“I hope you’re right,” Pam says with a soft smile. I forgot she was there.
“I think an ad message like that would do really well.” Images of how it could be marketed authentically flit through my head. “You could center it around you and Leon. The family you’ve built. The love of the outdoors that you’ve passed on to future generations,” I say. Thinking out loud, I add, “I wonder if one of your parents were big into the outdoors? Imagine an old photo of a little Leon or Pam with their parents, then Leon and Pam and Courtney when she was young. Then we add Stephen and Maggie.”
“I used to climb this very mountain with my father. I bet I could find a picture of it.” I spin around. Leon is behind me now, with Maggie by his side.
“Can I be in your picture, Grandpa? I want to take a picture, too,” Maggie yells.
“Of course you can, sunshine.”
I catch Damian’s eyes. There’s a question in his gaze, and I realize I probably overstepped.
“Here, let me take some family photos of you,” Damian offers.
We back away from the ledge so we can get the best background in the pictures. Damian moves them around a little, capturing the best angles for the light and focal points. He takes a picture of Leon, Pam, and Maggie. Of Courtney, Stephen, and Maggie. Of the Vitale family and of the Vitale women. Every combination takes their turn in our impromptu photoshoot. He’s about to snap a picture of Leon and Pam by themselves, when Leon plants a big, fat kiss on his wife’s lips. The pictures capture the surprise, followed by the love and laughter, in quick succession. Stephen and Courtney are next, and they decide to follow Leon’s lead, except instead of a surprise kiss, it’s purposeful and playful. Then they hold Maggie between them, each kissing one of her cheeks. She’s grinning so wide, it takes up her whole little face.
“Now you have to be in the picture,” she calls to me.
“Oh, no. That’s okay,” I chuckle, waving her away. “These are your family pictures.”
“Don’t you want at least one to prove to everyone that you did it?” Courtney laughs.
I do kind of want one. Leon must see the hesitation on my face. He ushers his family away from the best backdrop for photos. “Go on now. Get over there,” he tells me.
I hand Courtney my phone as we switch places, the edge of a mountainside cliff right behind me. I can only imagine what I look like, but right now, I can’t seem to bring myself to care. I conquered this mountain, and I’m damn proud of it.
“Move a little to your left,” Damian says. I follow his instructions, but he changes them again. “More. More. No, too far. Turn toward me.” He huffs and comes over to me to position me wherever he wants. “The sun is already higher than it was earlier. You want it in front of you, but not in your eyes.” After he gets me right where he wants me, he steps back.
“Where are you going? You’re in this, too,” Courtney tells him, waving my phone at him, pushing him back to me.
The “no” is on the tip of his tongue. I can see it coming. I reach for his hand, pulling him toward me before he can get it out. The loving, happy couple. I nestle into his side, my arm around his waist, and smile at the camera. Damian puts his hand on my shoulder, and I feel the weight of it down to my toes. Courtney takes a couple of pictures, and I’m ready to get going again down the mountain.
“No, they didn’t do the kissing one. You have to kiss. Boyfriends and girlfriends kiss sometimes, right, Momma?” Maggie asks.
I try to keep the panic off my face as I look up at Damian, then back out to everyone else. They are all waiting for us. Bags are repacked,food and water put away for the trek back down. All that’s left is one photo.
Not doing the picture seems foolish. If we were at risk of losing this contract before, there is no way Damian could recover from being caught in a lie like this. I glance up at Damian, but he’s giving me nothing. No hint of whether this is okay or not. I make my decision, lifting onto my toes and letting my lips brush against his.
It’s nothing like I thought it would be.
His body stiffens as soon as our lips touch. His mouth is firm and unmoving under mine, only making the smallest concession at the last second to end the kiss with the world’s quickest peck. I pull back, mortification rolling through me, but I keep a smile on my face as I laugh it off. I take my phone back from Courtney, and I can see the question in her eyes—the pity.
The trek back is so much quicker and easier, but I’m almost missing the exertion of the initial ascent. At least then I had to focus on staying alive. My mind wouldn’t have the capacity to overthink the bad decisions or dwell in the embarrassment of the rejection. No such luck on the way back down as my mind spins with regret.
I just kissed my boss. And he most definitely did not want me to.
I am so screwed.
Chapter 14
Damian
Woodpanelinglinesthewalls of the small bedroom that Brielle and I will be sharing for the weekend. The knots in the wood grain start to swirl like one of those stereogram images from when I was a kid the longer I stare at it. The rustling sounds behind me stop, but I don’t dare take my eyes off the wall.
Brielle’s upturned face, her hand on my chest, the heat of her body seeping through my shirt. The moment before her lips touched mine, when I could still pretend they weren’t the sole focus of all my thoughts.
“You can turn around now. I’m good,” Brielle says flatly. She’s been like that all afternoon, at least with me. With the Vitales, she’s been an absolute delight. Fun and personable, outgoing but engaging. She’s listened to their stories with her full attention and made a new friend in Maggie. And Courtney and Stephen. And Leon and Pam. I couldn’t have picked a better fake girlfriend to impress a client. I’m not even needed here, if I’m being honest with myself. And it’s clear Brielle wishes that I were somewhere else, too.
Possibly off the side of a mountain.
