I stare back at the woman on the screen who looks so similar to so many local girls. In the picture, she is wearing a simple T-shirt with her company’s logo and jeans. She’s surrounded by kids that I’m sure she has been feeding. But, if you put her in a bikini, she would look just like every other girl on this island.
Except for one thing.
The twinkle in her eyes. It’s different than anything I have ever seen before. It could just be this picture. The photographer could have just caught her eyes at just the right moment to catch the sunlight that caused her eyes to sparkle.
Or it could be her. I choose to believe it’s Sloane causing the twinkle. The rest of her body language indicates as much.
And her smart mouth from last night tells me that she is used to being in control and is good at it. She’s strong and kind. She’ll survive. I might destroy her, but I have no doubt that she will keep the nonprofit going. And, if she doesn’t, well, it’s not my fault if thousands of children go hungry. I’m sure her job isn’t that important anyway. Another organization would just take over caring for her kids.
I start reading article after article, trying to find out everything I can about Sloane Hart. She went to Harvard and majored in business. She graduated at the top of her class in fact. She grew up on the East Coast but would visit her grandmother here in Hawaii every summer. She moved here after graduation and has been working alongside her grandmother ever since. She met Wes at some point in college, but that is about all the articles say about Wes. He went to Harvard as well, so he can’t be that stupid, but none of the articles talk about him running his own company or having any involvement in her company. They all just talk about their upcoming wedding. That’s it.
I sigh when I finish reading the last article about Sloane that said much of the same as every other article about her. She’s smart, loving, strong. The best person in the world to run a nonprofit organization. They all believe that, in the next five years, her nonprofit could become the largest in the world. She’s that good at what she does. I’ve studied everything I can about her on paper, and I haven’t found a weakness. Not a single one.
As far as I can tell, she doesn’t have one. I grin, but this is exactly what I wanted. A challenge. And Sloane is not disappointing me there. This is exactly what I want.
I crack my neck from side to side as I begin to think of all my options to get into her life.
Apply for a job at her company? I shake my head. I don’t have time for that, and as soon as she found out I was working for her, she would fire me.
Stalk her? Wouldn’t work with Sloane. She’d call the police on me the second she spotted me.
Randomly run into her? She’d think I was stalking her.
My phone buzzes, interrupting my thoughts. I frown when I see the name on the screen. I answer though because I know, if I don’t, she’ll just keep calling me back.
“What?” I answer the phone.
“Well, hello to you, too. Why aren’t you at the beach?” Shauna, my agent and basically my boss for all intents and purposes, asks.
I frown. “How do you know I’m not at the beach this morning? Are you spying on me? I’m allowed to take a break from surfing every once in a while.”
She laughs. “I don’t give a shit if you prac
tice every day or not. All I care about is that you look good in your swim trunks and show up to the appearances and bookings we have given you. That’s it.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t have an appearance or shoot today.”
I can practically feel Shauna frowning on the other end of the line. That’s how annoyed she is.
“I knew we shouldn’t have hired a surfer. We pay you millions a year, and you can’t even remember to show up when you’re told. Even our basketball stars know how to show up even if they are still hungover from the night before. But, no, we decided to go with a surfer. Surfers are cool, are in right now. A surfer will help our brand. Right now, all I think is, we are paying you too goddamn much to not show up when you’re told.”
“Shauna, I’m sorry you’re having a shitty day or PMSing or whatever is going on with you. But I was never told about an appearance for today.” I check my calendar and email quickly to make sure, but there is nothing there.
I grin because I’m right, and Shauna is wrong.
“Shit, you’re right. Why the fuck do you have to be right?”
“Because I’m the devil.”
She sighs. “That, you are. Regardless of whose fault it is, I need you on the beach in ten minutes, or the cushiony paycheck we pay you every month will go away.”
I laugh. “No, it won’t. This is your fault. You screwed up, not me. And, if you think I care about the money, you are wrong.”
“Goddamn it, Asher! Just get your ass down to the beach now. It’s not like you have anything better to do. You surf; that’s it. That’s your entire life. So, just do it.”
“And what will you do for me?”
“I won’t kill you. Now, go! You need this job anyway. Even though you still win plenty of events, you are getting less sponsorships because of your reputation with women, which we need to discuss later. You aren’t a great image for many people’s brands. So, just be happy that you are getting any work.”