And that can mean only one thing.
I now have the perfect excuse to contact him after he goes home.
Chapter 11
Ethan
The Chinese dinner lastnight was amazing. I suspect that most of it has to do with the fact that Jake was the one at the hot counter. He whipped me the chef’s special, and it was mind-blowingly good. The combination of sweet and sour, the tenderness of the meat, the consistency of the rice and noodles, the way the vegetables were cooked. It all worked together so well, even if the dishes were so different from the typical Chinese I’ve had.
I take a bite from the quesadilla and watch the people milling in and out of the restaurant. It’s lunch time and Jake is busy manning the main counter as one of the other chefs got sick. He got called in the morning just as we were having breakfast in my room. We’d planned to go into the village again, but that’s not happening anymore.
Sighing, I open my laptop. Without him to keep me company, I’m back to being utterly bored. I can’t believe how quickly I got used to his high energy, to the point where I miss it now that he’s not around. It’s one thing to sit at a table and watch him for a few hours while dinner service lasts, but it’sentirely different not being able to chat to him for more than a couple of minutes every other hour or so.
I gave him the vampire romance last night after I finished it, and we were going to discuss the first chapter this morning. But then he had to sub in. I crush the napkin with my hand and squeeze it. Yeah, I think it’s very understandable that I am more than a little annoyed. I’d go talk to the hotel management, but it will do more harm than anything else. And I don’t want to make Jake’s life harder just because I can’t hold in my own tantrum. It’s silly. I’ve never felt this way over something like this.
“You got this, Ethan. Just find something to do. It’s just like old times.”
Except that it’s not. Everything has changed, no matter what logic I throw at things. Jake has shown me that there is more to life than work, and it’s kind of hard to revert back to thinking otherwise. Especially when the source of such thoughts is so close, yet I’m not allowed to reach for him and drag him to my room so we can hang out.
If I’m being honest, I’m equally happy to follow him around and watch him do his job all day. I even kind of indirectly tried to convince the kitchen staff to let me, but they frowned at me and told me guests aren’t allowed anywhere near the food. It makes sense of course, but at the same time, couldn’t they just make an exception for me? It’s not like I’m asking for a lot.
Scoffing at my ridiculous line of logic, I open the file with Jake’s business proposal. I know I promised not to treat it as work, but dire circumstances call for grave measures. I intend to keep most of it—I am a man of my word—but I can have another quick peek.
Just like last time, it’s immediately clear to me how much thought Jake has put into this. The further I read, the more excited I get. I don’t know if he got help from someone or if he is some kind of a genius, but this is one of the best proposals I’veever read. I cannot act on it personally—it would be disrespectful and unfair to Jake—but that doesn’t mean this has to turn into a wasted opportunity for Jake.
After I send a couple of emails, I go back to my room and give the show Jake was watching a try. It’s actually not bad at all, and by the time it reaches the half point, I am completely invested into the holographic girl’s quest. The ending sequence is a full-blown Christmas party, but even that has me smiling. It looks fun. I think if Jake was with me, I wouldn’t mind throwing one like it for my closest people. I bet they’d be shocked.
The rest of my day is spent binging the main portion of the series the Christmas special is based on. I am having a great time, but I can’t help but feel like something is missing. If Jake was around, we could chat and speculate together. We’d make out between the episodes. Stuff ourselves with popcorn, soda and ice-cream because he’s that type.
My phone rings. It’s the hotel reception number. I pick up.
“Hello, Mr. Ward. We have great news. The council just called with an update on the roads. They should be cleared and sufficiently accessible by tomorrow evening. I’ve already spoken to the hotel management. Arrangements have been made for one of our cars to take you to Edmonton as soon as the council gives traffic the green light.”
Oh. That’s… “This is great news. Thank you.”
“No problem, Mr. Ward. Apologies again for the inconvenience,” the woman says and hangs up.
I hold my phone and stare at the screen. My chest feels a little tight. One more day in this hell and I’m going home. I should be happy. I should be celebrating.
Yet all I can think about is what am I going to do back in Miami with no Jake around to distract me.
I don’t get to see Jake until the next morning because his shift finishes late. He comes to my room at nine sharp, looking ready to tackle anything the day throws at us.
“You look so lovely I think you should keep them,” he says in his sexy voice, biting on his lip as he gives me an unabashed once-over. “You know, despite them being a size or two too big.”
I’ve put on his jacket and scarf as instructed in his text. It said he will be picking me up to go out, so I should be ready. I shift my weight, suppressing an appreciative groan. His clothes aren’t the only thing I am wearing. I have a surprise for him and I can’t wait to see his reaction.
Nuzzling into the scarf, I inhale his lingering scent. “They’ve grown on me. So, I think you are right.”
He shakes his head as I lock the door. “They are practically yours now, anyway. It would be unfair of me to deprive you of them. Who knows, maybe it will snow in Miami one of these days and you’ll find use for them there.”
My heart lurches. I haven’t told him about the call yet. I don’t know how, because this is the last day we have together, and I don’t want to ruin it. But I’ll have to at some point, so it’s best I did it sooner rather than later.
I wait until we are outside and the crispy air surrounds me. It’s finally stopped snowing. The sun is bright in the sky, shining down on us and making the white blinding. It’s so potent we have to wear ski-goggles with tinted glass.
“I got a call yesterday,” I say as we head toward the hills with the trees. “The roads have almost been cleared and a car will be taking me to Edmonton in the morning.”
Jake nods, gracing me with a smile. It’s a little less radiant than usual, a little sad, too. “Yeah, I know. I stopped by the reception this morning and they told me. A technician will be coming first thing tonight with spare parts so the faulty circuit can be replaced.”
