Page 15 of Forbidden Dreams
"I'm figuring it out as I go." Did he think I wasn't able to run the business? "But I can take some business courses if you think that would help."
He shook his head as he moved into the next stall. "You do whatever you want to do. We'll support you either way."
"I appreciate that."
"This is a gut job. I don't know why I'm doing an inspection," he mumbled inside the second stall.
I lowered my shoulders. "Because you're good at what you do."
He came out of the stall, his expression serious. "You know, you're an equal partner in the business? You came up with the business idea. You're smart and capable. And no one else wanted to deal with the administrative side. You don't need to keep thanking us."
"I was stuck at those other jobs. This is an amazing opportunity." And he didn't have to give it to me.
"You showed us the spreadsheets, the projections. You're the vision guy. We can't do this without you."
I nodded, knowing I'd go back to feeling grateful all over again in a few minutes. No matter what he said, I only got here because I was lucky enough to befriend Morgan and Maverick in school.
He went through the rest of the stalls more quickly. When he finished, he sighed. "It's dated. I don't see how we do a few repairs and call it a day."
I nodded. "It's a gut job," I repeated.
"Can we do a full renovation during the holiday season?"
"Eve mentioned needing to get this done before a winter ball of some sort."
He threw a hand up in disgust. "That's the other thing. These bathrooms are attached to a ballroom."
"They should be nicer. Luxurious even."
He smirked. "Look at you, using big words like luxurious."
"Shut up," I said, more relaxed now that we were back to our usual dynamic, giving each other shit. "You know what I mean. Women arrive in ball gowns. Men in suits. These bathrooms don't match the parties that Eve throws here." We fell silent for a few seconds, and I added, "There should be a sitting room."
"There's enough space for one in the women's. Let's take a look." Hudson led me into the women's room.
I walked around the extra space between the first door to the bathroom and the second one that led to the sinks and stalls. "There's more than enough room for a sitting area."
This was where I excelled, with the planning of a project. When I was working, I could focus on doing what needed to be done. Unfortunately, Aspen would have to be looped into this decision.
After dinner together, things between Aspen and me felt different. We weren't enemies anymore; we were in a weird middle ground, and I wasn't ready to deal with figuring out what that meant.
On Sunday, I went to the Sterlings' house for family-dinner night. It was something I started attending because I wanted a home-cooked meal, and then later it became a habit. Even though Maria insisted I come, I never felt like I fit in. Probably because my family looked so different.
But I never forgot the fact that they weren't my family and never would be.
By the time I arrived, the driveway was packed with vehicles, including several Sterling Brothers Contracting trucks. I parked on the street, not comfortable adding my vehicle to the driveway.
No matter how many times Maria told me not to knock, I still did. I wasn't sure how to act around Aspen. Should I ignore her? Should I act like the other night never happened?
I hoped she wouldn't mention that I cooked her dinner and bought flowers for the table. Her brothers would never let me hear the end of it.
Hudson opened the door, cuffing me on the side of my head. "Why are you knocking?"
"That's just what I do," I said easily.
Ayla was in the living room with Morgan and Maverick, playing a board game.
"You're late," Lincoln said when I entered the kitchen.
