As soon as Emelie sees me, she gets up, walks over to me, and gives me a huge hug. She has a big smile on her face so I'm hoping that's a good sign for today.
"We waited to order until you got here. But let's get food first and then we'll chat because we're all starving," she says, leading me back to the table.
As we order food, everyone is super friendly and we’re catching up. Once the order is placed, everyone turns to look at me.
"Listen, I want to start with I never truly lied to you guys I just didn't tell you about the mail-order bride thing. Bennett and I met online. My dad died leaving me with nothing and I was living in a woman's shelter for a little bit. One of the girls there told me about this website. Since I didn't want to stay in Chicago, it sounded like a good idea. I never expected Bennett though." I can't stop the smile that crosses my face if I tried.
"So why not just tell us that from the beginning?" Hope asks.
"Can you honestly tell me that you had a good reaction when you first heard that we met on a mail-order bride website? Or can you tell me you didn't judge me right away even if you stopped yourself? There’s a stigma attached to having met there and I get it, but I wanted to get to know you guys first because I knew how important you were to Bennett."
No one really says anything, but the girls look around at each other and thankfully this is also when they deliver our food.
"So, you lived in Chicago with your dad?" Jenna asks.
"Yeah, my mom bailed a long time ago. It was just me and my dad for as long as I can remember. I was very much daddy's little girl and then he got sick with cancer, so I took care of him. He had some money saved up, but between it and the house it was just enough to pay off his medical bills."
"How long were you in the woman's shelter?" Emelie asks.
"A few weeks. When I was taking my dad to chemo, I met a girl who was taking her mom. We became friends and when her mom passed away, she let me stay with her. Eventually, she became my best friend because she really was the only one who understood what I was going through."
"Why didn't you stay there with her?" Jana asks.
"She was in much the same position, except she was determined not to sell her house. So, she ended up doing something a bit crazy as well." I cringe because I know what the next question is going to be.
"What did she do?" they all ask at the same time.
"She ahh... entered an auction at a club up there. This sandwich is really good." I say after taking a bite.
"What kind of auction? And what kind of club?" Hope asks.
"It’s a BDSM club and it was a virgin auction," I tell them quickly just ripping off the Band-Aid.
"A virgin... auction... like where she auctioned off her virginity?" Jenna asks.
"Yeah." I cringe again because I can only imagine what's going through their heads.
"How did that go for her?" Hope asks.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I was going to stop by Jack's place before I head home and shoot her an e-mail with Bennett's phone number. When she gets a chance, we can talk and catch up and I’ll get all the details. Though the auction would have taken place recently, so I have no idea if she even went through with it. The last I heard she was meeting with them to sign the contract and that was the day that I left town."
"I had no idea things like that even existed," Emelie says clearly in shock.
"Well, I didn't even know mail-order brides were still a thing until they told me about the website, so that makes two of us. I'm honestly going to be shocked if she was able to go through with it. But her house means a lot to her, so I kind of think she did." I tell them honestly.
I really like these girls and I promise to be as honest with them as I can after this. Because I know having people you can count on up on the mountain is going to be a big thing, and I have every intention of staying.
The conversation flows and we talk about anything and everything. Each of the girls shares their story about how they came to be on the mountain. Turns out, I'm not the only one that was running away from something either.
After our meal, we all walk out to the parking lot together and there are a lot of hugs exchanged.
"We aren't happy that you lied, and we hate that you felt like you had to, but we understand. Just know that we are here for you and all we ask is the truth. But we won't ever pull anything out of you that you're not wanting to talk about either." Emelie says in a way making me wonder if she has a feeling there's more to the story.
It surprises me that Bennett and Emelie are the two people who seem to be able to read me like a damn book whether I want them to or not.
After we say our goodbyes, I hop in the truck and head down the road to Jack’s shop. When I step in, Jack greets me with a warm smile, but he looks behind me as if he's looking for Bennett.
"Just you? Is everything okay?" he asks.