WHAT TO DO?
After a restless night, Sage was up early. Her conversation with Trey kept rolling around in her mind. Logic told her not to believe him—that he wasn’t to be trusted. But her heart said the feelings and emotions they’d shared had been genuine.
Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the caller ID, finding it was her private investigator. She immediately answered. “Have you learned something?”
“I’m on to something big,” the man said.
“Tell me.”
“It’s not complete and I want to be sure before I give you the information. It might take me extra time. Are the added fees going to be a problem?”
Yes. She was giving him every single cent aside from her rent and food. She thought of the money she was going to use to fly home early. The airline wouldn’t switch the return portion of her ticket and so she’d have to purchase a new one. But in the light of day, things with Trey didn’t appear so dire. If she stayed, it’d save a lot of money.
“Miss White?”
“No. It won’t be a problem.” She needed answers and she’d do whatever it took to get them.
“Okay. I need a few more details and then I’ll give you everything I’ve collected. I think it’s what you’re after.”
And then a thought came to Sage. Part of her told her not to do it, but a louder voice in her head said it was better to know the truth. “Did you uncover any information regarding Trey...er...Quentin Thomas Rousseau III being involved with Elsa?”
“No. He’s not.”
The answer came so quickly that it surprised her. “Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent positive.”
It didn’t get any more certain. “Thanks. Keep digging into Elsa’s past. There’s something there that she doesn’t want us to know about.” And with any luck it would be the key to Sage regaining her legacy.
She ended the call knowing that staying here with Trey or Quentin or whatever he wanted to call himself wouldn’t be easy. Could she avoid him? Not likely since they were sharing the house. There had to be some way to coexist for a little longer.
* * *
Trey refilled his coffee for the fourth time the next morning.
He’d tossed and turned most of the night. Before sunrise, he’d climbed out of bed. He needed to think about something besides how bad he’d screwed things up with Sage.
A glance in the bathroom mirror showed proof of his bad night. But as he scratched at the irritating beard, he realized there was nothing stopping him from shaving. In fact, there was no reason not to put in his contacts. At last, he could get back to being himself. Although there were a couple of changes he wanted to keep—his nickname and the shorter hair.
After his shower and shave, Trey paced back and forth in the kitchen in his bare feet while a new pot of coffee brewed. He yawned and stretched. It’d been a long time since he’d pulled an all-nighter.
“Mind if I come in?”
The sound of Sage’s voice had him turning. “Sure. You don’t have to ask. You are always welcome.”
She openly stared at him.
Had he nicked himself shaving? “What’s wrong?”
“You. I mean, you look so different.” She continued gazing at him. “Is this how you normally look when you’re not pretending to be an assistant?”
“I am sorry about that.” He could tell by the stony look in her eyes that his apology didn’t sway her. “Yes, this is me except for the hair. I used to wear it longer, much longer. But I’m liking this shorter style. It’s a lot easier to deal with. What do you think?”
She shrugged and moved past him toward the freshly brewed coffee. She poured herself a cupful. He noticed that she didn’t offer to get him any. It was to be expected.
He wondered what it’d take to get them past this awkward spot. There had to be a way because the future of the magazine was at stake. But more than that, he wouldn’t let Sage lose and Elsa win.
Now, he had to prove to Sage that they made a great team and together they could fend off Elsa. “We’re going to have to work together if we’re going to defeat Elsa.”
“This is my fight.” Her voice was firm.
“It’s our fight. Yours and mine.”
She gave him a strange look. “Why would you take on my stepmother?”
“You mean besides the fact that I hate the way she treats you?”
Sage nodded.
It was time he laid out the truth—a truth that even he found surprising. “Because of you, I have found an appreciation for QTR.” Her eyes widened but she remained quiet and so he continued. “You’ve shown me what it could be. I like the idea of using it to show the good parts of life. The news these days is so full of depressing topics that I’d like to be a part of showing the world the positive side of life. And I’m thinking my ancestors would have liked the idea of their magazine being an instrument for good.”
“You mean there’s something good that has come from all of this?”
“If you’re referring to my attitude toward keeping the magazine, then yes.”
“And then you can hand it down to your son—”
“No, that isn’t going to happen. I’m not going to put a child through what I experienced growing up.”
“You don’t need to. I’ve known both you and your father. Yes, there are some similarities but you are very different people. I could see you being a loving, involved father—”
“Sage, stop. It isn’t going to happen. I want to see the magazine survive. Nothing more.”
A frown settled on her face.
“Stop looking at me like I just ran over your teddy bear.”
“It’s not you. It’s just that the future of the magazine isn’t up to me or you. There’s the board to contend with and I have a meeting with them at the end of the month to determine whether the magazine continues or is closed down. And right now, I do not have a compelling calendar to show them. If I don’t get some big names to grace the covers, they’ll be sure to close us.”
“You forget that I’m the CEO. I have sway over that board. We’ll compile a winning calendar of interviews. And as for Elsa, we’ll beat her at her own game.”
“How? I thought about it all night and haven’t come up with anything except locking her in her hotel room. Or better yet, stuffing her in a suitcase and putting her in the cargo hold of the first plane bound for the States.”
Trey laughed. “I didn’t know you had such a devious mind.”
Sage still didn’t smile when she said, “Oh, trust me. I have my moments.”
“Anything you care to share?”
“Not yet.”
Well, he had to admit that he was intrigued now. There was so much more to Sage than her sunny smile and friendly personality. Beneath her beauty was a strong businesswoman that wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted. He was looking forward to this battle with Sage by his side.
But the most important thing to him was putting the smile back on Sage’s face. He had stolen it away and that acknowledgment dug at him. If it was the last thing he did, he would make Sage happy again—even if it meant exiting her life after QTR was secure.
* * *
He was going to step up his game.
He was no longer an observer.
Trey had signed on to fight for the magazine and that meant thinking outside the box.
They’d just finished watching the premiere of a French film that made a statement about caring for those with mental health issues. It was very powerful. He wondered if Sage knew the language or if she was taking advantage of the subtitles. He wouldn’t know because their communication so far that day had pertained to business only—nothing personal.
Outside the theater, a mass of photographers were snapping more photos of the stars. One photographer told Trey and Sage to pose. She didn’t want to, but Trey coaxed her into it. He casually placed his arm around her waist. He longed to pull her closer, but he resisted the urge.
As soon as the photo was taken, Sage pulled away. She immediately set to work talking to any performer who would listen to her.
The more he observed her, the more he knew that there was no stopping her. Just like now, as they stood outside the theater, she was doing her best to make connections. One by one, people turned away from her. Trey wanted to go up to them and tell them to quit being so rude, but he knew Sage wouldn’t appreciate the gesture nor would it help their situation.
Sage was a strong woman who didn’t need anyone to take care of her. Her strength and determination impressed him. She didn’t turn the magazine around with backdoor deals. She didn’t pay people off. She didn’t make outrageous promises. She did absolutely nothing wrong.
Sage turned the magazine around with integrity, smarts and kindness.
Kindness. Who would have figured?
She was kind to people, found out what they were passionate about and then agreed to get on board to further their pet projects. It was a win-win for everyone.
Now how did you stop something that was so good?
“Trey, this isn’t working.” Sage frowned. “Everyone sees the name of my publication and turns away. Or worse, they tell me what they think of QTR. And it’s nothing I would repeat. Maybe I should propose to the board that we take on a new name.”
Trey shook his head. “The reputation my father put upon the magazine will follow you, even through a name-change.”
“Then maybe I should take off my badge. At least then people will give me a chance before they reject what I’m offering.”
“You need your badge to give you access to the festival events, but...” He paused to give this some thought.
“But what?”
She’d been on to something. He just needed to think for a moment.
“Trey. Speak.”
“Maybe you need a different approach.”
“You mean instead of being up front about the magazine I represent?” When he nodded, she said, “Even though it’s clearly printed on my press badge?”
He hadn’t gotten this far in business without cutting some corners or playing a little subterfuge. If people got to know Sage without the curse of QTR hanging around her neck, both literally and figuratively, they would see that she would never sink to the level of his father.
And then he realized what they needed to do. He looked at the worried expression on her face and couldn’t wait to replace it with one of her bright, contagious smiles.
“Come with me.” And without thinking, he took her hand in his.
Her hand felt good wrapped around his. It was like they were two pieces of a puzzle and they fit together. He made a point of zigzagging through the crowd of smartly dressed people.
When they’d cleared the crowd of people, Sage withdrew her hand. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“I’d rather know. I really need to get back there and try to make some sort of connection, even if I have to hang a sign around my neck that says QTR has changed.”
He smiled at her as he led her toward Cannes’ elite shops. “You’re on the right track.”
“I am?” She sent him a puzzled look. “We’re going to make a sign?”
He chuckled. “Nothing quite so obvious.”
“Now you have me intrigued. What exactly are you up to?”
“I told you, you’ll see soon enough. Just enjoy the sunshine and the walk.” He resisted the urge to take her hand back in his.
Soon they arrived at the shopping area. Now he just had to find the right shop.
“If you would tell me what you’re searching for, I could help.”
At that moment, he spotted it. “No need. I found it.”
They crossed the street and approached the exclusive jewelry store. “We’re here.”
“Here?” Sage glanced at the showroom window and then back at him. “You want to go jewelry shopping now?”
He shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Come on. Let’s have a look inside.”
Without waiting for her to protest, he opened the door for her. Sage hesitated, but eventually she stepped forward.
He knew what he was looking for. He passed by the gemstones, the sparkling diamond rings and the designer watches. And then he stopped in front of a glass case.
A young woman with a blond ponytail and navy blue dress stepped up to them. “Is there something I can show you?”
Sage leaned closer and whispered, “What are you doing?”
“Trust me.” He stared in the brightly lit glass case. His gaze skimmed past gold chains and paused at a bunch of large pendants. There were flowers, animals and other artistic shapes. “What’s your favorite color?”
“Red. A deep wine red.”
He glanced around until he found a silver filigree flower pendant that was accented with rubies. It was large and it was beautiful. It would do.
He pointed to it. “That one.”
The young woman removed it from the case. “Would you like to try it on?”
He gave Sage a quick glance. She was still frowning at him. He turned back to the saleswoman. “That’s okay. We’ll take it.”
With a frustrated sigh, Sage turned for the door.
He knew in this type of store that prices wouldn’t be marked on the jewelry. You didn’t come in here unless you could afford the precious gems. And right now, he’d pay anything to make things right with Sage. But he knew this necklace wouldn’t buy him forgiveness. It wasn’t why he’d purchased it.
Once he’d paid for the necklace, he joined Sage on the sidewalk. “I was worried you wouldn’t wait for me.”
“If you bought that for me, take it back. You should spend your money on someone you care about.”
“I care about you.” The words popped out before he could stop them. Was that true? Did he care about her? Now wasn’t the time to evaluate his emotions. He had to correct his slipup. “You know I care about you getting the magazine turned around.”
She continued to look at him as though not sure she believed him. Finally, she glanced away. “You know you can’t put that through on an expense report, right?”
“I know. It’ll be fine. Trust me.” He reached inside the fancy bag and withdrew the black velvet box. “Let’s try this on.”
Sage continued to mutter about how foolish this was, but once the necklace was on her, she quieted down. “It covers part of my badge.”
“The important part. The magazine’s name.”
She sent him a puzzled look, which was quickly replaced with a smile. “You want people to notice the necklace instead of the name of our magazine.”
“Exactly. First impressions are so important. There’s time later for telling them that you represent QTR.”
She smiled at him. “I knew there was a reason I hired you.”
“As I recall, I predicted you would hire me because I was the best.”
“The best, huh?”
For a moment, things were easy and fun between them. And the way she smiled at him made him want to lean in and kiss her. He knew that wasn’t possible, but it didn’t make him desire her any less.
He cleared his throat. “We should get back to the festival and see if this beauty helps you land an interview or two.”
“Or three,” she added. As they started to walk side by side, she said, “I’ll pay you back for this.”
He didn’t say anything, not wanting to ruin this moment of easiness. He’d missed the laughing, smiling Sage more than he thought possible. This was a start, he just had to build on it—show her that she wasn’t wrong about him.