Chapter 24 - Micah
Ishowed up to work early the next day, one of the first on site.
I wanted to take the time to ensure that everything was set up appropriately for Asher.
Touched that he’d shared so freely with me, I felt a deep sense of responsibility to make sure his time on the roof was not just safe, but reassuringly safe.
I wanted to make sure he felt confident and calm up there, not just ‘good enough,’ but genuinely secure.
I hung out in my car, listening to the radio while I waited, hoping I didn’t look too out of place.
While I sat there, I replayed the conversation from the previous night in my mind.
I’d initially texted him to see if he was interested in hanging out—or hanging out—but when he’d told me he was having a hard time, I’d sprung into problem-solving mode without giving it a second thought.
I had also been careful not to just gloss over the situation or tell him he didn’t need to be scared—that probably wouldn’t have helped at all.
As the two crews started to trickle on site, I kept an eye out for Max.
The minute he and Jake pulled into the parking lot, I got out of my car, meeting them at their truck.
Probably looking like a weirdo, I lingered near the passenger side until Jake killed the engine.
Max frowned when he saw me, tilting his head to one side before saying something to Jake that I didn’t catch.
Once he’d gotten out of the truck, Jake smiled and nodded, giving me a little wave.
He’d definitely softened in the time he’d been with Max, and he was practically warm and friendly now, rather than the stoic sort-of-asshole he’d been before.
Max climbed out of the truck and grabbed a tumbler that I assumed was full of coffee before greeting me.
“Good morning. Ready for another day?” He held up the tumbler briefly in salute to the day.
I took a deep breath. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you have a minute?”
He nodded before sipping his coffee. “Sure, whatever you need. Is here okay?”
I shook my head. “It’s private.”
“Okay, then.” He led the way to the production trailer and fumbled with his tumbler and keys for a few seconds before he managed to unlock the door and step inside, shutting the door behind us.
As soon as the door was closed, I turned to him. “Here’s the thing.”
Max raised his eyebrows. “If you’re about to quit on me, I swear to God.”
I chuckled softly and shook my head. “Not about to quit. But I heard we need to put someone on the roof.”
He frowned and nodded slowly. “We’ve had people on the roof all week,” he pointed out.
“Asher. I’m talking about Asher.”
Another sip of his coffee. “Right. Yes. Asher. He’s going up to measure the rotten trusses. That’s why the roofers wrapped up for the week. They can’t put shingles on rotten wood.”
I hummed and nodded. “Exactly. I just… want to make sure we’re prepared for Asher to go up there. Harness, anchors, stabilizer for the ladder, the whole thing. Safety first. With the roofers gone for now, I wanted to be sure we still have the equipment on site.”
“Yeah, of course. It’s all set. I’ve done this before, Micah. I’ve got it covered.”
I nodded and forced my mouth to stay closed, to keep from arguing that he hadn’t exactly spent a lot of time on construction sites, and there would naturally be hiccups, but I didn’t want him pointing out the same was true about me and my experience.
“Do you need anything from me to make sure it happens the way it should?”
He smiled and shook his head. “Just the usual. I appreciate you looking out for him.”
I gave him a soft smile and a nod. “Of course.”
Just then, someone knocked twice on the trailer door before tugging it open. Jake stepped inside and looked at Max. “Sorry to interrupt. The crew’s all here. Ready to start filming for the day when you are.”
“Go ahead and get things moving. Will you let Brooks know I’ll be right out?”
Jake nodded once. “Ten-four.” He hesitated a moment and his gaze turned to me.
“Oh, and Asher’s looking for you,” he said.
“I told him I’d let you know.” He glanced over his shoulder briefly.
“I think he’s headed in this direction, actually.
” With that, he stepped out of the trailer again, letting the door swing closed behind him with a bang.
Max put his tumbler on his desk and cleared his throat. “I’m going to go get the team started for the day. Tell Asher we’re pretty much ready when he is. I’m going to have Gideon and Brooks covering him first. Get it taken care of while we have the good daylight.”
“Sure thing.”
Just as Max pushed the trailer door open again, Asher pulled it, and Max nearly tumbled down the stairs. Luckily, Asher caught him by the arm and they both laughed it off, but Asher’s laugh sounded forced, not as sincere as Max’s.
“Whoops,” Asher said immediately. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t mention it.” Max’s tone was bright. “Honestly, the number of times I’ve tripped on these stairs… they should come with a hazard warning.”
Asher chuckled again, softly, and nodded. “They definitely should.” As soon as Max left, Asher shut the trailer door behind him and leaned his back against it. “Hey,” he said softly.
“Hey.” My stomach fluttered from being in close proximity to him. Get it together, I chastised myself. You’re just friends. With benefits, maybe, but still just friends.
He cleared his throat and looked at his feet for a second before looking up at me again. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “Thank you.”
I shrugged and waved away his thanks. “I didn’t do anything special.” My heart thudded hard in my chest, as if it were trying to escape my ribcage.
Asher took a few steps toward me, closing the gap between us until we were barely a foot apart. “You talked me through my panic last night. It helped. A lot.”
I drew in a shaky breath and tried to force my heartbeat to steady. My hands ached to be on his body. “Are you ready to do this?”
Asher’s cheeks colored and he looked down at the space between us before meeting my gaze again.
“There’s one thing I need to do first.” He reached forward and slid a hand on the nape of my neck.
His palm was warm as it pressed against my skin and I closed my eyes in anticipation.
Asher stepped even closer, until our bodies were touching.
I put my hands on his waist, gripping his shirt and pulling him to me.
A moment later, he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, so tender it made my chest ache.
It lasted only a second before he stepped away, releasing me and clearing his throat again. “Now I’m ready.”
A grin crept onto my face. “That was risky,” I murmured. “Kissing me at work.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I’m learning to take risks, thanks to you.”
I chuckled softly and nodded, already itching to touch him again. “I can see that. Maybe I’ve created a monster.” He scoffed lightly and I kept going. “Hey. You’re kissing someone at work. A guy.”
“That I am.”
I wanted to ask how it made him feel, but I kept my thoughts to myself, not wanting to pressure him before he had to go up and conquer his fear of heights.
We were both silent for a moment before I took another step back and away from him.
“I guess we’d better get out there before someone comes looking for us. Are you ready for this?”
Asher’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. He gave me a small nod. “I’m ready.”
“Then let’s go get you on that roof. Safely.”
He exhaled sharply through his nose, a small huff of laughter, and reached out to squeeze my hand briefly. “Let’s do it.”