Page 6 of Waiting For Ever
As the lakeside of Brew comes into view, I see him sitting on the patio, gripping a steaming mug in one hand, not using the handle. His feet are propped up on the chair in front of the one he’s seated on—much like I was the other day. My steps falter and I stop to take in the picture of him. I’m still a good twenty-five yards away, but my presence must disturb his peace and quiet because he doesn’t turn but says, “Morning, Ever.” Almost as if he were talking to himself, except he says my name.
“Hey, Julie. Beautiful morning. This place . . .” My words crash into the tranquility. I trail off and take another deep breath.
I see his crooked half smile, even in profile—at my use of the nickname. He stands, tosses the last of the liquid from his cup over the railing, and reaches his arms to the sky while still holding the mug inone hand. I hold my breath and watch. His legs are spread slightly as he tilts from one side to the other. His muscles, clearly defined through the thin fabric of his shirt, ripple across his back with the small movements. I swallow, my mouth suddenly desert dry. Rolling his neck, he turns to face me fully as I continue up the stairs to the patio. His eyes land on mine and I see the shutters come down.
All business, Julian smiles at me politely, nodding. “You ready for the day? Gonna be a long one.”
“Yep. Got any more coffee?”
That lazy half smile beams again. “Yeah, I just made it.” I follow him inside.
***
Learning the routine of the café and marina wasn’t as overwhelming as I thought. Julian is a good teacher, patient and straightforward. He also has a knack for short-routing things to get them done in the quickest, most efficient manner possible. I respect this. It appeals to my super-secret deep-seated impatience and gives me another reason to admire this guy and look forward to the time we spend together, even if it’s just for work and strictly professional. And I think he feels the same way. Throughout the day, he would give me a hard time, playfully. And he still “messes up” my name, calling me Ever. No one has ever called me that before. I was always Ev, Evvie or Everly. And secretly, I love it. But I pretend I don’t. In retaliation, I call him Julie, arguably a girl’s name, when he is anything but girly.
The highlight of the day is when he tells me we should meet here every day for the next two weeks to make sure we’re prepared forthe early spring break campers. Spring break typically falls sometime in April. Blue Brew boasts five cabins and ten tent sites that stay booked solid through spring and summer. The first campers are arriving mid-April.
Blue Lake is a small lake that doesn’t allow motorized watercraft. Paddleboards, paddle boats, kayaks and canoes were allowed, and the marina even offered a few that campers could check out for day use on a first-come, first-served basis. It’ll be our job to make sure the cabins and tent sites are rent-ready and the water equipment is inspected and safe to use. It sounds like a lot of work for two people, but I’m not about to complain and let Julian—or Allie—think I can’t handle it. I’ve handled a lot worse. And I sense Julian knows I have too. He gave protective vibes throughout the day. Especially when he reveals the first campers of the season are from Oak Valley, reserved under Young, and they’d be here in just two weeks. I feel the color drain from my face, and I sway.
He must see it too. He grabs my arms and pulls me to him, staring down at me. “Whoa, Ever, easy. You okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I just got dizzy for a second. Probably just need to drink more water.” I know that’s a sure way to distract him. He and Allie are always harping on about hydration and water intake.
Mission accomplished. He sits me down on the nearest chair and disappears into the kitchen for a glass of water. I hate that I played that weakling card, but I need a minute to get a grip. Young is a common name. It can’t be Chase and the crew. Although they have been known to camp up here occasionally on school breaks, there are plenty of other campsites besides Allie’s. If it is Chase, he isn’t coming here for me. It’s a coincidence. A shitty, unfortunate one. Maybe I could justhide out at Fit and take those shifts while Lilly, Noah and Julian take care of the campers. Besides, it probably isn’t even him. If it is his crew, that would likely include Ryan and possibly Via if the girlfriends are joining. And Via would’ve mentioned it to me or Allie or both. Right?
As if on cue, Allie walks in at that moment. She always looks like she’s just stepped out of a spa session, quite literally flawless. “Hey, Evvie, how’s it going in here?”
“Great. Just taking a quick water break.” She opens her mouth to no doubt question where the water part of that break is when Julian walks out of the kitchen with two glasses. She pauses, then says, “Oh good, you’re both here. I’ve got some . . . uh . . . unexpected news.” She hesitates with a nervous smile, uncharacteristic, which gets my full attention, my heart jumping in my chest. “I got accepted to this certification/retreat program. It was full when I applied but they had a cancellation in the session coming up. Bad part is the timing. I’d leave this week and be gone for three weeks.
“Noah and Lilly said they could pitch in and take extra shifts during spring break. And Letty already agreed to man the office part of Fit. I know clients will miss not having my classes and training sessions, but I’ve only taken time off three times in ten years. And only for some training or certification to improve the club. This training would be another great addition. I’d also be networking with some of the top trainers from all over California.” When she realizes she’s rambling, she trails off and just stands there like she’s asking our permission.
I selfishly think,There goes my plan to hide out at Fit.
Julian is the first to speak. “Of course. Of course, Allie. Whatever you need. I know the ins and outs of both places. You know that. Do it. Don’t worry about a thing. We can handle it. And we’ve got Peteto man the grill. Shelley to wait tables. If it gets too crazy, we’ll hit up Lilly’s and Noah’s younger sisters to buss and wash dishes. Right, Ever? Uh, Everly?”
What did I stumble into? Both Allie and Julian appear to be chomping at the bit to make everythingokay for the other. I look back and forth between them like I’m watching a tennis match, then chime in. “Yeah, totally. I just learned the ropes. It all seems straightforward enough. And it’s early in the season. Seems like it’ll be slow for a bit, which gives me time to get into the groove before campers.”
Allie stays silent for a moment, watching us, considering. “We could do holiday hours at Fit, activate the key app entry and give limited access—equipment area only. Or . . . we could close it for the weeks I’m gone.”
“No,” we both say at once.
“Allie, we can do this. And more importantly, you should do this,” I say with growing confidence. “You said it could really help the club. And that you never take time away like this.”
“There’s one more thing,” Allie looks back and forth like she’s at the tennis match now. “I worry about leaving you alone when you just got here, Evvie. This isn’t Oak Valley. There is some crazy country shit that happens up here. Not dangerous exactly but stuff you might not be equipped to deal with. I mean, if Julian could maybe . . . check in on you . . .” She trails off and stares at the far wall contemplatively. “This is probably . . . I just need to wait for the next one.” She looks like she’s holding her breath.
I look from Allie to Julian, who’s looking down at his hands still holding the two glasses of water. He looks up as he hands me a glassand says in a subdued tone, “Of course, Allie, whatever you need. I’ve . . . we’ve got this.”
I take the glass from him and meet his eyes; he clinks his glass to mine and downs his water in one gulp. I raise my glass to my lips as I watch his throat move with the effort. My throat desert dry again, I down mine. I don’t look at Allie. Every nerve ending is tingling at the idea of Julian “checking in on me” for three weeks, and I’m afraid it shows. Part of me wants to be insulted. The other part of me has sweat gathering in my pits imagining what “crazy country shit” entails. Maybe I’m sweating about Julian. Maybe heisthe crazy country shit.
Allie looks relieved. “Ev, Julian is probably the person I trust most in this town. He knows the ins and outs of both businesses. He knows this area and all the CCS.”
“CCS?”
“Crazy Country Shit,” they say in unison.
“Snakes, raccoons, weather, fire, whatever,” Julian clarifies. “Don’t worry. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.”
“Right. Well, thanks, I guess, for handling the . . . CCS portion of the program.” I put up my finger quotes as I say it, hopefully conveying calm assuredness to them that I don’t totally feel.
