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8
Difficult woman.
How was Sterling supposed to bring her around to his way of thinking when she kept changing the rules? Was she intentionally making it harder for him to do his job? Or had she actually gotten so absorbed in her tiny world that she never ventured away? That level of obsession certainly couldn’t be healthy, even he could recognize that.
Never mind. He could, and would, adapt. He shut himself in his bedroom, powered up his laptop and did an internet search for luxury activities in Haven Bay, scrolling through links until one caught his eye. Beauty in the Bay: A Luxury Spa Experience. Further investigation showed that the spa was less than three kilometers away—walking distance—and offered a variety of treatments.
Sterling wondered how long it had been since Kat had a spa day. Based on how hard she worked, he’d guess it hadn’t been recently. Perhaps she was overdue for a little forced relaxation, exactly as she was trying to impose upon him. He thought on it. The two women he knew best, his friend Mark’s sisters, raved about massages, manicures, pedicures, and other beauty therapies he didn’t fully comprehend.
Hunching closer to the screen, he looked through each of the options. He recognized very few of the terms, but he persisted, selecting a package and booking it for the following morning. Then he set about answering work emails.
When he next looked up, dusk had fallen, and his laptop clock told him it was time for dinner. He righted his clothing, and wandered down the hall to the dining area. Whatever was cooking, it smelled good. Food had been laid out on the counter separating the dining hall from the kitchen, and guests were clustered around the tables, all wearing smiles. Tione stood behind the counter, most of his face covered by hairnets, and the sight of him brought on a flashback of the scene earlier. He shuddered. What kind of person kept a lion-sized animal for a pet?
Sterling dished himself spiced chicken, a green salad, and boiled potatoes, then investigated seating options. Kat sat with the slim blonde who’d been helping at reception the day before.
He made his way over. “Mind if I join you?”
Kat gestured at the empty spot across from her. “Go right ahead.”
The blonde smiled at him. She was pretty, with straight brows, blue eyes that angled down at the corners, an upturned nose, and peach lips. He’d estimate her to be in her early twenties.
“I’m Brooke,” she said, her voice as sweet as her appearance. “I saw you arrive yesterday.”
“I’m Sterling,” he told her. “I’m staying for a couple weeks.” Provided he didn’t convince Kat to sell first. “Do you work here?”
Brooke giggled, a high-pitched, airy sound that enchanted him. “Not technically. I live here, and part of my board is helping out when Kat needs it.”
He frowned. He must have heard wrong. He’d assumed Kat and the cook were the only people who lived on-site. “You live here?”
She nodded and glanced at Kat under her lashes. “As long as I keep paying rent and Kat doesn’t get sick of having me around.”
At this, Kat said, “As if I could ever get sick of you, sweetheart.” She met Sterling’s eyes. “I didn’t introduce you to Brooke earlier because I didn’t want to interrupt her. She’s working on her PhD in art history.”
“Aw, Kat, you act like such a proud mama sometimes,” Brooke teased.
“I feel that way, too.”
“You’re less than ten years older than me, so unless you were a really young mother…”
Kat laughed. “You’re good for my ego, kid.”
The conversation lulled while they ate. Then Sterling finished his potatoes, placed his cutlery on the edge of his plate, and said, “I’ve booked you a half-day session at Beauty in the Bay tomorrow.”
“What?” Kat’s knife clinked against the plate as her hands slipped. Her neck snapped up, and she stared at him with the force of a laser beam. “I can’t leave for half a day. I’m needed here. Why would you do that? I thought after our talk earlier, you’d check with me before you made any plans.”
Sterling stared back, cool and unfazed. He’d expected this reaction. “The spa is within walking distance,” he said. “And I’m sure that everything won’t fall apart if you’re gone for four hours. You shot me down without a decent explanation last time, so I think you owe me the courtesy of considering it.”
Beside Kat, Brooke’s eyes widened. “You should go,” she urged. “That kind of offer doesn’t come around every day. I can keep everything here running smoothly for a while, just like I do when you go camping. I’m perfectly capable, and you deserve some personal time.”
Some of the tension left Kat’s shoulders and they slumped. “I know you are, but you need to work on your thesis.”
“I can spare half a day.”
“But—”
“If I fail to graduate, I think it will be for a more serious reason than not putting in four hours of work.”
“Sounds like it’s settled,” Sterling said, pleased with how the conversation had gone. He hadn’t even needed to argue her into submission because Brooke had done it for him.
