Page 2 of One Hot Summer
After a quick shower in that glorious bathroom, I headed back downstairs, feeling refreshed and hungry. I checked the pantry and found some pasta and sauce that would make a decent dinner. I’d be sure to replace it the next day when I went in search of a grocery store.
As I waited for the water to boil, I wandered out onto the deck, filling my lungs with the crisp mountain air. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in vibrant oranges and pinks. It was so peaceful here, a stark contrast to the constant noise and bustle of the city. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this relaxed.
My peaceful moment was interrupted by a loud growl, and I whipped around, expecting to see an angry bear behind me, only to realize that the growl had come from my own stomach. Laughing at myself, I headed back inside. I plated up my simple meal and took it out onto the deck, settling into one of the comfy Adirondack chairs. As I twirled pasta around my fork, I gazed out at the darkening sky. The first stars were just beginning to twinkle, and I found myself making a silly wish.
“Please don’t let any bears visit while I’m here,” I whispered to the brightest star I could see. Then I chuckled, shaking my head at my own foolishness. City boy through and through, that was me.
Chapter Two
GRIFFIN
“Jesus, Griffin, you still at it?” Collin’s voice cut through the silence before his body even crossed the threshold. He dropped a thick folder onto my desk with a thump, nearly upending my coffee. I caught the cup before disaster struck and glared at him over the rim.
“Ever think about knocking?” I grumbled.
“Ever think about going home at a reasonable hour? I mean it, Griff. When’s the last time you got out of here while it was still light out?”
“I was out at noon today. I had that lunch meeting, remember? The heat was unbearable. Zero out of ten, do not recommend,” I quipped.
His eyes narrowed, unamused. “Fine. When was the last time you did anything other than work?”
“We landed Devereaux,” I said, as if that explained everything. “Two hours ago. I was just wrapping up the postmortem and then I promise, I’ll go home.”
Collin gave a low whistle and shook his head. “You’re impossible. Most people would pop a bottle of champagne. You look like you’re prepping for an audit.”
I gave him the closest thing to a smile I could muster. “I guess I’m just not ‘most people.’ ”
He dropped into the chair across from me, propping his feet up on the edge of my desk and making himself at home. His hair was rumpled and his tie askew, but he still looked about ten years younger than me even though we were the exact same age.
Collin was more than just my business partner; he was also my oldest and best friend. We had met our freshman year of college where we both were majoring in business. The two of us couldn’t have been more different at that time. He was a typical college kid, partying too much and sleeping with a different girl every night. I, on the other hand, was taking a full course load, working full-time at a distribution warehouse at night, and doing my best to provide for my new wife and infant son.
We shouldn’t have had anything in common, but the first time we’d gotten teamed up for a project, something just clicked. We discovered we had similar ideas and work ethics, and we shared a common goal: to one day run our own successful business. We worked hard, both of us putting in the time and effort needed to make our dream a reality and now, here we were, one of the top marketing firms in New York City. But while Collin had managed to find the love of his life and settle down, I had ended up divorced and alone.
He fixed me with a pointed stare. “Listen, you helped build this company from scratch. You’re allowed to enjoy it sometimes. Or at the very least, leave before the cleaning crew starts assuming you live here.”
I rotated the coffee cup in my hands. “Don’t get melodramatic. I’m fine. Just trying to stay on top of things.”
“You’re not fine. You’re a hair’s breadth from exhaustion taking over. Face it, you’re burning out.”
Those words hit harder than I wanted to admit, even to myself. I set the mug down, folded my hands. “I don’t have time for burnout.”
He snorted. “Nobody does, but it catches up to you anyway. Seriously, Griff, it’s starting to show. Even Mel in HR was asking if you were ‘going through something.’ ”
“Somebody has to stay on top of all of this,” I argued. “You have Sandy and the twins. They need you at home at night. But I don’t have anyone waiting for me,” I finished quietly, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
My friend’s expression softened. “I know, man. But that doesn’t mean you have to live here. You used to make time for vacations.”
“Yeah, back when I had a family.”
“You still have a family. You’ve got me and Sandy, and you’ve got your son,” he reminded me.
“I know,” I answered quietly. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate my friends. He and Sandy had taken care of me after the divorce, having me over for dinner more times than I could count and making sure I didn’t spend too much time by myself. I would always be grateful, but it wasn’t the same. At the end of the day, the two of them had each other and their little boys, but my son was in college now. When I went home, I had… no one.
“Besides, we have an incredible team here who’ve been with us for years. They know the business inside and out. This place could practically run itself at this point.”
I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. The stubble on my jaw reminded me I hadn’t shaved in days. “What do you want me to do, Collin? Go home to an empty condo and stare at the walls?”
“I want you to take a break before you completely burn out. When’s the last time you took some time for yourself?” I rolledmy eyes, but he ignored it, continuing on. “Look. I’m not asking you to join a yoga retreat or anything. Just… take a couple of weeks off. Seriously. I’ll cover the Cambria pitch. You know I’m the only one who can deal with those lunatics anyway.”
