“Gray?” Becca blinked. “I know he’s agreed to be the face of the new blend, but what’s that got to do with me? Apart from being his gorgeous and perfect little sister.” She took a sip of her coffee, starin
g at Mia over the rim.
Gray had come in as promised last week, and signed the contract on Monday. The whole board was buzzing with excitement.
Mia sighed. “I guess you’re going to find out soon enough. Eliana wants you and your brothers to be part of the advertising campaign, not only Gray. She wants a long form movie commercial where you’re all talking and drinking whiskey, and she wants you to narrate it.”
“Me? Why?” Becca frowned.
“Because you’re the lead distiller for the blend. And we want to appeal to a female demographic.” Mia shrugged. “And for what it’s worth, I think you’d do an amazing job.”
Becca blushed. “Shut up.” She looked over at the window, her brows furrowed together. “Surely Gray would be better at narrating. He’s got that husky voice thing going for him. Or Logan, he’s good at talking.” She widened her eyes. “Will Cam be involved?”
Mia took a deep breath. “I have no idea.” Part of her hoped he wouldn’t. She wasn’t sure she could bear to see him again. She was barely holding it together as it was.
The other part? The one that kept her dreaming as a little girl, and hoping for better as a woman… that part was desperate to see him again. Even if the impulse was masochistic.
“I hate that he’s going to take the job in L.A.,” Becca confided. “I was just getting used to having my whole family back again.”
Another stick for Mia to beat herself with. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh no, this isn’t your fault. It’s Cam’s. He didn’t have to leave, he chose to.” Becca shot Mia a sympathetic glance. “You know what? I’m going to say yes. This could be fun. And maybe a chance to get back at my big brothers. I could tell all their secrets in the narration.”
“Just remember, Gray’s the face of the whiskey. He’ll be going on talk shows and using lots of social media. He’ll easily get his own back, too.”
“Maybe I’ll leave him out. Start with Tanner and work my way up.” Becca shrugged. “I’ve got years of dirt on them. It could be fun.”
Mia’s attempt at a smile was more successful this time. “I bet it could.”
“I wish I could do something to make you feel better,” Becca said, her voice soft. “I hate to see you so down. Have you been eating?”
“Not as much as I should.” Mia shook her head. “But I will. I’ve been through heartache before. I know it’s only temporary.”
But it didn’t feel like it was. This separation from Cam felt like a tsunami of pain compared to the breakup of her marriage. It was illogical, but true. She hadn’t lost five pounds the week after Niall left. Or suffered from so many nights without sleep.
“I guess I should go. If I’m going to be an international superstar, I want to wear some makeup to this meeting. I’ll see you in the boardroom.”
Mia nodded. “See you there.”
Putting her cup on the desk, Becca leaned forward and hugged Mia tightly. “I’m so sorry my brother broke your heart.”
Mia squeezed Becca tight. “He didn’t,” she said, her voice muffled by Becca’s shoulder. “I broke my own heart.”
“Hurts just as much though, doesn’t it?”
Yeah, it really did.
Wrapping a towel around his neck, Cam walked out of his home gym and toward the intercom, pressing on the button to let Brian in. Two minutes later, his assistant was knocking on the door. Cam opened it and stood aside as Brian carried a cardboard tray with two coffees and two muffins inside.
“Come in.” Cam sighed. He’d been back in Boston for two days, having flown here straight after his meetings in L.A., and already he was bouncing against the walls.
“Man, you look terrible,” Brian said, wrinkling his nose. “And you stink, too.”
“If I’d have known you were coming over, I would have put on some makeup.” Cam gave him a sardonic smile. “And I can’t smell any worse than the Bobcats’ locker room.”
“Which is exactly why I avoid the locker room.” Brian took the coffees out of the holder, then walked around to Cam’s kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. “Catch,” he called out, throwing it to Cam.
The bottle landed steadily in the middle of Cam’s outstretched palms. At least some things didn’t change.