Just Colleagues

18. I Ask Her, I ask Her Not?

As the clock strikes 5:00 on Friday afternoon, Rafe and I simultaneously close our laptops, marking the end of our first week of the internship. I stretch my arms above my head, feeling a sense of accomplishment as I glance over at Rafe, who is doing the same.

Ward enters the living room, his warm smile lighting up his face as he approaches us. "Great job this week, you two," he says, his voice filled with genuine pride. "You both really exceeded my expectations."

"Thank you, Mr. Cameron," I reply, feeling validated at his words.

Rafe nods in agreement, a pleased expression on his face as he echoes my sentiment. "Yeah, thanks, Dad. We appreciate it."

Ward nods before turning to leave the room, leaving Rafe and me alone once again. I turn to him, a curious expression on my face.

"So, what are the plans for tonight?" I ask, unable to hide the hint of anticipation in my voice.

Rafe smirks as he leans back in his chair. "I do have something in mind," he says cryptically. "But it's a surprise."

I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "A surprise, huh? Well, I guess I'll have to wait and see."

Rafe chuckles, standing up from his chair and stretching his arms above his head. "You won't be disappointed, I promise."

Rafe's POV:

As I leave Briar on the couch and head outside to check on the boat, my heart races with anticipation.

This is the moment I've been waiting for all week—the perfect opportunity to ask Briar to Midsummers. Don't fuck this up.

As I slip into my room, I grab the bouquet of roses and the card with "MIDSUMMERS?" written inside. My hands tremble with nervous energy as I tuck them under my arm, trying to steady my breathing.

With a deep breath, I step outside, the warm evening air washing over me as I make my way towards the dock where my boat is usually moored. But as I reach the spot where it should be, I freeze in shock.

My boat is nowhere to be seen.

Oh, great. Have I already fucked this up?

Confusion clouds my mind as I scan the area, searching desperately for any sign of my boat. And then I see it—submerged under the water, barely visible beneath the surface.

My heart sinks as panic sets in.

Yup. I fucked this up. How could this have happened?

My mind races with a million questions, but I push them aside as I sprint back towards the house.

Breathless, I burst through the door, my eyes wild with panic as I seek out my dad. "Dad!" I call out, my voice trembling with emotion. "The boat—it's... it's sunk!"

My dad looks up from his desk, his brow furrowing in concern. "What? How did that happen?" he asks with frustration.

I shake my head, my mind reeling with disbelief. "I don't know," I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. "But we need to do something about it."

My dad nods, his expression grim as he rises from his chair. "I'll talk to the boat boys," he says, his voice tinged with anger. "Someone must have left the drain plug off without realizing it."

As my dad storms off to handle the situation, I'm left standing there, feeling a mix of frustration and disappointment. My plans for tonight—asking Briar to Midsummers—have been dashed in an instant. And now, all I can do is wait and hope that the damage to my boat isn't too severe.

As I sink back down onto the couch next to Briar, the weight of disappointment settling heavy on my shoulders, I struggle to calm the storm of frustration inside me. Briar's concerned gaze meets mine.

"What happened?" she asks softly.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions, and then I explain what happened with the boat. The words spill out in a rush, a jumble of worry tumbling from my lips as I recount what I saw.

"I'm so sorry, Briar," I murmur, "I had planned all day to take you on a boat ride..."

But before I can finish, Briar surprises me with a laugh. "It's okay, Rafe," she says, her smile warm and reassuring. "Things don't always go as planned."

Relief floods through me at her words.

Thank god Briar isn't upset or disappointed by the sudden change of plans, that she's willing to roll with the punches and make the best of the situation.

"Maybe we can have a late-night movie night instead, like how we always do" she suggests, attempting to find another plan to distract what had just happened.

I nod eagerly, feeling a sense of relief at the thought of spending the evening with Briar, even if it's not exactly how I had envisioned it. "I'm down for that," I reply, a genuine smile forming on my lips.

But even as I agree, unease lingers in the back of my mind.

I still haven't asked Briar to Midsummers, and now, with the boat out of the plan, I have to come up with another idea.

The movie plays in the background, but my thoughts are elsewhere as I brainstorm ideas, trying to come up with a creative way to ask Briar to Midsummers.

Do I wait until my boat is fixed? Do I bring her on a fancy date and pay a mariachi band to sing to her? Wait, that's so fucking expensive. Why can't this just be easy?

The weight of the moment hangs heavy on my shoulders, the pressure to make it perfect almost overwhelming.

But then, as I steal a glance at Briar sitting beside me, her eyes sparkling with laughter as she watches the film. I take a few moments to calm my thoughts.

Maybe it doesn't have to be big and grand...

I remind myself that it's not about grand gestures or elaborate plans—it's about the two of us, together, sharing a moment. A light bulb turns on in my head in realization.

I finally know how to ask her.