5. Zoe
FIVE
zoe
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
The new hire, a spunky, fresh-out-of-college kid named Zach, popped his head into my office. He’d been hired just three weeks ago as our special events coordinator and had hit the ground running.
“Sure, come on in.”
I had an open-door policy. Literally, my office door was only ever closed when I was in a meeting. Everyone knew it, and though sometimes the policy tanked my productivity, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Sit down,” I said. Then thought twice. “Coffee? Water?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
He looked nervous. Let the life lessons begin.
“In this business, there are more sharks than dolphins,” I said, not sure where the analogy had come from, but now I had to run with it. “I’m a dolphin. Do your job, and we’ll get along. But if I were a shark, which you’ll meet plenty of if you stay in hospitality, I would smell blood right now.”
“You can smell blood?” he repeated blankly.
“I can.”
“Figuratively.”
I laughed. “Yes, figuratively.”
“I get it. Shit. I mean, crap. I mean, darn. I’m sorry.”
“Stick with your first instinct. And don’t apologize.”
Zach sat up a little straighter. “Shit,” he said, more emphatically than the first time.
“Better. And stop fidgeting.”
He pulled his hands apart, laid them on his legs, and looked me in the eye.
“Perfect,” I said. “What’s up?”
“It’s about that Kitchi Falls Pride Week we talked about.”
“What about it?”
I’d tasked Zach to work with local community members to come up with an event that could pull in our resort, the closest of all the Lakeside Properties to downtown Kitchi Falls, and the business owners on Main Street. He’d pointed out that the town had no Pride Day activities or anything similar and asked if that could be the focus. I thought it was a great idea and had given him the green light last week.
“I’m meeting a bit of. . . resistance.”
“From?”
“Some of the business owners.”
Since “fuck them” wasn’t a very professional response, I went with, “Then focus on the ones that will work with you.” Proudly, I did not add that the others could get their heads out of their asses or be left behind. It was my most difficult job as a manager. Not leading, per se. But doing so and keeping it professional at all times.
Or most times.
“I honestly didn’t think it would be such an issue.”
“Zach?”
“Yes, Zoe?”
At least he’d finally stopped calling me Miss Harrison.
“You’re from Kitchi Falls, correct?”
“I am.”
“And you had no idea some people would prove. . . difficult on this?” I’d only lived here a year and knew the small-mindedness that sometimes went hand in hand with these kinds of towns was alive and well in Kitchi Falls. Hell, even Lucas had tangled with the locals when he opened his tattoo parlor, as if tattoos were the devil’s work.
“I mean, I personally had some trouble growing up. But it was different in college. And. . .”
“And you thought Kitchi Falls had caught up with the times.”
“Yeah.”
“Not everyone understands the power of living in a state of wonder at the diversity of humanity. But that’s part of the beauty of an event like the one you proposed, right? We want to be a part of that, and I’m sure a lot of other businesses do too. Focus on them and. . .” Ahh, screw it. “Fuck the rest of them.”
His eyes widened. Poor thing. He was only a few years younger than me but still so wet behind the ears. “You’re right.”
I resisted the urge to say I know . “Why don’t you ask someone on Main to co-chair the event?”
“Like Mazzie from Boots and Brews, maybe? She’s been a huge help.”
“Great choice. Tell her it won’t be a lot of extra work, but you just need a name that can represent the interests of our business-owner partners.”
He beamed. “I’ll set up a meeting with her now.”
“Great.”
Zach stood. “Thanks so much.”
“Anytime,” I said sincerely.
Zach was barely out of my office when my phone buzzed. As had become my new habit these past few days, when my phone did that, I snatched it up like a woman who swore off sugar, came to her senses, and had just been given a frozen, chocolate, peanut butter cup.
Sure enough, it was Nate.
The mornings were unpredictable. We’d only been texting for five days, but I already knew when he was most active. Early morning, when I was getting ready for work. Late morning, but that was more hit and miss. And then sometimes early afternoon before he went silent for the night. The time change made it weird.
No less weird than the fact that, since Sunday night, we’d been texting every day. Multiple times a day. And this after I’d told the girls, and myself, I wasn’t interested in a long-distance relationship. Which I wasn’t.
Then what’s with the texts, genius?
Pleasant conversation. My civic duty? Nate was serving the country after all. And he did tell me that on “quiet days” it could get boring. So, I was just doing my duty to the country.
Bullshit.
What’s the vibe in Kitchi Falls today?
Since it was not even ten o’clock, not a ton had happened yet.
Work. Nothing exciting. Heading to KC’s Taphouse tonight with the girls.
KC’s Taphouse?
A bar on Main Street. Kind of a sports-bar-type vibe, but they have trivia night on Wednesdays.
Didn’t take you for a trivia night kind of girl.
I’m not. Usually.
I couldn’t tell him about Operation Distraction and the fact that, between Charlee and Natalie, I hadn’t been left alone since the breakup. I knew the reason for the girls’ daily get-together suggestions, but I also didn’t want to call them out since I liked being distracted. Being alone in my apartment with so many memories sucked.
But?
So, I told him the next best thing. Which was the truth.
Vampire Diaries Trivia Night is not to be missed.
What the hell is a Vampire Diaries?
Not A Vampire Diaries. THE Vampire Diaries.
Excuse me…
He followed that with a laughing face emoji so I knew he was teasing.
He liked to do that. Tease me. They did say boys teased girls when they liked them, and I was getting those vibes. I should have Charlee ask Lucas if he had a girlfriend, but I’d claimed not to be interest in Nate. Asking about his relationship status definitely qualified as caring.
I wonder what he looks like?
You’d change your tune if you saw it.
Doubt that. Just looked it up. Pass.
I kinda liked that he didn’t pretend to like something just because I did. Some guys would do that, but not Nate. There was a. . . confidence about him that reminded me of Lucas. Enough that it even came through via text.
What-ever.
So KC’s huh? Whatcha drinking there?
My drink of choice?
Yep.
Well, it depends on the venue. KC’s, maybe beer. Dinner, red wine. Or sometimes white in the summer. Other times, vodka soda. Or even gin. Lots of options.
LOL. I should say so. Non-discriminatory drinker, huh?
You can say that. How about you?
Mostly beer, whiskey sometimes. I’m pretty simple.
I doubt that but will let it slide for now.
For now. . .
Oops. That definitely had some implications. What the hell was I doing here? I should probably let it drop. Change topics. But I suddenly couldn’t imagine not texting Nate.
Yes. For now. . .
I added a side-eyes emoji, which was a little flirty. And then waited for his response. Nothing.
That was the thing about texting a guy in an active combat zone. There wasn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to the cadence of his messages. I’d learned quickly enough that he could be super chatty one second and then gone for hours the next.
But this wasn’t one of those times.
He sent back the same side-eyes emoji.
Shit. Ball was back in my court.
Keep it light.
I just realized I don’t know anything about your family. Siblings?
I didn’t have to wait long for his response.
Two brothers, both older. Younger sister. You?
Only child. Being a military wife and mom of one was apparently enough for my mother.
Couldn’t imagine not having siblings. Mine are a PITA but. . .
Yeah, it sucked TBH. That plus moving around a lot, not fun.
Lonely at times?
Yeah
If it’s any consolation, it can be lonely even in a big family sometimes.
What do you mean?
My brothers are closer in age and good friends. Went to college together. My sister is great, but we were never close enough I’d call us best buds.
How old are you btw?
Twenty-seven. You?
Twenty-nine
I almost said something about him robbing the cradle, but that presumed a lot. Too much.
Where did you go to college?
I asked instead, the comment about his brothers making me think of it.
I didn’t. Enlisted right after high school.
Oh, shit.
Sorry about that.
Nothing to be sorry for. How ‘bout you?
Penn State
Ahh, nice. Hey, gotta jump. TTYL.
And just like that, he was gone. I stared at my phone for a few more seconds and put it down. So, he was two years younger than me, came from a family of four but felt a little bit like the outsider. Which maybe had something to do with why he was so guarded. Or maybe not. Truth was, he didn’t seem all that guarded, but we hadn’t exactly been talking about really deep topics.
Not like Erik and I used to do. He loved to talk philosophically. We’d drink wine and ruminate on life. Nate didn’t even drink wine. And here I was comparing the two already, like an idiot.
I picked up my phone and texted Charlie, unable to stand it anymore. The girls would find out anyway.
Hey! Question… does Lucas have a picture of Nate by chance?
Charlee took all of ten seconds to respond. I loved how good of a texter she was.
A picture, huh? And what d’ya plan to do with said picture?
There was zero chance I was going to get away scot-free on this one.
Yeah, a picture. And I’m not answering that.
LOL. Give me a sec.
Over the next ten minutes, I tried to work. But the words on my computer screen were blurry, and no matter how many times I reread them, they didn’t make sense. I gave up and paced around my desk. At least I’d get a few steps in.
When my phone buzzed, I quite literally ran to it.
Picked it up.
And stared back at a sexy, smiling, camo-and-sunglass-wearing man. He was sitting with Lucas and another guy on the back of a pickup truck. All three of them held guns, which, oddly, made them all even sexier. Since the other guy was definitely older, I assumed Nate was on the left. Dark hair, a defined jaw, and best of all, that smile.
I suddenly wanted him to smile at me like that.
Cute, right?
He’s okay
It was a total lie, and Charlie one-hundred percent knew it.
Sure, sure. Whatever you say. ;)
No woman in her right mind would call him anything but hot. KC’s would be interesting tonight now that the gig was up.
Operation Distraction was working, but not exactly as planned. Because if anyone told me the one thing that might actually distract me, besides the impending trip to New Orleans, would be a twenty-seven-year-old army sniper currently stationed halfway across the world, I’d have said they were nuts.
But that was the thing about life sometimes. It didn’t always go according to plan, but some of the best things were also the most unexpected. I’d just go with the flow and let whatever happened, happen.
Or at least, try. I’d never been so good at that.
Maybe now was a good time to start.