The “religion” originated when Jasper got a severe sunburn on a walkabout in Australia, leading to a “spiritual revelation.” He claimed to have learned that the sun was purifying to the mind, body, and spirit, and those who suffered sun-related diseases like cancer only did so because of impurities in their life.
There were rules that the members followed like sun-soaked meditation, moonlit confessions, and the intensive protection of wilderness areas at all costs. Members had died of heat stroke, severe sunburn, and even from running in front of bulldozing equipment. But they picked up new members every year and made money by selling clothing and accessories that you could wear without getting tan lines.
“The whole thing should be criminal,” I said. “You could talk to any doctor, read any research study, and see they’re full of shit.” Jasper’s organization hurt people while discrediting medical professionals like my brother Fletcher.
“True,” Cruz said, his dark eyes gleaming with intensity, “but from a marketing perspective, it’s brilliant. They’ve effectively created so many common enemies that the core group is impenetrable.”
Jude tapped his nose. “So how do we engage in a meeting with Jasper without instantly becoming the enemy?”
“We get someone on the inside,” Quentin said. “But who?”
“I’ll do it,” Maya said.
I turned to stare at her. I hadn’t even heard her come into the meeting, but all the assistants were standing against the back wall, taking notes. “Absolutely not,” I said. My brother would kill me if I had Maya going undercover into that deranged group.
She lifted her chin defiantly. “I have a naturally tan complexion, I’m young, and I’m not a face of this company. I’ll be able to go in undetected and work my way up and?—”
“That would take years,” I argued. And no one could disagree. “Jasper’s not going to trust a newcomer. Who on his leadership team is the most vulnerable?”
Owen tapped through his computer, going to a slide with members of the Corona. That’s what Jasper called the leadership team surrounding him, the core.
Jude said, “We see who’s most vulnerable to a bribe and get them to convince Jasper of a sale. Easy.”
Maya spoke up from behind me. “Actually, it’s not.”
Jude glared at her. “Why the hell not?”
Looking at her phone screen, she answered, “Because he just requested a meeting with Bryce for Monday.”
13.Jada
A bell attachedto the door rang as I walked into Glamma’s favorite boutique, BennyBlue. Lavender-vanilla room spray assailed my senses, and I wound around displays to the checkout counter toward the back of the store. I had just enough time before my Saturday bartending shift to make these returns.
An older lady with blond hair teased to the sky looked up and saw me, a little frown on her lips. “Returns?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, cringing internally. I felt bad coming here a couple times a month to return Glamma’s purchases, but I couldn’t take her card away from her any more than I could pay all the house bills on my own. Losing Grandpa’s pension had made life after his passing even harder.
I lifted the bag, placing a pile of clothing and jewelry with the tags still attached on the counter.
“Return to the card or store credit?” she asked.
“Card, please,” I said.
Wrinkles formed around her tightly pursed lips as she began scanning all the items at the register. She didn’t say a word while I waited, or even as a long receipt spilled out of the printer.When she handed it back to me, she read off the total. It was the amount we’d need to pay this month’s electric bill.
“Thank you, really,” I said. Then I pulled my empty duffel off the counter and walked out the store, feeling her narrowed gaze on my back. It was just a matter of time until they started refusing our returns or offering only in-store credit. And then I would have to explain to Glamma why she couldn’t shop at her favorite store anymore. I shuddered at the thought as I made my way to the bus stop and sat down to wait.
Luckily, the fun was more in thebuyingthan thehavingfor Glamma. Her closet was so stuffed that she didn’t miss the things I returned. Truthfully, she was growing more forgetful. Part of me wondered if she even remembered all the purchases she made.
But that was a dark thought path I didn’t want to travel, so instead, I thought about my date with Bryce the next day. To my surprise, I was actually looking forward to it.
I wanted to get to know him better, to learn more about the man who built such a revolutionary company. One day, I hoped to use MyHome to find the perfect house for me. The app was so sophisticated that you could tell it about yourself, what kind of lifestyle you wanted, and it would match you with homes that had the right layout and location to meet all your needs.
I used to play around on the app just for fun, but it made me too sad knowing I’d probably never be able to afford a house of my own, so I stopped.
The bus trundled up along the street, so I got in, heading to my shift and thinking about how different my life was than I used to imagine it would be.
The first part of my shift was so busy, I hardly had time to think—exactly how I liked it.
