Page 1
Chapter 1
Natalie
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
I stare up at the Ferris Wheel in awe.
The lights twinkle and streak against the backdrop of the ocean.
I realize that no matter how many times I’ve seen the Skyviews Observation Ferris Wheel, its beauty never dulls.
“It’s alright,” my friend and coworker Dylan says. “It’s not the most thrilling ride. It’s really slow, honestly. I’m more of a roller coaster kind of girl.”
“It’s not meant to go fast,” I chuckle. “It’s about observation. About looking over the water and the city and taking it all in.”
“Boring,” she drones, and I toss her a look. My friend simply smiles and winks at me before popping a chocolate-covered strawberry into her mouth.
We are at Bayside Marketplace in Miami with Mission Events, my father’s company. Actually, it’s an annual charity gala and all the big names in the hospitality industry are in attendance.
We have the entire area booked for the private event, including several nearby restaurants and bars with live music playing.
I don’t technically work for Mission Events yet.
Although my father, Jim Blythe, let me have quite a bit of say in the planning of this event. A little “post-internship in France” gift from him in celebration of me honing my event planning expertise in the bougie city of Paris.
Honestly, going to France was gift enough for me, but my father insisted on helping with the gala. I think he might be worried that I get swept away by Paris, never to return.
But I have always wanted to work for the family business, which is why I gave every ounce of my expertise into this event.
“You know, not everything in life is meant to be fast-paced or glitzy,” I tell her.
Dylan rolls her eyes at me. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkle even in dim lighting. She’s tall and thin and lets her long blonde hair hang in thick waves down her back. When she smiles, she beams, making every man in sight do a double take.
It’s a direct contrast to my plainness.
I am only five foot three tall and pear-shaped at that. My dark hair is neither black nor brown. It’s akin to the color of a light roast coffee before any cream has been added.
My small face is plain, not even a freckle. I have a very young look about me and often get double-carded when ordering a cocktail. Luckily, my green eyes stand out on my IDs and in person, which is usually enough to convince the person carding people. Besides, I am twenty-five and perfectly legal to order a drink at a bar.
Many have said, ‘a youthful face is a gift,’ but I have a hard time believing that. It’s probably because my best friend looks like a supermodel and my older sister is stunning.
“What on earth are you wearing?” I hear her say.
Speak of the devil…I think to myself.
I look over and see my sister, Reese, walking toward me with her boyfriend, Garrett, and his friend, Cal. At least, I think that’s his name. We aren’t in high school anymore, but it still feels like I’m being approached by Regina George and her posse of plastics. I shy away the moment she stops in front of me.
“Hey, Reese,” I say without inflection. I’ve spent my entire life dealing with my sister. Competing with her, dodging her snarky comments and insults, and living in the shadow of her 5’7 self.
She is tall and carries her hourglass shape and D-cups with ease. Her soft honey-brown hair, the world’s most contagious laugh, and body language that insinuates to any man around her that she’s interested in him, even though she’s not, make her very intimidating.
She’s basically perfect aside from her mean, fake, and shallow inner self. She’s my older sister by four years. She likes to point that out every so often ever since our mom died fifteen years ago.
“I cannot believe you’re wearing that,” Reese goes on about my outfit. “Garrett, do you see what she’s wearing?” She has been dating Garrett for three years. The poor man.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I ask, deliberately positioning myself in front of the laser beam.
“What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?” she echoes with that laugh. “Well, first of all, this is a gala, not a conference for accountants,” she laughs again. Every word she says is loud enough that everyone around us can hear, including colleagues of our father and CEOs of some of the most luxurious hotel and resort chains in the world.
