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Piper nods, her smile softening. “It looks good on you. I’m really happy for you, El.”
While I appreciate their excitement for me, I don’t want to make a big deal out of what’s happening. “There’s no reason to be happy or jealous of me. This is a vacation fling. I don’t even know where he lives. He could be from Alaska for all I know.”
“You didn’t ask him any questions before you had sex with him?” Piper asks, clearly not impressed with my actions, or lack thereof.
“I mean, I know where he works and his last name. If I needed to track him down later for any reason, I wouldn’t have a problem,” I reply, now hoping like hell there won’t be “any reason” for that scenario to come true.
“Where does he work?” Kenzie asks, resting the phone on something. I see her laptop come into view.
“Not telling you. You’re not allowed to cyber-stalk him,” I say with a laugh.
She glares at me, but there’s not a damn thing she can do to me through the phone. I won’t fall victim to any of her tactics.
“If you don’t tell me what I want to know, then I’m going to your house to put some more of your stuff in the front yard with a free sign. Your couch is already gone, so I’m sure the other items will go fast, too.”
“You wouldn’t.” Even as I say the words, I know she absolutely would. Nothing expensive that would make her a bad friend, but random things I wouldn’t even realize were missing until I needed them months down the road. That is the kind of deviousness I know Kenzie is capable of. Though, I’m glad to hear the tainted couch is forever out of my life.
“I would and you know it. Tell me where he works and his last name or I’m getting in my car,” Kenzie threatens.
I look at Piper, but she only shrugs. “You know I can’t stop her. Neither of us can. Just tell her.”
I sigh and glare. “Harrington Enterprises and Porter.”
Kenzie’s eyes widen and she moves her laptop to the side. “Ella, don’t freak out, but Harrington Enterprises is based right out of Charlotte.”
I’m shaking my head and blinking rapidly, and no words will leave my mouth. No, that can’t be right. How would I not know that? Owen made the company sound huge. If they were local, wouldn’t they have appeared in the paper or on the news or something?
“My dad had a case that involved the current CEO. Complete dirtbag that screwed over some of his long-time employees, promising lucrative retirement accounts that never came to be when they retired.”
“I had the displeasure of meeting him, so I’m not surprised to hear that, but why don’t I recognize the company name?” I ask, forcing myself to take a few deep breaths. This isn’t terrible, right? I’ve never seen Owen around. I’m sure I would have remembered if I had. There are literally millions of people in the Charlotte area. I could still never see him again after leaving Saint Lucia.
Piper flips her screen, pointing the camera at her work computer, and shows me the downtown business center owned by West-to-East, Inc. A big business that moved to town about ten years ago. I don’t know what they do, but I have a sinking feeling I’m about to find out.
Piper points to her screen at the metal sign above the high-rise building. “That is the name of the main office you know. One which falls under the umbrella of Harrington Enterprises.”
Son of a bitch. I’m trying to hang on to my previous notion that nothing has to change just because Owen is from my area, but my hands are shaking, my pulse is rising, and my mind is spiraling to worst-case scenarios I have no business thinking about.
I fucked up by fucking Owen Porter.
“She’s losing it. We shouldn’t have said anything,” Piper says to Kenzie.
“No, she’s going to be okay. Owen is a good guy. I already found his social media profiles. He donates to a bunch of shelters. He doesn’t post nasty shit about women. He even lives in a nice house with his own car from what I can tell from these pictures. He’s nothing like…those who shall not be named.”
Piper cringes. “Or maybe that’s the perfect front for a serial killer.”
Kenzie waves one of her hands. “You’ve been watching TV too much. Seriously, I’m not getting any bad vibes from this guy. Has he said or done anything to make you question anything, El?”
I bite my lip and think back to our interactions. Owen was respectful on the plane. He gave me plenty of outs last night. He didn’t initiate the sex, I did. Maybe he isn’t so bad, but still, I can’t stop from wondering if it was a terrible idea to sleep with him.
“I need to go. I love you both, and I appreciate you checking on me and sharing the information, but I came here to do things on my own and get over Gavin. I need to figure this out by myself.”
Before they can try and change my mind, I end the video chat and grab my things. I need to walk, to move and think clearly. If I sit here any longer, I’ll end up back on my phone and booking the first flight home. While that option seems safest, in my heart, I don’t think it’s the right one.
I’m barely a quarter of the way to the trail I intend to take when my phone dings several times. With a sigh, I grab it and find messages from both Piper and Kenzie.
Kenzie: I know you weren’t looking for someone else, but maybe that’s exactly why this happened.
Piper: Kenz could be right. This Owen thing could be nothing, but from the look on your face, it could be everything you didn’t know you needed. Don’t shut the idea down before you know what it could be.
Kenzie: If you run now, you’ll always wonder what if. That’s a shitty way to live and you know it. Don’t let those shitbag exes of yours control your decisions any longer. Do what you truly want to do.
My chest tightens, and I send a quick reply of thanks before turning off my phone and continuing toward the trail. It’s time to think for myself and without distraction.
