“I didn’t scare her off. We’ve been dating since undergrad. We’ve lived together for about two years and I proposed. She seemed genuinely happy and said yes, but about a month ago, she decided she needed space.”
“Someone else?” I ask.
“What? No. No, it’s not like that. She said that she feels like we should take some time apart. We’ve been together for so long and through some pivotal years in our lives. She just thinks she needs some time before making a commitment like that.”
“To sleep around, then?”
“You know what, Blake? I’m not going to share shit with you if you just make it all into a joke or turn it into some bitter diatribe about you and Tracey.”
I raise my hands in surrender. “Sorry, was just teasing.” The silence returns between us just as Pearl approaches with our drinks. I don’t bother teasing her anymore. I want to return to the conversation with Trevor.
“Food should be right up, boys,” she says, walking away from our table.
“Well, you’ve always got a number one Trevor fan in Pearl if things don’t work out with your lady.” I toss it out there to test the waters.
“Ha, yeah. P and I are like brother and sister. That would be weird. Besides, I can guarantee you she never saw me in that way. To her, I was just her nerdy best friend that might as well look like a Ken doll down there.”
I smirk to myself. Man, he’s a complete idiot. Even though I’m nine years older than both of them, I saw it from a million miles away when they were growing up. I didn’t realize she still felt that way about him, though.
“I want to work things out with Katherine more than anything. She’s the love of my life and my best friend. I get that she feels like she’s been in this relationship forever, I just…I really hope she sees that I’m the man she wants to marry.” He takes a sip of his coffee and looks out the window for a moment. “I forget how beautiful it is here. How much I miss the mountains.”
“Think you’d ever move back?” I ask as I see Pearl come through the kitchen door with our food.
“You know, it’s always a possibility. Pearl, come here, sit down.” Trevor grabs her wrist and pulls her into the booth next to him. “Blake tells me you’re going to be running some marketing campaigns for the cabins. I think that’s great.”
She glances nervously at me, then back to Trevor. “It’s only part-time for now, but I’m excited. Your mom is amazing for giving me this opportunity.”
“Well, if Blake here is an asshole as a boss, make sure you let me know. I’ll make sure he behaves accordingly. He’s known to be a little rough around the edges.” Trevor puts his arm around Pearl and motions towards me with a big, goofy grin on his face.
“I think I’ll be okay,” she says, removing Trevor’s arm from her neck and scooting out of the bench. “I know it’s my first real job, so honestly, I’m just eager to learn.”
“Well, don’t be surprised if it gets uncomfortable or even painful at times. Everyone’s first time is a little awkward,” I say with a wink.
Trevor chuckles as she rolls her eyes and disappears again. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re the one Pearl has a crush on.”
I choke on the last bite of my eggs and try to wash it down with the orange juice. He’s an idiot. There’s no way in hell Pearl has a crush on a grizzled old man like me. I can’t tell him exactly how I know that’s true, but I’m sure he’ll find out from her soon enough.
Five
Pearl
I take a deep breath and inhale the scent of the aspens. The sun is shining through in beautiful golden ribbons. One of the things I love most about Colorado is our three hundred plus days of sun each year. I look overhead to see a few falcons swarming and enjoy the soft breeze as it hits my face. I don’t know why anyone would ever want to leave here. It’s peaceful and serene.
“Is this a millennial thing?” I’m startled out of my trance by the sound of Blake’s deep voice.
“You know you’re a millennial too, right?”
He shakes his head and grunts.
“I was just taking in the surroundings. You know, I think us natives often take Colorado for granted. It’s so beautiful here.” I don’t know if he’s listening, but I follow behind him as he makes his way to the tool shed.
“Can I help you with something?”
He doesn’t look at me.
“Can we...can we pretend that the other night didn’t happen? I realize you are loving the jokes, but can we keep it professional?”
“Wasn’t sure if you picked up on those at breakfast yesterday.”
I can see he’s smiling to himself. “Uh, yeah. I’m not stupid and you laid it on pretty damn thick, Blake.” I turn to walk toward the office when I remember what I really wanted to ask him. “Hey, you didn’t te—”
“I didn’t say a word. That’s between you and him.”
I nod and make my way to go meet up with Adele. I spend the next few hours talking over my plans with her. I spent some time over the weekend mocking up a website, a Facebook page, and an Instagram and Twitter account.
“You think all of that is necessary?” she asks, looking overwhelmed.
“Absolutely, but don’t worry. I’ll manage all of it. This is my generation’s ‘thing,’” I say with a wink. “Trust me, it’s free advertising. I can promise you with the renovations that Blake is doing and with all of this marketing and rebranding I’m doing, we are going to see a complete turnaround in business.” I can’t hide the excitement in my voice. Not only am I finally excited and motivated by my job, but I want so badly to save her business.
“I think that we can do a grand re-opening around the Fourth of July. We already have the parade and the barn dance, and they always brings in a lot of tourists. I glance at my phone. “It’s only April 3, so we have some time to get traction and start booking up these cabins. The renos will be complete by then, so I think it’s a great plan.”
She reaches out and squeezes my hand. “You are just what we needed my dear. You know...I always hoped that you and Trevor would end up together.” She smiles and the wrinkles around her eyes deepen.
I laugh nervously, unsure of what to say. “Well, he’s an amazing man, so any woman would be lucky to have him.”
“Well, you know his fiancée left him? I hate to see my boy heartbroken, but it could be a good time to remind him how important you once were in his life,” she says, nodding her head. “Still hard to believe that Blake went through this same thing just shy of a year ago.”
“He what?” That got my attention.
“Yes, his fiancée left him. Tracey. I never really cared for her. She always wanted...or expected, rather, for Blake to do everything for her like she was a princess. Anyway, she left town one day with a note, and he hasn’t heard from her since. Poor boy, I know it broke his heart.”
“Guess that explains his personality.” I snort to myself just as I hear someone behind me clear their throat. I slowly hang my head and turn around to see Blake leaning against the doorjamb with a look on his face that says I’m in trouble.