“Have you heard anything about that job?” Jade asks as I sip my latte. We have a standing date every other Sunday. We grab lattes and Noodle, Jade’s mini Aussie, and head out for a sunrise hike in the Rocky Mountains.
“Nothing since the initial email response about setting up a phone interview. The lady who messaged me said she was going to be out of the office, but she’ll be back on Monday so she’ll reach out then. Am I crazy? I mean, this is home.”
“Pearl, I think you’d be crazy to not get try something new. Yes, this is home and it’s always going to be here. So, if this job in Chicago doesn’t work out, or you get there and hate it, then home will still be here. I just don’t want to see you sell yourself short by not even trying.”
Blake’s face keeps swirling in my head. What even am I to him? Why do I keep thinking about him and feeling guilty when I imagine a life for myself in Chicago?
“I slept with Blake.”
“WHAT?” Jade spins so fast, she loses her balance and flings her latte off the side of the mountain.
“Shit!” I yell, reaching out to catch her hand and steady her.
“You cannot tell me news like that when I could fall to my death!” She shouts, motioning to the ledge a good twenty feet away. We both burst out in laughter as Noodle bounds up to us, curious about the excitement.
“Okay, let's take a seat over here. I need a minute to process this,” she says, pouring some water in a portable bowl for Noodle. “Tell. Me. Everything.”
I explain to her without any explicit details about how it all went down. “But I haven’t heard from him since.”
“Wait, hold up. He took your virginity and just bailed?”
I can see the fire start to burn in her eyes.
“No, we didn’t have any expectations or anything. He thinks I’m still in love with Trevor, and I’m pretty sure he’s still in love with Tracey. I saw him yesterday at the cabins in passing, but I’ve noticed he hasn’t been to The Place at all this week, and that’s not like him. I think he’s avoiding me.”
“Here’s my two cents. First, you’re both adults, so just say how you feel so there’s no miscommunication, and second, if you both feel the same way, then go for it. If you both just want it to be casual, then don’t feel like it needs to be more than that. He’s your first, Pearl. Enjoy it until you don’t or whatever.”
I bump her shoulder and nod my head. “You know, you’re always right.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s what happens when you get your heart ripped out at seventeen. You become a bitter old woman.” We both laugh. I fear the day Memphis Styles ever has the nerve to show his face in this town again, because Jade will rip it off the moment she sees him.
Several hours later, I pull my bug into the parking lot of The Place, where I spot Blake’s truck. It’s Sunday night, so there’s a decent-sized dinner crowd, but he’s one of only two people sitting at the bar. His back is toward the door, and he’s watching whatever sporting event is on the TV.
“Who’s winning?” I say, sitting down on the barstool next to him. He turns to look at me and I smile, stretching out my hand toward him. “Pearl. Pearl Davenport. You must be new in town.”
A small grin spreads across his face. “I told you I had some errands to run.”
“Errands? I didn’t realize errands took four days.”
He lifts the tall beer glass to his lips and finishes it in two large gulps. “Had to run up to Bozeman for some lumber and to meet with an architect for a job I have up there.”
“So your business is back up and running then?” A small lump forms in my throat as I motion for Will to grab me a beer.
“Yup. That was the deal I made with Ma. I told her after the cabin renos were done, I’d be back on the road with the biz. I’ll check in on her and make sure things stay kept up, but she can hire a handyman with all the extra revenue she’s generated lately.”
I had forgotten how much he traveled with his business. That’s a big reason why I never really interacted with him much over the years, even though he technically still lived here. I remember his mom telling me how much she worried about him and missed him when he was gone. She’d go weeks without hearing from him.
“Yeah, you did a great job with those cabins. They look fantastic, and I can’t believe how booked up they are.” We both nod, and he turns his attention back to the TV for a brief moment.
“Got any big projects coming up?” I try to sound nonchalant, but I can hear the tension in my own voice.
“Go ahead and ask what you want to ask me, Pearl.” He doesn’t take his attention away from the TV.
“What is this?” The words tumble out of my mouth.
“What do you want it to be? You know the line of work I’m in, that I travel and I’m away a lot. I’ve got a project in Alaska that will be at least two to three months, and the Bozeman job could be just as long.”
I want to tell him that I’m falling for him, that what I feel is real and all-encompassing, that I want more with him, but I’m too afraid. I’m afraid he thinks he’s just a replacement for Trevor, a rebound. I’m afraid I’ll end up brokenhearted and alone. I’m too afraid I’ll end up like Tracey.
“Actually, can we talk about this outside?” I glance around the restaurant. “There’s a few too many eyes and ears in here. I’ll meet you out there,” I say as I toss a few bills on the bar and head toward the door.
I lean up against his truck since my car is right under a lamppost. I don’t want the local town gossip seeing us together and getting the wrong idea. I mean, they’d be correct about us, but I don’t need everyone meddling.
The restaurant door opens, and I see him step out and glance around before spotting me waving by his truck. I watch him walk toward me, and the lust I have for him takes over. If I can’t have a relationship with him, maybe I can just enjoy him and get him out of my system like Jade said.
Before he can say anything, I push off the truck and grab a fist full of his flannel shirt in my hands, pulling him toward me until his mouth is on mine. He stumbles before catching himself against me.
He reaches around and grabs my ass, pulling me tighter against him as his other hand grips my hair. He’s rough, but it’s exciting. He knows I’m inexperienced, and he’s gentle when necessary, but he doesn’t let it stop him from taking what he wants.
He breaks the kiss and steps back, running his hands through his messy hair. “Pearl, unless you want the rest of Grand Lake to see you bent over the hood of my truck, we need to stop.”
I pick up the keys he dropped when I kissed him a moment ago and unlock his truck. I open the driver’s side door and climb in, scooting over the passenger side. Without a word, he gets in and we drive to his cabin in silence.
He slides the gear into park and shuts the truck off once we arrive, but instead of getting out, he pulls me onto his lap. It’s completely dark and secluded where he parks, but I still glance around as he undoes the buttons on my shirt. He presses his soft lips to my exposed neck and trails kisses and licks down my chest. My shirt hangs open, leaving me exposed in my bra.