Chapter 17 - Asher
Iwas anxious about going back to work for several reasons, not the least of which because I was also alone in the house to get ready for the day.
I got myself dressed and out of the house with enough time to spare that I was able to swing by the coffee shop on the way to the job site.
I spent more time than was strictly necessary thinking about my conversation with Micah from the other night, where we’d sort-of agreed that we’d keep our…
situation quiet and on a time limit. I hated both of those ideas, but I knew it was for the best.
When I arrived at work, I parked and made my way into the foreman’s trailer where I found Jake. He was focused on what looked like a set of plans on his desk, but he looked up as I entered.
“Asher,” he said brightly. “Glad to have you back. How are you feeling?”
I nodded and shoved my hands into my pockets, feeling a little self-conscious. “I'm good. Mostly back to normal. Still a little embarrassed.” What kind of carpenter can't use a ladder? The unwelcome thought raced through my mind.
He waved away my words. “Don't be. We've all gotten hurt on the job site a time or two.”
“Thanks,” I said sincerely. I stood there quietly for a moment before speaking again. “So… what's the status of this place? Any updates I need to know about?”
“Of course. Come on over here and let me show you what we're up to.”
I pulled a chair up to Jake's desk and sat as he explained what was happening. So much work had been accomplished in the past two weeks, especially compared to a more typical job—one without a camera crew breathing down the necks of the construction team. I was impressed and said as much.
Jake shook his head. “Don't be. It works because we have dozens of people here pushing hard to get to the next step. On a normal job site, we don't have a producer breathing down our necks constantly telling us how we're running out of time.” He smirked. “It's a good thing I love him.”
I chuckled and nodded. “I'm sure he appreciates it.”
As we continued to discuss what the next steps were, there was a knock at the door, just two quick taps. The door opened and Max walked in. We hadn't met, but I'd seen him around town with Jake often enough to know who he was.
“Speaking of,” Jake said, turning to Max. “Were your ears burning?”
Max chuckled and shook his head. “Must have been.” He gave me a warm smile. “Asher, right? Jake has told me a lot about how good your work is.”
My face heated and I shifted from one foot to the other. “It's not that special.”
“Don't be modest. If that was true, we'd be working with a different carpenter.”
And if that was the case, I wouldn't have hurt myself in the first place. A beat later, I realized what that would’ve meant.
No injury, no need for Micah to stay with me for the past two weeks.
Things would have turned out very differently if I hadn't fallen off that ladder.
My chest squeezed in sadness at the thought.
In a way, I was glad I'd fallen. I was glad I had…
reconnected with Micah, at least. “I appreciate the chance to show off my skills then.”
“Of course,” Max said.
“I hope Tyler has been living up to my reputation.”
Max nodded. “He’s been a hard worker.” A moment later, he turned his focus to Jake. “Not to interrupt, but we need to get the day started. We’re wasting perfectly good daylight. Brooks is champing at the bit to get filming started.”
“I’ll show you wasted daylight,” Jake muttered, but he stood and clapped his hands together before turning to me. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
I followed Jake and Max out of the trailer and into the post office to where Brooks, the director, was waiting.
Tyler was there, hand leaning on a sawhorse, listening and nodding as someone talked to him, their back to me.
I recognized the lines of the person’s back immediately, the haircut, the voice.
Micah. My stomach leaped into my throat and my heart began to race.
Be cool. Don’t make a big deal out of this.
Tyler spotted me and smiled. “Hey boss. You’re back.”
Micah turned then and our gazes met, his face flushing with color as he rubbed the back of his neck and gave me an uncertain smile. “Hi there.”
I nodded. Act casual, I told myself. Just be normal. “Hey.” Heat crept up my neck, warming my cheeks and ears. Be normal. I hesitated for a beat before clapping my hands and rubbing them together. “Well, let’s get to it.”
Tyler showed me the status of the projects he’d been working on—that Goddamn trim had been installed, to my relief—before turning to me. “I was thinking we’d start today with cutting and prepping for the built-in shelving units. Is that okay?”
I smiled and nodded. “I’m sure it’s fine. You’ve been running this job on your own. I trust your judgment. Show me where I can help.”
Before I knew it, we were in the yard, Tyler cutting while I worked on adding in the cut-in detailing.
As the day progressed, the heat intensified, and eventually, I was sweating and covered in sawdust. It was weirdly comforting, being back at work and knowing I was making progress on an important project.
Still, I couldn’t help but steal glances in Micah’s direction every chance I got, admiring his steady presence on set and how efficiently he worked.
Every now and then, I caught him looking at me, and we both averted our gazes the moment they met, my face heating every single time. Be cool. It was becoming my mantra.
Lunchtime rolled around and I found my way to the foreman’s trailer again, where Jake and Max were chatting and eating.
The cool air of the trailer was a welcome reprieve from the Virginia heat and humidity, and I closed the door behind me quickly so as not to let too much air out.
Jake was smiling and chuckling quietly as Max talked, moving his hands and sounding excited about something, but I couldn’t quite catch what.
Seeing them together, comfortable and casual and happy, just being themselves, being together, made my stomach ache for a reason I couldn’t quite identify.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I said. “Mind if I eat in here?”
Max grinned widely. “Be our guest.”
“I won’t crash the party,” I said. “I can just sit over there.” I gestured to the other end of the room, where a second desk and a couple of chairs sat.
Why was I being so awkward? Why did I feel so out of place on the job site, especially around these two?
It gnawed at me as I passed them and made my way to the far desk.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Max protested. “Join us.” When I hesitated, he persisted. “Seriously. You don’t need to eat alone. We’re not having a private conversation or anything.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, a little embarrassed that I was crashing their private lunchtime. I took a seat in the spare chair in front of Jake’s desk and placed my lunch—in a reusable bag, I’d packed a couple of deli meat sandwiches and a bottle of water—in front of me.
“No sweat,” Max said. “I was just telling Jake how glad we are to have you back. Tyler’s great, don’t get me wrong, but it’ll be good to have both carpenters on set.
Less pressure on him. Besides, he’s terrible at hitting his mark.
Micah is constantly complaining that he has to rearrange things to accommodate.
” At the mention of Micah, my stomach fluttered and my cheeks heated again.
Wordlessly, Max tilted his head to the side a little, giving me a look I couldn’t interpret.
“Yeah,” I murmured, rubbing the back of my neck, desperate to change the subject away from Micah before I said anything stupid. “So…”
As I was trying to figure out what to say next, someone knocked at the trailer door.
“Come in,” Jake called, and a moment later, the door swung open, hot summer air rushing in. Tyler stood on the top step, looking uncomfortable, with a tall, muscular guy standing behind him, someone I’d never seen before. The guy had a thick manila envelope in one hand.
“Um…” Tyler shifted from one foot to the other as he spoke. “We have a visitor.” He gestured to the person behind him and the guy stepped inside the trailer. Tyler shut the door behind him, noises from outside dampened. It was weirdly quiet for a moment, Jake sizing up the visitor.
After a moment, Jake frowned and stood, brushing his hands off on his jeans before stepping out from behind the desk. “I’m Jake. Can I help you?”
“I hope so. I’m looking for Micah Pollard.”
My stomach fluttered at the mention of Micah, but I stayed silent, anxiety creeping in and settling over my shoulders like a weighted blanket.
Jake’s brow furrowed. “What can I do for you?”
The guy gave Jake a hard look, and when he spoke, it was insistent. “Is Micah here?”
Jake’s tone was firm, final, leaving no room for discussion. “I’m the foreman of this job site, and this is Max, the producer. Whatever you need, we can help you with it. We don’t allow visitors on site. Safety reasons. I’m sure you understand.”
“I’m just looking to talk to Micah.”
God, I thought. This guy is persistent. Who is he and what does he want with Micah?
“Sorry.” Jake shook his head.
A tense moment passed. The air conditioner shuddered off, leaving the room eerily silent. Eventually, the stranger exhaled sharply through his nose. “I’m Phillip. Will you at least let him know I stopped by?”
The door to the trailer opened then, Micah on the other side. He spoke as he stepped inside, sounding like he was on autopilot. “Hey, boss, I—Phillip? What the fuck are you doing here?”