't waltzed in there like I was made of money. I'm actually pretty damn sick of everyone kissing my ass simply because my father has money, especially men. The last thing I'd do is flash my money around," I spat out as I marched through the sand.
"Whoa there, killer. We didn't say you did anything of the sort. But if that's how Jax perceives it, we thought you should know where his head's at." Esa put a hand on my arm, slowing me down so I stayed with the group. "Sounds like you've had your own run-in with crappy friends if they took advantage of you for your family's money."
Looking around at the girls, they either nodded at me or gave me the same soft smile. Like they saw right through my temper tantrum to the hurt below the surface. I didn't know quite what to say to Esa's statement since no one had ever asked me about the negatives of being rich. Everyone just assumed it was mansions, Lamborghinis, and vacations with hot pool boys doing your bidding.
I looked down at my feet as I dug them into the cool, wet sand. "Don't get me wrong. Hot pool boys are nice. Very nice. But at some point you get sick of all that and just want to have a real relationship with someone who isn't in it for the free ride, or to get an in with your father, or just to be invited to the most exclusive parties. I want best friends and a boyfriend who love me for me. Someone who will let me make my own decisions yet still rock my world in the bedroom. Strip all the money away and they'd still be by my side, you know?"
Looking up, I see them all nodding at me, understanding clear on their faces.
"Hell yes, woman. You need a Beach Squad!" Shasta broke the pity party moment with her loud, gruff voice. The others all agreed with squeals and hand clapping. They managed to pull me into a messy group hug. Someone's elbow clipped my chin in the melee, but I just went with it. It felt too nice to have the hugs and acceptance. These friends may be crazy and brand new, but they were mine now.
"Hold on a second, let's go back to talking about those pool boys." Bailey waggled her eyebrows and we all laughed, breaking apart to continue our walk. All talk of boys, fathers, businesses, and even pool boys, was left far behind.
