“I hope you enjoy the slopes here,” she giggles, suspecting nothing. “Maybe you won’t want to travel as much if you fall in love with our mountains.”
I chuckle. “Don’t worry, I bought my house because I’m ready to settle down. I used to live out of hotels and rent apartments during the summer when I wasn’t traveling as much, but it gets old after years of constant moving. I wanted a real place to live, and Medina’s pretty awesome, don’t you think?”
She bobs her head happily.
“Yes, def,” she chortles. “Absolutely. It makes me happy to hear you’re here long-term.”
I grin and kiss her cheek, making sure to keep an eye on the road. “It makes me happy, too.”
The rest of the drive is calm, and the sun sets in a glorious array of purples, oranges and pinks as we head back to our small town. Meanwhile, I find my mouth running away from me. This girl is just so easy to talk to, that I open up in ways I haven’t done before.
“A lot of people want me to give up skiing,” I say in a conversational tone. “They keep asking what I’ll do next. Even if I have enough money to retire, there’s an expectation that I’ll start selling supplements or partner with some sportswear company, but I’m not too sure about that. I’m not certain that I want to give up my skis yet.”
Faith nods with understanding.
“I totally get it. Someone always expects more from you. It’s as if what you’re doing right now isn’t enough.”
I shoot her a sideways look.
“It sounds like you have some personal experience with this.”
Faith doesn’t answer right away, but then after a brief pause, she adds to her initial comment.
“I do. It’s strange, really. At least once a week, someone asks me what I’m going to do next. I know that being a waitress at a diner isn’t exactly a huge professional accomplishment, but I love working at Harry’s. I genuinely enjoy being a waitress, I like interacting with the staff and the customers, and I’m damn good at it! I don’t understand why I always need to be looking for the next bigger, better thing.”
I nod.
“I guess for most people, being a waitress is only a transitional job. It’s not something that usually turns into a career.”
Faith bites her lip and her eyes are a bit misty. “Yes, but what if I want it to be my career? Is that so wrong?”
Immediately, I reach my hand out and put it on her knee.
“No of course not. You’re good with customer service, and you enjoy food. If you can make it work, I don’t see why it would be a problem because everyone should do what they love.”
She sniffles a bit.
“I mean, I understand why people think what they think, and Harry’s isn’t perfect, I’ll give you that. They pay minimum wage, and as a result, I worry about money a lot. But I’m taking community college classes right now and last semester, I took one on hospitality. I aced that course because I know how to serve people and make them happy, and I got that from Harry’s!”
I nod.
“That’s definitely a real skill you can work with, honey. Being a waitress is good experience for other hospitality jobs, like working at a hotel or casino. Have you thought about moving to a bigger venue?”
Faith shrugs, looking unhappy. “I don’t know if I want to work somewhere else though. I mean, does that mean moving into management? I hope not because being a waitress is what I see myself doing for a long time. I like interacting with people, and I feel like I would die if I had to sit behind a desk all day.”
I squeeze her knee.
“Same here, baby girl. That’s how I feel about being indoors. I, too, would die if I had to be locked in a soulless gray cube.” But Faith’s not done, and she turns to me with a sad smile.
“My dad, Marcus, just doesn’t get it though. He loves me, but he wants more, and I think I disappoint him with the smallness of my dreams.”
I squeeze her knee again.
“Yes, but those are your dreams, no matter what size they are. You have to dream your own way, and your dad can’t dictate that.”
She nods and takes a deep breath.
“I guess you’re right. I hope you’re right. Thanks, Hunter. I needed to hear that.”
I nod, but continue in the same vein as we speed down the road.
“You know, when I first started skiing professionally, I lost a ton of competitions in a row. I wasn’t earning any money, that’s for sure, and if anything, I was burning through cash because traveling and competing take a lot of money. My parents wanted me to quit, and I lost three different agents because no one wants a client who doesn’t earn a dime.”