“Don’t, Asher. I don’t need your help with this. I can handle it.”
“Okay, I just-”
“No.” I was adamant about doing it on my own. I didn’t want to use someone else’s celebrity to get a job. Networking, sure, but I wanted to get my foot in the door the old-fashioned way.
Katy thought I was stupid and ridiculous for not having my parents reach out to any of their contacts. She tried to explain that it was no different than her cousin getting a residency at the hospital where her father was Chief of Surgery. Nepotism at its finest. But I wanted to think that I was better than that. That my work would be all I needed to show that I was the right person for a job, not my last name or my parents’ occupations.
“I appreciate you wanting to help. But unless it’s to help me search far and wide on the internet for job postings, I want you to let me handle it. Okay?”
“Yeah.” I could tell he wasn’t thrilled with the prospect, but Asher had his own problems to worry about. He didn’t need to focus on my job but on his health.
Together we relaxed in the midday sun, watching the water pour down jagged rocks. I had told him all week how jealous I was of his property and he just laughed.
“Want to go in town tonight for dinner?” He asked and I peered up at him with a smile.
“Like a date?”
“Like a meal,” he pointed out, tugging at my ponytail ends as he responded.
“Fine. Call it what you want. But yes, that sounds nice. What do you have in mind? I don’t know if there is anything other than the pizza place.”
“I was looking up some things about the town online and there is an Indian restaurant tucked back behind the bank.”
“Oh, that sounds delicious. I love Indian food.”
Asher smiled at my enthusiasm and then stood, tugging me along with him.
“Want to go for a walk?”
“Sure. I bet we can find the old tree fort Ryan and I made in the woods when we were little.”
Asher followed me toward the patch of woods separating the two cabins. The place seemed less scary during the day and I remember when I was younger loving to play in the trees.
Now the forest gave me a sense of solace as I wove underneath branches, Asher tagging along behind me.
“There it is,” I said, pointing to the wooden structure not far from my parent’s place. It was really just a bunch of fallen trees that Ryan and I used to create a makeshift stand. Dad had added walls and a roof that next summer.
As Asher got a better look at the creation, he peered at me over his shoulder with a salacious grin. We were definitely going to Christen the fort.