Page 22 of One Time in Paris
But living here and running the inn permanently?
Was this really what she was going to do for the rest of her life?
She pushed the thought away and made her way down the winding path until she reached the steps to the beach. There, she tossed aside her sandals and headed barefoot down the steps into the sand.
Kyle wouldn’t be surfing here—this wasn’t the best beach for surfing—but she’d see him soon enough.
God, how am I even going to ask him to pretend to be my boyfriend?
And why does the thought of asking Callum if I can do this fill me with even more dread?
She dialed before she could overthink it.
The call rang, and she blinked out toward the surf, shading her eyes from the sun.
“Isla,” Callum said, answering on the third ring. “To what do I owe the pleasure at this late hour?”
“Don’t act as though I never call,” she teased. She checked her watch. Two in the afternoon here. He was acting like she’d called past midnight. “And it’s notthatlate over there. You’re only six hours ahead of me.”
This shouldn’t be hard. It’s Callum.
“You don’t callthatmuch. Not nearly as much as when we lived in London and you were a thorn in my side.”
“Aw, so sweet of you.” She settled down into the hot sand, stretching her feet in front of her. The ocean brought her an instant sense of calm, and she needed that right now. “But, in fact, I do have a question for you.”
“See? I knew you wanted something. That’s all you call me for these days.Callum, we need more money for this idea. Callum,we need more hammocks. Callum?—”
“All right, all right, I get it.” Isla rolled her eyes, then combed her fingertips through the sand, letting the grains slip between her fingers. To be fair, she’d enjoyed the part of this whole taking over the inn when they’d been remodeling it. It had brought a different facet of her creativity to the surface, and she’d been surprised by how much joy it had given her. Not only had it been brilliant to give the place a makeover but collaborating with Callum was also fun. They’d never gotten along better, in fact.
“But in this case, it’s not just me that needs something. It’s Davy. When we were in Vegas together, she asked me if I’d host a new show for the channel she works for. It’s a six-episode show in six separate places named Paris, starting next month. I’d need to travel once a week, filming on location for three days, for six weeks.”
Callum chuckled. “That sounds like a massive headache. Davy always was good for a laugh. I bet you’re glad you quit the business for the inn right about now.”
Oh God.
Isla dropped her chin. “Callum, I told her I’d do it.”
He was silent for a moment. “You must be joking.”
“No, I’m not.” She released a sigh that did nothing to loosen the tension in her chest. “She needs me, Callum. Her boss threatened to fire her until this pitch, and she pitched it with me as the host.”
“Why in the hell would she do that?” The irritation dripped from Callum’s voice.
She cringed. “Imay havesuggested the whole idea to her.”
Callum grunted. “Isla, for fuck’s sake.”
“Cal—I just...I don’t know. She needed my help. And I don’t want to let her down. She’s my closest friend.”
“And what about the inn? You’re just going to leave for six weeks? Who’s going to run the place? We both know we can’t count on Mum for the job—she’s the reason I had to buy it.”
“I was thinking Sergio could do it. And anyway, I wouldn’t have to be gone the whole time. I could come back between trips.”
“And be there what? Two days a week? You’ll lose two days a week on travel and three days filming. You can’t be flying back and forth like that—it’s ridiculous and won’t be that helpful. You’re supposed to be running the inn, Isla.”
“Iamrunning the inn.”
“You just need a six-week vacation in the middle of the busy season? For another job? That’s completely irresponsible.”
