Chapter 29
Aspen
After spending a couple of days rotting in bed, contemplating my next move, and spiraling about my mother contacting me, I finally kicked myself in the ass. Work doesn’t stop because of it. The world doesn’t stop spinning because mine felt like it momentarily halted.
So I went back to On Tap, pasted on a smile until it became genuine, and spent time with Reid.
We’ve been back and forth staying at each other’s places for the last week.
Today, he let me borrow his car so I could run some errands since it’s my day off.
He offered to come with, but I saw the notebook he quickly tucked away when I opened the door to his office.
Those were most definitely lyrics I saw sprawled across the page. And there was a spark of light in his eyes as he tossed me his keys.
Better to leave him be, and I wanted to do this on my own.
Last night when I got home from work, I did some research on animal shelters around the city.
I picked out a few to go to today to see if any were hiring.
Not many of their websites had any employment information, only volunteer sign ups.
While I would love to do so, if I ever want to quit On Tap, I’m going to need to find a paid position.
The first one I pull up to is closed, which seems odd for the middle of the afternoon. The next one I make my way to is completely overrun by a school bus full of children volunteering for the day. As soon as I walk inside, the staff all have strained faces and shoulders up their ears.
Probably not the best time to bother them.
I climb back in the car and head to the next one on my list. It’s one of a few storefronts in a long building with an awning covered in pawprints over the door.
A petite woman with short, spiky hair and full sleeves of tattoos smiles at me when I open the door. “Good afternoon.” She has a slight accent that I can’t place.
“Hi,” I say. The keychain on my bag rattles as I walk in. It’s barely heard over the faint sounds of barking. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m well, thank you. What can I help you with?”
I stop short of the counter and fiddle with the strap of my bag.
“I was wondering if there are any openings here on your team. I love animals and uh—” Confidence.
Reid’s words ring in my head. Have confidence and don’t falter.
“I’m trying to switch up my career path, and I love animals, so I figured a shelter may be a good place to start.
” My cheeks heat as I wipe my palms on the sides of my jeans. That could’ve sounded better.
The woman nods encouragingly. “What was your name?”
“Aspen.” I extend my hand to hers. The many rings on her fingers are cool against my heated skin.
“Celia. Nice to meet you. We don’t currently have any open positions, but we’re always looking for volunteers.”
I try to school my features to not let my immediate disappointment show. “Um, yeah. Sure, any information you have on that would be great. I’d love to.” Maybe for now, it’s at least a step in the right direction.
“We also partner with a few foster programs in the area.” She slides a booklet across the counter. “If you’re interested in becoming a foster for—”
“Oh my gosh, this is the foster program I adopted my cat through!” The name recognition hits me the moment I see the packet. “I was a foster fail.” I laugh.
Celia smiles warmly. “I myself have been a foster fail.” She flips a picture frame around. The photo is three dogs, all different breeds, piled onto a small couch together. “My three fails.”
I show her my phone lockscreen. Macaroni’s big orange belly fills the screen. “Mine too.”
She gasps and pulls the phone closer. “He’s so handsome.”
“He knows it, too. I’d love to have more one day, but I’m in an apartment and it’s just not big enough for more cats.” I would love to try fostering again, but I know myself. I’ll probably end up keeping any future ones too.
And at that point, a two bedroom apartment with two roommates and one cat already isn’t enough.
Celia twists her red painted lips to the side.
“Tell you what, my boss is in next week and I’ll pass along your information to her.
I can’t make any promises, but I’ll let you know.
And if we don’t have room on our team for you, I’m happy to try connecting you with some of our foster programs to see if they need any extra hands. ”
My shoulders sag in gratitude. “Thank you so much, that would be amazing. I really appreciate it.”
She waves me off. “Would you like to see some of the fuzzy faces we have right now?”
“As long as you don’t let me sneak any into my bag on the way out.”
She laughs brightly and grabs a set of keys. “You do the same for me, okay?”
I leave the shelter feeling simultaneously lighter than I have all week and with a heavy heart.
Celia was great, showing me around and telling me about their different outreach programs with the community.
As we walked around, I could picture myself working there and feeling like I finally have a sense of purpose.
But at the same time, seeing all the animals waiting for their forever homes squeezed my heart in an iron fist.
One day, I’ll have a big house to be able to take in as many as I can.
Marley texts me after I stop by the grocery store.
Marley: Has she tried calling again?
Me: Once again last Thursday but nothing this week
Marley: How are you feeling?
Me: I know it’s not healthy but Reid’s been a good distraction from it
Marley: Hey if it’s getting you through it then I’m for it
Marley: Are you meeting us at the speakeasy tonight or do you want us to wait for you here?
Me: Go on ahead. We’ll meet you out
Marley: See you in a bit!
I stop by my apartment to grab everything I need to get ready. Sara heard news about a new speakeasy that’s opened and wants to go check it out, so Reid and I, her and Marley, and a few other friends are headed out there tonight.
Macaroni rubs against my legs as I gather my makeup. “I promise we’re coming back here to sleep tonight, okay, buddy?” I bend down and scratch his ears. “Although that means you have to share your side of the bed again.” He simply flops on his back.
Before I leave, I give him a few extra treats. He gobbles them up and runs straight to his favorite spot on the couch.
“I’ll be back soon!” I tell him.
Traffic is pretty heavy heading over to Reid’s, and I’m surprised I haven’t heard from him, wondering where I am.
When I approach his driveway, there’s another car sitting there. It’s flashy, with tinted windows, a sleek frame, and tires with brilliant metallic rims. I don’t think I’ve seen it before.
Once the garage finishes opening, I pull inside and grab my things. Entering through the garage door to the house, the alarm pings, alerting that the door was opened, which Reid showed me how to arm and disarm last week.
Voices ring out from the kitchen and I follow the sound. Peeking around the corner, I see Reid leaning against one side of the counters, while a man who I instantly recognize from his pictures everywhere sits on the countertop across from Reid.
Nikolai Brooks. His blond hair creates a golden halo around his head, flowing effortlessly down behind his ears. He tilts his head back in laughter and hell, it’s no wonder the guys made him their frontman. He’s beautiful in a way not many men are.
But then my attention is stolen by the woman standing between his legs, leaning back into his embrace. When I take her in, my feet almost stumble in their tracks.
She has to be one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
Instantly, I notice the striking resemblance to Walker, who I met at work when he and Reid sat down.
Her hair is thick and glossy, falling in a curtain over her left shoulder.
The green of her eyes is just as captivating as the smile that lifts her full lips.
The two of them, both dressed in all black, are a powerful force that dominates all the energy in the kitchen.
Even with Reid’s presence in the mix.
He’s the first to notice me. The faint smile on his lips grows as he does, which in turn makes my heart beat a little faster. He’s relieving me of the few grocery bags I carry before I can blink. “Hi,” he says gently, and kisses me. I blush, aware of our audience.
When he pulls back, he looks to his friends. “Nik, Jane, this is Aspen.”
Jane’s eyes light with something I can’t quite put my finger on, while Nikolai gives me a knowing grin. “Ah, so this is the one who’s stolen all his attention lately.”
Reid shoots him a dull look. “Like you’ve even noticed.”
Jane pulls out of Nikolai’s arms, crossing the room in a few strides, her heels clicking on the floor. “It’s nice to meet you, Aspen. Anyone who can put up with that one,” she says with a nod toward Reid, “is someone I’m interested to meet.”
I glance at Reid to see how he feels about her words, but he brushes her off the same way he does with Nikolai’s teasing. There’s a familiarity between them all that instantly makes me feel slightly on an island of my own.
As if sensing my hesitation, Reid makes quick work of setting the bags down and tucking me under his arm. His body is warm, familiar, safe. I lean into him.
“They stopped by to grab some stuff for the retreat,” he explains. “And then we just got talking.”
“About nothing interesting, of course with this one,” Nikolai drawls and kicks a foot up on the counter to rest his elbow on. “But now that we finally get to meet, this has gotten a lot more exciting.”
Jane shushes him as she walks back over. His eyes track her the entire way, watching her in a way that makes me feel like I’m intruding on them.
Reid mock whispers to me, “You can ignore him. I do it all the time.”
Nikolai looks wounded, feigning a hand over his heart.
“It’s nice to meet you guys,” I tell them. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”