Winner Takes All, page 4
While she waited, she’d tried talking to a few people. None were friendly. Everyone who did engage in conversation mentioned they were from the Los Angeles area and aspiring actors. Most people seemed to be looking for a break into the entertainment industry. Merely getting on TV was their goal. The prize money was a nice perk.
According to the digital number displayed on the wall, she had two more auditions to go before her number was called. Ugh. She just wanted to get out of this claustrophobic room and breathe some fresh air. Once she checked into her hotel, she’d take a long walk on the beach. The Pacific Ocean was calling her name.
While her mind wandered to the point where she could almost feel the sand between her toes, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the crowd. His hair drew her gaze. A tingling sensation traveled over her skin at the sight of Storm Thompson. The room, which had seemed matchbox small before, closed in.
She blinked a few times to clear her vision. Maybe the man was only someone who resembled Storm. Colleen looked again. Nope, the man really was him. Why would he be at this audition? The answer hit her like a sucker punch. Storm wanted to buy the same land she’d been looking at. He needed the prize money to start his farm.
When their gazes met, she had the slight satisfaction of watching recognition dawn on his face. He appeared to be just as unhappy as she was. Colleen smirked. Very immature, she’d admit, but Storm brought out an adolescent side. Since he’d returned to town, he treated her like the black plague. The nice, quiet boy she’d known grew up to be a world-class jerk.
He reclined in his chair, putting himself out of her line of sight.
She noticed an empty seat to his left. She’d go over and play nice. What’s the worst that could happen? “Hey, Storm,” she said as she approached. “Seems like we can’t get away from each other.”
He gazed up and sat with his foot resting on his knee, arms crossed over his broad chest. His strong chin pushed up in a defiant pose. Bicep muscles rippled as he tensed his arms. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say you’re following me.”
Even with the unpleasant expression, he looked enticing. Colleen sat in the empty chair. “You’re not that interesting. I have plenty to do without adding stalker to my list.”
“How long has it been, Colleen?” He looked her up and down.
“Over twelve years. You’ve changed since high school. So have I.” Storm’s face appeared relaxed, but she could detect a hint of anger behind the facade. She cleared her throat. The room now felt uncomfortably hot and dry. Was the air conditioning shut off?
“Did you go to ‘mean girl’ rehab?” He narrowed his eyes.” Or did you wake up one day and realize how evil you were?”
She twisted her body to face him. “For crying out loud, Storm, we’re thirty years old. Back then, we were a couple of kids. How long will you hold a grudge?”
“You think what I feel for you is a little grudge?” He laughed, causing several other people in the room to turn in their direction. “You grew up privileged and had everything handed to you on a silver platter. And what did you do with your privilege?” A sneer curled one side of his mouth. “You made the lives miserable of those of us who didn’t have the blessing of your approval. After what happened the last time we were together, I never wanted to see you again.”
She hadn’t wanted to face herself at times. The crack in her heart widened. Nausea built behind her forced smile. “I’m sorry. How can I make things right with you?” If making amends with a man with Storm’s long-held animosity was even possible?
A female voice over the loudspeaker called Colleen’s number.
She stood and ran hands down the front of her floral dress, smoothing out the wrinkles. “I’d like a chance to finish our conversation. Are you staying at the Sea View Inn? The show’s producers booked my room there.”
“I have nothing more to say. I’m not falling for your sweetheart act like everyone else in Liberty Ridge.” Storm turned his head to glare straight ahead. “You better get a move on, or you might miss your audition. Oh…and don’t choke.”
An evil grin pulled on his lips, telling her he wanted her to do just that. By the time she stepped into the audition room, she was completely flustered. The gentle Storm she’d known back in grade school was replaced by a bitter man. She’d been so tempted to kick him on the shin on her way out of the waiting room.
At the front of the room, four of the show’s producers sat at a long table.
She took a seat on the lone chair in the center of the room.
A man stepped toward a video camera. Seconds later, a red light glowed above the camera’s lens.
Her audition started with a few simple questions about her hometown, education, and profession. Before long, she forgot about the camera and talked from the heart. She explained her plan for starting the retreat and her commitment to helping the country’s veterans. When she completed her interview, she stood to leave.
A male producer with long, black hair raised his hand. “Before you go. I see we have another audition for someone else from Liberty Ridge.” He glanced back at his notes. “Storm Thompson. Do you two know one another?”
Great. Her audition had been going so well. “We went to school together but didn’t hang out in the same circles. Storm moved away after high school. Until recently, I hadn’t seen him in a very long time.
“So, you’re not friendly?” A female producer tapped the eraser end of a pencil on the wood tabletop.
The opposite of friendly. Contentious was a better word to describe her and Storm’s relationship. “We left town after high school and both recently moved back home, so I have no idea what his life is like now.”
The producer smiled. “One of the casting agents saw you two talking in the waiting room and that your conversation looked heated.”
All her dreams of winning evaporated. The prize money floated away, up into the blue sky and forever out of reach. “Storm and I have a difference of opinion on how we view our past. He’s not my biggest fan.”
“So, we shouldn’t worry about you teaming up if you were both cast?” The producer with the long, black hair pressed his lips together and furrowed his brow.
Colleen wanted to burst out with laughter. “Storm would rather poke out his own eyes than help me. I can assure you that he wants nothing to do with me, whether we’re on a TV show or not.” What were the odds they’d both be chosen?
“Perfect,” the long-haired man said. “Well, that’s a wrap. Thank you, Dr. Gardner for your interest in The Great American Scavenger Race. We’ll make our final casting decision within the next two weeks. You’ll hear from us soon.”
On shaky legs, Colleen approached the table and shook each producer’s hand. The back of her shirt was damp with perspiration. Her armpits felt sticky and gross. A cool shower was first on her to-do list once she checked into the hotel.
As she entered the hallway, Storm was led toward the audition room. He didn’t look her way as he passed. What would happen if they both were selected? He’d make sure her life was miserable the entire time on the road. They’d compete for the same prize money and only one of them would walk away the winner. If she won, and she planned to, he’d hate her even more.
Storm disappeared into the audition room.
Along with him went Colleen’s desire to make amends. So what if he still held a grudge? Let him stew in a bath of his own hostility. What did she care? Storm Thompson would eat her road dust.
****
Colleen Gardner sightings were as welcome as a pinched nerve, always popping up at the worst moments. Despite Colleen’s presence, Storm finished the audition interview feeling optimistic. Now back at the hotel, he stripped and took a long shower. Between the flight, and then sitting in the waiting room all afternoon, he was left with a strong desire to scrub himself clean.
He wasn’t naive enough not to think Colleen was the kind of contestant the show wanted. Who could resist her—a blonde bombshell with blue eyes, a pretty smile, and a smart brain. Even after years apart, he hated himself for his lingering attraction. Every time he saw her, his body burned with desire. He was no better now than the love-struck fool he’d been in high school.
After his shower, Storm tossed on a pair of shorts, grabbed his yoga mat, and headed to the beach. He found a quiet strip of grass along the sand and unrolled his mat. The familiar routine calmed his nerves. Salty sea air filled his lungs and tickled his nose. A few seagulls stood on the beach, squawking and fighting over a piece of left behind food.
He settled into the Warrior II pose. His quad stretched as he pushed his knee toward the ocean. With a soft diaphragm, he breathed deeply. He focused on his drishti, or meditation focal point—a sailboat bobbing atop the waves. The sound of approaching footfalls disrupted his concentration.
“Mind if I join you? This patch is the only level grass.” Colleen wore a tight tank top and slim yoga pants. Under her arm was tucked a pink yoga mat with Sea View Inn written on its surface with black marker. She bent over to unroll her mat.
Storm was gifted with a good look at her backside. His ankles wobbled under him, and he lost his balance. “I do mind.”
“Eat sand,” she muttered as she knelt down and settled into the child’s pose.
A fragile restraint was the only thing keeping him from dumping a handful of sand over her blonde head.
They spent the next fifteen minutes side-by-side in a temporary treaty of silence. His gaze continually was drawn to Colleen. The sound of her deep breathing filled the air around them, and he remembered the little girl he’d once loved. She was a ray of sunshine in his dark life. His mom never forced him to attend school, but he had gone because of Colleen.
Had she known how much her friendship meant? No, she couldn’t have. Or maybe she did and had used his feelings to inflict pain later on. Sorrow pressed on his chest, and he shook off the bad memories. He long ago mended his broken child’s heart.
With a deep exhale, Colleen lowered to her mat and sat cross legged. With her eyes closed, she tipped her head toward the sky. “How did your audition go?”
The reflection of the setting sun turned her long, golden hair a copper red. “Fine.” He wouldn’t give her any more information than that.
“What if we both are selected? Do you think we’d end up killing each other?”
She smiled softly, full lips tilting up like a crescent moon. The skin on her shoulders glowed with the warmth of the fading sun. He wondered what she’d do if he reached over and ran his finger along the jut of her collar bone. Would she welcome his touch or slap his face? “I wouldn’t waste my energy on fighting with you. Besides, you’d be too far behind to be serious competition.”
Colleen’s thin arms crossed over her chest, and one eyebrow arched. “You know nothing about me, Storm. If I get cast for the show, I plan to win.”
“I do know you.” He grinned at the years of knowledge he’d collected. Years he spent studying her while she, for the most part, had ignored him. “I know how much you hate snakes, and you have a fear of tight spaces. You never leave your house without doing your hair and makeup. No way would you survive two days competing on the road, let alone win.”
“You have me all figured out, don’t you?” Her ice blue eyes narrowed. “Your knowledge is long past its expiration date.”
His body warmed with a strong attraction. The smell of her coconut lotion clouded his reasoning. Don’t forget, you don’t like this woman. “People like you don’t really change. You only became good at hiding your ugliness.”
“Grow up.” Her voice carried away in the ocean breeze. “What right do you have to be my judge and jury? Do you even remember the good times between us? Like in kindergarten, when I’d rub your back at naptime.”
The ghost feeling of her soft hand running across his back drained the anger from his body. During his first few weeks of school, he’d been afraid to fall asleep during naptime. Every afternoon, Colleen sat on the floor by his cot and worked her soothing magic.
“Or have you forgotten the books I brought you when you had a hard time learning to read? How I’d sit during recess and listen to you struggling to pronounce the words?”
“I remember.” He clenched his fists. “I also remember the day you turned from someone I trusted to someone who mocked me like every other kid in school.”
Frowning, Colleen choked back a sob. “I’m sorry. I was young and stupid. I should have never treated you the way I did.”
Reaching for her hand, he pressed the warmth to his chest. “You used to sneak me candy,” he whispered in her ear. “Strawberry candies from your dad’s office. You would give me one almost every day after lunch.” His lips swept across her smooth-as-glass cheekbone. If he kissed her, would she still taste like a strawberry?
His lips lowered onto her mouth, and she didn’t fight his kiss. She did taste sweet, but different than he remembered—like honey and cinnamon. He’d only been a boy when their chaste kiss left him breathless. The soft yield of Colleen’s lips rekindled feelings he’d worked hard to expel.
Her hands rested on his shoulders then wrapped around his neck. She sank into him.
“Remember our first kiss?” His voice came out raspy and strained. His body and mind fought for control.
Colleen trembled. Stepping back, she widened her eyes. “Storm, don’t—”
He pressed a finger over her lips. “I was ready to tell you everything in my young heart.”
“We were only in fourth grade.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears.
“To me, our age didn’t matter. I cared about you and wanted our first kiss to be something special.” He fought his longing for her with his well-seasoned bitterness. “I’ll never forgive you for what you did.”
Fat tears trickled down her flushed cheeks. “You have to…believe me. I…didn’t know those other kids followed me. I didn’t know…what to do.” Her words came out in a broken rush.
“You could have stood up for me.” Storm let his hand fall from her waist. Touching her left him with a strange mix of repulsion and longing. “You didn’t have to join in. You were my only friend.” He grabbed his yoga mat off the ground and marched around her, heading back to the hotel. Anger flowed through his veins so hard and fast he was afraid his arteries would burst.
As he walked away, he could hear the sound of Colleen’s cry mixed with the evening songs of the seagulls—a haunting melody.
Chapter Five
Still standing on the beach, Colleen thought back to that fateful day in the fourth grade. She’d been working on a picture to give her teacher when a white piece of paper appeared on her desk.
Meet me by the tall tree at recess. I have a secret.—Storm
When the bell rang for recess, she peeked back at Storm, who always sat in the back of the room. His head lay on his desk, with his curly hair falling over his forehead to cover his face.
He looked up and smiled.
No one else had a smile like Storm. Butterflies fluttered inside her chest. She was too busy watching Storm to notice Tyler grab the note off her desk.
“Oooohhh, Storm has a secret.” Tyler held the note high in the air. “Maybe he’s really a freaky alien.”
Colleen leaped up to grab at the note, but she wasn’t tall enough. “Give that back, Tyler. Now.”
“Fine.” He let the note drop onto the vinyl tile floor. “Why do you want to be around Stinky Storm anyway? He wears the same shirt to school every day and smells like old food.”
“Shut up.” She picked Storm’s note off the ground. “Leave him alone.”
Tyler walked away, laughing.
Colleen shoved the note into the pocket of her shorts and headed outside for recess. She hated the way Tyler talked about other people, especially Storm. All the other kids in class followed his lead. Skipping under the bright sun, she found Storm hiding behind a tall tree.
He looked down at his dirty sneakers, kicking up small stones.
“I’m here.” She hopped over and landed at his side. Standing next to a large oak tree, they were hidden from the rest of the playground. “So, what’s your secret?”
Storm raised his head and gazed back with wide eyes. He stood silent for a long time. Then, he took a deep breath and leaned in.
Colleen wanted to close her eyes but couldn’t. She watched Storm’s puckered lips move toward her in slow motion. He was about to kiss her. When their lips connected, she felt a static electricity shock and jumped.
Their kiss only lasted a few seconds. Colleen wanted to try kissing again, until the sound of teasing voices broke the spell. Practically their whole class now gathered around the tree, laughing.
“Colleen kissed Stinky Storm,” one girl taunted. “I bet she has lip fungus.”
Tyler reached out and pushed Storm. “You think she likes you? Colleen told us to come over so you’d leave her alone.”
“That’s not true. I didn’t tell them,” Colleen pleaded. “I promise.”
“Storm and Colleen, sitting by a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g,” a redheaded boy with a missing front tooth sang.
Finally, their teacher strode over and put a stilling hand on Colleen’s shoulder. “What is happening over here?”
“Colleen and Storm were kissing.” Tyler pushed back a lock of blond hair. “It looked so gross I think I’m sick.”
Her face and body grew hot, and her stomach threatened to heave. Why couldn’t everyone just leave her alone?
Their teacher grabbed Colleen’s hand. “Go sit on the bench by the door. Your father will not be happy about your behavior.”
While she walked away, Storm took off running in the other direction.
Their teacher yelled for him to come back, but he didn’t. He left the playground and sprinted down the road.
For the rest of the day, Colleen felt like vomiting. She wanted to go home and get away from the other kids who teased her. But she did not want to see her dad. She could almost hear him scolding her for being a disappointment to the Gardner name.
