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I grew up in that Villa; we split time between it and our house in Traverse City. I spent long, hot summers there, running up and down the beach, playing in the cool waters of Lake Michigan with my sisters and other kids who were staying at the small, nearby cottages that dotted the lakeshore on small parcels of land my family had sold over the years. I had my first kiss in the basement, and lost my virginity in my bedroom upstairs.
When Brie graduated high school, the last of us to turn eighteen, Mom and Dad made the decision to sell the house in TC and move into the Villa full time. About five years ago, they’d begun construction on their dream home up on the northernmost point of the peninsula. According to Mom, they neededmore space,which meant going from the sprawling vineyard home to an even larger three thousand square-foot house.
“We need more room for our babies…and their babies,” my mom had said pointedly with a wink and a smile when we all ribbed them about the size of the new house.
Now, the Villa served as a seven bedroom Airbnb perfect for bachelorette parties, couples’ trips, or girls’ weekends.
All of us except Chloe still lived on the peninsula, which was funny considering she was the only one who had used the piece of winery land we were each deeded at eighteen to build her dream home.
The dream home I was now renting from her since she and her husband moved into Traverse City after their wedding last December to be closer to his law firm. At the moment, my own lot sat vacant. I’d spent too much time away from home in the last ten years to do anything with it. When I’d come back from Europe late last fall, right in the midst of Chloe finally breaking free from the family legacy, I had nowhere else to go, and I refused to move in with Mom and Dad again. Thankfully, she’d let me move in with her and Logan. I missed having them as my roommates—but mostly, I missed seeing my sister every day.
Still, I adored Chloe’s house on the beach. Everyone was still close by, but far enough away that I had privacy. In the more temperate months, I could walk to work—the winery was less than a mile up the road—or ride my side-by-side if it was raining or I was feeling lazy. In the winter, I could drive or take my snowmobile. I didn’t even mind showing up to work smelling like exhaust.
Not to mention the two hundred feet of sandy beachfront I had to myself.
In answer to Calvin’s question, I finally said, “As a condition of inviting them here for an all-expenses paid weekend, I’m requiring mandatory training for each sales rep who has Chateau Delatou in their portfolio.”
Calvin snorted. “How can you be sure anyone will actually pay attention?”
“Because I’m going to test them on it.”
“Seriously?”
I nodded. “Seriously. Making sure our sales reps are completely knowledgeable about our product offerings is important to me. So, yes. I’m putting together a presentation including videos of everything from the harvesting process all the way up until we push product out the door. And at the end, they’ll be tested on how closely they paid attention. If they get any less than eighty percent, they can’t come for Labor Day.”
“I think that’s a truly inspired idea,” my mother said
“Agreed,” my father said. “Not only because in-depth product knowledge makes all the difference when it comes to sales, but also because I think having them come out here and showing them around the winery, meeting our family, getting to know the team…it’s easy to promote a brand you whole-heartedly believe in and stand behind. This will give them the chance to put their faith in us.”
I beamed, studiously ignoring the storm cloud gathering to my left.
As my sisters piped in, thoughts on my plans and ideas on how and where to improve floating around the room, I sank into my chair and opened a blank document, tapping away at the keys as they chattered, writing everything down for review later.
This meeting had gone better than I dared hope it would, and I felt like I was floating. Proving to my family that I was capable of not only running this company, but doing so successfully, was one of the most important things to me. I’d say today was a resounding success.
That was, until Calvin opened his mouth.
“There’s just one problem here, princess,” he said, leaning his elbows on the table and steepling his fingers under his chin.
His words were quiet, yet all conversation died.
I reared back like I’d been slapped, and Calvin’s smirk said it all. He’d lobbed that nickname at me on purpose, aiming to cut, and he’d surely hit his mark. Instantly, I was transported back to that night, when things had started so promising and ended in a ball of flames.
The confidence I’d been feeling a moment before, that sensation of floating on a cloud, vanished in an instant, leaving me feeling like the rug had been pulled out from underneath me. I hated how easily he riled me, how a simple word speared right through my heart. Reasonably, I knew I shouldn’t let one man hold so much power over me, but it was so much easier said than done when faced with him day in and day out.
I had to get out of here. Away from him and his giant ego sucking all the air from the room. I needed to compose myself, and I couldn’t do that with him watching me, his eyes narrowed like he was a hunter zeroing in on his prey.
He had me right where he wanted me, and I fucking hated him for it.
I inhaled deeply through my nose and plastered a saccharine smile on my face.
“And what’s that?”
“I control the money around here.”
I didn’t know whatit said about me that I couldn’t help but needle Amara at every opportunity. This time, I could’ve gone about it in a different way, because, to be fair, what I’d said wasn’t a lie, nor was it strictly out of line. Ididcontrol the money around here.
“I hate you,” Amara said under her breath, though everyone else in the room no doubt heard it.
