Chapter Eight
“You can do this, it’s not like she’s gonna fire you.”
Aspen was nervously psyching herself up as she pushed her way inside of Dry Creek, her eyes firmly on the ground in front of her.
Asking for time off from Virginia, even before the busy season was in full swing, seemed daunting.
Especially since her reasoning involved a crush that was urging her to help a woman, a literal stranger, backpack down Redwood Creek to install a useless rotary phone.
And while Virginia had supported Aspen her entire life, she was still worried that even this was beyond her normal shenanigans.
But even Aspen knew that if she really was going to help Mo, she was going to need a week or two off to make that whim a reality.
“I really am crazy,” Aspen mumbled as she walked closer to the bar, bumping right into Virginia. “Oops!”
“Watch where you’re going, kid. I could crack a hip,” Virginia grumped, holding on to Aspen’s outstretched arms to steady herself. The older woman took a few seconds to study her face, keenly commenting, “Wow, don’t you look stupid in love.”
“I am not in love.”
“Your face is telling me otherwise.”
“No,” Aspen said, jumping onto the closest barstool. “I’m just distracted.”
“Thinking about your girl?” Virginia asked, leaning against the side of the bar. “You know, she was calling around here last night.”
Aspen couldn’t help but perk up at that comment, her heart beginning to beat more rapidly. “What?”
“She was wanting to speak to you about some shopping or something…No fear, I did what you could not. I got her phone number,” Virginia said smugly, waggling her eyebrows at Aspen.
“That’s it?”
“What, did you want me to propose to her for you too?”
“You are actually insufferable.”
“Nah.” Virginia cackled, enjoyment clear as day on her wrinkled face. “I’m just old and I know things. Entertainment is hard to come by around here. Prolly why Sal and I wanna make this our last season.”
“You say that every season.”
“This really will be our last one,” Virginia replied slowly, tilting her head to meet eyes with Aspen. “The old building is yours if you want it.”
“Yeah, I know,” Aspen acknowledged, even as her heart broke a little at the thought of truly being stuck in Orick. She expertly masked the pain she was feeling by adding, “Can’t wait to run this place until I’m as old and rambunctious as you.”
“I can hear you cussing at Butch now. She’s cleaning the counter with an old rag while you sweep. You start naggin’ at her about how the only things she cares about are changing out flat beer and flirting with tourists. Oh, love, it’s a beautiful thing.”
Aspen blew out air in frustration, leaning forward to place her forehead against the curved edge of the bar. The more Virginia made grandiose comments about Mo, the more Aspen worried her plan was made in a feeble attempt to garner intimate attention. And that idea made Aspen sick to her stomach.
“Mo isn’t interested in me like that.”
“Right…and Sal and I won the Mega Millions last night and are gonna buy a beach house down in Carmel-by-the-Sea,” Virginia returned flatly, but Aspen stayed quiet, not taking the bait. “It don’t matter anyhow, here’s her phone number.”
A few seconds passed before Aspen felt the sharp edge of a piece of paper being slid under where her head was resting against the bar’s edge.
“Thanks,” Aspen murmured but didn’t move, instead just anxiously analyzing the way the paper felt against her forehead.
“She also asked about where the closest outdoor store was, which I thought was kinda weird seeing as there ain’t a reason to be in Orick this long unless hiking in the redwoods is one of your passions.
You’d think she’d stop somewheres before coming all the way here.
Besides, don’t y’all lesbians have built-in compasses to all things camping? ”
“Stereotypes are harmful, Virginia,” Aspen chastised, slap-grabbing the phone number before lifting her head to meet her eyes. “Also, I think you have the wrong idea about Mo.”
“How so?”
“Just because she’s butch doesn’t mean she knows her way around hiking poles.”
“Well, good thing I told her you were the expert.” Virginia nodded toward the paper. “So put her in your damn phone and give her a call.”
Aspen held back a smile at the thought of hearing Mo’s voice, dropping her head to enter the contact information into her phone. “I’ll call her tomorrow. I’ve gotta get the fruit cut.”
“Fuck the fruit. Salvador will do it.”
“He’s terrible at bar chores. Besides, I’m on full shift tonight. Oh, and by the way…” Aspen saved Mo’s number and tossed her phone onto the counter with a loud thunk. “I wanted to ask you about something important. Do you remember that talk about giving me time off for backpacking?”
“Done,” Virginia responded immediately, moving around the bar toward the under-cabinet fridge.
Aspen blinked for a few moments, her lips slack before turning to ask, “Just like that?”
“Yeah, I assume you wanna go somewhere with Butch—”
“Her name is Mo.”
“Butch, Mo…same difference. Either way, if you think she ain’t cut out for hiking poles, you should probably go with her,” Virginia said matter-of-factly, pulling out the bins of lemons and limes and tossing them haphazardly onto the cutting board built into the bar. “You know what? Take tonight off too.”
“What?”
“Yeah, why not. Go grab her from wherever she’s staying.” Virginia grabbed a knife and brandished it in Aspen’s direction. “You do know where she’s staying, right?”
“Actually, yeah,” Aspen said, excitement bubbling up in her stomach.
“So there is hope for you yet.” Virginia violently cut a lemon in half.
Suddenly, the kitchen door popped open. Salvador strode through it with his left arm already slinking into one of the sleeves of his outstretched jacket.
Stopping in his tracks at the sight of the women, he sheepishly grinned before announcing, “I’ve got some errands to run, ladies. Don’t wait up f—”
“Oh no you don’t,” Virginia warned, taking another intense slice without looking up. “I gave Aspen the night off, so get back in that kitchen and help Ben roll silverware. Now!”
Salvador looked to Aspen for help, but she just shrugged, watching as he pulled his arm back out of the coat. “Yes, love.”
“Thank you. Now, Aspen.” Virginia met her eyes, her voice still commanding. “Go and pick Butch up, take her down to Eureka, and get her whatever she needs. Let me know if all she’s good for is a hot lay. I can spare a few hundred to keep her from dying.”
Aspen nodded, pulling her phone from her pocket and quickly dialing Mo’s number. She performed an apologetic nod to a retreating Salvador as she slid out of her stool, moving toward the door before Virginia could change her mind.
Just as she thought she was going to catch Mo’s voice mail, a sleepy voice answered, “I’m gonna make this real easy for you to understand.
I sold my house. I’m selling my boat. I have all-weather liners in my Subaru.
I no longer own a printer, so your ink is useless.
And…I do not need a fucking vacuum. So please, for the love of God, take me off your list! ”
“You own a boat?” Aspen asked, amused, waving back toward Virginia as she made her way out. “Thank you!”
“Don’t get pregnant!” Virginia yelled back just as Aspen passed through the double doors.
“Aspen?” Mo replied, her voice softening significantly.
“Yeppity yep. Though, I didn’t do any stalking for your number this time, thank you very much.”
“Ah, so Virginia did write it down,” Mo said, a tinge of disappointment in her voice.
Aspen picked up on it. “You didn’t want me to call?”
“No, no, that’s not it. It’s, uh—”
“Complicated?”
“Kind of? I don’t know, I just…” Mo danced around the subject, her voice getting more and more anxious as she rambled. “I just didn’t…I didn’t want to bother you.”
“With your phone number?”
“Uh…”
“Or the fact that you needed directions to an outdoor store?” Aspen finished. Mo sighed, signaling that Aspen was dead-on. Her excitement overflowed at being right and she squealed, “So you are going to go through with my plan! Come pick me up.”
“What?”
“I’m at Dry Creek, pick me up. Periwinkle overheats something terrible when I drive to Eureka, so your Subaru will be more than adequate for our little jaunt.”
“Jaunt?” Mo asked hesitantly.
“Yep. To Eureka. I know the best place with the best prices, so get your butt over here. Virginia gave me the night off, so we don’t even have to rush,” Aspen blurted out, hoping Mo would give in.
“Okay,” Mo said. “But you don’t even know what I need?”
“That’s fine, we’ll figure it out.” Aspen grinned, listening happily to the shuffling on the other end of the line, cluing her in that Mo was getting out of bed.
* * *
“Take the next right.”
Aspen clapped excitedly as the clunky, heather-gray, sheet-metal-covered warehouse rolled into view.
The industrial-style building was separated evenly between two stores.
The left side had plain black painted lettering across the top denoting Blau Outdoors and More, while the right side sported a medium-sized light-up sign that read The Thrifty Squirrel.
Aspen watched Mo careen her head close to the steering wheel to read the signs as she maneuvered the Subaru into the parking lot.
“I’m so excited,” Aspen exclaimed, bouncing in her seat.
“You don’t get out much, do ya?” Mo asked grumpily.
Mo had been a terrible car buddy the entire forty-five-minute drive to Eureka.
If Aspen hadn’t felt so strongly about Mo being open to the plan during their beach conversation, she would one hundred percent be canceling this right now.
But even grumpy and cold Mo was somehow fun, so Aspen continued to bounce in her seat as Mo parked the car next to some used campers.
“You are going to love this place.”
“Eh.” Mo shrugged, seeming to look past Aspen and toward the store. “Nice Winnebago.”