“And a fake PR relationship with a surfer? How could that help her?” Jamie asked, interrupting again.
“Financially, with an exclusive sponsorship from TerraVive, she could upgrade her equipment. But also, pairing her with Ilias could help her reach the surfer community that doesn’t know about her,” Alejandra added quickly.
“If you leverage the gossip from Ilias and her being together, you could make them showcase your clothes, gear, everything,” Gretchen jumped in, riding Alejandra’s wild train of thought.
“Plus, she’s a surfer too. Longboarder. We’ve been surfing together since we were kids. She breathes the ocean. You could make campaigns with them together, and people would eat this shit up. A surfer and a marine biologist, both famous in their own fields? People will be attracted to them like a moth to a light.”
Jamie pressed her lips together, thinking, then turned to Ilias.
“If the TerraVive bosses say yes, would you be willing to do this? Fake a relationship with Dr. Sofia? With all that it implies about being a womanizer?”
Would he? He hadn’t dated in years, not since his father passed. Even before that, there had been a lot of hookups. Did he know how to act in a serious relationship? Could he mess it up? Still, he had been thinking about Sofia constantly, even if lately his focus had been more on his suspension.
“What do you mean by ‘all that implies’?”
“You can’t be seen getting affectionate with other women. You’ll have to show your private life publicly and accept criticism and comments like Steven’s,” Jamie explained. “And don’t explode. Show how you’ve grown. And accept the schedule TerraVive gives you.”
“I think I can manage that. How long would it last?” he asked, not overly worried.
“I’ll have to speak with TerraVive’s bosses, present the idea thoroughly, including all pros and cons, for both of you and financially,” Jamie continued.
“I think we should tell Sofia only after TerraVive agrees. I don’t want to create worries for her when there’s no possibility. I don’t know if she’ll say yes or no, but I’d rather the bosses be sure before giving her hope,” Alejandra admitted, sinking back onto the couch.
“But they need a guarantee that Sofia will accept,” Jamie pressed.
“I can’t promise anything. But she’s not stupid enough to turn it down just because she gets annoyed by him.”
Ilias sighed. “What the hell did I do?”
“Cling to her? Obsess? Pine openly?” Amira counted on her fingers, smiling sweetly.
“I can’t promise I won’t crush on her.” Ilias grinned. “But if she’s okay with that, I’m game. She gets the final say. I could think of worse ways to fix my reputation.” He turned to Jamie. “So? What do you think?”
Jamie sighed long and loud. “I’ll take this to the board. I’ll have an answer by tomorrow.”
“She’s going to hate me,” Alejandra muttered, burying her face in a pillow.
“But me?” Ilias wrapped her in a hug. “I’m going to love you forever.”
He didn’t know why, but even with the suspension hanging over him, this wild plan gave him a flicker of hope. If she got her funding, and he got his redemption and kept his sponsor? That sounded like a win. And if it meant getting to know her better in the process? Then yeah, he would be the most faithful fake boyfriend ever.
9
SOFIA
Llueve sobre mojado – Pablo Alborán, Aitana, Álvaro de Luna
The first whaletour after the clean-up had sold out, and she’d led it herself while João, the boat driver, navigated.
Even though she’d spent a whole summer earning her boat license, surrounded by men who insisted,“On my boat, I just want beers and hoes”, she couldn’t manage both driving and leading the group. So, she’d hired João, a sixty-something retired Portuguese sailor who had graciously accepted the initial low pay simply because he loved being at sea. Her goal was to pay him properly, and even more than any other sailors earned in Portugal, but she needed the tours to be filled with happy clients who left amazing reviews.
That afternoon, the clients had seemed happy by the end of the tour. A group of ten was all she could fit, but she was certain that even when money started coming in, she wouldn’t expand it. She liked the intimacy. The questions from both kids and adults. The chance to teach them how to dive responsiblywithout disturbing marine life. And mostly, to take all she had learned in years of studying in labs, and try to translate so that non-marine biologist people could understand her and learn from it.
When she’d seen the whale breach, her heart had scattered inside her chest. It was breathtaking. No matter how many times she’d seen it. The first whale of the season had greeted them at the perfect moment, and selfishly, she knew the reviews would be glowing if the bright smiles on their faces were anything to go by.
Once on land, João had dropped her off with his truck at the top of the hill, and now she strolled leisurely through Ericeira’s narrow streets, lined with whitewashed houses and bright blue accents. Thecalçada portuguesacrunched softly under her sneakers as she recorded an audio message to Elvira, promising to send the tour report later that night.
Then she stopped.
