Page 20 of Pressure

“For the most part, yes,” Joel said as a waiter headed toward the table. Joel looked at Tristen briefly again before elaborating. “Occasionally there are some new guests, but it’s few and far between.”

I nodded and took a sip of water from the goblet before picking up my menu. After I ordered steak, a baked potato, and asparagus seasoned with brown sugar, Tristen ordered the same. Our drinks were different, though. I ordered a rum and Coke while Tristen ordered a vodka and 7-Up. Joel also ordered steak with a side of steamed vegetables. To drink, he ordered a glass of red wine.

Once the waiter left the table, we continued our conversation. “The summer season is coming to an end, and I know your friends will be leaving at the end of next week,” Joel began. He paused when I nodded, and I felt the need to verbally agree with him.

“That’s right. They’re heading back to Los Angeles.”

“What about you?” Tristen bluntly asked.

I sighed, exhaled, and shrugged. “I will probably go back, but I wanted to see if I had any other options first.” I looked at the waiter who had just set my drink on the table. I smiled and said, “Thank you.”

“You don’t want to go back to L.A., do you?” Though Joel asked, his tone was confident as if he already knew the answer.

I shook my head. “I don’t.”

“Any reason?” Joel inquired.

“Simple. I don’t want to go back to law school. But if I don’t, my parents will cut me off financially, and it’s really expensive to live in Los Angeles. But I can stay with my friend until I get on my feet, if it comes down to it. I have an economics degree, but it would probably take me a while to get a decent paying job. Degrees are a dime a dozen out there.”

Tristen and Joel looked at one another before Joel took a sip from his glass. He peered over the glass and held my gaze. Without breaking eye contact, Joel set the glass on the table and leaned back in his chair.

“You’re quite the artist,” Joel said.

Quite the artist? I was confused as to why he’d say that, and I was sure my expression didn’t hide the fact that I was puzzled.

“You’re familiar with Frank and Trudy, correct?”

“Yes. They’re the older couple who spend the summer in the cabin on the opposite side of the lake from where I’m staying. They’re leaving today to go home to Arizona to see their grandson.”

“That’s right. Joel and I watch over their place while they’re gone for the winter,” Tristen explained.

I remembered Trudy telling me that a while back. All the other cabins by the lake belonged to Equinox Lake Tahoe and, thus, Tristen and Joel.

“I collected the keys from Frank and Trudy this morning, and they showed me the sketch you drew of their back deck,” Joel stated.

Heat quickly went up my neck and settled uncomfortably on my face.

He’d seen my sketch.

One of the six-foot-fuck-me-three Silver Fox Daddies saw my artwork.

Not only had he seen my work, but he’d complimented it.

He said I was a talented artist! Joel called me an artist!

It was something I was actually good at, but kept it hidden because my parents didn’t support it. I felt extremely awkward and maybe even a little embarrassed. I was unsure of what to do or say, so I looked down at the tablecloth and brushed away an imaginary crumb.

“Cash.”

I looked up at Joel, and the corners of his mouth were turned upward in a grin.

“Yes?”

“That’s not a bad thing.”

I could have said something, but my mind was drawing a blank. I was just comfortable basking in the compliment from this near stranger that I was good at something I loved doing. All I could do was smile at Joel. We talked about my love of sketching until dinner was brought to our table, then the conversation shifted.

“Would you like to help Tristen and I take care of the rental cabins around the lake? We’ll pay you top dollar plus twenty percent.”