Chapter 23 #2
She said she had another job to go to, but she'd mentioned that she had a lot of messages about potential jobs and that she needed to go through them.
I thought we had time. She'd said she took time off between jobs and recharged at her condo.
I'd hoped that she'd decide to do that here with me.
I'd waited too long to tell her how I felt.
When I arrived at the brewery, the lot was full, and I parked on the side of the building. It was nice to see so many people in the tasting room. A band was getting ready to play on the stage.
The brewery was a resounding success, and the inn was getting needed updates. My business was growing and expanding. Everything was working out. Except I didn't have the one person I wanted in my life.
I stood by the bar and waited for Beck to come my way. "I thought you'd be with Kennedy after your big meeting."
"She left." It felt like my stomach had been hollowed out.
Beck dipped his head. "What did you say? Because I thought you said she left."
I nodded, my heart still racing. "She checked out of her room while we were meeting as a family."
Beck raised his finger, the universal sign for wait a minute, and then he talked to the other bartender. Then he came around the counter and said, "Follow me."
He led me to the back where there was a private bar area for groups and parties. It was empty tonight.
He went behind the bar and poured a shot. "I don't like to offer liquor in the brewery, but this calls for a shot."
I sat on the stool across from him, wondering how lucky I was to have Beck as a friend.
He passed the glass to me. "What the hell happened?"
I downed the shot and set the glass on the countertop. "I don't know. I was planning to see her after the meeting."
His brow furrowed. "Did you talk about getting together?"
I ran a hand through my hair. "Not in so many words. We always met at the end of the day. It was our thing. We didn't text about details or whether it would happen. It was just assumed."
He gestured at me. "Go on."
"I knocked on her door, but no one answered. I assumed she was somewhere on the property, so I texted her to let me know where to meet her. When I walked through the lobby, the clerk told me she'd checked out. She'd said something about a job she couldn't pass up."
"But why would she leave before talking to you?"
I leaned my elbows on the counter as Beck poured a brew for me.
"As far as I knew, she needed to go through the potential jobs and vet them first. Then she liked to take time off between jobs to reset.
I hoped she'd take that time here in Colorado, and we'd be able to talk.
But the clerk said she got an offer and had to leave right away. "
Beck pushed the glass in front of me. "How did it go when you told her how you felt?"
I sighed. "I didn't."
He paused. "You didn't tell her how you felt?"
"I was planning to do that tonight." I was too late, and now she was gone. I'd never get a chance to tell her. "What if this was her way of saying that she didn't feel the same way? We were only supposed to be together while she was in town, and our time was up."
He braced his hands on the counter. "That's bullshit, and you know it. It changed a long time ago for you, and I bet it did for her too."
"I don't know. The facts are that she's gone. She didn't feel the need to talk to me at all. Her work was more important. I was always worried that was the case, and I was right." I felt like the bottom had dropped out, and I had nothing to hold on to.
"You're an idiot," he said tightly.
I frowned. "That was unnecessary."
He shook his head. "You waited to talk to her, and you brought this on yourself."
"She's the one who left."
He threw his hands in the air. "Because you never told her how you felt. How can you expect a different outcome when you never talked to her? You screwed up."
My shoulders tensed. "She's the one who left without a word. She's in the wrong."
He leveled me with a look. "Does it matter who's wrong or right if you're alone right now?"
I sighed. "This sucks."
He nodded. "What are you going to do about it?"
"I don't see how I could do anything. She left and didn't tell me where she went. Hell, she didn't tell me anything at all. She obviously doesn't feel the same way I do, or she would have stayed."
"That's one conclusion you could make. But there's a half-dozen others that work too. You said you didn't know where she was going?"
"To a job. The last time I talked to her, she hadn't even gone through the possibilities, so I don't even know where to look. One thing's for certain; she didn't go home."
"Then you're stuck until she contacts you."
"Will she contact me?" I was feeling more insecure about the connection I thought we had if she could just up and leave so easily.
"She assumed your relationship was a fling that ran its course. Why would she reach out again if she didn't think you felt anything at all?"
"I don't know." I had messed things up, and I wasn't sure there was any way to fix it. Especially if she was gone. She didn't have to respond to my texts.
"Hopefully, she'll get back to you."
"I haven't called her yet. She's probably in the air." I had no idea where she was even headed.
"Call her. Tell her how you feel."
"I don't want to do that over the phone." I had this whole romantic plan to tell her tonight.
"You gotta do whatever you have to, to show her how you feel. You're not going to get many more chances."
The question was, did I deserve another chance? I'd obviously screwed up if she thought she could just walk away for a job. I hadn't given her a reason to stay, and now I was worried that it was too late.