Page 50 of Losing Sleep
“I wanted to keep my view of the Audrey, Grey, and Kylie show,” Tory said with a smirk. “It’s almost as good as a TV dating show.”
“You’re terrible!” I flicked water at her, and she shrieked at the cold.
“Okay, okay,” she said, leaning away from me as I reached forward, ready to splash her more. “But you can’t tell me nothing’s happening there.” She quirked an eyebrow, and I leaned over my tube, ready to splash her again, needing a change of topic.
“Fine.” She held up the hand that wasn’t grasping my tube in a placating gesture. “I can take a hint. New topic. I feel like we haven’t had much time to talk since you got here. How’s work? How’s your mom?”
“Mom is great. She, Dave, and the girls are coming to visit in a couple of weeks, so that’ll be chaos.” Happiness filled my voice as I thought about the upcoming visit.
“I love your family. That’ll be so fun to have them visit. How old are the girls now?”
“Seven, though they’ll be eight in a couple weeks. They’re starting third grade this fall, and Mom says they’re already outgrowing their back-to-school outfits.” I shook my head, trailing my fingers in the water. Thoughts of my family were a mix of bitter and sweet that left me longing for a childhood so different from the one I had experienced. “If they grow too much more, they’ll be taller than me.”
“How can they possibly be almost eight? That makes me feel old.” Tory laughed, and we continued floating down the river, playing catch up on each other’s lives.
Tory shared about her work frustrations and how she wished to quit her job and live in the cabin full-time as a recluse.
“You wouldn’t survive a week. You’re too much of an extrovert,” I said, though the idea did hold a certain appeal.
I reciprocated, sharing about how I worried I’d be forever trapped in customer service.
“I got a business degree so that they’d see me as leadership material. But they just see me as a lackey who can fill in whenever leadership is gone, but not skilled enough to promote into an actual leadership role.” I kicked my feet in frustration, my conversation with Drew from earlier echoing in my mind.
“I don’t know why you stay there. They don’t appreciate you.” Tory leaned back into her tube.
“Where would I go? Most likely I’d have to start entry-level, and I don’t know if I can handle that type of hoop-jumping again. At least I’m on the email team.” Though Drew had a tendency to stick me on phones whenever the fancy suited him.
“You know, I never pictured you in some boring office job.”
“Really?” I leaned forward to see her better. A boring office job was all I’d ever pictured, with its security and health insurance benefits.
Not true,a quiet voice whispered in my thoughts. It was the same voice, growing louder every day, that dreamed of teaching yoga and embracing a life of more calm and flexibility.
Tory shook her head. “Nope. I always thought you’d be a yoga instructor or something involving the outdoors. Maybe a park ranger.”
I laughed, ignoring the first suggestion that had struck too close to home. “Can you picture me as a park ranger? I don’t think I have the right bone structure for the hat.”
“To be fair, I don’t think anyone does.”
We were the last ones to finish the float. By the time we got to the bank where we needed to climb out, everyone else was wrapped in the towels we’d left in Brad’s car, their tubes already deflated.
“Where are Brad and Trent?” Tory asked, looking around for the missing group members as we navigated the muddy shore.
“Since Trent had your keys, Brad drove him to get your car. We weren’t sure how far back the two of you were and wanted to save time getting back for lunch,” Alex said as he took my tube. I gratefully accepted the help as I snagged my own towel, the breeze causing goose bumps to pebble on my skin now that I was out of the river.
“That was very…considerate and efficient of everyone.” Tory sounded happy about the turn of events, but her face pinched in concern.
“I’m starving. What’s for lunch?” I asked.
I hoped the change of topic would ease the tension around Tory’s eyes, but I knew it wouldn’t fully disappear until the guys returned without issue. She may have talked to Trent, but that didn’t mean he’d let the tension between himself and Braddrop. I’d only known Trent a couple of months, and while his competitive nature was one thing that had attracted Tory to him, I had also seen it turn into ugly obsession. Hopefully, this time he really would let it go.
Glancing over, I noticed Kylie and Grey standing close together. Kylie’s smile beamed as they talked, a private conversation for just the two of them. Grey, while not smiling, didn’t look nearly as bothered by Kylie’s chatter and proximity as he had earlier in our float.
I shrugged it off, telling myself I was happy for the two of them. If they’d found a way to get along better, it was a good thing. Unfortunately, that did not stop me from wishing I was the one standing next to Grey, sharing in a private conversation. Especially when he looked up, his brown eyes snagging on mine for a moment, his lips tipping up into a smile just for me. It made me miss our time in the car on the drive up, even the night in Hank and Dot’s guestroom. Two experiences I’d never thought I would enjoy.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The guys returned intact,if slightly subdued. Brad, in particular, seemed abnormally quiet, and the tension that had been Trent’s constant companion since Brad’s arrival was still present. I had a feeling he wouldn’t be happy until he was the only guy in Tory’s life.
