After getting dressed in my bathing suit, I lounge next to the pool, sun bathing.
I adjust my blue bikini and matching waist beads so I don't get strange tan lines. I lay on my stomach, covering my face with my hat, when I see the feet of Miles walk by.
"Miles, wait!" I throw out my arm in front of his legs.
"Daph, careful, I almost fell in," He crouched down next to me and I lift my hat up.
"Whatcha need?"
What I really wanted, was to talk to him. I hadn't seen him since lockdown and I had wondered what he had been up to.
My gaze instead lands on the suntan lotion and an idea pops into my head.
"I think I'm getting a little burnt—will you help me?" He smiles wide and nods his head.
"Daph, you shouldn't be out in this harsh sun; your dark skin doesn't need it. But, anything for my little star," he grabs the bottle and squirts some onto his hand before helping me rub it onto my back.
I furrow my brows at his strange comment, but the cold reminder sent from the freezing lotion cautions me to keep my facial expressions monitored around Miles.
"So, have you thought about my proposal?" He continues rubbing in the lotion on my arm.
I suck in a breath and hold it, trying to figure out what to say.
"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it." I actually have thought about it—a lot.
"Like I said; I really need someone next to me when I launch Klear. I need you, Daphne."
I don't say anything and look down.
"Well just keep thinking about it. I can't do this alone." He finishes rubbing the cream in before walking away, leaving me with his words.
I know when he says "think about it" he really means "think about what your life could look like if I drop you." Miles has the power to blackball me from every source in New York, LA, even to fucking London, if I don't follow his every whim.
This decision is way bigger than deciding to audition for a role in a movie or not—this will determine the rest of my future as a model and actress.
Who knows what will happen if I marry Miles?
I look away from the ground when I hear Birdie say something about going for a swim.
Just then, Whiskey emerges from the water, splashing around. My eyes are immediately drawn to her, and I can't seem to take them off.
She slowly walks out of the pool, wringing her hair out and wiping her face of the water.
I'm not sure if it's because I had a kombucha drink earlier, but in the light from the sun, Whiskey looks angelic. Her effortless beauty stuns me every time.
How can someone be so beautiful?
Whiskey looks over and I realize I'm caught. I smile sheepishly and look away for a moment, before finding my gaze go right back to her.
She smiles at me when she sees me looking for the second time, and walks past me and over to where Duke and Miles are sitting.
Before she reaches them, she turns around and makes a "come hither" motion with her finger, guiding me towards her and the men.
I pick up my things—only consisting of my sunglasses, the hat on my head, the suntan lotion I had Miles use on me, and my towel—and follow the dripping Whiskey like a lost dog.
Duke is leaning on the wall of the pool, lounging in the cool water. Miles is strumming a guitar—possibly the one from the beach he so carelessly threw to the ground—as Benoit walks up in his swim attire.
"Hey, Blanc. Grab a hard Kombucha they're actually pretty good," Miles suggests, pointing to the alcoholic drinks in the customized cooler. Whiskey rounds the chair of Miles and sits on the opposite side of him.
"Jared Leto sent 'em over. I think he wants me to invest." He sets down his guitar as he gestures over to the drinks in the car cooler.
"Well, I am on vacation, so..." Benoit grabs one as Whiskey and I settle into our spots, still stealing glances at each other with small smiles.
"Hey, booch me!" Duke calls from the pool and Miles tosses one with one hand.
"Ooh, the baby blue!" Blanc says, gesturing to the car cooler.
"Iconic." Duke points to the small car as he opens his drink.
"Do you remember the time you almost pancaked me with it on the road outside of And—"
"Anderson Cooper's birthday?" Miles quickly cuts him off.
Both Miles and Benoit chuckle as Miles bends down near the cooler to grab another drink.
"Coop's parties are memorable." They sit in silence for a minute as Duke swims away before I call out to Miles to toss me another drink.
This might be a long evening, so I want to make it more enjoyable with some alcohol.
I open my drink and Whiskey holds out her Corona to clink glasses with. We say cheers and she winks, making me smile.
It's not like she doesn't know I like her—I'm super obvious and we had some fun together last year at the last vacation Miles planned for us.
Nothing really happened, but we hung out with each other mostly, we're the people closest in age, and we had constant long night talks.
I got to understand who she really was, behind the airhead girlfriend of The Duke persona she plays. She wants to make more of herself outside of Duke and Miles and all of the Disrupters—something I wish I had the freedom to do.
I'm forever bound by the deal my father made with Miles and the ties he holds over my life and career.
Although nothing serious happened last year, we had kissed, and it was the best kiss I have ever experienced. We haven't talked about it, so I have no idea how she feels.
Before the lockdown, we managed to hang out a couple more times, just the two of us, and we continued on like friends, as if nothing happened.
As I sit here in this chair ogling her, my chest begins to burn as I realize I can never have Whiskey or someone like her. Whether or not I marry Miles, my life and everyone surrounding will always be controlled by him. Nothing I say or do will be of my own free will.
She looks up at me again and I fight the urge to take her by the hand and lead her away from everyone else. I want to be alone with her again. Like it was before.
But I can't. Not with my life set out the way it is. Not the way my future has been written on my grave since my dad was lowered into his.
The hourly dong sounds and I bring my attention back to my drink. I gaze into the bottle and swirl the contents, wondering what I might have for lunch.
A gunshot makes me slightly jump in my chair as I search for Duke. He stands on the side of the pool dripping wet with his gun still pointed toward the sky.
Whiskey sets down her drink as she dives back into the pool.
"Now it's a party!" Miles gets up and walks off somewhere while I stay sitting, content in the sun.
I remember I brought my script per request of Miles and I get up to go grab it from my bag that I left by the end of the pool when I got here.
When I walk past Birdie, Peg and Andi, I manage to catch some of their conversation.
"...was this little thing in my hand. I preferred that."
I continue to walk into the large pavilion to grab the thick script out of my bag. It was a strange title; Birds of a Feather.
The title had absolutely nothing to do with the storyline, but I had no time to discuss it with the writers before my plane left for this getaway.
Speaking of my agent, I should text them to get caught up with my schedule—it always seems there's something I've forgotten about until the day of.
I pull out my phone from the side pocket of my bag, but before I can turn it on, I feel a pair of boney hips jutting into my backside.
"Ah, ah. No phones, Daph. Just try to contrify this moment with me." He leans over my back and takes the phone out of my hands.
"But everyone else gets to—"
"No buts! You don't see me with a phone, now do you?" He brings his arms out in a sweeping motion and I look around for a moment before giving into him.
"Let me see you working on that script. Your agent called me and said this was going to be a big role." Despite having my own life, my agent acts like a babysitter, and the helicopter parent is Miles.
"Miles, I can't work with people around, I get distracted." Despite my convincing, Miles is unrelenting.
"Just bring it to the table. I won't ask again." With that, he walks over to the couch and sits down. He pats the spot next to him for me to sit, effectively moving Birdie over to a chair at the other end of the table.
"Fine." I walk over and plop down, reading through the script for the third time since getting it. He grabs my leg and brings it over his. Thankfully I had put on a long skirt, or I would be flashing Peg right now.
Not a moment later, Blanc walks in.