Page 54 of My Grape Crush
“You had to be there.” Defensiveness creeps in because the weird, private bubble moment defied explanation.
“Not that I need to point out the obvious, but action speaks louder than words. No woman grinds you into oblivion just because. You’re sure she’s single?”
I nod. That much, I’m sure of.
“And nothing since the almost-kiss on the raft.”
I shake my head.
JC thinks about that, arranging himself cross-legged on the couch. Getting settled to offer up the advice I asked for. “It sounds like she needs the right fire lit under her. No woman wants a limp-dick lying there letting her do all the work. You need to be the aggressor.”
I pick at the beer label, knowing he’s right. I need to bust a move, but the thought leaves me cold. “You know that’s not my style.”
“Christ, buddy,” JC groans. “You’re too goddamned pretty to be single. Step up to the plate and swing. It’s like that guy complaining he never wins the lottery but refuses to buy a ticket.”
“Yeah, but—” The sound of another call interrupts my protest. JC scans the details on his screen. “You need to take that?”
“It’s Sawyer.” He sends our big brother to voicemail. “I’ll catch up with him after.”
Huh. I bet I know why Sawyer is calling. Do I say something or stand down? Under ordinary circumstances, I would spill the beans. But now Dani and Nero Vino are involved, and the tangled knot of family business, brotherhood, and my own motivations are too extreme for me to untangle.
And when it comes to JC, he’ll do what he wants. Every single time.
But can I claim I knew nothing if I have to live through the damage and debris of a decimated JC for a second time?
“Listen, bro,” he says. “Still early days, but I’ve never seen you this invested. It sounds like Dani might be the one you can finally let down your walls for. Walk me through your plan, and I’ll help you tweak it. Or if you don’t have a clue, let me shed some light on how you seduce a woman.”
I feel a wave of relief, and that’s the magic of JC.
Not only does he understand me, he wants the best for me.
And will do whatever it takes.
Chapter Seventeen
DANI
“How will you fix this?”
Gail Stafford levels an arctic stare at me. She has too many teeth, her pale spring coloring does not support an orange blazer, and she is mighty pious for a civil servant. Unfortunately, bad news has done what it does best: spread. And in a town this size, where you have to leave to change your mind, her mind is made up: I better clean up this mess, pronto.
“We’ll restrict filming to the property,” I remind her for the second time. “Until the buzz dies down.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
The longer she stares at me, the more I think she’s trying to conjure a new me into existence.
One who will bend to her will.
“It isn’t a crime to hire an influencer,” I say. “Evelyn paid for his time, and we need to honor the contract.”
Gail smiles, although nothing changes in her cold blue eyes. “Osoyoos is more than one business. And Nero Vino has had plenty of concessions. Divine Debauchery already puts a massive strain on the community.”
“By strain, do you mean all the businesses making fortunes from the celebrities dropping cash? Or are you put off by all the media attention you become the face of?”
My sweetly delivered questions douse the room in silence. Her office is all corporate spartan, with tidy stacks of brochures, mandated furniture from Staples, and zero temptation of running wild. Gail squints at me, pressing her fingers to her temples, holding back a tide of righteous fury. As much as she wants to notch a black mark beside the Nero Vino name, she knows the gala adds a significant bump to the local coffers.
Rhys in town, however, offers no uptick in revenue.Only more glory, esteem, and press for Evelyn, who, in her opinion, has enough of all three, thank you very much.
