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THE NEXT DAY WAS A whirlwind of activity. Since we’d completely missed day one of the retreat due to my brilliant ‘explore Maryland like the Pilgrims did’ idea, we had to cram in everything we could into just one day. From tennis to hiking, to sailing—we planned to do it all.
Rose and I met Tom and Michael down on the outdoor patio the next morning, dressed in little sundresses and ready to start the day with mimosas. As the two of us were technically both the ‘new girls’ in finance, we’d decided that it looked perfectly appropriate for the four of us to go out and about with each other. Not to mention the fact that Rose was supposed to be compiling profiles, and everyone knew I was her best friend.
Tom’s eyes swept me up and down when I walked outside, fixing on the cocktail in my hand with a little smile before extending his arm. “Miss Harks,” he said formally, before lowering his voice. “I didn’t get to see you last night—I hope you slept well.”
I had been unable to make it to Tom’s room to spend alone time with him. Each time I’d opened the door, Trask was either out in the hallway, or someone else had mistakenly stepped off the elevator, thinking it was their floor. When the number of close calls got up to five, I’d decided to call it and settled into my king size bed with a huge book about statistical improbabilities I’d been dying to read.
At this point, I was basically walking proof...
“You try getting past Trask,” I whispered, “he’s like a watchdog.”
Tom chuckled. “I’ll get you alone some time.”
The promise sent shivers down my spine, and I held onto his arm tighter as he and Michael guided the two of us down a country path through the garden down to the beach.
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Tom asked cheerfully once we were settled on the sandy shores.
He and Michael had spread out their coats for Rose and me to sit on, but the frisky breeze kept tossing up the hems of our dresses in a way that made us blush to the high heavens, and the boys shared secret, approving smiles.
“I think we should stay right here,” Michael said, holding up his thumb to the wind. “It looks like nature is finally on our side.”
I playfully slugged him and he laughed.
“Why don’t we go sailing?” Rose suggested slyly, shooting me a glance.
I shuddered and shut her down at once. “Absolutely not.”
“Why not?” Tom asked curiously. “You don’t like the water?”
“I love the water,” I explained, “it’s what lurks beneath it that I’m not so sure of.”
“Sharks,” Rose clarified. “Jenna’s terrified of sharks.”
“This is a lake...” Tom said at the same time that Michael added, “You get how a boat works, right Jenna?”
“Yes, of course, I do,” I said furiously. “But look,” I pointed toward the horizon, “you can’t even see to the end. Who knows what kind of sicko might have dumped a few in...”
Michael and Rose started laughing while Tom discreetly squeezed my hand and leaned down. “You get more and more adorable every time I see you. Have I told you that?”
I was about to answer, but I pulled my hand away quickly as Jamie and Stacy came down the wooden stepping stones to join us.
“Hey all,” Jamie said cheerfully. “Listen—a couple of people on the floor are organizing a little game of touch football. You in?”
The men glanced at Rose and me doubtfully, decked out like little cupcakes in our dresses, but much to their surprise, we both jumped up in excitement. We had both been quite athletic in high school and college, and the blistering competitive atmosphere was just as strong in PR as it was in finance.
“What are the teams?” Rose asked shrewdly.
“It’s two guys from PR, Macer, Pia, and Stacy...against me.” Jamie chuckled. “As it stands, I don’t like my odds—I was hoping to recruit a couple more people.”
“Absolutely, we’re in,” Michael said excitedly.
“As long as Kiev and Mariska aren’t playing,” I said cautiously. “I don’t much fancy going up against those two in a match.”
Jamie nodded feverishly. “Way ahead of you. They’re supposedly out fishing. Knowing them, Mariska is using a gun and Kiev’s using his bare hands...”
I laughed. “Let us just change and we’ll meet you down there.”
“Cool.”
As the two of them scampered back up the beach, Tom turned to me with a dangerous smile. “I think we might have to mix up the teams a little bit. It looks like the only way I’m going to get to touch you this weekend is if I tackle you on the field.”
“Bring it on,” I sneered. “I don’t know if you know this about me yet, Mr. Larchwood, but I come to win.”
“You know what happens to the winner,” he winked, “same rules apply.”
I stuck out my hand, brimming with confidence. “Deal.”
We shook firmly—as firmly as I possibly could—and then Rose and I stalked back off to the resort to get ready. Ten minutes later, we joined the other eight players on the shaded lawn.
“Alright, new teams,” Tom declared. “It’s going to be me, Rose, Macer, Jamie, and Alex from PR. We’re up against, Mike, Jenna, Stacy, Pia, and Steven.”
The two groups drifted to their separate sides of the lawn to discuss a game plan and I stuck to Michael like white on rice. He twirled the football expertly between his fingers as he brought us in for a group huddle.
“Okay guys, here’s the plan. I’ll be throwing, Pia and Steven—you block, Jenna and Stacy—go long. Losing is not an option, people. Now, I know what you’re all thinking. This is nothing but a case of sibling rivalry. But that’s where you’re wrong. History will remember this day as the game where we overthrew our tyrannical yokes and ran free—wind in our hair, the sun on our face. It is THIS DAY that will serve to define us.”
When we met his enthusiasm with nothing but blank stares, he concluded with,
“If we lose, you’re all fired. Now BREAK!”
As the group dispersed, I tugged lightly on his sleeve. “Go long—that means I’m running, right?”
He flashed me a pained look. “Just go where I point, Jenna. Go where I point. And if anyone tries to stop you, kick them in the stomach and say you didn’t know better.”
“I can do that,” I said confidently. “And I also know you’re kidding.”
He laughed. “Am I?”
The two teams came together at the center of the field. Tom’s speech had apparently been just as fiery as Michael’s because there was nothing but steely determination looking back at us from the other side. Macer looked as though if she lost, she might drown herself in the lake.
“What do you say, Harks,” Tom flashed me an evil grin. “you think you can outrun me?”
“Don’t let him get in your head, Jenna!” Michael shouted encouragingly. “He’s always been like this.”
“Go long, go long, go long,” I chanted under my breath, willing myself to remember.
“I think there’s a shower with someone’s name on it...”
“Jenna, remember the stomach thing!”
I locked eyes with Tom and suppressed a little grin. You see, Tom and I might know each other incredibly well for the short time we’d known each other. But we didn’t know everything—not by a long shot. For instance, one thing Tom didn’t know about me, was that I’d grown up with four older brothers. He thought this was in the bag? Think again.
I bit my lip and tried to look helpless as the play was called. Michael screamed something indecipherable, and the next second, I was on the move. My eyes got instant tunnel vision, the way they used to when we were playing around as kids. Every muscle contracted at an incredible speed as I sprinted through the defenders to the outfield. At the last possible second, I turned around and saw the ball spiraling my way in slow motion. Tom was right on my heels, but it looked as though he was having trouble believing I’d moved so fast. I held out my arms just as I jumped into the end zone, grabbing the ball in my outstretched fingers and hugging it tight to my chest as I came down in a loose somersault on the ground.
There was a moment of silence before—
“Oh my GOSH! JENNA!”
Michael ran out to meet me, knocking past Tom as he and Steven scooped me up into the air. I held the football high over my head, grinning like an idiot until they finally dropped me and raced back to their position. I smirked as I strutted slowly past Tom to my side of the field.
“Jenna, you never cease to amaze me,” Tom said.
The game got dirtier and dirtier the longer we played. While everyone else was out on the lawn to have a good time, it seemed as though there was nothing the brothers wouldn’t do to beat each other. The speed at which we’d scored hit Tom hard, and he retaliated with an instant touchdown of his own—knocking Steven to the ground as he ran the ball himself into the end zone. From there, things only picked up speed.
Instead of tackling Rose, Michael grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, keeping his face clear of all emotion so as to remain inconspicuous. As the ball flew from her hands, Pia snatched it up and raced it down the field for another easy point. Tom retaliated in kind, on the next play. When Michael tossed me the ball, Tom outpaced my shorter legs and swung me over his shoulder—running me the other direction to my own end of the field. I realized what he was doing at the last minute and tossed the ball away, but it still wasn’t long before they tied up the game.
When it finally got down to the wire, Michael called an emergency meeting.
“Okay guys,” he panted, “I’ve seen a great effort out there from each and every one of you, and I want you to know, that everyone here is getting a raise.”
“Is that true?” Steven asked hopefully.
Michael shook his head “No. But listen, here’s the plan.”
He whispered a couple choice words, and a few minutes later, we were all back on the field. I stared across the line at Tom to find him staring back at me, grinning ear to ear as he prepared for his masterful final play that would surely cost me my clothes.
Well...not if I had anything to do with it.
The next second, Michael called the play and everyone started moving. Instead of throwing, he raced forward as I simultaneously fell back. Tom saw the shift in direction and charged right for his brother, but the damage was already done. With a victorious wink, Michael shifted directions and tossed the ball back my way—leaving me to either throw or run.
I chose to run.
Tom realized the change too late, but he was still right on my heels as I took off for the end zone. People from other departments had gathered to see the end of the match, and by the time I made my final dash, there was a whole field full of people rooting for me.
I was almost there. Thirty yards, twenty yards, ten yards.
I heard Tom panting behind me, picking up speed as he charged me down. Michael’s cheering was echoing in somewhere in my head—as were Rose’s muffled comments. But I didn’t have time for any of them. I had one job to do, and I was going to get it done.
There was a rush of air behind me as Tom lunged, but I was too fast for him—twisting out of his hands and sailing into the end zone with a victorious scream.
The game was over. I had won.
And both Tom and I knew exactly what that meant. He owed me a back massage. But more than anything, I was happy to beat Tom. Okay, maybe I was too driven and competitive. But in this business world, that’s exactly what it took to win.