Whatever had happened, it had turned a group of friends into enemies. If Liz was right, whatever had happened between them had to be bad.
Friendships didn’t end over simple misunderstandings.
Either Lucas or Beck had done something. Maybe they both had.
The boys of Clermont Bay weren’t to be trusted. Not a single one of them. If I was smart, I would hide away from all of them. I would spend my year with my head down and my mind clear. But Beck had no intentions of letting that happen.
I wasn’t disillusioned enough to think that Beck was doing anything more than using me as a part of whatever the hell game he was playing. But even having that knowledge, I was a fool. Because there was a part of me that wanted to surrender to him.
My heart hammered in my chest violently, and I knew that I had no choice.
Beck Clermont would use me however the hell he wanted.
Chapter Twelve
Josie
School started tomorrow, and I should have been preparing.
I knew that, but I didn’t want to think about it.
Going to that school meant I wouldn’t be able to avoid Beck.
I would be in his element, in his kingdom, and there wouldn’t be a single place to hide.
But I couldn’t think about that today.
When Sam, the manager of the golf course, had begged for someone to pick up a last-minute shift on the course after someone called in, I quickly volunteered.
I needed the money, and I needed the distraction.
“I’m going to have you working at the desk this morning.” He ran his gaze over me. Sam was attractive. He was older than me, sure, maybe by half a dozen years or so, but he still had a boyish charm about him that I doubted he would ever lose.
I followed him through the club, having never really been to this side before, and I absently thought about Beck.
But he wasn’t worth my time.
I didn’t have time to worry about what Liz had said about him or what my father wouldn’t.
I wasn’t the girl who fell for the hot jerk simply because he had made me feel things I had never felt before. I was smarter than that.
Any experience I had before him didn’t feel like that. They had felt like fumbled, sloppy messes compared to Beck. I didn’t want to think about how much practice he had to have to be that impactful.
I wasn’t an idiot. I knew a guy didn’t know how to turn on a girl that well by sitting at home and twiddling his thumbs. And a guy who was that good with his mouth and a simple touch of his hands was not a guy who was also good with hearts.
That was plain and simple.
If I wanted to continue thinking about Beck Clermont, I needed to focus on how to avoid him. I couldn’t let thoughts of his cocky smile slip in or the way my heart hammered any time I saw him.
I didn’t have time to think about any part of him today. I was here to work, and I couldn’t afford to be distracted all day. Not by him or anyone else.
We rounded the corner toward the front desk, and I tightened my ponytail. If I could impress Sam today, then I could possibly get a job in his department in the future. I liked working in the dining room, but Allie had told me that working on the course paid a lot better. And that’s all I needed to focus on.
More money, more security.
“Mr. Clermont.” My head snapped up as Sam spoke his name, and I quickly peeked around him. Sure enough, the man who owned the club stood there in a blue polo and a pair of khaki shorts.
“Hello, Sam.” Mr. Clermont reached out and shook his hand before smiling at me.
“I didn’t realize you’d be here today, sir.” Sam seemed so nervous around him, and I realized that maybe I should be too. But I couldn’t bring myself to. He had been nothing but kind to me since I started and that provided me with a sense of comfort even if it was fake. “Let me just get Josie set up, then I’ll get you ready to go.”
“We were actually hoping that Josie could be our caddie today.”
My heart stopped as I heard Beck’s voice. He was leaning against the desk behind his father, and he had the largest smirk on his face when his eyes met mine.
Sam looked between him and his father. “I have several experienced caddies for you, sir. Josie hasn’t been trained yet.”
“That’s okay.” Beck pushed off the desk, and I couldn’t help but look him over. He wore a pair of black shorts and a bright white polo with a single Nike logo on his chest.
He shouldn’t have looked that good. It was what I was used to seeing men in after a round of golf, but it was different with him.
I feared that everything was.
“Who better to give her some on-the-job training?” He was talking to Sam, but he was still looking at me. I knew he was the boss’s son, but I still worried about how Sam would react. There was no way in hell he was going to give me a position over here if I was off frolicking with the boss on day one.
“Sam has already asked me to run the reception desk.” I avoided looking at Beck, and instead, smiled at his father. “I don’t want to leave him stranded.”
His father smirked, and it reminded me so much of his son. I wondered if he had been just like him once upon a time. I wondered if that was where Beck’s pride came from.
Mr. Clermont was handsome for an older man, and I could imagine him in high school. I imagined him to be exactly like his son.
“Josie, my dad owns this place. You probably shouldn’t tell him no.”
My gaze jumped to Beck, and I wanted to kill him. “I didn’t tell him no. I was telling you no.”
I crossed my arms, and his dad chuckled. The sound was warm and kind and made me think maybe he was nothing like his son at all.
“Josie, why don’t you join us? It’d be good for Beck to see someone actually working for once.”
Beck scoffed, and I couldn’t help but smile at that.
I opened my mouth to answer but quickly looked back to Sam. Mr. Clermont may have owned this place, but I had still volunteered to work for Sam, and I wouldn’t leave him stranded.
“Go ahead.” Sam smiled, but it was tight. “I’ll pull one of the other caddies in to cover the desk.”
I could feel my cheeks redden and my stomach tighten with anticipation. I had no idea what Beck was doing.
He was here with his father, and I didn’t want to be anywhere near him.
I didn’t care about what he owned or what kind of power he thought he had.
I didn’t want to give him any kind of power over me.
But I didn’t have a choice.
Sam handed me a key to a golf cart that I had no idea what to do with, and I followed Mr. Clermont and Beck outside into the crisp morning.
“You ever been golfing, Josie?” Mr. Clermont asked as Beck quickly grabbed his bag of golf clubs before he could.
“I haven’t.” I wasn’t sure what to think of him being so chivalrous, even if it was for his dad. It seemed out of character for him.
“Have you ever driven a golf cart?” He climbed into the passenger seat, and my heart rate spiked. Surely, he didn’t actually expect me to drive.
“Never.” I held the key out in his direction. “Maybe you should drive.”
“No.” He shook his head and patted the seat. “It’s time you learned. Especially with you working here.”