“This is the easiest close we’ve ever had,” she jokes.
“If you think we’re done, gorgeous, you need to think again.” I catch her gaze, letting her know I’m not joking.
“Good to know.” She smiles. “Think you can wait until I finish my s’more, or do you feel an overwhelming need to ravish me right now?”
I shrug, pretending to consider her request. “Five minutes.”
She rolls her eyes and takes a bite. “You’re gonna need to set the timer, big guy. My phone’s out of commission.”
I laugh and reach for my phone, playing along with the joke. Turning it in my palm, I say, “Got a call from Ben today.”
“Yea? How’s Asheville? Is he still coming up for New Year’s?”
“Asheville’s great, apparently. So great that not only is he not coming up for New Year’s, he’s staying there year round.”
Her eyes go wide as she realizes what I’m saying.
“He’s selling.” I confirm.
“To you? He’s selling to you and Nolan, right?”
The panic in her voice lets me know she’s as invested in this place as she’s always been. Yea, I know. She came in here bitching about Maryland and weather and everything else, but Charlie loves it here. Listening to her now, I know there’s no way she’ll really leave.
“Yea, at least, that’s what Ben wants. And what I want too, it’s just…”
“A lot of pressure,” she finishes.
“Exactly.” She gets it. She gets me. “I mean, I know it won’t be that different. Hell, Ben is hardly ever here anymore, and Nolan and I make all the day-to-day decisions, but…” My voice trails off because I can’t put my fear into words.
“But it’ll really be yours. The safety net will be gone.” She nods in understanding, and I’m blown away. I shouldn’t be. After all, this is Charlie, and she knows me better than anyone, except for Nolan, maybe.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking when I talked to Ben earlier. That I’m up on this tightrope of owning a business, and the safety net is gone.”
“But do you need it?” she asks earnestly. “I mean, you said it yourself, Trick. You make all the daily decisions. I’ve watched you run this place like a pro. You don’t look to Ben for all the answers. Hell, you know the current market and suppliers better than he does at this point. Besides, you’ve got Nolan. Look, I know you protect him, and I get why, but he’s stronger than you give him credit for. Lean on him a little. What does he think of all this?”
“I haven’t talked to him yet,” I admit, sheepishly.
“The fuck, Trick? You guys are partners!”
“Slow your roll there, tiger.” I reach out and squeeze the hand she’s flailing in my direction. “I was about to tell him, but the snow got bad, so he headed out. We’ll talk in the morning, like we always do. And yea, maybe I just needed a couple hours to make peace with it. Sue me.”
“Ok, fine. That actually makes sense. But I’m serious about Nolan being able to handle more than you think.”
“Point taken,” I say, because she’s right. Nolan’s stronger than I’ll ever be and I need to talk to him about Ben’s proposal. “But that conversation can wait until tomorrow because, right now, there’s this beautiful half-naked woman in my bar and surely five minutes has passed, so…”
“You’re gonna need to set that time again, Trick. I need another s’more.”
I laugh, because that‘s such a Charlie thing to say. She teases and gives as good as she gets.
I grab another stack of graham crackers, and she breaks a chocolate bar in half.
Conversation flows, but we steer clear of all talk of tomorrow or douchebag exes. We’re in our little bubble, and it seems like we’d both like to stay here as long as we can.
I toast my marshmallow until it closely resembles a piece of coal, and Charlie toasts hers to a light golden brown.
“How can you eat them like that?” she asks.
I smush the charred marshmallow between the grahams and the melty chocolate oozes everywhere. Then, I take a giant bite. “Like this.”
