“What’s there to discuss?” My father’s eyes narrowed as he sunk back into his seat.
“I don’t love him,” I said, hoping he would see reason. Yes, my big plan involved stating the obvious. Twenty minutes of staring at the steering wheel and that’s what I came up with.
He leaned back in his chair. “I’ve already told you, I want to retire soon, and I won’t leave my company to someone who isn’t family.”
“Leave it to me,” I said as my resolve strengthened.
“To you? You know nothing of how to run this company. I won’t leave my company to a woman with no experience. Besides, you want that turtle sanctuary garbage. We agreed on all of this.”
Garbage. That’s what he thought of my mother’s work, as she devoted her life, creating a charity to save the turtles. A true socialite, she had her passions and my father hated every minute of it.
“I know, but I just can’t do the marriage part. I don’t love him. Hell, I don’t even like him.”
My father chuckled slightly as he rubbed his thumbs into his temple. “Penny, I understand you’re worried. Dex is a good man, and he can take care of you better than Theo ever could. Besides we agreed on this.” My father waited for my reaction, testing me to gauge my true feelings for Theo.
I gave him nothing. A stone cold poker face is all that stared back at him. “I couldn’t care less about Theo. My issue resides with marrying someone I don’t like.”
“Penny, run the Lopa as you wanted. All of these details we’ve discussed. If you don’t marry Dex then you know what will happen,” he said as he stared right through me.
If I thought I could make him see reason, I was wrong. This man, a master negotiator and lethal businessman, always got his way.
“Fine,” I said as I rose from my seat. My fight had all but left me as I made my way to the door.
“Penelope, just stick to the plan.”
“Yeah, sure.” I opened the door and walked out.
I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets of downtown Miami, lost in a sea of tourists and riding a wave of despair. Unsure of my next course of action, and refusing to admit defeat, I decided on a plan that seemed pretty full proof.
I would drink my troubles away.
SIX
THEO
Beautiful. Lovely. I fucking hated that she wasn’t mine.
I wanted to kiss her and feel her beneath my fingertips.
Her being with Dex really did a number on my head. I slammed my fist against the steering wheel as I drove toward Blair’s house.
As soon as I pulled up, I saw Blair and Lucy playing in the yard. I took a deep breath as I watched Lucy run around chasing after a ball. She looked like she had grown over night, and I couldn’t wait to get her into my arms.
“Hey, Boo Bear,” I said as she raced toward me.
“Daddy, play catch with me.” She wiggled free from my arms and went chasing after the red ball again.
“Hey, Theo,” Blair called out, as she walked over to greet me.
“Hey. How are you?”
She smiled. “I’m good.”
Happy to see my favorite girl, I went over and retrieved the ball Lucy threw in my direction. This time with Lucy was exactly what I needed to forget.
On the way to my condo, Lucy and I stopped to pick up a few essentials we needed. Oreos and milk. I hated milk but Lucy loved to dunk her Oreos in it. Once lunch was done and cleared away, I sat on the floor and picked up a half-dressed Barbie doll with wild blonde hair. Lucy squealed with delight when she saw me playing with her. Easy, just prance the doll around and pretend to laugh. Penny would love this. I smiled to myself thinking of her calling my action figures dolls. Fuck. I couldn’t even play with a Barbie doll without picturing Penny laughing and stretched out on the floor with us. I wanted that. After an hour of Barbie getting ready to marry Ken, and me trying to talk her out of it and marry my surfer doll instead, I decided to take Lucy down to the ocean to play in the sand.
The afternoon held a slight breeze as we walked along the shore to find a perfect spot to build sandcastles.