“You’re talking in riddles.”
“You’re ignoring the obvious.”
“Excuse me,” Oliver said after clearing his throat. “Is there something going on between you two that I need to know about?”
“Absolutely not,” she snapped as I murmured, “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Can we just get this over with?” Mariah asked.
“You heard the woman,” I said, backing away. “Close your eyes.”
She refused.
“Come on, Kei. Close your eyes,” I urged.
After several seconds, she finally complied.
“Now take a deep breath…”
She drew a long breath through her nose as I watched her chest rise and fall as her lungs filled with air.
“Good,” I whispered. “Hold it for just a minute, and then slowly let it out. When you let it out, allow yourself to relax.”
As the air left her body, I could see her shoulders start to relax.
“Imagine you’re Philline,” I said slowly. “You’re deeply in love with a man you believe you can’t have. Don’t hold your breath. Keep breathing in and out.
“You’re returning from working in the field, and your hands are dirty and you’re sweaty. Suddenly, the man you loves startles you by coming around the corner and running into you.”
She took a quick breath.
“Are you there? Are you in that moment?”
She nodded.
“Okay. Here we go.”
Her eyes flew open.
“Close your eyes,” I whispered. “Don’t lose the moment.”
She closed her eyes again.
“Nod when you’re ready.”
I felt what Fiero would have felt the moment he saw her. My heart rate sped up, and my stomach shook. I was there. I just didn’t know if she was, until she nodded again.
“When you’re ready, open your eyes. Stay in the moment, and just open your eyes.”
“Feiro drew a deep breath as he watched Philline gather herself together,” Mariah narrated. “She was embarrassed by her appearance and uncomfortable with having a man stand so closely to her.” She stopped and waited for us to begin so that she could describe what we were doing.
Kei opened her eyes and let the scene unfold. I stopped acting.
“Feiro reached out to touch Philline’s face, but she startled and took a step back. ‘I’m sorry I scared you,’ he said. Feiro stepped closer and slowly reached out for her. This time, she didn’t move away. His hands trembled as they gently touched her shoulders and ran their way down the back of her arms until he took her hands in his. Philline took a deep breath. She was nervous yet eager at the same time. As Feiro stepped even closer, he brought her dirt-covered hands to his mouth and slowly kissed them before resting his forehead on hers. Although they remained silent, looking into each other’s eyes, their gaze spoke volumes. It spoke of their love for one another, a love that shouldn’t happen but they knew they couldn’t live without. Resting his hand on the side of her face, Feiro stroked her cheek with his thumb before slowly bringing his lips to hers.”
“Perfect!”
Startled, Kei started to pull away from me, but I pulled her closer and didn’t let go. My lips stayed plastered to hers.
“Cabot?” Mariah whispered.
I ignored her. “Cabot,” Mariah snapped. “We’re finished.”
Kei pulled away from me mid-kiss. My eyes were still closed.
“That’s all we needed,” Oliver announced. “Thanks, guys. That scenario works much better than the original. We should be able to do much more with this. Don’t you think, Mariah?” Oliver asked.
I opened my eyes and looked at Kei, who was looking at Oliver.
“Definitely,” Mariah said.
Kei nervously glanced back at me. I still hadn’t moved. I couldn’t register a thought, let alone speak.
“See you two later.”
“So that’s how it’s done, huh?” Kei said quickly. “Smashing.”
“Uh…” I shook my head. “About that…” My eyes scanned the room. “Um…”
“I’ll be off now. I’ve got things to do.”
“Wait. I want to talk to you about what just happened.”
“I can’t help you with acting notes or pointers of any kind. You’ll need to talk to Oliver or Mariah about that.” She scrambled toward the door and, as she did, rammed her shin into the coffee table and fell to her knees. “Bollocks! That’s going to leave a mark, a big black-and-blue bruise for certain.”
“Are you all right?” I reached out and touched her arm, but she yanked it away and crawled on her hands and knees, continuing an escape out the door.
“Okay. Right…I’ll…I’ll…oh, bloody hell…”
“Kei, wait!” I followed her as she scampered across the room to the door. “I really need to talk to you.”
“No. No thank you.” She stood, turned around, and walked toward the kitchen. With every other step, she raised her leg and gave it a rub. “I need ice.”
“Let me check your leg,” I offered.
“No way. I’m fine. The last thing I need now is to have you rubbing my leg.”
That last part was muttered, but I understood it clearly.
“For the love of Pete, what have I gotten myself into? Oh, for the love of all things holy, I should’ve kept my arse in Uganda.”
“Please let me talk you to.”
“It can wait.”
“No, it can’t wait. I need to talk to you now, before it’s too late.”
She pulled a bag of frozen corn from the freezer and turned to face me. “Before what’s too late?”
I was at the point of no return. I had to tell her the truth. “I-I know this might sound weird or like it’s coming out of nowhere, but it isn’t. It’s why I had to end things with Sofie once and for all. I’ve been feeling like this a little while now.”
“Feeling like what?”
“Feeling like I li—”
“Cab,” a voice interrupted.
I slammed my fist into the arm of the chair next to me. “Crap! Could one more friggin’ person keep me from saying what I need to say?”
“Who is it?” she whispered.
“It’s James, my manager.”
Kei held the corn on her leg as I walked over, swung the door open, and immediately began interrogating my guest.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were coming tomorrow.”
“I thought I’d surprise you.” James pushed passed me. “I assume you’re Kei?”
She nodded.
“Nice to put a face with a name, or part of a name anyway.”
“I’d better be off.”
She dropped the corn on the counter and tried to hurry past him, but he grabbed her by the arm, causing her to panic and try to wrestle free.
“Let go of me.”
He didn’t respond.
“Let her go,” I yelled.
James dropped her arm and held his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just didn’t want you to leave on my account.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Not to worry. I’ve got work to do.”
“Where are you heading?” he asked.
“Like I said, I have things to do. I’ll leave you two to chat up. I’m sure you’ve got business to discuss.”
“Actually, you’re the one I have business with.”
“Pardon?”
“What’s this about?” I asked.
“I thought it might be good if we all had a chat.”
“A chat about what?” she asked.
“You,” James snapped. “Whoever you are.”
I felt my neck and jaw tighten at the sound of his voice. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
“Cab, you traveled all the way to Africa for this chick, and now you’re back here again? You don’t even know if you can trust this girl. You know nothing about her.”
“I know a lot about her. We’ve spent a lot of t
ime together. I know her better than I’ve ever known anyone in my life. And more importantly, she knows me, the real me.”
“Does he know the real you, Kei?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Really?”
“She said yes. Leave her alone.”
James ignored me.
He dropped a large envelope on the coffee table. “I ran a background check on you,” he announced.
“You did what?” I yelled. “Who do you think you are?”
“Do you want to tell him what’s in the envelope?” James asked.
Her neck and shoulders tightened as she looked down at it.
“Don’t answer that, Kei. I don’t care what’s in the envelope. James, you’re out of line. You had no right to do that without my permission.”
“Open the envelope,” James insisted.
“No, Kei. Don’t.”
“If you’ve got nothing to hide, then open the envelope,” he yelled.
She bent over and picked it off up the table and started to open it.
“You don’t have to do that,” I whispered.
That was not how I wanted her to have to tell me about her past, not there, not afraid, and not with James accusing her of using me.
I felt like the trust we’d built over the previous months was draining from her body as she looked up at me. Her hands shook, and tears fell down her face as she slid her finger under the flap, opened it, and looked inside.
“It’s empty,” she announced.
“That’s right. It’s empty. Do you know why?” James asked.
She didn’t answer.
“It’s because you don’t exist. There is no such person as Kei Sallee. You are not the niece of Oliver and Mariah Winters. They both have siblings, but none of them are your parents. As a matter of fact, I have no idea who your parents are because there’s no way to trace you—no credit cards, no loans, no school records, nothing. She’s playing you, Cab, acting like she’s your friend when the truth is she’s getting her claws in. She’s got ulterior motives and is using you, plain and simple. From the most I can tell, she was the Winters’ maid during the summers and they grew a close connection with her. That’s about the extent of it.”
Without saying a word, she walked toward the door.
I touched her elbow as she passed. “Don’t leave. This isn’t a big deal. I don’t care about any of that.”
She yanked her arm out of reach. “Wait right here.”
James and I didn’t speak while she was gone. I was too angry, and he was too scared.
As soon as she came back, she dug through the bag she was carrying, pulled out a wallet and passport, and threw them at James.
“My name is Anna Beth Sallee. I’ve been called Kei since I was eight years of age. Oliver and Mariah Winters are not my blood relatives. Mariah and my mother were childhood friends. They always referred to themselves as my aunt and uncle, so that’s what I call them. I have no records of any kind because I’ve never been enrolled in public school and I’ve never bought anything on credit. My parents are missionaries in Gulu, Uganda, just like I said. They’ve lived in Africa for twelve years. Their names are Rhys and Grace Sallee. Cabot met them himself.”
James started to open the wallet, but I ripped it out of his hands and handed it back to Kei.
“I’m not using Cabot for his money or his fame.” She grabbed the passport and opened it and shoved it to within inches of James’ face. “There I am, James. Nothing for you to be scared of. I’m not trying to destroy your meal ticket.”
He didn’t respond.
She let him see the document for a few moments before shoving it in the bag and walking out of the house.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” James called out.
She never answered.
“What the hell was that?” I screamed.
“I already told you. I didn’t feel good about her. I still don’t. Something’s fishy.”
I stepped to within inches of him and put my face in his. “You do one more thing, search one more database, make one more phone call about Kei, and you’re fired. Do you get that?”
He nodded.
“She’s off limits to you, James. As far as you or anyone else is concerned, she doesn’t even exist.”
“It’s my job to protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting from her!”
“Cab, I—”
“You’re a good manager, James. I like you.” I looked toward the main house and then back at him. “But I love her. Don’t make me choose. You’ll lose.”
He shut his eyes and nodded. “Fine.”
“Not one more accusation or question.”
“I got it.”
“Now leave. Go back to your hotel. I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow.”
“Cab, I—”
I grabbed him by the arm and started pulling him toward the main house. Once inside, I finally let go of his arm but led him to the front door, shoved him outside, and slammed the door behind him.
My stomach was upset, like I’d drunk spoiled milk and run a mile in the heat. Part of me felt the need to throw up, but the majority of me wanted to find Kei and make everything right again. I searched the house for her but never found her.
“That man’s slick as an eel,” Millie said from her doorway. “I set it up perfectly, made Oliver go out there and tell that big whopper of a story to get you two to kiss. And what happens? That snake scares her off.”
“I didn’t tell him to do it.”
“It doesn’t matter. I told you Anna was skittish. She might never trust you again.”
“I’m running out of time, Millie. I don’t know what to do.”
“You’ve got to tell her the truth, no matter what your fears are, Cabot. It’s time for you two to tell the truth.”
C H A P T E R
29
I saw very little of Kei the rest of the week. Oliver invited me to co-produce our film, so my nice, relaxing trip to Asheville with Kei had partly turned into pre-production meetings. I was in meetings with the production team, and Kei’s time was spent huddled away with Mariah and Millie as they planned a fundraiser. Oliver and Mariah were putting on a charity auction for the Sallees’ missions projects. I donated a signed copy of the script from my latest film but chose not to attend.
When the night arrived, I turned all the lights off in the guesthouse and sat in the overstuffed chair in my bedroom. I could see the party guests as they mulled around the backyard and inspected the various auction items, but I didn’t see Kei.
After more than an hour of people watching, I closed the blinds, turned on the television, and plopped down on the couch.
Just then, the front door opened and Kei stuck her head inside. “Care for some company?”
“From you?”
“Of course.”
“Always.”
She was wearing an orange silk dress. If it hadn’t been for the fancy stitching around the neck, I would have thought it was a nightgown. Only thin straps held it up, and the shiny material almost reached the floor.
“Better yet”—she pulled a plate from behind her back and held it in front of her as she walked into the room—“I brought you food. I thought you might want to get to enjoy the appetizers even if you couldn’t enjoy the party.”
I turned off the television. “What about you?”
“I already ate.”
“No. I meant, are you enjoying the party?”
“Not really. Large productions like that aren’t my cup of tea. I prefer more intimate gatherings.”
“Me too.”
I got off the couch, followed her into the kitchen, and watched as she pulled the aluminum foil off the plate. “I got you two of everything except the eggrolls. They were the best, so I got you several of those. I’ll go back and sneak you some cake after they cut it.”
“You look amazing.”
“Thank you. Mariah got me the dress and the shoes. I don’t thin
k I’ve worn something worth this much money in my entire life. It’s pure silk. It feels wonderful, the fabric, I mean. Not necessarily being all dressed up. That doesn’t feel so wonderful. My feet hurt.”
“Well, I couldn’t tell. You’re stunning. Course, you don’t have to be dressed up for that.”
“You’re embarrassing me. Eat your food.”
She pushed the plate toward me, so I sat on the stool and started eating as she jumped onto the counter. She almost slid off but managed to hold on and scoot back.
“Are you still angry with me?” she asked.
“Angry with you? For what?”
“For the way I acted with your manager?”
“Of course not. He was the one out of line. I was never angry at you. How could I be?”
“Because I made a row about it all. He’s just trying to protect you. I should’ve understood that.”
“He violated your privacy, and he went behind my back to do it. That’s not okay.”
“Then you believe me, that I don’t have ulterior motives.”
“Of course.”
“Splendid.” She pulled her dress up to her knees and then folded her legs underneath her on the counter. “I want to tell you something, and this can in no way compete with anything you’ve ever done or winning surfboards or anything, so don’t snicker.”
“All right.”
“Three of my photographs were sold during the auction tonight.” Her smile lit up the room. She was obviously proud and excited.
“You’re kidding? That’s great.”
“I can’t stop smiling about it. I can’t imagine that something that I did is going to be hanging on someone’s wall. And they didn’t just buy them; they won them. They outbid other people who wanted them as well. They seemed genuinely happy to receive the pictures.”
“I’m sure they were. Your pictures are very powerful. They tell a story, and people are drawn to impactful stories.”
“When the auction was over, a woman came over and asked if I would be interested in selling some in her gallery.”
“Are you going to take her up on it?”
“Do you think I should?”
“Of course.”
“That’s what I thought. Even if I could just make a hundred dollars on a picture, that would buy ten mosquito nets for the children’s home or send one of the children to school for a year. Imagine what I could do if I could sell several.”
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