The Beauty and the CEO

“The tape over the stairwell didn’t clue you in that this area was off-limits?” Zoe asked, approaching. Years ago, when her father had opened the house for tourists, the carpets were taken out and the floors stripped to reveal the original hardwood. He must have learned his lesson after having them constantly cleaned. Her father also kept the off-limits sign up to keep the family’s personal belongings safe. Kenzie had a key to the house, as the town historian did with just about every historic place in town open for tours.

“I like to pick and choose when the rules suit me.” Will chuckled. He dropped his hands and nodded toward the wall. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

Walking farther into the room, Zoe found her old canopy bed still intact. The creamy veils surrounding the bed were open and held back with eggshell-colored ties. The walls were a soft beige; off-white frames holding old family photos hung on the bare wall, along with a corkboard with the framed A+ paper she’d done on the Ravens family.

Embarrassed, Zoe closed her bedroom door before another rogue tourist strayed upstairs to witness her adolescent obsession. She stood in front of Will, as if her height could actually make a difference. Not a chance. “Don’t look at that.”

“Why not? I want to learn about my family history.” Will gently moved Zoe to the side and moved closer to the report. Zoe waved her hands in front of his face. “Wait, is this the crystal ball you were talking about that told you you belonged at Ravens Cosmetics?”

Of all the times to remember something. Zoe groaned inwardly.

“I must say, I’m quite impressed,” Will continued. “You managed to include my all of my aunts and uncles, including Aunt Octavia. Most people forget about her.”

“How can they forget?” Zoe gawked “Before social media, she had to have been the scandal of the decade. I mean, the eighties were a breath away from social media. Can you imagine what the rumors would have been like? From what I read, no one could believe someone could walk away like she did and disappear.” As Zoe went on, Will’s lips flattened together. Zoe covered her mouth and shook her head. “I’m sorry. That was probably insensitive of me.”

“Nah.” Will let her off with an easy smile. “Everyone else in the family seems to have forgotten about the missing heir—she’s been missing for a few decades now. My siblings and my cousins never knew her. We only know her as the abstaining vote.”

“She still has a stake in the company?” Zoe asked.

Will nodded. “My grandmother…”

“Ms. Naomi,” Zoe provided with excitement, pointing to the spot on the Ravens family tree, where an old photograph of his grandmother was pasted.

“Yes, my grandmother Naomi still believes Octavia will come back one day.”

In a way, Zoe had always thought the same thing, especially with the way everyone used some form of social media platform. Didn’t Octavia want to see her family? What drove her away? Zoe had a thousand and one questions.

Will brushed his elbow against her shoulder. “Look here, you got as far as my third great-grandfather.”

Zoe beamed proudly for a moment. “Well, my great-grandmother swore by the products your family used to come up with and urged everyone to work for your grandmother once her students graduated.” Then Zoe moved away, turning so he didn’t see her blush. How much of a stalker did she seem right now? All her life she’d wanted to be a part of Ravens Cosmetics. “You must think I’m crazy.”

“We’ve spent the whole week together, practically day in and day out. Why didn’t you tell me about your family’s links with mine?” Will asked. His voice neared her. Chills rolled down her spine. “Can’t you see that’s yet another thing we have in common? From what I learned today, it’s as if our grandmothers aligned us to be together.”

“Get serious,” Zoe said as she spun around. She came face-to-face with his chest, which she stared at rather than meet his eyes. But it was useless. Will tipped her chin so she’d face him. “Will,” she pleaded. “I heard you this morning on the phone with whomever. You said so yourself, there is no me and you.”