I finish my Gatorade and decide to grab a chair and sit by the fire. I walk to the opposite side the girls are on and push my chair far enough back that I won’t be able to hear what they’re saying. My temper is barely hanging on by a thread as it is.
I pull out my phone and scroll through my e-mails, letting myself get completely distracted.
“Why are you over here by yourself?” Looking up, I see Maggie taking a seat on the stump next to my chair.
“It’s better that I do.” I go back to scrolling through my phone.
“Can I ask you a question?”
I lock my phone and slide it back in my pocket. “Shoot.”
“This morning, were you just pissed off that she left, or were you worried about her?”
“Both. At first, I was just upset that she left. I didn’t like waking up without her. Then when she didn’t answer, I was worried. I knew she didn’t have a car.”
Maggie just gives me a soft smile. “Nice day,” she comments.
“Yeah, warm for this time of year.”
“Berklee tells me the club is really coming together. Opening night is, what, a couple of weeks away?”
“Yeah, she’s been great. We start training staff this week.”
“She’s excited about it.”
“Yeah, me too. It’s been a long time coming. Glad to see it all fall into place.”
“Things have a funny way of working out.” Maggie taps my knee, then stands and walks away.
“Time to eat,” Scott yells.
I wait until the crowd dies down to make my way to the grill.
“Smells good,” Berklee says from behind me.
“Which one do you want, beautiful?” I ask her.
“Burger, please.” She grins, her blue eyes sparkling.
I grab a burger with the tongs and place it on the bun on her plate. “Where are you sitting?” she asks.
“Other side of the fire.”
“Want some company?”
“Only if it’s you.”
She chuckles. “Yeah, thought we could eat together. I don’t like us not getting along.”
“You good?” I tilt my head toward her plate.
“Yeah, just need a drink.”
“Water?” I know that’s what she wants.
“Yes, please and thank you.”
I grab two bottles from the cooler and we walk to where I was sitting. “You take the chair. I’ll take the stump.” I could walk to the Jeep and grab another chair, but I’m not leaving her. Not while I have her attention.
“We can—”
“It’s fine, Berklee. Sit, eat.” She does and we’re quiet at first. “You look like you’re having a good time.”
“Yeah, we haven’t done this in forever.”
“I can’t believe that you and I haven’t run into each other before. It’s a small world.”
“Yeah, I spent a lot of time in college working at Coffee House. I really only worked and went to school. I went out occasionally, but I was focused on school.”
“Not much of a partier?”
She laughs softly. “Not really. I mean, I like to go out, but give me comfy clothes and a good movie—or, even better, a book—and I’m good to go. What about you?”
“I was always good for a beer after work on Friday or Saturday nights, but nothing routine. When I decided to build the club, I put everything on the back burner. I focused all of my time on the club and making it happen.”
She drops her napkin on her plate. “I’m stuffed.”
Standing, I grab her trash and mine and throw it in the fire.
“I inherited some money,” I tell her when I take my seat back on the stump. “My dad’s mom. I didn’t even know she was still alive. My dad apparently grew up wealthy. His parents insisted he marry for business and he wanted to marry for love. He met my mother and they gave him an ultimatum—her or them. He chose her.”
Looking over at Berklee, her eyes shimmer with tears. “Wow,” she breathes.
“Yeah, apparently Dad didn’t hesitate, just packed up and moved in with Mom and her parents. It’s been a little over a year ago that I learned all this. I got a certified letter telling me I had an inheritance. That’s when my parents spilled the details.”
“Were you upset with them?”
“No. I mean, I was shocked, but not mad. You’ve met them but to see them, he worships her, and I know he made the right decision.”
“That’s romantic.” She smiles softly.
“So, I guess I said all that to show that I don’t trust people, really. I tried to keep it hush, but somehow the vultures found out about my newfound wealth and I had women coming out of the woodwork, throwing themselves at me. Luckily, I was smart and turned them all down. For the most part, it doesn’t happen, but sometimes there will be one who still tries.”
“That’s awful.”
“Yeah, so I swore off women until I could get the club up and running. I bought my house, tried to buy one for my parents, invested half, and then the rest I’m starting the club with. The only thing left after that is her house. I have it listed with a relator now. I’ve had a few bites, but nothing. I’m eager to sell, you know? I mean, I’m grateful, but that house holds no memories for me. It’s not even where she lived. It was their vacation home from what Dad tells me. It’s the only property she held on to when she moved into the assisted living home.”
“They wouldn’t let you? You offered to buy them a new house and they wouldn’t let you?” she says to clarify.
“Nope. I didn’t want to take the money either, not at first. My parents were the ones who convinced me to. I quit my construction job, and that brings us to now. That brings me to you.”
She stares at the fire. “Me?”
“Yeah, you. From the minute I laid eyes on you, I wanted you, no matter how hard I fought it. When I walked in and learned that Zane had hired you, I knew I was in trouble.” I nudged her knee with mine.
“We can—” She stops when I shake my head.
“No. Not turning back, not changing my mind, not letting you go. I told you this morning that I need more of you. Last night wasn’t enough for me.”
She’s quiet, and if I wasn’t watching her I might have missed her whisper, “Me either.”
“Hey, man, you mind helping me put the fire out? We’re going to start packing up and heading back,” Zane asks.
I nod and Berklee stands. “I’ll see you back at the house?” she asks.
I fight the urge to reach out and grab her. “Yeah, see ya,” I say instead, then watch her head back over to Maggie and the rest of the girls.
Zane and I put the fire out while everyone else packs up the grills, coolers, and the rest of the trash. On the way back, I think about how the day started as shit, but just an hour of sitting and talking with her turned it all around.
MONDAY ROLLED AROUND too quickly. I think it’s partly due to the fact that I’m nervous to see Crew, my boss, my . . . friend with benefits. After we got back to Zane’s on Saturday night, we all went our own way. I waved to him and we left it at that.
“Morning,” I yell, walking up the steps to the club. Zane’s office light is off, but I can see a glow coming from Crew’s.