Taming Reid

by J. Margot Critch

  While the bartender mixed their cocktails, Reid watched as Lila secured them a seat at the table. She turned her back to the party, took out her phone, and snapped a picture of herself in front of the crowd, the lights, the glamour that he and his siblings had created. They’d overspent for the party, invited celebrities and personalities that he hadn’t dreamed would show up, but all he could see was Lila.

  He knew that spending any more time with her would be a mistake, but he just couldn’t help himself. After being alone for such a long time, he’d buried himself in his work. He’d stayed guarded. But there was something about the woman that filled his well, gave him a new energy. Who she was, though, and how she made him feel was dangerous, to him and to the business.

  “Here you are, Mr. Rexford.” The bartender handed him two glasses.

  “Thank you.”

  When he returned, she was staring out into the darkness, toward the sound of the ocean. Her eyes unfocused, and her lips turned down, she looked so pensive and lost in thought that he didn’t want to disturb her. In the halo of the lights from the party, she looked so beautiful it made his stomach twist.

  Sliding one of the glasses over, he took a seat across from her at the small table. “You okay?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

  “You looked pretty deep in thought there.”

  She shook her head, but he wondered if she was hiding something. “I’m just thinking.”

  “So, what do you think of our little party?”

  “Little? Are you kidding? This party is amazing. Look around. This is pretty much the best party I’ve ever attended. A real who’s who of pop culture right now.” Her eyes widened. “Which makes me wonder why you’re over here talking to little ol’ me.”

  “Maybe I like your company.”

  “Doesn’t seem like it all the time,” she pointed out.

  “I apologized for that, didn’t I?”

  “Doesn’t mean it isn’t well within my rights to give you a hard time about it.”

  “You got me there. Honestly, the party is a bit much for me. Normally, we do this on a smaller scale. Gemma and Quin handled most of the planning. I just tried to keep them on budget.”

  “And did they stay on budget?”

  He looked around, and her eyes followed his as she took in the spectacle around them. Celebrities, athletes and A-listers laughed and danced, and took photos with Rexford Rum in hand. It was a glamorous party on a beautiful night. Reid laughed. “Does it look like they stayed on budget?” He paused. “But I have to say, they did an awesome job.”

  “You have a great thing going on here. Rexford is so exclusive, such a premium spirit, though, I don’t know if many of my followers even know who you are. But it’s going to make a great blog post. People are going to love you guys.”

  “I just want people to love the rum.”

  She took a sip and watched him. “They will.” She averted her gaze briefly. “Reid, I think we should talk about what happened. I would feel a lot more comfortable if we just addressed what we did.” He nodded and waved a hand for her to start talking. “We had a lot of fun that night,” she started. “And the next morning. And at the distillery.” She laughed. “But I think it’s probably best if we leave it at that.”

  Reid’s eyes widened. That wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. Part of him had hoped for another night, to finish what they’d started in the distillery. But it was smart for them to part ways amicably. They’d both had a good time, and Lila would give them excellent exposure on her blog. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

  “You’re a great guy, Reid,” she kept going. “It’s just that I can’t let anything affect my online image. One misstep, and I could just be seen as a party girl. I want to be taken seriously, and that’s hard enough for a woman in my field.”

  Relief came over him, knowing that she was on the same page as him. It would be easier to behave himself. “I completely agree.”

  “Great. Now that that’s settled, you can relax.”

  “Why are you worried about me relaxing?”

  “Because just looking at you, I can see how uptight you are. Look at how rigid you are. If you keep that up, work and stress are going to put you into an early grave.”

  It bothered him that she had been able to peg him so easily. “You think you know that much about me?”

  She nodded. “I do.”

  “How?”

  “Because the night you came on to me at Arlo’s, the night we spent in my hotel room, you were a completely different person. You were loose, fun, charming. But now, even at an incredible party, you’re as taut as a violin string. Maybe you’re due for another plucking,” she surmised with a grin.

  “You’re terrible.”

  “I know. It’s all part of the personality.”

  “I think that’s enough about me,” he said. They’d had the discussion they’d needed to have, but he didn’t want to walk away yet. “Tell me about what you do. I never did understand the influencer culture,” he said, using his fingers to make air quotes around the phrase. He liked Lila, but the whole thing seemed shallow to him. He was a firm believer of living in the moment and didn’t think everything needed to be documented and shared online for “likes.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “How did you get into the business? What is it you do exactly? You’re very well-known and apparently have a lot of fans.”

  She frowned. “I can’t tell if you’re making fun of me, or not.”

  He put up his hands. “I’m not making fun, I promise. I’m just a traditional guy. I don’t follow social media or celebrities or any of that. I’m more of a private person. I like the quiet life.”

  She raised an eyebrow and looked around the party. “Really? This doesn’t exactly scream the quiet life.”

  “This is all my brother and sister. I’m not that guy anymore.”

  “Anymore? Was all of this once you?”

  He shook his head. He didn’t want to get into it, and how he once lived his life.

  “There’s another story there,” she said.

  “There are many stories, Lila, but you aren’t going to hear them. But we’re off track because you distracted me. Tell me what you’re all about.”

  “Where do I start? I’ve always had a lot of energy, you know? I grew up in a very small town. And I had no intention of staying there. When I turned eighteen, I had big dreams of getting out. But instead, I met the wrong guy, thought I was in love and got married.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, it’s really embarrassing now. It feels like it was another life from where I am now.”

  “What happened then?”

  “Little did I know that my husband expected me to stay home and cook and clean, until it was time to have babies, and then I could raise children, along with cooking and cleaning. I’d just finished high school, and he told me I’d never have a career, so I’d be dependent on him. He isolated me from my friends and family. I didn’t see it at the time, but it was such an unhealthy situation. He was a little older. He was a salesman, and he was good at it. Worked all the time and made a great living. The guy could sell water to a fish. I guess that’s how he manipulated me. We looked like the perfect little family. But it was hell.” She exhaled, nervously. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s been a while since I’ve talked about it.”

  “Keep going,” he told her. He hated that Lila had been so unhappy. He wanted nothing more than to track down her ex and punch him repeatedly.

  “Fine. He was content to keep me at home, but I didn’t want that. I wanted to travel, to finally leave that town. So, one day, when he was at work, I got the hell out of there. I’d managed to squirrel-away five thousand dollars and I left and never looked back. Then I traine
d to be a flight attendant.”

  Reid admired that. “That’s great. Then what?”

  “I started working, and I got to see and do all the things I’d dreamed about. It was amazing. Along the way I started a blog, began tweeting about my adventures and misadventures, and posting to Instagram. And it just kind of went from there. My videos and posts got a lot of views. I know it sounds easy, but it’s a lot of hard work. I started to get sponsors, and ad revenue. It’s hell trying to build a dedicated following when you start with nothing.”

  Reid realized that they had more in common than he would have ever thought. “Tell me about it. My parents worked at the distillery when we were children. They had a small local following, but never intended to have the reach we do now. Some days it feels like marketing and building a brand comes ahead of the actual product.”

  “So, you know what I’m saying.”

  “I think I do.”

  “And that’s why your brother invited me here,” she said, pulling out her phone. “I take pictures, I write blogs, I show people what a good time they’re missing.” As if to prove her point, she snapped a photo of the crowd. “I give people extreme FOMO.” She stopped when his head tilted at the word she’d used. “Fear of missing out,” she explained. “People want to live my life—travel, eat, drink, hang out with celebrities. I get people to do what I do—which in this case is drink your rum.”

  Before he could ask her about it, she quickly snapped a picture of her glass. Looked at it, frowned, then lifted the glass and held the camera above her to take a picture of herself drinking the rum. She looked at it and smiled. “Perfect,” she muttered, and began typing furiously. “Having a wild time at the Rexford Rum party in Miami,” she read aloud as she typed. “Hashtag drinks, hashtag Rexford Rum, hashtag Miami, hashtag party-time, hashtag wish you were here.” She smiled at him, and then rounded the table and held her camera above them, but tilted downward, and took another picture. She started typing. “Our handsome host, Reid Rexford says hi,” she said as she typed. “And post.”

  “So that’s your job?” he asked skeptically. “You take a picture, post it, and sit back to wait for the likes.”

  “And the shares and comments,” she retorted.

  “Seems a little shallow,” he told her. He hadn’t meant for his words to sound as harsh as they did.

  “It’s all about reach. I’m no different than those fancy traditional marketing firms you hire. In fact, I might be a little more flexible and adaptable to new platforms and technology than those guys. It’s all about search engine optimization and cost per click. I get more bang for your buck.

  “People see and want my life—that’s the product I’m pushing. Brands and events reach out because I have literally millions of followers who want just a small piece of what’s perceived to be my amazing life.”

  Perceived stuck out to him. As much as Lila extolled the wonderful parts of her life, he wondered if it wasn’t always as wonderful as it seemed. Maybe the life of a beautiful vagabond wasn’t all the glitz and glamor people thought.

  “What’s the difference between your actual life and what you put out there?”

  Her eyes shifted skyward, and then she blew out a shaky breath. “I know I’m lucky, I do have an incredible life,” she told him. “I love to travel, meet new people, have new experiences. But sometimes I get tired. I get bored with the same hotel rooms, not making any of those real connections with people. I went to Bonnaroo last year, and all I wanted to do was stay in my hotel room, eat Doritos and watch The Office on Netflix. I don’t always want to be the social one.” Her laugh sounded forced. “Listen to me—poor little girl who has fun for a living.”

  Hearing her revelation that her life wasn’t all fun and glamour, that she trusted him enough to tell him, Reid felt like they were sharing a real moment. “I get that. I’m the most reserved of my siblings. I like the quiet.”

  “Me too sometimes, but I’m not always allowed to have it.”

  “Well, why don’t you do something else?”

  “Why would I? I have everything I want. A fun life, and I get paid to do it. I’m my own boss. I could never be tied to a nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday gig.”

  “Except you’re on the clock 24/7.”

  “It sounds to me like you might be, too.”

  He thought about it, and realized she was right. That was his life. “Not everyone is cut out for it, I guess.” He frowned, too, and their eyes connected. For a moment, they shared a knowing solidarity.

  “Where do you live?” he asked.

  She blinked. “What do you mean?”

  He paused. “I’m not sure how else I could ask that question. Where do you go when you aren’t globe-trotting? Where’s your family?”

  Lila pictured the town, and the people she’d come from, and forced the frown from her lips, replacing it with a big, easy smile. “Still in that very small town, and that’s also where I escaped from. I don’t stop. When I’m tired, I plan some more quiet trips, if I can get a hotel or resort comped, or maybe I’ll visit some friends. I’ve got some stuff in storage in LA, but mostly I live out of my suitcase.”

  She leaned over the table, coming closer to him. “Can you keep a secret?” she whispered conspiratorially.

  He leaned in as well. “My lips are sealed.”

  “I’m not sure why I’m telling you this. Maybe it was the rum, maybe you make me feel at ease. But here it is. I’m in negotiations with the GO! Channel for my own travel show.”

  “That’s incredible.”

  “It hasn’t been finalized yet, so I’d really appreciate it if you don’t tell anyone.”

  “I know about wanting to keep secrets. Yours dies with me.”

  “What secrets do you have, Reid?”

  He looked down into his drink and didn’t say anything for a while. He didn’t know what to say, so he deflected. “And what about your family?” he asked, ignoring her question entirely.

  She shook her head. “They visit me on the road. Not like I’ll ever go back there. My hometown represents oppression, and now I’m free.”

  “No plans on settling down? Putting down roots?”

  “I think eventually I might get a place. Something small. But I don’t have to worry about that yet. If I make the deal for my own show, I’ll find something in LA. I’ll still get to travel but it won’t be so much.” Not taking his eyes from her, Reid lifted his glass and finished his drink. There was more to Lila, with whom he’d had a one-night stand, and then a rare-for-him second round. He liked her, more than he’d liked a woman in a long time. He noticed that she’d also finished her drink. “Another?”

  * * *

  “So, because I missed my train, I was four hours late getting to Prague, I missed the check-in time for the room I’d arranged. I get there, and the innkeeper freaks out at me, saying that he’d given away my room, that it would teach me to plan ahead, and all that. I went to about a dozen other places and found no room anywhere. Here I am, completely alone, with no room in a strange city.”

  Reid laughed. “What did you do?”

  “What any young woman in my predicament would do—I found a pub and got a beer. I fell in with a group of Irish girls, and they offered me a spot on the floor in their small room.”

  She didn’t miss his frown. “Sounds risky.”

  Lila dismissed him with a wave. “I don’t make it a habit to go off with strangers.” She caught the way his eyebrows rose. That was exactly what she’d done with him. “But I always open myself up for adventure.”

  Lila watched as Reid laughed and sipped his drink. She was feeling light-headed, but not from the alcohol—she hadn’t had that much—but it was Reid’s company. He was funny, smart, but also very serious. “So, what about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “You have any funny travel stories?”
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  He shook his head. “Unfortunately, I don’t get to travel much.”

  “Why not?” He clearly had the funds to go on any holiday he wanted.

  “I’m so busy with work and everything. I don’t feel comfortable leaving the distillery for long periods of time.”

  “Won’t your brother and sister take care of things?”

  Reid’s eyes shifted over to the bar, where his brother, Quin, downed shots with some players she recognized as starters for the Miami Heat basketball team.

  “Yeah,” he said slowly. “They’re my family and I love them, but they aren’t the surest hands I’ve seen. That’s Quin in a nutshell, and Gemma rarely surfaces from the distillery.” He shook his head. “I’m not even sure she’s ever seen a financial statement.”

  “You’re the responsible older brother just trying to hold it all together.”

  “That’s a little dramatic, but some days it feels like that.”

  “Are you kidding me? You’re young, hot, successful. Everyone needs a break every now and then. Don’t you ever want to just get away?”

  “Sometimes, I might take a weekend away and go to the Everglades or Key West.” He sighed. “I’ll bet my life sounds boring to you.”

  She hesitated. The quiet, the solitude, it was what Lila typically avoided at all costs, not wanting to be alone with herself or her own thoughts. She needed the excitement, the buzz around her. But she thought about it. A visit to the Everglades, or a quiet Key West beach, especially one that came with Reid Rexford, sounded nice. She smiled, and shrugging, drained her glass. “I see the appeal. Not sure if it’s what I’m looking for, but different strokes, right?”

  “Definitely.”

  A comfortable silence surrounded them, and Lila realized the amount of time that had passed since they’d started talking. “You know, I should be making my rounds,” she said. “Earn that invitation your brother sent me.”

  “Yeah, me too. I should go shake some hands.”