Maple Hollow (Ari Levinson AU) 18+

2

Ari

Two Years Later

I swear if I see another fucking tourist trying to take a selfie while I'm cutting down a tree then I'll make sure it falls in their direction.

Sammy says they're good for business. I say they're a fucking liability. Thank fuck it's October and within a month all peace will have been restored. I can't wait. Some general peace and quiet for the most party until the summer brings tourists old and new. Recently people from the city have been buying up land or cabins for vacation - but then don't even bother to venture back, so instead they just sit there when they could be sold to people who actually care about small town living and our actual community itself.

The most recent sale has been a cabin just five minutes from mine, as well as some fancy lodge home that's been constructed just outside of town - that one in question being owned by my new boss.

Ed Klein is an investor who's now taken over the Maple Hollow Lumber Company. Another city big shot who probably has new ideas for the company. I've yet to meet him but apparently will do when he arrives tomorrow.

If I get laid off then I've always got the bar to fall back on I suppose. I'm not sure what's on this guy's agenda. If he comes in and makes cuts then he's gonna have some angry lumberjacks on his hands.

"You do realise if this falls then you're in the firing line". I stop and call directly to the woman who has her head now buried in her phone, most probably uploading me to Pinterest or some shit like that.

She looks up and I almost drop my axe.

Shit.

Now, as her eyes meet mine, her phone slips from her hands. "Oh god..." she utters with a look of horror on her face and now she scrambles to pick it up.

"Blakely?"

"No. I think you've got the wrong girl...sorry..." she apologises quickly as she turns and begins to walk away in a hurry.

"Oh no you don't". I reach her within a few strides and now pull her back to turn her around.

It's her. This face has been the only one I've thought about often over the last couple of years. The prettiest girl I've ever seen come to town and I never even got her number. I was kicking myself the morning after when I woke up and found she'd gone. But instead I just had to suck it up and get over it. 

"I really have to go". She looks back at the car that's parked near to us  and then at me. "It was good to see you".

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold up - you just fucked off after one night and that was it. No message or anything - and now you're back? How long until you leave this time?"

If she could give me an answer that would be decent enough. Even if she tells me that it was a mistake. I'll take it. 

Blakely looks guilty but then sighs. "I'm not leaving. I've just brought a cabin up in the Maple Point area...I'm gonna be living here permanently".

I stare at her a little dumbfounded. So she's the one who brought it. - looks like we're gonna be neighbours. "I see..." I eventually say and realise I still have a hold of her - loosening my grip so I can let her go. "Well...welcome back".

Turning away I head back to the tree to hack at it, but she follows. "I had to leave before because I was here with my dad. I didn't want him to realise I was gone and worry. I'm sorry I didn't leave a note or anything, but the only thing on my mind was getting back to the hotel in time". 

"It's fine". I brush it off.

"No, it's not. My dad's just taken over the lumber business and..."

"What!" I turn and look at her.

Blakely Klein. 

She's the daughter of my damn boss. Great. That makes things even worse than her living here permanently.

Blakely nods. "Yeah...that was why I was here before. I came along with him but he spent a majority of the time in meetings. He'd just become an investor in the company after all. I was so bored, your bar was the only source of entertainment and I wasn't entirely honest with you before..." 

"Go on..."

"I lied to you about my age. I told you I was twenty three, but I wasn't. I was literally two months shy of turning twenty one and -" 

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" I all but explode at this revelation. 

Sammy's gonna give me a hell of a long lecture if and when he finds out about this. I'm a hell of a lot older than she is, older than I had first thought. 

Blakely's mobile rings and she glances to the screen. "It's my dad. I've gotta take this". 

And if he finds out I screwed his daughter when she was twenty then I'm totally gonna lose my job. 

"Ari". She says as she looks at me desperately, phone still ringing in her hand. "Please don't tell my dad about what happened. I really didn't wanna leave the way I did because I really liked you but...if he finds out about what went on then he'll go nuts". 

"Believe me I'm not about to tell him on his first day of the job that I fucked his daughter while he was on a business trip". 

"Good. It remains between us". She nods in agreement. "I have to call him back. Do you still own the bar in town?" 

"Mhmm". I'm still pissed - not so much at her but at myself and lack of judgement before. 

"Maybe I'll stop by one evening. I guess I'll see you around". 

I pick my axe back up from the ground. "Don't forget your ID", is all I can say and don't bother watching her head to her car. The sound of her driving away tells me minutes later that she's gone - but not for good this time.