“Is that what you think I do?” Cali asks. Her brow pinches, and I’m sure I’ve insulted her, albeit unintentionally. She can’t help what she does for a living.
“I’ve worked with influencers before. They all tend to be young and bright-minded but think their follower count is tied to their self-worth. I don’t want that for my daughter.”
“Let me interview you, and then you can make a sound judgment on my job.”
“You’re not getting an interview,” I say, finishing the rest of my drink in one swig. “You have a better chance of shooting a video of a bear riding a snowboard downslope than me talking to you on camera.”
She quirks a grin.
She thinks I’m funny.
“I’ll get that interview, Mr. Henderson.”
I don’t bother to correct her and tell her that she won’t, over my dead body. I don’t do the media. I don’t speak to the press. I hate being the center of attention and in the spotlight.
“I have work to do,” I say, and head out of the lounge without so much as a goodbye.
I swear I can feel the heat of her stare as she watches me walk out of the room.
“Dad!” Julianna barrels into me as she rounds the corner. “I’ve been looking for you. Izzie is here with her mom.”
I follow Julianna across the hall and toward the main entrance. Izzie is a bit punk with her black leather jacket and denim skirt. She’s got thick black eyeliner that accents her blue eyes.
“Hi, I’m Logan,” I say, holding out my hand to introduce myself.
“Ariella,” the woman says, “this is my daughter, Izzie.”
“Stepdaughter,” Izzie says with a smile. “Please don’t tell us we look alike.”
I wouldn’t dream of it. The kid is punk gothic, and the woman has her hands full. I can relate. Do I need to worry that this phase might rub off on my daughter?
“Izzie mentioned that you needed me to sign a permission slip?”
I quirk a grin. “This isn’t school, but I need a parent or guardian to sign a liability waiver. It’s a requirement for all guests.”
“That’s fine. Lead the way.”
I escort her toward our check-in desk, where guests typically have to pay for a day pass. I grab the forms behind the counter, handing them to Ariella. “Are both of you joining us today?”
“No, just me,” Izzie says, and watches as her stepmom fills out the forms. “I’ve been doing this since I was a kid.”
After Ariella leaves, I ensure the girls are comfortable going out onto the slopes alone. Izzie has spent plenty of hours at the resort snowboarding, long before I owned the place. It’s a relief not to have to worry about them.
I remind both girls to stay together on the trails before heading to check on the rest of the staff.
Cali wanders into the shop, and I watch from across the hall, curious if she will have another fit regarding our prices.
I should wander back into my office and ignore the woman who has caused me nothing but a headache.
At least Julianna is distracted with her friend today and not yammering on about Cali and her social media presence. I might have to lock myself in my office and not return until that woman leaves the resort.
When she heads toward the register with a box in hand, I take that as a good sign that she’s not being belligerent with my staff.
“Do you always stand out in the hallway staring at pretty women?” Wyatt asks.
I glare at my brother. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Is it that obvious?