Avery left to find a shirt, and Lily accompanied her.
“She’s driving me insane,” Avery said through gritted teeth. “I’ve brought her French milled soap, a special candle, three types of bottled water, champagne we don’t carry, and a special refrigerator for her skin creams. Nothing satisfies her.”
“That’s a whole spa.” Lily giggled. “No wonder she texted me asking for a robe last night. Nate had a cabin steward take one over.”
Avery’s jaw dropped open. “I wonder if that was before or after she asked me for one and I told her to use the one in her cabin. Please help me through this day!”
“As soon as those trucks pull out, you and I are hitting the water,” Lily said. “Wes used the air compressor to inflate our floats. Yours is definitely a loon, but I’m not sure about mine. Is it a deer? Is it a moose? Is itadoose? We can debate this and other hot topics on our way out to Lone Pine Island.”
Avery laughed. Lily always brightened the mood.
Back in the lobby, Miles returned from makeup, tissue stuck in his neckline for touchups before he went live on the dock. Victoria stopped him and ran her hands over his pecs.
“Just getting some lint off,” she said, and smiled at him. “So, who’s your date for the fundraiser?”
“No comment.” He scowled at Victoria.
“Off the record?” She picked another piece of invisible lint off his shoulder.
“Victoria, private life, private. You know this.” Miles’s face transformed into a bed of chiseled rock.
“Look at you, so cute when you’re mad. I’m going solo.” She smoothed a hand down his arm. “Now get to the dock for your segment.”
Miles didn’t budge. As Victoria interviewed Nate, Avery wondered if Paulson was going to the fundraiser. If he showed up, someone should introduce him to Victoria. Miles wouldn’t do that for Paulson. If Avery were there, she would finagle a meeting so Paulson could get her out of his system.
When Nate’s interview cut to commercial, Miles winked at Avery and sped down to the dock, possibly to avoid Victoria.
But Victoria had her eyes on another companion.
“Avery, my friend. I feel bad we haven’t had time to catch up.” She used her sweetest voice, as if ten years ago, Victoria hadn’t called Avery a prude and predicted Miles’s end-of-summer breakup. “Come with me.”
Another command. As Avery walked slowly to the dock with Victoria, she braced for another ridiculous request. Those trucks pulling out couldn’t come soon enough.
“So, you and Miles have reunited,” Victoria said.
“We’re both here to help the Coopers. That’s all.” Avery centeredher gaze straight ahead to where Miles joked with the crew in the middle of the ski dock.
Victoria clicked her tongue. “His watch around your wrist and your stolen glances don’t fool me.”
Avery knew to be cautious. Miles had given Victoria nothing.
“Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to come here.” She attempted to change course. “I know the Coopers appreciate the—”
“He doesn’t fall in love.” Victoria eyed Avery up and down, as if assessing her and finding her lacking. “But you already know that.”
“What?” Avery stopped short. How dare she try this again?
“Miles doesn’t do love. He’s Mr. One and Done.”
Avery grabbed a loose towel hanging off the back of a chair and squeezed it to hide her shaking fists, reminding herself a shared calendar said otherwise.
“Woman to woman,” Victoria said in a sickeningly sweet, I’m-your-best-friend voice. “In the City, his life is different. Actors. Models. Rock stars. It’s no place for a girl who ogles at loons and paints pretty pictures.”
Avery bit her cheek to keep from exploding. It took every ounce of energy not to tell Victoria to pack her chilled face cream and leave.
“Think about it, Aves. You and Miles have different love languages. Like most Southern women, you crave attention and words of affirmation. Miles is all about physical touch. A guy that hot can have his needs met anywhere, anytime, with anyone. That’s why he never stays with the same woman. I’m just trying to prepare you for the inevitable. When you leave this lake, he’ll find someone else.”
Avery swallowed. Somehow Victoria had not lost the ability to make her simultaneously implode and explode. How dare she pick them apart? That was Avery’s job. Except Miles did love touch. Whenever they were alone, his hands were all over her. Trent had loved touch too … and look where that had landed her.
