Chapter Sixteen
SATURDAY AFTERNOON PASSED quickly, like the moment of a remembered dream in the morning.
The weather was warm but not oppressive, sunny with just enough cloud cover, and the area surrounding the large white manor was brimming with flowering honeysuckle and wildlife, creating a bucolic atmosphere.
Cierra spent most of the afternoon reading by the pool, watching Mia, Randy, and Erik splash around in the water.
Their annoyingly toned bodies glimmered with sunlight reflecting off water droplets peppering their skin.
Erik had begged her to join at one point, splashing her from the pool as she lounged on a recliner, but she was fine just where she was.
And by early evening, the anxieties Cierra had been experiencing about Julian seemed further and further away.
The more she thought about her feelings toward him, the less interested she was in ignoring her gut.
She liked him, and respected his honesty, but didn’t want to be on someone’s roster.
Again, she felt like she was on his time.
The mixed signals and desperate yearn that tugged on her heart were feeling all too familiar.
But she wasn’t a na?ve college student anymore, she was a grown woman, capable of removing herself, even if she didn’t want to — but knew she needed to.
In the safety of the woods, she settled on using the opportunity to end things first. Get it over with.
Even with one day of distance and distraction, she noticed her infatuation subsiding.
In contrast to how he began the morning, Erik was smiling and laughing — dropping whatever drab attitude he had, he allowed his light-hearted, boyish version of himself to shine through.
Mia sipped on kombucha and iced tea, calmly immersing herself in the languid day.
Zelda and Elliot buzzed around each other, after he dramatically threatened to throw her phone in the pool if she answered one more goddamn call.
Ahead of dinner, Cierra called Julian, but it only rang twice before the ring tone ended.
Can’t talk now, maybe later? was all he sent back.
Seeing red, and with the validation she needed, Cierra shot back, don’t bother, and then, I don’t think this is what I need right now.
Rather than waiting around for a response, she tossed her phone aside and enlisted Mia to help her gather wildflowers from around the property to decorate the table.
As they walked together, they had little to say, but enjoyed the quiet companionship as they pulled the weedy bunches into a basket Cierra had found lying around the living room.
“Thanks again for inviting me,” Mia said.
“Thanks for coming,” Cierra said with a smile. Part of her wanted to tell Mia about the Julian situation, but she wasn’t quite ready yet.
“I really like the Lawsons.”
“Yeah, working with them has been great.”
“I’m thinking about becoming a personal chef myself, if it means more of this.” Mia stopped to pick a pale violet flower. “I think I’m even getting a little crush on Erik . . . is that weird?”
Cierra’s back straightened, recalling what Zelda had to say earlier that morning.
“No, not weird at all. He’s great, gives good advice. He just seems a little different from the type of guy you normally go for, though. If anything, I figured you had a thing for Randy.”
Mia winced, stopping what she was doing to stand upright. “What’s my normal kind of guy?”
“I don’t know.”
“Not ‘great’?” Mia probed.
“What? No, that’s not what I meant.” Cierra put down her basket. “I wasn’t trying to say anything negative about who you date. I just meant that I don’t think he’s as casual as you are. Not everyone likes meaningless—”
“Meaningless?”
“Just, this is my job, you know? I don’t want anything to get—”
“No, I get it. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna seduce Elliot’s little brother, boss,” Mia said, getting back to flower picking.
Cierra sighed, feeling guilty for making Mia uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, I just have a lot riding on this.”
Exasperated, Mia groaned. “Oh my god, Cee, I get it. It’s not a big deal. Some of us are capable of just having crushes. Not everything has to be so serious.”
“You’re right.” Cierra sighed. “Sorry. Yeah, you’re right. Thanks for understanding.”
The two got back to sifting through the fields in an uncomfortable silence.
After twenty minutes, Mia dropped her shoulders and exhaled, coming to where Cierra was picking.
She dropped to her knees, eye-level with Cierra, and placed a hand on her right shoulder, smearing little specks of dirt.
“Cierra, you busted your ass to get here, and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that, okay?
Consider my little crush shelved. I can live with quick sneak peeks of him by the pool.
Besides, I don’t think he’s into me anyway.
And Randy isn’t bad company. I can make do.
” Mia got up and wiped her hands, proudly appraising their floral haul.
“I think we gathered enough for now. C’mon, boss, let’s walk back. I’m getting hungry.”
Delicate white and purple flowers adorned the long wooden table where the weekend party sat.
Cierra had made a couple of summer salads, along with herby fish and a strawberry-rhubarb crumble with homemade chamomile ice cream.
Although dessert wasn’t Cierra’s strong suit, its success pleasantly surprised her.
A chorus of satisfied sighs confirmed this at the end of the meal.
Elliot piped up, “Cierra, you deserve a night off. Erik and Randy will help clean up tonight.”
“But—”
“Nope, that’s an order. Go watch a movie or something. The boys can handle it, right?”
Erik and Randy both exchanged unbothered glances. “Of course,” Erik said, beginning to gather plates from everyone.
Mia suggested putting on Practical Magic, and the group moved to the entertainment room.
It was fashioned with plush couches and cushions on the floor, facing a massive flat-screen TV, by far the most modern piece of technology in the entire rental home.
As a child of the 90s, the movie transported Cierra to a dreamy nostalgic oasis, watching a young Nicole Kidman wearing clothes that reminded Cierra of what her mother wore in her childhood photos.
After the movie finished, everyone headed to bed, sufficiently fed and drowsy from the plentiful wine and comforting atmosphere.
Out of habit, Cierra went to the kitchen in her toasty state, put everything away, and scanned the fridge to ensure she had what she needed for breakfast the next day.
She wanted to avoid an early trip to the store, preferring to figure out some way to incorporate leftovers before they headed back to New York City in the afternoon.
There was no way she wasn’t waking up with a headache the next morning.
But suddenly, while appraising the food contents, a wave of sadness came over her as she realized her mountain getaway was coming to a close. Back in reality, her empty apartment awaited. She had already begun prepping herself to hop on the apps, thinking of various get-to-know-you lines.
So, what was your dream job as a kid . . .
At least preparing for Plated gave her something to look forward to. Or dread, depending on how she wanted to look at it.
Slowly closing the door of the refrigerator, she grabbed a glass of water before making her way to the staircase but bumped into a large, solid object.
Water spilled on her shirt, and two firm hands grabbed her forearms to steady her, gripping into her skin.
“Whoa, sorry about that. Was just looking to see if there were any leftovers,” Erik said. Only the light from the moon, and a lamp on in a nearby room, came into the kitchen. But even so, he could see the melancholy expression still lingering on Cierra’s face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, freeing her arms from his grasp but maintaining the close space. “Are remote mountains not your thing?” he teased, eliciting a side smile from Cierra.
“Now that you mention it, this trip does remind me a lot of Get Out,” she retorted, but it took a few seconds for her to register what she just said out loud. Rich white family. Remote location. One brown person . . . who happened to be the staff.
Erik had his mouth agape and let out a whoop before cupping his hand around his mouth, trying not to wake anyone.
“Shit, I didn’t mean . . .”
But Erik didn’t mind. “Cierra, relax, you’re fine,” he managed between chuckles. “You’re not wrong.”
After her heart rate went down, she exhaled and looked at him. Maybe it was exhaustion from the day or the wine or a combination, but she felt like answering his question. The original one. She needed to put the musings inside her head somewhere, needed to just get it out.
“This trip has been amazing. You guys are great. I’ve been so relaxed and for the first time in a while, I felt my mind go blank.
I’m not thinking about Julian, or this Plated application, or my Instagram or .
. . anything.” Erik just stood, nodding and listening.
No judgment apparent in his eyes. “I’ve been in this mode of go-go-go and didn’t realize how tired I was until coming here.
Finally having some time to sit down.” She felt her chest tightening and took a deep breath.
She exhaled again. “It’s been really nice, is what I’m trying to say.
” Tapping the countertop, Cierra gave a sad smile. “I wish I had one more day.”
Erik narrowed his eyes, as if he were conflicted, biting the inside of his cheek. “I’m gonna be up for at least another couple hours. I was gonna sit outside, enjoy the quiet for a bit longer. You’re welcome to join. We don’t have to talk, or anything. Unless you want to.”
More than usual, she noticed the gleam and softness of his greenish-brown eyes. They reminded her of the calming woods that surrounded them. “Yeah, sure. That’d be nice.”