Page 100 of You, As You Are

Her body stilled.

Eight months alone,he remembered as her breath stuttered and ever so gently graced his cheek.

“There,” he said, his fingers staying curled around her wrist for another second, feeling the softness of her skin under his rugged hand and imagining how soft every other inch of her must be.

“Oh … thank you.” Maisie cleared her throat, and Iain, regretfully, let his hand fall away.

He was falling. He didn’t know if it was his head or his heart that went first, but both had landed at Maisie’s feet.

The guide finished up her talk and Maisie asked, “How has work been recently? I don’t think I’ve asked you.” Iain didn’t understand why she was quite so concerned with his job, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

He didn’t have much of a good answer to give. “Slow. Two weeks until I’ll be fired.”

Maisie lowered her arms, bringing the tablet to her belly. Wool fibres made a scratchy sound as her head turned. “You don’t know that for certain.”

“It’ll happen.”

“Have you thought of any ideas of what to do next if it does?”

“Not really,” is what Iain said, when he meant to say was ‘none at all’.

He looked on the popular job listing websites multiple times a day, but when every job available out there wanted three qualifications and a lifetime of experience just to pay pittance, his options were limited. Nothing local interested him and he couldn’t afford to move to somewhere new, so he was still stuck, feeling like water slowly filled up the well he stood at the bottom of. When it inevitably reached his head, he didn’t know what he would do.

He didn’t have options.

He didn’t have a plan.

He didn’t have any ideas for how to build a ladder for himself, and there was no one there to throw him a rope, either.Except …

“Though therewassomething …”

“Ooo,”Maisie whispered excitedly, “asomething.” She shifted so she leaned up on her elbow, looking down at him. His side-eye said to not get too carried away with her enthusiasm.

Iain thought back on the notification he’d received at work a couple of weeks ago that he’d all but forgotten about. Looking up to the stars was the only way that he could confidently say into the night, “Ronnie gave my name to a couple wanting a local guide for when they come to do landscape photography.”

“Really? Have they messaged you?”

“Yes.”

“And?” Maisie was still too optimistic.

“… I didn’t respond.”

The back of a hand flew to swat against his body. “What? Why? Iain, the opportunity is right there. You should do it.” Her outburst earned a few looks from the others trying to enjoy their night.

Iain barely passed Maisie a glance before he rolled his head away. To not look at her at all settled less of a guilty feeling in his stomach than if he did. “I don’t know …”

“Just message them,” Maisie lowered her voice that time. “You don’t have to agree to help them, just see what they want or how much they’ll pay. Come on, I’ll help you.”

“Maisie, I—Whatare you doing?”

“Finding your phone.” Her hands poked and fiddled with the flaps and zips of his coat.

“It’s not inthere.”

“Well where is it? Hand it over. I’ll help.”

Iain shifted his hips and dug his phone out of the front pocket of his outdoor trousers. Even in darkness, Maisie’s cheeks warmed in colour as she sat upright.

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