Page 78 of Tell It To The Waves

The table displays the finest plates and drinkware, and a few other guests are joining us.

I’ve only seen Todd in passing, and when I do, I smile at him, wanting to unnerve him, but keep him uninterested.

Dinner goes off without a hitch; the wedding gets brought up a few times, and I play along.

Once the table becomes only occupied with Todd and me, whiskey poured and cigars lit, I know soon I’ll burst his bubble. I move closer to him, and his eyes widen.

Picking up my whiskey glass, I say, “Cheers to everyone getting everything they want.” I clink his glass, even though he doesn’t move it to mine. I smile behind the rim of my glass.

His eyes scan my face, trying to see what I’m hiding.

“You know, Todd, life is crazy, isn’t it?” I take a puff of my cigar, the smoke bellowing out of my mouth, just watching him. “It’ll give you what you need when you need it. There is no begging it or pleading; it’ll happen when it’s supposed to.” The words roll off my tobacco coated tongue.

Todd looks at me, perplexed, before rolling the ashes of his cigar off.

Leaning my elbows on the table, cigar propped between my fingers, knowing it’s now or never, time to shoot the gun. “I met the coolest guy the other day…” Pausing, I tap my chin with the butt of my cigar. “Calvin. And his backstory is crazy.” Saying Calvin’s name, Todd's eyes bug out of their sockets. And I narrow my eyes, knowing all the cards are in my hand as I watch him squirm in his leather chair.

“And wouldn’t you know it, he says he’s your son?” I whisper to him before taking a sip of my whiskey. "Pirate’s Hideaway was a hush gift for him. Isn’t that crazy?”

Todd turns white, all blood draining from his face. His cigar ashes grow longer by the second, pushing his chair back. Ashes falling to the expensive wood, he stands up. I follow him with my eyes. “Sit down. We have some things to talk about.” I growl out to him, showing him I’m not going to be jerked around by them any longer.

I can see his mind contemplating whether to listen to the townie he pulled one over on or sit. He falls back into his chair and just looks at me. “And what is that, Bo?” If looks could kill, I’d be dead.

I raise my eyebrow. “How would it affect you and all of your endeavors, and let me not forget your marriage, if everyone happened to find out about the illegitimate son you had with your housekeeper from an affair?”

His lips spread, not from a smile, more of a sneer. “You don’t have the balls.” He leans back in his chair, spreading his legs.

“See, Todd, where you’re wrong is I have bigger balls than you. I’ll implode your whole fucking life when it comes to my family. You saw my parents at their weakest and struck like a predator, thinking I’d be stupid enough to not catch on. Then for you to use Molly and this sham of marriage over my head, you’d have to try harder. I have nothing to hide from anyone. My nose is clean, unlike yours and your wife and daughter. I know about you going to the businesses in Driftwood Bay trying to strong-arm them. I know about everything. From the very beginning…” I pause, “starting with August Cove.”

Taking a huge puff of his cigar, his cheeks suck in and out, hollowed with each pull, before blowing the smoke out. “You’re going to run me out of Driftwood Bay?” His voice hitches with amusement.

“I’m not going to run you anywhere. As I said, I care about my family and making it right.”

Dropping the cigar into the ashtray, folding his hands together, he says, “I’m not letting a stupid townie run anything.”

I smile. “Well, this stupid townie knows for a fact that the only stipulation on your prenup is cheating. If found cheating, Kate gets over half of the estate, essentially wiping you out…because you needed to get laid by someone other than your wife.” I laugh. “All it takes is me going to Calvin and a quick cheek swab and, bam, less than four weeks, your wife knows it all.” I act as if I’ve already spoken with Calvin; I need him to think I got everything in motion, and with one pull, it all blows up for him.

Todd just stares at me. I see his mind spinning, trying to come up with a plan, but he knows everything is in my court. People like Todd; their money is everything. Try to mess with it, and that is when hell breaks loose. Screw the family, the wife. It’s the money for them.

“What do you want, Bo?” He spits the name that Molly started calling me.

“I want the contract canceled, burned, and the deed in my hands.” I lift my shoulder. “It’s easy, leave mine alone, and I’ll leave yours.”

Todd steeples his fingers, just watching me. “I should have never listened to Molly.”

I don’t show him those words got me, but I think he can see it; I’m met with his smile. “Like father, like daughter. Molly has been playing the long game, Bo. And you were it. She’s the one who put everything into motion. When you scorn a woman, just know no matter how long it takes, they don’t forget or stop until they see fit.”

My mind flashes back to Molly on the beach, me using her to hurt August, and then Molly’s face when I pulled away from her that same night, telling her she was a means to an end. We were young; I was stupid and hurt, so I hurt her, and she waited on bated breath to get back at me in a way I never saw coming.

But his words should also scare himself. Because he has millions on the verge of burning if I tell his wife everything I know.

My lips turn downward, my head nodding. “Well, look at her, then. But I guess everything got blown to pieces when August came back to town.” I smile widely at him. But know, Calvin coming to town will blow yours up.” Pushing my chair back from the table, I stand up. “I expect the deed in my hand by the end of the week. And if not, your secret will be released to your wife.” I pull my phone from my suit pocket and hit stop. His face turns a shade of red I have never seen before when he sees I’ve been recording our conversation this whole time. “She’s not the only one who plays the long game.”

Not saying another word, I go to the bedroom to change out of this too-tight suit and throw on my regular clothes, backpack in hand. My only thought is getting to August.

Slamming the condo door behind me, I wait impatiently for the elevator, hearing the front door open. “Bo? Where are you going?” Her voice is accusatory.

Spinning around, I greet her with a huge smile. “Back to my town, where I belong.”