Page 19 of The Cowboy and the Bombshell
“If they’re even half as amazing as you are, I have no doubt!”
* * * *
It was just before five when I headed back to the house. I had met with the photographer and made arrangements for her to come to the hotel in a few days to start preliminary teaser shots. I then located a local printer who would be perfect for printing the promotional materials I wanted to start handing out shortly. I used the internet to find someone who would meet me later in the week to start setting up digital edits to use for our social media campaign, and then I walked to aWalgreen'sand got some make up that didn’t cost an entire paycheck.
I sent a message to Moira, telling her that I wouldn’t be back in the office for the rest of the day. I hadn’t heard a word from Stone, so I could only assume he was still working. I probably should have told him I wouldn’t be riding back to the house with him, but I didn’t want to be the one to attempt civility first. I had to hold my ground. He thought he could push me around and I needed to show him that I might not be uptown like him, but l am not a door mat either.
I arranged a meeting with Carson Young for Friday, as well, and I was hopeful he would like my idea for the smallest theater. I had been contacted by Dolly, and from the sounds of it, she was going to have a multitude of ladies that I was confident Carson would love.
When my taxi dropped me off back in Summerlin South, I was ecstatic to see my suitcase sitting on the porch, tattered, but finally arrived. I hauled it inside with me, rolling it to the base of the stairs before heading to the kitchen. I’d skipped lunch, too focused on accomplishing things today, and my stomach had been growling at me for an hour. As I opened the fridge, I heard a voice call from up the stairs.
“Hey, Stone? You’re home early. Can you grab me a bottle of water? I’ve had a killer headache all day.”
I turned to look as a gorgeous brunette walked into the kitchen, typing away on her phone at a million miles an hour, short shorts and a tank top on, her tanned stomach showing in the inch or so in between. She was stunning, and I couldn’t help but wonder how often Stone came to Las Vegas if he had a woman here who expected him home at a certain time.
She came looked up from her phone and stopped short when she saw me.
“Oh! You’re not Stone,” she said, tilting her head to the side and assessing me from head to toe.
Why did women keep doing this to me? “Neither are you,” I replied, deadpan.
“So, what are you doing here, then?” she asked boldly. “You don’t look like his typical booty call.” I crossed my arms over my chest, arching an eyebrow. Who did this chick think she was?
“And I suppose you are?”
At that she snorted. “God, I freakin’ hope not!” Moving forward, she extended her hand to me. “Hi. I’m Daphne Pennington.”
Realization dawned, and I felt my cheeks turning crimson. Good grief, was I being possessive of Stone? Why? He was a jerk! A mean-spirited trust fund baby who talked to me like I was beneath his station.
So what if he was the best looking guy I’d ever laid eyes on? That didn’t matter one bit.
Yeah, I’d always been a terrible liar.
More than that, I wanted to change the way the thought of me. I wanted to prove to him that it didn’t matter that my parents weren’t rich or that I went to school on a scholarship. I deserved to be here just as much as he did.
Likely more.
I blinked away that ridiculous train of thought and shook Daphne’s hand, remembering that when I thought it would be her that I was rooming with here, I hoped that we could be friends, or at least get a long. Stone and I certainly weren’t managing that, maybe I would have better luck with Daphne. “Hi, I’m Penelope Lund.”
“Oh, right!” she exclaimed, suddenly excited. “You’re the one Constance was moaning about. I totally get it now.” Daphne smiled like the cat that got the cream.
“Get what?” I queried hesitantly. Maybe I didn’t want to know what she and Constance thought about me and my chances of earning the VP position.
“Why Constance is shaking in her boots,” Daphne chortled, laughing uproariously. “She should be scared. Toddrick is as useless as an ejection seat on a helicopter!”
Picturing that, I laughed softly. “I highly doubt Constance is concerned about me. Toddrick may be useless, but she is still a Pennington. I wouldn’t be surprised if this whole competition thing is just a big joke.” I couldn’t help but let my bitterness and self doubt show a bit.
“I don’t think so,” Daphne said, moving to the fridge and retrieving the bottle of water she was asking for earlier. I looked around for some food idly, not really hungry anymore. My stomach was in knots thinking about the slim chance I had of getting the promotion and making life easier on my mother. “My father may be a lot of things, but he is not a fool. Putting Toddrick in an important position just to please my uptight sister would not be a great move for his business.”
“But everyone knows he wants to keep the company in the family. If not Toddrick and Constance, then…” but I trailed off. Of course. How could I have been so blind?
Stone. The secret Pennington. That was the goal all along; to have Stone take over Pennington Hotels. That meant that no matter how I did in the next four months, he was likely going to be my boss in the end regardless.
And he hated me.
Daphne looked at me, concern on her face. “Hey, what’s that look for?”
Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. “Nothing. I just realized that your brother was going to be my boss some day.” I glanced at her wryly. “He’s not exactly my biggest fan.”
