Until I saw Corsica. She stood under the awning outside the lounge and pretended she couldn't hear us. The dazzling smile that signified the success of her audition faded as she heard my practiced spiel. I was practically begging him to work with me. Corsica already thought I was the black sheep, but now she thought I was squeezing cash out of my rich connections.
"Penn?" Alicia tightened her grip on my arm. "Why don't you let us get settled before you talk any more business? I have a table waiting for us in the lounge."
She started to pull me towards the awning, then stopped when she saw Corsica.
"I'd love to hear more, Penn," Steven said with an indulgent smile. "As long as Alicia can put up with a little shop talk."
Alicia tossed her hair and laughed again. "I don't mind a bit. Penn has great ideas that I'm sure you'll like and then we can all celebrate."
I watched as Corsica slipped away and her shoulders were stiff. I felt the same stiffness steal over my body, the weight of the perfect payback. Here I had been making fun of Corsica for wanting to spend her life scrambling around after the rich and she had just seen me doing the exact same thing.
It was no use leaving to chase her. I refused any more than one drink. That turned out to be a good idea because Steven was much more open to working with me when he knew I was going to leave him alone with Alicia. We made plans to finalize our business and I took off as quickly as I could. I got the bonus of trying out the new bike headlights on the way home and made it to the house just as the sun finished setting.
I was just in time to see two people walk out the front door, hand in hand, and stroll down the path to the beach. I squinted in the pinkish light and realized it was not my father and mother, but a younger couple. Then I saw Corsica's curls waving in the wind, and I marched down the path after them.
"I can't believe you drove here just to see me," Corsica said. Her voice was soft and breathless. "That's so sweet, Joshua."
My fingers clenched into a fist as Joshua intertwined his hands with Corsica's. "What can I say? I've been missing you. It was totally unfair of me to expect you to graduate and jump right into everything. I mean, I've had a year since I graduated and I remember what it was like at the start."
Corsica let him tug her closer. "I'm still figuring everything out. There have been some amazing opportunities that have come up, and I don't want to choose something I'll later regret."
"Like missing out on the Ritz-Carlton job?" Joshua asked.
"Actually-"
"Corsica, please, I'm just thinking of what's best for you."
I couldn't stand it anymore and marched over the sand dune so they noticed me. "Hey! There you are. How was the audition?" I called out.
Corsica jumped and loosened her fingers from Joshua's grip. "It went really well, thank you. I got the gig."
Joshua frowned. "Gig?"
"Don't say it like it's a dirty word," Corsica said. "I'm going to sing with a jazz trio at a very nice resort."
"Singing? Again, Corsica?" Joshua looked at me and crossed his arms. His distasteful look made it clear he blamed it all on me.
I answered his accusation by lifting Corsica up into a spinning hug. "Congratulations! I knew it was more than just a hobby. And, I think it'll suit you more than licking boots at some snooty hotel."
Joshua tugged down the front of his jacket. "There's a big difference between a gig and a career. I know you obviously don't want to hear my advice, but I seriously think you should reconsider. Get your job and your finances all squared away, and then you can pursue anything you want without ruining your life."
"Or do you mean her credit?" I asked. "You sound like a banker. Can't you be happy for her?"
Corsica snapped out of her thoughts and stepped between us. "Joshua is happy for me, and he also has a good point."
"Thank you." Joshua slid an arm around her waist. "There's nothing wrong wi
th a fun summer job. How about we go out to celebrate that? There's got to be a decent restaurant around here somewhere. Then, we can talk about you starting at the Ritz this fall."
He had it all planned out and the bright flashes of anger directed at me meant that Joshua did not want to deal with any obstacles. He wanted Corsica to follow the right path to end up with him. How could the crown prince of an exclusive inn find a match if she didn't have the same impressive names on her resume? Joshua was molding her just the way Alicia had tried with me, and the thought made me sick.
"We've got champagne on ice up at the house," I said and nodded towards my beachfront mansion.
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Corsica said you were the, what is it? Caretaker? I wouldn't want to overstep. I'm sure your employer is very understanding, but it feels rude to trespass."
I waited but Corsica never corrected him. Instead, she looked at me and said, "Thank you, but I know you've got work to do. And, Joshua, you came all this way, so really the choice is yours."
"Just one glass to celebrate and then you can go on your way," I demanded. "Go ahead, Joshua, we'll be right behind you."