Page 7 of My Crush's Brother

“You know, it’s always a possibility. Pearl, come here, sit down.” Trevor grabs her wrist and pulls her into the booth next to him. “Blake tells me you’re going to be running some marketing efforts for the cabins. I think that’s great.”

She glances nervously at me then back to Trevor. “It’s only part-time for now but I’m excited. Your mom is amazing for giving me this opportunity.”

“Well, if Blake here is an asshole as a boss, make sure you let me know. I’ll make sure he behaves accordingly. He’s known to be a little rough around the edges.” Trevor puts his arm around Pearl and motions towards me with a big, goofy grin on his face.

“I think I’ll be okay,” she says, removing Trevor’s arm from her neck and scooting out of the bench. “I know it’s my first real job so honestly, I’m just eager to learn.”

“Well, don’t be surprised if it gets uncomfortable or even painful at times. Everyone’s first time is a little awkward,” I say with a wink.

Trevor chuckles as she rolls her eyes and disappears again. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re the one Pearl has a crush on.”

I choke on the last bite of my eggs and try to wash it down with the orange juice. He’s an idiot; there’s no way in hell Pearl has a crush on a grizzled old man like me. I can’t tell him exactly how I know that’s true but I’m sure he’ll find out from her soon enough.

FIVE

Pearl

Itake a deep breath and inhale the scent of the Aspens. The sun is shining through in beautiful golden ribbons. One of the things I love most about Colorado is our three hundred plus days of sun each year. I look overhead to see a few falcons swarming and enjoy the soft breeze as it hits my face. I don’t know why anyone would ever want to leave here. It’s peaceful and serene.

“Is this a millennial thing?” I’m startled out of my trance by the sound of Blake’s deep voice.

“You know you’re a millennial too, right?” He shakes his head and grunts. “I was just taking in the surroundings. You know, I think us natives often take Colorado for granted. It’s so beautiful here.” I don’t know if he’s listening but I follow behind him as he makes his way to the tool shed.

“Can I help you with something?” He doesn’t look at me.

“Can we...can we pretend that the other night didn’t happen? I realize you are loving the jokes but can we keep it professional?”

“Wasn’t sure if you picked up on those at breakfast yesterday.” I can see he’s smiling to himself.

“Uh, yeah, I’m not stupid and you laid it on pretty damn thick, Blake.” I turn to walk toward the office when I remember what I really wanted to ask him. “Hey, you didn’t te?—”

“I didn’t say a word. That’s between you and him.” I nod and make my way to go meet up with Adele.

I spend the next few hours talking over my plans with her. I spent some time over the weekend mocking up a website, a Facebook page, and an Instagram and Twitter account.

“You think all of that is necessary?” she asks, looking overwhelmed.

“Absolutely, but don’t worry: I’ll manage all of it. This is my generations ‘thing.’” I say with a wink. “Trust me, it’s free advertising. I can promise you with the renovations that Blake is doing and with all of this marketing and rebranding I’m doing, we are going to see a complete turnaround in business.” I can’t hide the excitement in my voice. Not only am I finally excited and motivated by my job, but I want so badly to save her business.

“I think that we can do a grand re-opening around the Fourth of July. We already have the parade and the barn dance and it always brings in a lot of tourists. I glance at my phone. “It’s only April third, so we have some time to get traction and start booking up these cabins. The renos will be complete by then, so I think it’s a great plan.”

She reaches out and squeezes my hand. “You are just what we needed my dear. You know...I always hoped that you and Trevor would end up together.” She smiles and the wrinkles around her eyes deepen.

I laugh nervously, unsure of what to say. “Well, he’s an amazing man, so any woman would be lucky to have him.”

“Well, you know his fiancée left him? I hate to see my boy heartbroken but it could be a good time to remind him how important you once were in his life,” she says, nodding her head.“Still hard to believe that Blake went through this same thing just shy of a year ago.”

“He what?” That got my attention.

“Yes, his fiancée left him. Tracey. I never really cared for her. She always wanted...or expected, rather, for Blake to do everything for her like she was a princess. Anyway, she left town one day with a note and he hasn’t heard from her since. Poor boy, I know it broke his heart.”

“Guess that could explain his personality.” I snort to myself just as I hear someone behind me clear their throat. I slowly hang my head and turn around to see Blake leaning against the doorjamb with a look on his face that says I’m in trouble.

“Professional?Youwant to keep things professional? Where was that when you were in there discussingmybusiness withmymom?”

“Hey, she brought it up! I didn’t ask her about it!” I shout as I stomp after Blake.

He spins around and points a finger in my face. “Yes, you did. You asked what and then you made your dumbass comment about my personality.”

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