“Don’t worry,” she says. “I’ll text it to you, too.”
“Delete that,” I tell her. She shakes her head with that giddy little grin. She’s loving every second of my misery. As long as she doesn’t have that hurt look on her face that she had last night, I can’t bring myself to care too much that she’s being blatantly defiant.
Leon and Stephen are pushing me out the door, wanting to get started thirty minutes ago.
“Have fun, you guys,” Brielle calls as I shoot her a menacing glare.
I’m cold, tired, and hungry. But I’m also filled with a sense of primal, masculine pride. Stephen is silent on our drive back, opting to take the back seat in Leon’s pickup. He’s still sulking because my last-minute catch knocked his off the leaderboard by a whooping 2.2 inches.
There is no reason to feel as proud as I do that this monster of a fish decided to hook onto my line by nothing more than luck, but I do. Leon’s still hyping me up on the drive back.
Honestly, it’s been a really fun day out on the lake. I can see the Vitales’ tours being successful if marketed to the right audience. Out-of-state, experienced fishermen needing to know where to go for the best results, and amateurs like me who still need direction as to what to wear, would both benefit from Leon’s expertise at various levels. Hiking groups that could accommodate multiple skill levels without sacrificing the breathtaking views.
“How long have you been doing the tours?” I ask.
“Pammie and I only started them up a few years ago, small groups that needed the guidance, but not full hand-holding. Since then, we’ve expanded on them. The plan is make these tours the cornerstone of the business across all of the Northeast and as many activities as we can. Summer, fall, winter, spring, doesn’t matter. We will have something available that will get people outdoors and in nature. If we can make it work, anyway.”
“I can’t see why not. I’m going to be honest with you, Leon, I’m not a big outdoors guy—”
“You don’t say,” Stephen pipes up from the back seat, humor lacing his voice.
I glare at him in the back seat, but he just chuckles like I’m fucking funny. “As I was saying, Brielle kind of exaggerated the truth that night at dinner, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to get to know you better, but I didn’t have high hopes for this weekend other than networking.”
I’m not usually this candid with my clients, but I feel like I can be with Leon. I’m pretty sure he would prefer it if I was.
“And how did we do?” he asks.
“I’m impressed. And I don’t impress easily. Whether you choose to partner with CreativEdge for your advertising and marketing or not, you’ve really got something here. I’ve had a really good time thisweekend.” Leon’s passion for what he does is evident. It’s infectious. The ice fishing itself was better than I expected, but what made the day enjoyable was their comfort and ease. The way they worked together, even when they pressured me into using the drill to cut a new hole in the ice. Handling that equipment gave me a thrill that I will never tell to another soul. They brought me in like I was one of them, never making me feel anything but part of the team.
“I’m glad to hear that, Damian. Thank you. I hope that Brielle has enjoyed herself as well.”
Oh, she did. Of that, I have no doubt, regardless of how she tried to play it off last night.
“She certainly did. Thank you for inviting us out here this weekend.”
“It’s been my pleasure.” Leon smiles as he pulls into the driveway.
The cabin is quiet when we walk in. Everyone’s cars were out front, so I know they can’t be far, but with the Vitales, anything is possible. Pam could have taken them bear hunting for all I know. I turn into the family room and stop short.
Apparently, they didn’t go bear hunting.
Every one of them is knocked out. Pam is laid out on the couch, Courtney is curled into the chair, and Brielle is on the floor, surrounded by chairs draped with blankets and a collection of pillows, with a sleeping Maggie lying on her chest.
I pull out my phone and snap a picture. I’d like to think it’s retaliation for her doing the same to me this morning, but I know that’s not the case. I don’t let myself dwell on the why of it all. I just know I want to capture the moment before it slips away.
We all decide to leave the ladies where they are. While Leon starts dinner and Stephen jumps in the shower, I start to pack up our things, leaving a change of clothes out for myself. I’m in and out of the showertwenty minutes later and hurry into the bedroom with only a towel around my waist, closing the door behind me.
I finish drying off and reach for my briefs when the door opens. Brielle stands in the doorway, both of us frozen in place.
Her eyes rake over me, her gaze snagging on my manhood. My blood starts to hum, instantly wanting to run south.
“You in or you out?” I say quietly.
That seems to jolt her out of her stupor. She comes in and closes the door, pointedly not looking at me.
“Sorry. I didn’t know you were changing.”
“That’s too bad. I was kind of hoping this was intentional,” I joke. Kind of.
