Chapter Six
F ord hadn’t landed on August’s doorstep for a whole week and she was worried. He’d only messaged her a couple of times, too, and only really when she’d messaged him first and asked a direct question.
She frowned, looking out the window of her office at the threatening, gray sky. Maybe she’d swing by his place after work to check everything was okay.
“Did you forget a coat today?” Měilíng’s voice called from the doorway to August’s office.
August smiled and looked away from the window. “No, no. I wasn’t worrying about the weather.”
Měilíng frowned in concern. “Then, what’s up?”
August waved her hand slightly. “Everything is fine. Just thinking about Ford.”
“Is he okay?”
August sighed. “I’m sure he’s fine—probably just busy.”
“But you’re worried?” She dropped into the chair on the opposite side of August’s desk.
“Yeah. He’s just got a lot on his plate, and he hates asking for help.”
“I’m guessing his roommates aren't any better?”
“Ha. No. And that’s what worries me. He’s got so much going on—classes, work, studying—and then they want him catering to their every whim. I wish he’d ended up rooming with other culinary students.”
“He doesn’t want to consider moving?”
August sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t asked in a minute, but you know how he felt about it last time.”
“Yeah… I’m sorry, August.” Měilíng smiled in a sad, sympathetic kind of way.
August shook her head. “It’s fine. Sorry. What can I do for you?”
Měilíng watched her for one long moment before deciding August was, in fact, ready to refocus on work. She nodded and lunged into a discussion about one of their current projects and some changes that were going to be made. The changes were going to add some work for August, but she welcomed thinking about that over worrying about Ford.
Half an hour later, right as Měilíng was wrapping up the conversation, she looked around surreptitiously—as if they had any chance of being overheard in August’s office. Apparently satisfied, she inched forward in her seat and leaned into August’s desk.
“Are you okay?” August asked as she watched Měilíng grin.
“We’ve barely had a chance to talk in weeks, so I’m asking now—how’s dating going?”
August blinked before she laughed. “You could have asked via text,” she pointed out, thinking of the multiple times throughout the last few weeks that they’d messaged each other outside of work.
“Yeah, but I wanted to talk about it in person, so I could see your face and see how you really feel.”
“You’re ridiculous,” August said with a laugh.
“I don’t want you just telling me what I want to hear, or playing down something promising,” Měilíng said, staring pointedly at August.
“Of course you don’t.”
“So, tell me. How’s it been going? Do you love the app?”
“Do you ? You used it once, hit the jackpot, and haven’t touched it again as far as I can tell.”
Měilíng rolled her eyes. “Fine. I guess I don’t mind the app, but I like it because it brought me Noah. So, did you find your Noah?”
August shot her a look. “I did not.”
“Oh. Well, not yet then, but I know you will.” She smiled. “Have the people you’ve met been nice?”
August thought about it. She hadn’t—yet—had any particularly bad meetings, and everyone who had messaged her had been kind, but was that really what Měilíng was asking?
She had met Piper. By every metric, Piper had been nice. They’d become friends, and they had been talking far more frequently than she’d been talking to any potential romantic dates. But that was it, wasn’t it? Měilíng was asking if she’d had any nice romantic encounters. And August had made a friend.
“Yeah, they’ve been nice enough,” August said. “Nothing that’s getting a second date, but nice enough.”
“Hm. Well, I’m sure you’ll meet someone extra nice soon.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Either way, August would at least be proud that she put herself back out there. “I did manage to make a friend, if that counts?”
Měilíng tilted her head. “Being friends is a good start.”
“Oh, no. We’re… friends who talk to each other about our bad dates.”
“Sorry?”
August suppressed a laugh, realizing that the whole thing did sound kind of ridiculous. “We ran into each other and thought we were meeting each other, but we weren’t. So…”
“You decided to become bad date friends?”
“Yeah, I guess we did,” August said, the laugh finally escaping her.
Měilíng looked around. “I wish we weren’t at work right now because I have so many questions.”
“It’s very straightforward. We ran into each other, had our dates, neither went anywhere, so we decided to be friends who… got it. A friend we could always call to complain about another bad date.”
“But, if you’re expecting the dates to be bad, nothing’s going to stick, right?”
August smiled. Měilíng had been an eternal optimist her whole life as far as August could tell. Maybe that was why she hit the jackpot on the first try, maybe the universe had decided someone so good deserved that.
August decided not to think too closely about what that meant the universe thought of her.
She shook her head. “I’m not expecting them to be bad, I’m just… supporting someone else in the dating pool, because sometimes they do go badly. Or, not even badly, but not what you were looking for. Everyone needs a place to vent about that.”
“You could vent to me.”
August felt her lips twitch. “In the nicest way, you’re too busy to be dealing with me complaining about bad dates.”
“We’re friends. I’d be there for you.”
“I know you would, but I don’t want to be cutting into your time with Noah.”
“You don’t have to—”
“It’s really okay, Měilíng. I’m happy for you. And it’s okay that my journey is taking a little longer. It’s just nice to have other friends who are going through the struggle too.”
She chewed her lip, looking slightly downcast, but, eventually, she nodded. “Yeah, okay. I guess I get that. But, still, if you need to talk, I’m always there.”
“I know.” She smiled softly. “Thanks, Měilíng.”
Měilíng smiled sweetly before shaking her head. “I still don’t quite get how you met someone on a date, thought they were your date, but they weren’t.”
“Yeah…” August laughed. “That part is quite the comedy of errors, I suppose.”
“How so?”
“Don’t you need to get back to your office?”
Měilíng waved her off. “Yeah, yeah, in a minute. I want to hear about this new friend first.”
“Oh, well, she sent a message at the same time my date did, heard the notification, and we both just… assumed, I guess.”
Měilíng laughed. “You didn’t ask identifying questions?”
August stared at her. “I’m not going to lie to you, Měilíng, I absolutely did not.”
“Why not?”
“I… don’t know. We didn’t get that far before we figured out what was going on, but we were just… chatting, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.”
Měilíng shot her a speculative look that almost had August squirming under the scrutiny. “And you didn’t think to just go on a date with her instead?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
August shrugged. She didn’t have a good answer to that question. She supposed she just enjoyed being friends with Piper so much that it hadn’t occurred to her to even ask. A date between the two of them had never really been on the table. “We’re friends. Being friends came really easily. Plus, you know, we’re both on the app and we haven’t matched with each other—”
“—that you know of—”
“—so clearly we’re not an immediate romantic match.”
“You can’t know that.”
“I mean, I’m friends with you and I’ve never asked you out. Sometimes, people are just friends.”
“Yes, but I’m straight, and, if she mistook you for her date, she’s clearly not.”
August shot her a look. “I’m not just attracted to every queer woman I meet.”
Měilíng shook her head. “Yes, I know that . I’m just thinking, if you two got along when you thought you were each other’s date, why would you not at least try?”
August blew out a breath. “Because we’re friends.”
Měilíng raised her eyebrows. “Okay, but if that changes, I’ll be the first person to say I told you so.”
“Not everyone hits a home run the first time they step up to the plate,” August said with a laugh.
“Maybe not, but Noah and I are going to a game next week, and, if the first guy up to the plate hits a home run, I’m taking that as a sign.”
“A sign that you hit a home run on the first try? Yeah, I think we already know that.”
Měilíng stood up, watching August with narrowed eyes. “You know what I mean. And, at lunch on Thursday, I will have plenty of questions.”
“Oh, I think I need to cut our lunch down to fifteen minutes. I have a meeting.”
“Cancel it.”
August laughed in surprise. “That’s not very professional.”
“It wouldn’t be if it were a real meeting, but I know you, August. I’ll see you for a nice, long lunch on Thursday.” She shot a pointed look over her shoulder as she left August’s office.
August shook her head, but she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Měilíng really did know her well. Although, plenty of people had told her she was a lousy liar, so maybe it wasn’t all that surprising Měilíng could see through what had, admittedly, been a lousy lie.
An email popped up on her computer screen. A meeting invite from Měilíng. For lunch. On Thursday. One whole hour. As if they needed to make it official.
August laughed as she confirmed that she’d be attending.
Shaking off the conversation with Měilíng—and mostly unconcerned about the questions she’d face on Thursday since there was nothing weird going on—she finished up her working day with her mind slipping back to Ford.
The second she clocked out, she texted him, warning him that she was going to be near his place. He wouldn’t ask why by text and, if he asked in person, she’d admit she was only there for him, but, for the time being, they could both pretend she just happened to be over by his apartment for something unrelated.
She headed out of the office, feeling antsy as she stood in the elevator with five other people who were done for the day. Usually, she enjoyed work enough to not feel the need to flee the building as soon as clocking out time rolled around—even if, some days, it was still nice to be done for the day—but she found herself willing the elevator to go faster, for people not to request other floors, for the doors to open faster and everyone move out of the way.
It didn’t make any sense. Ford would be fine. He’d just have been busy. But there was a part of her that worried, a fear that gripped her heart, and she couldn’t shake it.
She understood that it was the guilt of knowing Ford wouldn’t ask for help even if he did need it. Sure, he’d show up at her place, but he was always looking to trade peace for food, like he needed to do something for her if he was going to be there. She wasn’t sure how to stop him feeling that way and she hated that. Their parents had a lot to answer for, making him think that, if he was going to do culinary school, he had to do it all alone.
The traffic wasn’t great as she drove from her office to Ford’s apartment, but she gripped the wheel and inched her way closer to his place. And, when the guilt and the worry felt like they were eating her alive, without really considering why, she told her phone to call Piper.
“Hey, what’s up?” Piper’s voice called cheerfully from the car speakers when the call connected.
“Hey,” August said back, ridiculously surprised as it finally hit that she really had just called Piper.
“Are you okay?” Piper asked, concerned, and August heard the sound of a door snapping shut.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. I’m not sure why I called.”
“That’s okay. You can call whenever you like.” She hesitated. “Did you… have a date?”
“Ha. No. I just left work. I’m on the way to Ford’s place.”
“Ah, okay.” Her voice relaxed, and August couldn’t help but wonder what she’d been imagining. “How’s he doing?”
“I don’t… know,” August admitted, feeling a little weird doing so. Maybe Ford wasn’t the only one their parents had messed up with the idea that you had to handle everything yourself.
Piper hummed. “You’re worried about him?”
“Yeah. I shouldn’t be. He’ll be totally fine, and he’s an adult, and I know he’s probably just busy, but…”
“But you’re his sister and you care.”
“Yeah.” It felt nice to open up a little, to get the fear off her chest and out of her head, where it just bounced around, amplifying itself. But she also felt a little silly, and like she shouldn’t say too much.
“What has he done that’s scaring you?”
“ Scaring might be a bit strong.”
Piper breathed a laugh. “Okay, what’s he done that’s mildly bothering you?”
August laughed. “Fair play. Maybe I am scared, but I’m just overreacting.”
“That’s okay. I overreact all the time. Almost cried this morning when I realized I was out of cereal.”
“You did not.”
“I really did. I think I was dreaming about granola because the devastation was real.”
August smiled and felt some of the tension in her shoulders relax. Calling Piper had been the right thing to do. “I’m sorry about the granola.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your thoughts at this difficult time.” She laughed lightly. “So, your turn. What’s going on?”
“He’s just been hard to contact lately. It’s not like him. And he hasn’t shown up at my place all week, but I can’t imagine he’s sleeping well at home, or getting much peace, because I feel like he’d mention that and be more available.”
“Right. Which is valid to be worried about.”
“I know he’s got work, and class, and studying, and sleeping, and his personal life, but I still just… worry.”
“I don’t think you’re overreacting.”
August blew out her breath. “No?”
“No. I think you care, and I think you’re reacting , which is completely normal.”
August nodded. Saying it out loud and not being judged or rushed to shut her feelings down really was helping. “Do you think he’s okay?”
“Yes. I’m sure he’s fine, but I also think a visit from you would brighten anyone’s day, so I think you’re doing the right thing heading over there.”
August smiled. “Flatterer.”
“Eh, I try. But it’s also true. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”
“I really hope so.” She swallowed. “Especially since I’m here now, so…”
“So.” Her smile was audible. August had always loved that in people. “Let me know how it goes and if there’s anything I can do to help.”
August gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes snapping from Ford’s building to the phone mounted on her dashboard. “Hey, Piper?”
“Yes, August?”
“Thank you.”
“Any time.” That smile was there again. “I’ll talk to you in a bit.”
“See you.” August hung up feeling much better about the whole thing, but she also hurried from her car, unwilling to sit there too long and overthink.
In theory, you had to have a key or get buzzed into Ford’s building but, when she made it to the front door, August found it off the latch, wide open for anyone to walk in.
She pushed inside and headed up to Ford’s apartment. She’d only been there a couple of times. Ford preferred meeting at her place, and, while his was fine, she understood why. It wasn’t the nicest apartment building she’d ever been in and he had roommates, but that was student life, wasn’t it? She’d been there too, once upon a time.
She knocked on the door when she reached Ford’s apartment, waiting when there was no answer and no sound of anyone moving inside. She tried again, calling Ford’s name.
Finally, there was the sound of groaning and shuffling from within. August frowned at just how thin the walls were. She imagined you could hear everything your neighbors were doing.
The door cracked open and a bleary Ford peeked out at her. “August?”
August relaxed. He was fine—if exhausted. “Hey.”
He opened the door fully to allow her inside. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to check in on you,” she said, stepping around him into the cramped living room. The small dining table in the corner of the room was strewn with books that looked distinctly like someone had been sleeping on them. “Ford, were you asleep at the table?”
He winced. “Maybe a little bit.”
“Ford—”
“It was just a quick nap.”
August shook her head. “When was the last time you slept properly?”
“Uh… It’s been a couple of days.”
She put a hand on his arm. “Ford, why?”
He attempted to wave the question away. “One of my roommates is struggling to make rent, so I’ve been working a bit more to help cover the bills.”
“That’s not your job.”
“I know, but it’s not her fault and I can’t afford to get kicked out and have that on my record.”
August looked at him. He was such a good guy, trying so hard to look after everyone around him, no matter what it cost him. People took advantage of that. “You could have just asked. I’d have given you the money.”
He shook his head and went to tidy his books. “No, August. That’s not your job. I chose to do this, I can handle it.”
“I know you can, but you don’t have to.”
“I do. Mom and Dad don’t want me leeching off them and I won’t come leeching off you.”
August groaned. They had no idea what they’d done. “It’s not leeching if I’m offering.”
“I’m pretty sure they’d still say it is.”
“I don’t care what they say. I’m saying it’s not, and I’m the only one who gets to decide that.”
“It’s really fine. I just have to work two more extra shifts this week and I’ll have enough to cover it all.”
August dropped into the second seat at the dining table. “And what about next week, Ford?”
He bit his lip and looked up. “I’m… not sure. She’s looking for work, she is. She just wasn’t expecting to get laid off. And she’s genuinely stressed about it.”
“Right. So are you. And maybe so are your other roommates. I can help take the pressure off for a little—from all of you. Give her a month to find something new and get back on top of things.”
Ford shook his head. “You don’t have to do that. It’s way too much.”
She reached out and took his hand. “Ford, if the roles were reversed, would you do it for me?”
He looked at her. They both knew he would. He’d do it for anyone—including a roommate who thought he was an on-demand home chef. “Maybe. If you weren’t being annoying.”
She laughed. “You’d do it even if I’d been the most annoying person on the planet.”
“Eh. You got me,” he said, deflating slightly. “I just want to prove I can do this. That I can handle everything.”
“I know you can. You don’t have to prove you can. And I know that I like it better when you have enough time to show up and annoy me. Consider it payment for that.”
He laughed before looking at her seriously. “I’ll pay you back.”
“Nope.”
“August—”
“You can pay me back by choosing the restaurant we’re ordering from tonight and telling me the best three things to order.”
He shot her a confused look. “Three things? Are you really hungry?”
“Absolutely. And I’m feeling a tasting platter of sorts.” She wasn’t especially hungry—just a normal amount after a workday—but she doubted Ford had been eating well enough lately, and, running on fumes as he seemed to be, he needed nutrients. If she ordered a bunch of dishes for them to share, he’d eat plenty.
He laughed. “Fair enough.”
“Great.” She nodded at his books. “Pack your stuff up, text your roommates that you have the rent covered, and let’s head to my place. You can decide where we’re eating on the way.”
He stood up, his eyes looking like he might burst into tears from relief. “You know you don’t have to do this, right?”
“I know that, but I love you and I want to help.”
He pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank you, August. Truly.”
“Of course.” She refused to let go first, letting him process his stress and emotions, but, when he finally did pull back, she was glad to see how much stress appeared to have dropped from his face.
He needed a better living situation but August knew this was not the moment for that conversation. It wasn’t her decision to make, either. She just didn’t want to lose everything that made Ford Ford while he lived here.
He’d barely sent the message to his roommates before he was laughing. He looked up at August looking exhausted but happy. “They’re all really relieved and grateful.”
She smiled. “I’m glad.”
He laughed again. “Zach’s calling out of work tonight.”
“If he’s been working as much as you have, I can only imagine he needs the sleep.”
“Yeah.” He shook his head. “He’s been pulling all-nighters working at this gas station.”
“Delightful, I’m sure.”
Ford shrugged. “It pays, I guess.”
August nodded. “Go pack your bag. I’ll be back in ten.”
After he disappeared in the direction of his room, August headed back downstairs and out onto the street. It wasn’t quite the gourmet meal she was about to treat Ford to, but she could at least give his roommates food for tonight. She didn’t like the way they treated him, but, by the sounds of it, they’d all been worrying themselves sick and working themselves half to death trying to cover their expenses. She could give them a night off from that.
It didn’t take long to pick up three large pizzas from the place at the corner of the street. Ford shot her a look when she reentered the apartment holding them.
“Cheese, veggie, and pepperoni,” she said, sliding them onto the table that was now clear of Ford’s books.
“You want three pizzas and three dishes of my choosing?” he asked, staring at her with wide eyes.
She laughed. “No. These are for your roommates. You can tell them to come get ’em while they’re hot. I thought you could all use a night to relax.”
His face morphed from confusion into something heartbreaking. “You didn’t need to do that. You don’t even like them…”
“So?” August shrugged. “I don’t like the way they treat you, but they don’t deserve to suffer.”
“You’re already doing so much.”
“Ford. It’s fine. I can afford to help and I can afford three pizzas. Everything is fine. I promise.”
He looked teary again, and August knew that was a sign of how fatigued he was. He nodded.
She bumped him with her shoulder. “Come on, Fordy. Let’s go home and get some food. I’ll even tell you all about my latest adventures in dating to keep you entertained.”
He laughed, still looking emotional. “Okay. I am interested to hear about that.”
She grinned and swept him out of his apartment, feeling a lot better now she knew he was going to be okay.