Page 113 of Never With You
“You can’t just sign off on the weather. That’s my job.”
Isaac laughs in his mocking way. “You just like to control everything. You can’t stand someone else taking charge.”
“No.” I attempt to keep the irritation out of my voice. “Voyager Travel has a strict policy of being cautious about weather. We don’t want to risk twenty thousand dollars on decoration rentals that our client would have to cover if they get ruined by rain, especially if we can move the event indoors.”
“What’s done is done. I signed off on the weather.” He gestures around at the beach. “The hotel staff is already setting up, so just say thank you and move on.”
I clench my teeth and walk away, eyeing the gray clouds in the distance.
The giant white teepees we rented are being decorated with flowers. White couches and pillows are also being arranged on the beach, creating little conversation corners. Then, there are the white tables and chairs in a semi-circle facing the ocean and the small white stage in the middle. Above, the staff works on stringing lights running from one pole to another.
All of this could’ve been moved inside if Isaac hadn’t already gotten the ball rolling. I just pray he knows what he’s doing, and the rain holds off.
“Phwwwwwhht!” Nate places his hand over his heart as he walks toward me. “You look amazing."
I smile, feeling the tint of a blush. “It’s just a simple white maxi dress.”
His head shakes as his eyes roam. “There’s nothing simple about it.”
“You don’t look half-bad either.” Half-bad is me seriously downplaying how good Nate looks in his white linen shirt, rolled sleeves, and light khaki pants.
“What can I do to help?” he asks.
“Well, I’m a little nervous about the weather.”
Nate glances up. “Should we move the event inside just to be safe?”
“I might’ve, but Isaac signed off on the weather, and they’ve already started setting up.”
“Isaac signed off on it?”
“Right when we got back from the tour.”
“If the party gets rained out, it will be on him.”
“Yeah, but it will also cost your dad’s company a lot of moneyandmake us look bad.”
“No, it will make Isaac look bad.” He throws his head back, examining the sky again. “What did the weather report say?”
“It forecasted rain at eleven p.m.”
“Then let’s hope it stays that way.”
Even though the farewell party is my responsibility, I give Nate a few tasks to oversee, and for the next two hours, we work together putting the finishing touches on the event. This trip has shown me that Nate isn’t lazy; he simply finds ways to work smarter, not harder. It’s different from my style, but it’s not ineffective.
As the sun hangs low in the sky, guests begin to trickle down to the beach. Soft music plays while waiters circle with trays of spiked island juice. People lounge on the couches and oversized pillows, mingling and laughing.
But every slight breeze gives me anxiety as I closely watch the sky.
I’m surprised when Mack Farnsworth walks toward me.
“I wanted to say thank you for taking over the trip on such short notice.” He extends his hand out. Under normal incentive trip circumstances, the gesture would feel on par for company execs, but since Nate and I complicated everything with our fake-dating charade, a handshake feels a little too formal. “This was a very well-planned and thought-out trip.”
“Thank you. I hope you and your employees enjoyed it.”
“I think everyone had a great time.” He glances around the beach before meeting my gaze. “Connie says I’m too hard on Nate. I always have been. But I’m especially tough on him regarding his career choices. I worked hard to build something with Pureskin, believing I could pass it down to my sons..." His thought lingers between us for a moment before he huffs. “But if Nate is passionate about travel, I can try to support that, especially since it brought him to you.”
Pangs of guilt rattle through me.
