by Shay Savage
I stiffen slightly. I know exactly what she’s asking—am I Eastside or Westside? I bite my lip and take a deep breath.
I need some answers.
“Before I answer that question,” I say slowly, “will you answer a couple of mine?”
“Weeeell…” Cher says, drawing out the vowel far longer than necessary. She tilts her head and examines me for a moment before her smile returns. “I suppose so.”
“How long have you lived in Cascade Falls?”
“My whole life,” Cher says. “My father worked on the construction of the lodge back in the eighties.”
“I’ve only been here a couple of weeks, and I’m trying to figure out this whole “West Side-East Side thing. Can you explain it to me?”
Cher pauses, her smile waning. She hastily scans the room as if she might encounter a spy hidden in a shadowy alcove.
“Yeah—that’s what I’m trying to figure out,” I mumble, and Cher looks back to me quickly.
“It’s a bit of a…family feud issue,” she says quietly. “To be honest, we don’t talk about it.”
“I got that idea,” I say, “but how am I suppose to keep myself from committing regional faux pas when I don’t understand any of it?”
“You seem like a nice girl, Cherry,” she says, “and since you were kind enough to let me sit with you, I’ll give you a very brief overview, but then I need to get back to work.”
“That would be helpful, I’m sure.”
“But first, tell me where you live.”
“East side of town.”
She lets out a long breath, clearly relieved. Leaning back in her chair, she closes her eyes for a moment before looking back at me.
“There are two prominent families in Cascade Falls—the Orsos and the Ramsays. The Orso family is on the east side of town and the Ramsays on the west. Their conflict goes back decades—way before I was born—and I’m not exactly sure how it all got started, but they hate each other with a daytime-drama-like passion. Both families are into the real estate business—keeping to their own side of town, obviously—and both families have other businesses, too. For the most part, they stay out of each other’s way.”
“So, two big families have grief with each other. I get that, but why is the whole town involved?”
“In Cascade Falls, you have to choose a side,” Cher says with a shrug.
“Why?”
“It’s just safer that way,” she says as she stands up. “Sorry, my break is over. I need to get back. It was good to meet you, Cherry.”
She runs off before I can say another word, and I’m left with even more questions than I had before. I pitch my empty coffee cup and head back to the car.
*****
It’s five minutes before eight o’clock, and my hands are starting to sweat. I rub my palms on my jeans and force myself to stop pacing by plopping my ass on the kitchen chair.
“You are still being ridiculous,” I say aloud. “What if he gets held up and doesn’t call? Are you going to sit here all night waiting for the phone to ring?”
I stare at the phone as if it has any answers for me. I check the text messages to see if there are any ellipses under his name, but there are not.
“Ridiculous,” I say again. I place the phone on the table in front of me and push the chair back. I swallow hard. It’s now two minutes until eight o’clock.
If I am to face facts, I’m thrilled that Nate seems interested in me though also a little baffled. I’m not accustomed to attention from men. After Justin, I preferred to find my relationships in book boyfriends—ones that never faltered in their dedication to the heroine and certainly didn’t roll over post tryst and proclaim their alternative sexuality. With real men, I don’t try very hard and was once told I was standoffish and unapproachable. I don’t know why I come off that way, but I also assume it to be that part of myself that is only visible to others.
“Do I have resting bitch face?” I hold up the phone and flip the camera around as if to take a selfie. I don’t see anything either wrong with or particularly interesting about my face.
Regardless, I’m not sure how to respond to a man’s approach, especially not a rich, gorgeous one. I’m not even sure if I’m reading him right at all, and my own insecurities keep telling me that he’s just being nice to the new girl and not coming on to me at all. A man that attractive with that much money has to have women dripping off of him and no need to pursue some socially awkward girl from nowhere Maryland.
At exactly eight, the phone rings. I take a deep breath before I pick it up and accept the call.
“Hello?” My heart pounds.
“Hello, Cherry.” Nate’s deep, smooth voice makes my skin tingle. “How was your day?”
I close my eyes, clearly visualizing his strong, square jaw and black hair. Did he have stubble again today, or had he shaved? I open my eyes and shake my head to clear it.
“Pretty good,” I say, trying to maintain a little control or at least not sound like I’m bouncing up and down in my seat. “I took a long walk in the woods and then went for coffee at the lodge.”
“How did you find the trees?” he asks.
“Tall.” I laugh. “Really, it’s a beautiful forest.”
“I’m glad you liked it. I’ve spent a lot of time hiking the trails around there. Did you see the lake, too?”
“Not this time. I took the longer trail through the woods instead. I’ll have to go back another time to see the lake.”
“I’d love to show it to you sometime. I have a boat out there.”
Of course he does.
“It’s not very big,” Nate says, “but good for skiing in the summer and general exploring the water whenever the weather cooperates.”
“Sounds nice.”
“Do you ski?”
“Never tried water skiing. I’ve done some snow skiing before.”
“Well, some of the principles are the same,” Nate says. “The trick to water skiing is just getting up out of the water. It takes a little practice, but I could show you the ropes.”
I shiver at the word “ropes.” I’ve clearly read too many romance books involving bondage.
“That’s…very nice of you to offer.”
“I’m being too forward and assuming, aren’t I?”
“I…I don’t know.” I lick my lips, but my mouth still feels just as dry. I keep picturing his piercing blue eyes and mesmerizing grin. “I mean, we just met, and you are trying to make summer plans.”
I bite my lip as I realize I must sound standoffish and unapproachable—just as I had been told.
“I’m sorry. I’ll tone it down.” I can hear his sigh through the phone. “I really had a great time talking to you last night, Cherry. It brightened up an otherwise grueling day, and I’m grateful for it.”
I take a deep breath and try to repair the damage made from my last comment.
“Well, the night certainly ended on a high note, especially considering how it all started.”
“Yes.” His tone is dark. “Well, I’m sure you’ll never see him again.”
I consider this a moment, wondering what he means. I hadn’t heard from Aaron since he was thrown out of the club, but I also hadn’t checked the online app.
“Did you…did you ban him from the club?” I ask.
“Yes, I did,” Nate says after a brief pause. “I didn’t care for his conduct, and he assaulted one of my security people. I wouldn’t be a good businessman if I didn’t make sure that isn’t going to happen again. Aside from that, he was rude to you, and I simply couldn’t tolerate that.”
“Well, you didn’t have to do all that on my account, but it’s good to know I have at least one place I won’t run into him again. What a jerk!”
“Yes, he was.” Nate laughs softly.
I relax slightly, hoping I’m back on the right track and not revealing any resting bitch face through the phone. I want to question him about his life, but I have no idea where to start. Then I
remember something he mentioned earlier.
“So, did you get your business taken care of today?” I ask.
“Business?”
“You said something about it this morning,” I remind him, “when you were texting me.”
“Oh, so I did. Yes, it’s all dealt with.”
“Sorry you had to work on a Sunday.”
“It’s all right.” Nate chuckles softly.
“So, what did you have to do?” I ask, pressing him for a bit more detail. “Something to do with the club? Did you have to count up all the drink receipts?”
“No, nothing like that.” He pauses for a moment. “It wasn’t so much business business as it was family business. I was assisting with the preparations for my brother-in-law’s funeral.”
“Oh! I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s all right,” Nate says quickly. “My sister is understandably upset and not handling it well, so I took care of some of the arrangements.”
“When is the funeral?” I really want to ask for details about what happened to his brother-in-law, but I can’t come up with a polite way of asking.
“Wednesday,” he says causally. “There is a public viewing in the morning. Then the burial will be held privately later in the afternoon.”
I resist the urge to drag my laptop over and start poking around for information, but I don’t even have a name to search for, and the very idea is so stalkerish, I have to stop myself.
Jessie said that the whole east side of town showed up for Nate’s brother’s funeral, and I wonder if that will happen again for his brother-in-law. Should I plan on attending? I don’t even know the man’s name.
“What kind of coffee drink did you order at the lodge?” Nate asks, clearly opting for a new topic.
“A latte. Why?”
“Just trying to learn your preferences.”
“Well, I like the coffee strong but with a lot of cream in it. How about you?”
“Oh, just black for me, but I do like it strong. Did you listen to music in your car?”
“I flipped around the radio stations,” I say. “I haven’t found one that really calls to me yet. Do you have a favorite?”
“I like the heavy metal stations,” Nate says with a laugh. “Loud music relaxes me. Does that make sense?”
“Not at all.” I laugh along with him, but I’m still thinking about coffee. His question reminded me of my conversation with Cher and the slight amount of information she provided that just made me want to know more.
Maybe I should come out and ask Nate about the whole thing. After all, he is part of one of the feuding families and should be privy to a lot more detail than I could get out of my casual conversation with Cher.
I hesitate, trying to pick the right words for the question forming in my mind. I take a deep breath, readying myself to blurt it out before it’s too late, but Nate speaks first.
“I should let you go,” Nate says. “It’s getting late.”
And my opportunity has passed.
“As much as I’d like to spend the whole night talking to you,” Nate says, “I know you’ll need to call Melissa early tomorrow to get that interview. I’m sure they need someone to start right away.”
“Well, I was planning on calling her in the morning.”
“Wouldn’t want you to arrive to an interview unprepared due to lack of sleep, especially when it would be my fault.”
“You seem pretty confident about me getting this job.”
“I am. You are more than qualified for it, and if you do well, there are better positions in your future, should you want them.”
“I suppose that’s…promising.” I swallow hard.
The uncomfortable feeling in my stomach makes my muscles tense. Did he tell Melissa I was going to be calling about a job, or was he planning to do so? Would I walk into an interview with the manager already knowing what kind of coffee I like?
“Good night, Cherry,” Nate says softly.
I can still hear him breathing into the phone as if there is something more he wants to say.
“Good night, Nate,” I finally reply.
I pause, staring at the phone until he ends the call, then sit back and continue to stare at the blank screen for a moment, processing the conversation in my head.
At least I know it wasn’t just the alcohol talking last night. He was charming and clearly interested in seeing me again. Did I want to see him? Yes, of course I did. In fact, I couldn’t wait to see him again.
“Don’t be such a pushover,” I mutter. “You don’t know anything about this guy except that he’s rich, and that is not a plus.”
Jessie told me to be careful.
I consider knocking on Jessie’s door and demanding an explanation, but I’m not sure if I’m in the mood for her level of energy at this time of night. I yawn.
Nate was right about one thing; I need to get some sleep.
Chapter 9—Interview
“Have you ever dealt with governmental forms?”
I plaster what I hope is a confident smile on my face as I try to stop my hands from shaking. Interviews have always scared the crap out of me though I’ve never actually had an interview where I didn’t get the job. Then again, I’ve only interviewed twice in my life before today. I felt the same way as I do now even though the interviewers had been friends of my aunt’s.
“Well, I’ve filed taxes,” I say, still smiling.
Melissa raises an eyebrow, clearly not amused.
“No, outside of that I really haven’t had the opportunity.”
“They can be really complicated,” Melissa says, “or rather, unintuitive and ridiculously repetitive. Once the tree surveys are done, all the forms have to be filled out the proper way.”
“I’m sure I can figure that out,” I say. “I’m very meticulous.”
“That’s a plus.” Melissa stares down at my resume.
“I have references, too.” I quickly pull out another sheet of paper from my folder. “One is from my manager at the diner, and the other is from the head librarian. I know they aren’t local, but I’m sure they’ll tell you I was always on time and hardly ever had to call off work.”
“Hmm.” Melissa doesn’t look up.
I swallow, lick my lips, and stare awkwardly at the paper on the table, not sure what to do next. My nervousness is getting the better of me, and no amount of box breathing seems to be helping.
“I don’t really know a lot about the maple syrup industry,” I say quickly, “but I do love the outdoors, and the forest here is beautiful.”
“This position wouldn’t be directly involved with Rosa Syrup processing,” Melissa says, still not looking up. “We provide more of a preparatory step with the information we gather going to both the state and the industry.”
“Well, I can certainly count trees!” I laugh, then quickly stifle myself. I bite my lip, hoping I hadn’t just blown it.
Melissa raises an eyebrow at me.
“Relax,” she says. “You’ve got the job. I just need to do a background check, but I’m sure that will all be fine unless you have a history of setting forest fires I should know about.”
“No, ma’am, I do not.”
“Good to know. Don’t call me ma’am again. It’s just Melissa.”
“Of course. Sorry, Melissa.”
“I’ll run your background check today and call you tomorrow with a schedule. It should be pretty steady, but the hours can be flexible just as long as I know when you’re out there. Can you start on Thursday?”
“Absolutely! That sounds good! Thank you so much!” Relief combines with way over-the-top enthusiasm, and I crumple the edge of my reference list when I grip it too tightly. “I’m really excited to be working with you.”
“I’m sure you’ll do great.” Melissa’s tone is deadpan as she stands and motions toward the door.
I stand and collect my papers, shoving them back into their folder. Melissa follows me to the door, opening i
t for me. We shake hands briefly as I thank her again, but her tone and posture bother me. Maybe it’s just her personality, but it feels like something else. I take two steps down the hall but then pause and turn back.
“Melissa, may I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
Ah, shit! I have no idea how to word my question without sounding…sounding…what? Unsure of myself? Pathetic? If I’m completely off base, I’ll sounds like a nutcase, but I need to know. I take in a breath and expel the words.
“Am I getting this job just because Nate Orso recommended me?”
Melissa doesn’t blink or hesitate.
“Yes.”
“What?” I’m surprised by her blunt response.
“Did you want a different answer?” Melissa asks.
“Well, yes,” I say, a little indignant. “I think I am actually qualified for the job.”
“The job requires you to be able to walk for long periods, identify maple trees, and count. Most people are qualified for it.”
“But I get it because Nate told you to hire me.” I’m being far too blunt, but I can’t seem to help myself.
“He didn’t tell me to hire you,” she says, clearly resenting the idea. “He just called and said I should interview you, which I did, but I’m not an idiot.”
“An idiot?” I narrow my eyes.
“He clearly wants you to have the job.” Melissa gestures toward me. “I’m not about to say no, especially when I need three people, and you seem as good as any.”
I frown, not wanting to see myself categorized in such a degrading way but also realizing this job doesn’t require a complicated skill set, and her logic isn’t off. But to have her put it so bluntly has left me completely mortified.
I could have gotten this job without Nate’s help.
“So, he does this a lot, then?” My tone stings my own lips.
“No, he doesn’t.” Melissa cocks her head at me. “Actually, he’s never done this before, at least not to me. I figure he must really want you employed here, so you get the job. Don’t you want it?”
“Well, yes, of course. I just…” I can’t finish the sentence.
“Cherry, I’m fine with it, so don’t look so upset.”
I manage to nod, but I can’t come up with any more words.
