“Let’s get out,” he says.
I obey, walking to the front of his car. This view is absolutely breathtaking. Nate sets the blanket and food on the hood, then comes to me. We stand together, his arms around me, chin atop my shoulder, and his sweet breath dancing on my skin.
“It’s high tide,” he says.
“It’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I do. Do you come here often?”
“I actually haven’t been here before. It’s turtle egg laying season, I read about it online. Apparently there are a ton of turtles that were born on this exact beach and come back every year to lay their eggs. I’m surprised there aren’t more people here.”
“Me too, but I like that it’s just us.”
He kisses my neck then lets go of me. We get everything all spread out on the hood of his car and take a seat. I keep my eyes on the beach looking for any turtles. Nate’s phone rings, I glance at him as he pulls it out of his pocket. Right away he ignores the phone call and then smiles at me.
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.”
“Are you ready to talk about this whole work situation again?”
“Not really,” I respond completely honest. I don’t want to talk about it tonight. Anything that has to do with Alex gives me anxiety.
“I’ve been thinking about something; just hear me out, okay?”
I nod my head, not sure of what he’s going to say, but I trust him.
“Well, you know I want to open a second Mechanical location and I think I found a place.”
I glare at him – how did he find a spot without me?
“Don’t worry, I’m not working with another realtor, I just happened to drive by it. I stopped and looked in the windows. It’s an industrial building off of route seven with a strip mall attached.”
“I’ve heard of it, Nate. That property has been on the market for almost a year.”
“I talked to one of the tenants and that’s why I think I could get it, and at a good price. Then you could have an office in the strip mall and work on your own, and we’ll either rent or sell the other spaces.”
I’m a little shocked by his offer. Plus, hearing him say “we’ll” regarding something so huge just…throws me off. “Wow, Nate, thank you. It all sounds great and is really generous, but I’m just not sure that I’m ready to venture out on my own though.” And committing to something with him this big is a huge step that I’m not sure I’m ready to make.
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
“Talk to me, El. You can tell me anything.”
“I don’t want to move in too soon and then start to spend too much time together.”
He rolls his eyes at me. “Come on, that’s the last thing you should be thinking. We’ll be doing our own things while we are at work.”
“I also don’t want to do this and end up being a flop having to walk back in there with my tail between my legs.”
“It’s scary, I get that. Trust me, I knew nothing about running a gym when we started Mechanical, but I learned, and I’ll help you get things started too. Please don’t worry about us though, this is gonna be good for us,” he says, handing me a fresh beer.
“How am I gonna get clients to even come into the door of my office?”
“Well, I’m sure you already have word of mouth on your side from everyone that you’ve helped. Plus, there are so many other ways that we can market you.”
My stomach is in knots. I don’t want to hurt Nate’s feelings, but I don’t know if I’m ready to do this. What Alex did to me was terrible and I never want to endure anything remotely similar to that again. But can I trust Nate? One side of me says I can, but something else is telling me to keep my guard up.
On the other hand, I have always dreamed of having my own agency, and with Nate’s help, I think we can make it happen. I realize, it’s a risk after all. But what’s life if I don’t take risks? Yes, everything that we are and know is so new. But something inside is telling me to follow my heart and to just do it. Nate is not Alex and I have to trust that he won’t hurt me the way that Alex did.
“You promise you’ll help me every step of the way?” I ask with a shaky voice. I have no reason to not trust Nate so I’m going with my gut. I can’t believe that I’m about to agree to this.
“I promise,” he says, wrapping a tight arm around me.
I trust in his word more than I have anyone’s in my entire life. It’s a scary thing to do, but for once, I do. Looking into his eyes, they tell me that he wouldn’t let me down. There’s something comforting about Nate, something so reassuring. I think it’s his past, that we both have known the deep pain of heartbreak, of being thrown over for another by the one we’ve loved, that makes me trust him. And for once in a relationship, it seems that he’s been so open and honest with me, sharing such deep secrets and experiences. So I’m following my heart with this one and from now on, I’m putting my trust in him and moving forward.