Alaskan Nights

by Nadia Scrieva

  Alaskan Nights

  By Nadia Scrieva

  Copyright 2014 Nadia Scrieva

  Smashwords Edition

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Chapter 1: The Coffee Empire

  “Honey, if you keep scrubbing that hard you’re going to break the dish in half.”

  Brynne looked up from the plate that she had been scouring for the last few minutes. She sent her coworker a blank expression, as though she had forgotten where she was and what she had been doing. “Sorry, Rhonda.”

  The matronly woman wiped her hands on her apron as she stared at the younger girl with concern. “Is everything okay, dear?”

  “Sure,” Brynne said, placing the plate in the drying tray. “Sure.”

  “Does this have to do with the phone call you received earlier? You have been a million miles away since that conversation with your mom.”

  “Not a million,” Brynne said vacantly. “Just about ten thousand.”

  “You’ve been working way too hard, honey. Maybe you should take a few days off.”

  Brynne nodded, still feeling dazed. She turned to the mountain of dirty dishes she had yet to polish, and before her eyes, the tower seemed to grow and wobble, threatening to crash down and bury her under an avalanche of ceramic shards.

  “Your father was arrested this morning. Please come home.”

  The words still reverberated in her skull. Confusion and apprehension had settled in her gut like a rock; Brynne knew that she needed to take action, but she felt too firmly rooted in place to escape.

  “What’s the problem here, ladies?” asked a masculine voice from the other end of the kitchen.

  “Just the man we need!” Rhonda said with a firm nod. “Andrew, I really think Brynne should take a few days off.” She placed a chubby hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “I don’t mind pulling double shifts to pick up the slack around here. You’re working the poor girl to the bone.”

  “No way,” Andrew said. “Brynne is great with the customers. She knows that I need her to help out around here, especially now that I’m opening a second café downtown. It’s a critical time for the business, and Brynne’s my girl.”

  Rhonda noticed the younger woman flinching at these words. She put her hands on her hips indignantly. “Now, Andrew, that’s no way to treat the young lady. There’s obviously something bothering her—some family problems—and you need to let her relax. She’s in here, slaving away for you every day without pay…”

  “Without pay?” Andrew repeated in surprise. “I let her live in my condo rent-free. The last time I checked, I was the closest thing to family she had. I take care of Brynne, and in exchange, she takes care of me by helping out with the café. That’s our arrangement, Rhonda, so don’t poke your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

  “Andrew,” Brynne said quietly. “I’m very grateful, of course, for all your help these past few years. But I think Rhonda’s right. I have to take a few days off, and maybe head home…”

  “Head home?” Andrew asked in surprise. “Home to Alaska?”

  “Yes,” Brynne said, lowering her eyes. “My parents need me.”

  “How are you going to afford a plane ticket? You have no money,” Andrew reminded her.

  Brynne hesitated, glancing at Rhonda. “Well, I was hoping I could borrow some money from you, Andrew. I do have some tip money saved up…”

  “We were going to use that to replace the broken tiles on the counter,” Andrew said in disbelief. “Don’t you remember? We wanted to give the café a fresh look. Don’t you care about this business at all, Brynne?”

  “I do, Andrew!” she insisted. “I am here every day. I have worked every single day for four years. I know how much I owe you for giving me a job and a place to stay—I would never consider leaving if it weren’t an emergency.”

  Andrew shook his head in anger. “I thought the café was important to you. I wanted you to make you co-owner. I thought we could be partners… for life.” Walking forward, the boss placed his hands on either side of Brynne’s face, cupping her cheeks gently. “I was going to ask you to marry me, Brynne. You know I’m planning to open more cafes in the South End. We could achieve great things together—we could take over Seattle! But if you walk out on me now, then I’m going to walk out on you. I’m going to look for someone else to build my empire with.” With this, he pulled away from her and marched out of the room in a huff. The kitchen door swung back and forth furiously in his wake.

  “My goodness, but that man is sensitive!” Rhonda declared.

  “Marriage?” Brynne whispered, turning to grasp the edge of the sink. She was unsure whether the butterflies in her stomach were from excitement or horror. “That makes sense, doesn’t it, Rhonda? He’s an impressive guy. He’s very successful for someone so young. I would be lucky to marry a guy like that.”

  “Yes, dear, every girl dreams of being the queen of an empire of coffee and cheesecake.”

  Brynne smiled weakly. “I can’t afford to go home without his help, anyway. I guess I might as well stay and try to prove to him that I’m as dedicated to this business as he is.”

  “Oh, darling.” Rhonda groaned and shook her head. “When you first came into this place, you were such a spunky young lady. I don’t know what happened that turned you into that man’s little bitch.”

  “What?” Brynne asked with wide eyes. “I am not anyone’s little…”

  “Yes, you are,” Rhonda said with a tender smile. “You try so hard to satisfy Andrew, and I’m not sure why. Do you even like him?”

  “I…” Brynne hesitated. “Sure, I do. I admire him.”

  “Admiring a man isn’t nearly enough,” Rhonda counseled with a sigh. “Sweetie, let me give you the money for a plane ticket. Go home and see your family. Forget Andrew and his egotistic, narcissistic, self-absorbed...”

  “Oh, Rhonda, you’re so sweet,” Brynne said, reaching out to give the older woman a hug. “You don’t understand what it’s like where I come from—Alaska is a different world. Things might be bad for us here, but they’re nowhere near as bad as things used to be when I was growing up. I’m afraid that if I go back and see the crap-heap that my parents are living in, and see how much they have to struggle just to get by—well, I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave. I’ll be guilty, and I’ll feel obliged to stay and help out. The place just sucks you in and holds you captive.”

  “But they’re your parents, Brynne. Would you really sacrifice your connections with your family for being a waitress? For Andrew? Family is the most important thing in the world, more important than money. I know you’re unhappy here—maybe you should be in Alaska. Just let me buy you a plane ticket, and you can figure it out.”

  “No, no,” Brynne said. “I couldn’t take anything from you—I know that you’re barely managing to put your son through school. Don’t worry about me; I’ll be fine. I know that Andrew seems a bit insensitive, but he really does take care of me.”

  “Sure, honey. Sure he does.” Rhonda sent Brynne a skeptical look as she removed her apron and got ready to leave. “You always spoke of starting your own business—why are you reducing yourself to being his slave?”

  “I’m not his slave, Rhon!” Brynne said with a laugh. “He respects me. You heard—he’s thinking of marrying me. Wouldn’t that be nice?” />
  “If you want to be his miserable little serving wench for the rest of your life,” Rhonda muttered. She moved to leave, but turned back to send Brynne a final whimsical look. “Don’t make the same mistakes that I did, Brynne. Don’t build your life around a man’s false promises. You could be so much more—you could do so much more. Isn’t that why you left home in the first place? You owe it to yourself to get out of here while you still can. Every day you come to work and give Andrew 100% of your energy, is another day that you are wasting your talents on someone else’s dream—a dream that doesn’t include you. He’s using you. Any idiot could see this. You are a brilliant, strong young lady, and you should chase your own dream. You should do it for me—I’m an old woman, and my glory days are over, but if you choose, yours are yet to come. Do it for all women, so we can look to you for inspiration. If you choose Andrew, you’re settling for less than you deserve.”

  Brynne gave her friend a smile. “You think far too highly of me, Rhonda. Go home—get some rest.” She returned to the giant pile of dishes, and began to tackle her task once more. She had worked her way through half the stack before she found herself frozen stiff and unable to move. She stared at the water that was gushing out of the faucet, remembering the waves crashing on the rocky shores of her hometown. Try as she might, she could not seem to force her hands to pick up another dish. Brynne stood motionlessly for what felt like a whole minute before she felt a small vibration against her hip. Looking down, she saw that that her phone was ringing in her apron pocket. Praying for good news, she dried her hands and turned off the faucet before answering the call.

  “Hello?” she said into the small rectangle.

  “Hey, B! Whew, I sure am glad you didn’t change your number!”

  The voice was familiar and foreign at the same time. A kindly face danced across her memory, reminding her of the youth and laughter she had lost years before. She could clearly see a boyish grin, framed by disheveled brown curls. She could remember the playful twinkle in a pair of hazel eyes, sprinkled with flecks of mischievous green.

  “Callder?” she asked softly. “Is that you?”

  “Yes! I knew you’d recognize my voice. Look, Brynne, I’m kind of in the neighborhood—and I heard the news about your dad. How about we head back home together?”

  “I—I don’t know,” she responded. “I don’t really have the money for a plane ticket right now.”

  “What?” he barked. “But I thought you were a rich, big-city girl now! That’s what everyone is saying back home.”

  “I lied,” she said quietly, staring at the gathering soap suds in the sink.

  “Well, no worries. I lie all the time. Like five times a day, minimum,” he assured her. “So how’s life been treating you? Are you still beautiful, badass, and cheeky?”

  “No,” she admitted.

  “You just can’t stop lying, can you? Hey, B, don’t worry about the cash. I can spot you some, easy. I’m heading back to Alaska anyway, and it would be great to have your company!” Callder’s voice was pleasant and casual, as if no time had passed since their last conversation.

  “I appreciate the offer,” Brynne told him, “but the truth is that I can’t get away from work right now. My boss is really anal, and he’s not cool with me leaving. I’m on track for a… management position, but if I take time off now I could screw myself over.”

  There was a pause on the other end of the line. “But Brynne, it’s your dad. You know what happened to mine. Won’t it be fun to bail Mr. Ambrose out of jail and poke fun at him for being arrested? Come on, it’s family stuff. Surely your boss will understand if you explain the situation?”

  “He’s not really the understanding type. He’s too focused on the business to make allowances for personal matters,” Brynne explained, popping soap suds with her fingertip.

  “Screw him! He sounds like a dick.”

  Brynne smiled. “Nah. He’s just really passionate about his career. Sometimes you have to be strict if you want to be successful.”

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever. How about I pass by in an hour or so and we can talk about it then? Where are you? Somewhere in Los Angeles, right?”

  Brynne hesitated. “No, Callder. I lied about everything. I never got to be a makeup artist in Hollywood—I’m actually just a waitress in a café in Seattle.”

  “Oh.” Callder took a moment to process this. “Well, that’s okay. Still in the neighborhood! It might take me a little more than an hour to drive over though. How about I pass by in the morning?”

  “You’re ridiculous,” she said with a smile. “Where are you? I bet you’re nowhere near the neighborhood.”

  “Do you want to go home or not, B?”

  She exhaled slowly. “I do. I just don’t think it’s possible right now…”

  “Bullshit! Pack your things. Text me your address. I’m taking you home tomorrow.”

  The phone line went dead. Brynne found herself smiling. There was no mistaking that the butterflies in her stomach were now fluttering with excitement. The creatures were so perky that they managed to escape her stomach and twirl through her limbs, infusing her with a burst of energy.

  Somehow, that boy’s voice had been the one she most wanted to hear. The mere thought of seeing him again was enough to pick her out of her depressed lethargy. She quickly texted him her address before dropping the phone back in her apron. Reaching out to flick the radio on, she rotated the volume knob all the way up. As she picked up a dish and began to scrub again, there was a new spring of speed in her movement. The pile seemed to disappear within seconds. Moving around the kitchen to clean up, her steps had a bit of bounce and energy that had not been there before. As she grabbed her mop and moved out into the empty café, she began to hum along to the radio as she polished the floors.

  Finally, Brynne found herself collapsing in one of the booths, tired but happy as she became lost in a pleasant nostalgia. She curled her legs up under her as she stared out at the dark night sky, knowing that the sun was still shining at home. It was the middle of the summer, and the sky would stay bright for days on end in the northern parts of Alaska. She remembered the all-night camping trips she’d had with her friends, begging her parents to let her leave the shop for a few days to celebrate the “white nights” of the summer. She remembered Callder Murphy, sitting on the other side of the campfire and telling stories in his loud and obnoxious voice. She remembered being unable to keep from laughing; she remembered laughing until she had cried. She remembered sneaking off into the forest with him, when all her friends had fallen asleep, and walking for hours under the mild light of dusk. She remembered him pushing her against a tree and stealing her first kiss. She remembered taking her shoes off and walking barefoot in the sand as they talked about their dreams.

  Looking around at the empty café, Brynne realized that none of those dreams had come true. She was only twenty-two, but she felt like she had failed miserably. Would Callder even recognize her? Only a few years ago, she had been vibrant and fierce, and full of promise and potential. She had been ready to take the world by storm, but nothing had gone as planned. She wished that she could somehow go back to those bright Alaskan nights, to the romance and excitement of her youth, when she could stay up for days on end, high on the thrill of being alive, and dazzled by the majesty of the nature all around her.

  Those had been the best days of her life.

  Chapter 2: The Car Crash

  “Brynne, wake up.”

  She stirred against the red leather cushions of the café booth. She shielded her eyes against the morning light, startled to see that Andrew was standing above her.

  “Why didn’t you come home last night?” he demanded.

  She squinted and cleared her throat. “I guess I was just tired. I sat down for a few minutes to rest and…”

  “We open in twenty minutes. You didn’t even finish refilling the ketchup bottles.”

  Brynne blinked. “I cleaned this place until it was spotles
s. I can do the ketchup later.”

  “Why do you always do this to me?” Andrew asked.

  “Do what?” she asked, stifling a yawn.

  “Disappoint me.”

  Brynne frowned. “Are you kidding?”

  “It’s like you don’t take me seriously. You don’t take us seriously,” Andrew told her. He gestured around him to the modest restaurant. “You don’t take this seriously!”

  “I—I’m sorry,” Brynne said, straightening herself and trying to combat her feelings of guilt. She was not even sure why she felt remorse. Andrew had a certain way of looking at her that made her feel like she had done something wrong. She knew that he only meant to push her to be more productive and on task. Still, she could not help feeling insulted. “I’ll try to do better.”

  Andrew sighed and moved to sit in the booth beside her. He rested his elbows on the tabletop. “I’m not sure if this is working out between us, Brynne. I’m not sure we’re a good fit. Maybe you should look for work elsewhere… and find a different place to stay.”

  “Andrew—are you kicking me out?” she whispered. “Who’s going to run things for you around here?”

  “I’ll find a way to manage. I’ll find someone who likes the restaurant industry, and actually wants to make this a career. For the long term.”

  “I do want to make this a career!” Brynne insisted desperately. “Andrew, I’m with you in this 100%. Can’t you see that?”

  “I thought you were. Then you started speaking of leaving—and then you didn’t come home. I just don’t know what to think about your erratic behavior, Brynne. You’re raising some red flags.”

  “Andrew, please…”

  Rhonda walked into the café at that moment, and Brynne looked to her frantically. “Rhon, please talk to him. He wants to fire me and kick me out of the condo.”

  “Fire her?” Rhonda asked in surprise. “Who do you expect to run this place?”