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"Sheriff's department," I mumbled.
Val slipped an arm around me, tugging me into his side. "It will be all right, Eve. Once they realize there's nothing to see here, they'll lose interest and leave."
A sour taste crept into my mouth. I needed to talk to Val about all of this, but not in front of Ollie. So I told Ollie, "Call the sheriff's department and then inform the guests of what's happening. I'll come to the guest house in a few minutes, as soon as I get dressed."
And figure out what the hell to say.
Ollie nodded and trotted back to the guest house.
I pushed the door shut with my foot and wriggled out of Val's embrace.
He shook his head slowly, his mouth open, and spread his hands. "Eve…I'm so sorry."
"How did paparazzi find out about my resort? How did they know you're here?"
"Only my family knows I came here, and they would never tell anyone." He reached for me, but I scuttled away from him. "Eve, please, let me help."
"Help how? A horde of gossipmongers are invading my home, my business. How can anyone feel comfortable staying here again? Privacy is paramount for a nudist resort."
"I know. I'll do anything I can to make this right." Head bowed, he rubbed his forehead. "I don't understand how anyone found out I'm here. Someone has known for weeks, based on the photo of us."
"You mean the one of us screwing." I backed up to the island and hugged myself, suddenly cold from head to toe. "What if my family sees that? What if these scumbag paparazzi track them down and harass them? Whoever took that picture of us might've photographed everyone who's been here lately."
Val scrubbed a hand over his mouth. "This is my fault, I know. Please believe me, Eve, I never meant for my life to crash into yours. I left all of that behind, or I thought I did."
"Obviously not. Maybe your new assistant blabbed to the tabloids."
"He didn't know where I'd gone." Val shuffled closer but didn't try to touch me. "Once this initial shock passes, we'll both be able to think more clearly and figure out how this happened. We're partners. Nothing will change that."
"Everything has changed. My business will be toast. My guests will never trust me again."
"Don't assume the worst. Nudists can be very understanding."
He almost smiled when he said that but couldn't quite accomplish the expression.
I had no fucking idea what I felt, what I should feel, what I should do. The numbness of shock had penetrated me to the core. He was right. I needed time to recover from the sucker-punch jolt of learning my privacy and the privacy of my guests had been shattered.
Was it Val's fault? I had no clue. Not yet.
He wouldn't do this, a voice in my head whispered.He loves you.
Yes, I believed that. Right now, it was the only truth I was certain of. But if his past had precipitated this disaster, I needed to reconsider whether a relationship with him was the best thing for me, no matter how much I loved him.
I straightened and cleared my throat. "I have to get dressed and talk to my guests. Everything else will have to wait until the dust clears."
"By 'everything,' you mean us."
"Honestly, Val, I don't know. This is all too much right now. I have to focus on protecting my guests."
Before he could say anything in response, I hurried down the hall to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. Tears pricked at my eyes, but I had no time to cry. Later, maybe I'd collapse onto my bed and sob for a while. At this moment, I needed to minimize the damage as much as possible.
How was I supposed to do that?
I pulled on jeans and a baggy T-shirt along with socks and sneakers. I almost forgot underwear but remembered before I walked out of the bedroom. The last thing I needed was a photo of me, braless and panties-less, splashed across the Internet. Sure, it wouldn't be as bad as the porn photo already out there, but I refused to add fuel to the gossip fire.
On my way out of the house, I grabbed my phone. Val seemed to have retreated into the spare room, considering the door was shut and he was nowhere in sight. I had no time to hash things out with him. My livelihood was in critical condition, on the verge of death.
Val was my partner. Not officially, not yet, but yeah. My partner. Should I include him in my decisions? I paused on the threshold of the outside door. Sunshine spilled through the opening into the kitchen, dispelling the shadows. The darkness inside me crept closer and closer.
