Taylor put her long brown hair in a ponytail and slipped on her purple sandals. “You’ve got to be ‘up’ about this. At least wear some jewelry or something.”
“I don’t feel ‘up’ at all,” Cassie said, as she slipped on a silver bracelet and earrings. Peering into her jewelry bag, she spotted the silver necklace her mother had given her at graduation. It was a beautiful dolphin, and she slipped it over her head for good luck.
Walking to the window, Cassie looked for her shoes. Finding them in the corner, she slipped them on, feeling as if she was as ready as she ever would be to tackle this event.
“You ready?” Taylor called from the kitchen. “We need to get going.”
Grabbing her notes, Cassie glanced at herself in the mirror. The dolphin glimmered at her throat, and she hoped it would take any attention away from her swollen eyes.
Chapter Fourteen
Cassie and Taylor pushed their way through the throngs of reporters at the entrance to Rancho Del Sol. There were cars and flash bulbs everywhere, making it difficult to pass. “So this is what it feels like to be famous,” Taylor joked. “It sucks.”
“It’s not us they’re after, it’s him. Mexico’s most eligible billionaire. Ridiculous,” said Cassie, her fists clenching. “Hope he’s close enough so I can pop him one.”
“That’ll be a great solution, Cass. ‘Girl beats up billionaire, film at 11.’ I can see it now.” Taylor grabbed Cassie’s hand and pulled her through the throng at the door, shoving people aside as she went. “If you want a bouncer, let me do it. I don’t have as much at stake.”
“The extinction of an entire species is a big responsibility,” Cassie agreed, nodding.
“Those aren’t the stakes I was talking about,” said Taylor, giving a giant tug on Cassie’s hand, releasing them into the meeting room.
They took a seat in the back of the room, Cassie hoping to remain unnoticed for as long as possible. The 100 or so people who did get invitations to the ribbon-cutting ceremony were already inside, sipping champagne and milling about, watching video presentations and checking out the maps and artists’ renderings in full color. “It really is a nice resort, and a good thing for the people down here,” Taylor said. “I can’t wait to play tennis here, as long as they stay far away from Playa Luna.”
“You are such a traitor,” Cassie hissed, poking her elbow into Taylor’s ribs.
Wincing, Taylor elbowed back. “I’m a realist, my friend. I work at an airport, and my carbon footprint alone could probably wipe out entire species. I do what I can, but I also know when the train is on the tracks. I hope the best for you, and I’ll do everything I can to help, but I think this train is unstoppable.”
The event got underway, and Cassie and Taylor listened to long presentations, in Spanish, about how wonderful the resort would be, and how it would help the economy. “See, I told you,” said Taylor. The minister of tourism for Baja California spoke, all smiles, and there was a lot of gleeful handshaking.
The people on the dais were all dressed in expensive suits, and the lone woman wore a Chanel suit with diamonds everywhere. To Cassie, she looked like Audrey Hepburn, with a little Latin flavor. She was beautiful, but Cassie wondered how the woman had navigated the sand in those expensive heels.
As Cassie waited through the speeches, she noticed the woman staring at her intently. She studied her notes, sure it was her nerves acting up again. She willed the butterflies to be still, as the time for her to speak came closer.
She looked up from her notes and caught the woman’s eye once more, and her natural instinct was to smile. The woman’s brows furrowed, and she quickly looked away.
“What was that about?” Taylor said. “What did you do to her?”
“I have no idea who she is. How would I know?”
Cassie heard her introduction and rose to her feet. Making sure she was
“I don’t feel ‘up’ at all,” Cassie said, as she slipped on a silver bracelet and earrings. Peering into her jewelry bag, she spotted the silver necklace her mother had given her at graduation. It was a beautiful dolphin, and she slipped it over her head for good luck.
Walking to the window, Cassie looked for her shoes. Finding them in the corner, she slipped them on, feeling as if she was as ready as she ever would be to tackle this event.
“You ready?” Taylor called from the kitchen. “We need to get going.”
Grabbing her notes, Cassie glanced at herself in the mirror. The dolphin glimmered at her throat, and she hoped it would take any attention away from her swollen eyes.
Chapter Fourteen
Cassie and Taylor pushed their way through the throngs of reporters at the entrance to Rancho Del Sol. There were cars and flash bulbs everywhere, making it difficult to pass. “So this is what it feels like to be famous,” Taylor joked. “It sucks.”
“It’s not us they’re after, it’s him. Mexico’s most eligible billionaire. Ridiculous,” said Cassie, her fists clenching. “Hope he’s close enough so I can pop him one.”
“That’ll be a great solution, Cass. ‘Girl beats up billionaire, film at 11.’ I can see it now.” Taylor grabbed Cassie’s hand and pulled her through the throng at the door, shoving people aside as she went. “If you want a bouncer, let me do it. I don’t have as much at stake.”
“The extinction of an entire species is a big responsibility,” Cassie agreed, nodding.
“Those aren’t the stakes I was talking about,” said Taylor, giving a giant tug on Cassie’s hand, releasing them into the meeting room.
They took a seat in the back of the room, Cassie hoping to remain unnoticed for as long as possible. The 100 or so people who did get invitations to the ribbon-cutting ceremony were already inside, sipping champagne and milling about, watching video presentations and checking out the maps and artists’ renderings in full color. “It really is a nice resort, and a good thing for the people down here,” Taylor said. “I can’t wait to play tennis here, as long as they stay far away from Playa Luna.”
“You are such a traitor,” Cassie hissed, poking her elbow into Taylor’s ribs.
Wincing, Taylor elbowed back. “I’m a realist, my friend. I work at an airport, and my carbon footprint alone could probably wipe out entire species. I do what I can, but I also know when the train is on the tracks. I hope the best for you, and I’ll do everything I can to help, but I think this train is unstoppable.”
The event got underway, and Cassie and Taylor listened to long presentations, in Spanish, about how wonderful the resort would be, and how it would help the economy. “See, I told you,” said Taylor. The minister of tourism for Baja California spoke, all smiles, and there was a lot of gleeful handshaking.
The people on the dais were all dressed in expensive suits, and the lone woman wore a Chanel suit with diamonds everywhere. To Cassie, she looked like Audrey Hepburn, with a little Latin flavor. She was beautiful, but Cassie wondered how the woman had navigated the sand in those expensive heels.
As Cassie waited through the speeches, she noticed the woman staring at her intently. She studied her notes, sure it was her nerves acting up again. She willed the butterflies to be still, as the time for her to speak came closer.
She looked up from her notes and caught the woman’s eye once more, and her natural instinct was to smile. The woman’s brows furrowed, and she quickly looked away.
“What was that about?” Taylor said. “What did you do to her?”
“I have no idea who she is. How would I know?”
Cassie heard her introduction and rose to her feet. Making sure she was
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