Don’t Fall for the Doctor by Lacey Bolt
Chapter 29
Monday morning came too quickly. Ashley scrolled through her emails as she sat at a table in the staff room for a fifteen-minute break. No emails about graduate school. No email notifications about apartments to rent.
She logged onto an apartment hunting website and filled out the familiar search bar, complete with preferred rent and amenities. She left all the amenity options blank. She’d be lucky to find a livable apartment with a kitchen. There was no need to dream about having a dishwasher or washing machine in her unit. A door with a lock in a safe neighborhood and a nearby bus stop was the most she could ask for. And there were no guarantees that she’d be able to find one fitting that bill.
No new apartments appeared in the search results.
She thought about the apartment she visited the other day. Could she really survive in an apartment that didn’t have a full-sized stove and oven? And no prep space for any food?
It didn’t matter. She couldn’t afford the rent on that apartment.
Why hadn’t she heard anything from the last graduate school on her list? If she did get in, then it would make more sense to start looking for an apartment near the college campus. She’d also have to figure out the amount of money due for tuition and fees. Loans and grants would help to cover most of that and help with paying for an apartment.
She pulled up the apartment search engine again and typed in a different location. What were the apartments like in the area surrounding Chef Jeff’s restaurant? She increased the monthly rent range just out of curiosity. It never hurt to look and imagine. It was like window shopping at Tiffany’s, but for apartments instead of jewelry.
A few listings appeared in the results. One had a communal rooftop deck with barbecues. She always wanted to try her skills with grilling. Another had barbecues and a large pool. The last apartment featured a walkout balcony and views over the river. She looked at the prices. She’d never afford that amount on her minimum wage salary.
This was pointless. She might as well search for million-dollar homes for sale. There was as much chance of her paying the downpayment on a million-dollar estate as there was affording one of the apartments on that list.
The break room door opened, and Ashley looked up as Kelly entered.
“Hey, Kelly.”
Kelly walked over to Ashley and sat down. “Bring in any treats today?”
Ashley shrugged. “Been too busy.”
“Hmph. So tell me, how was the date?” She leaned in close, looking eager.
Ashley shifted uncomfortably. “The date was good. We went to Harvest House, and the food was even better than I imagined.”
“I don’t care about the food. How were things with Michael?”
“Umm . . . good. I mean, he was really nice and amazing and . . .” Ashley took a deep breath. “The date couldn’t have gone better.”
“Details, please! Did you kiss?”
“Kelly!” Ashley shushed her, even though there was no one else in the room. She leaned forward and whispered. “Yes.”
“Good for you! It’s about time you go for something you want, and you obviously wanted him. Don’t hold back any details. Did you see him again this weekend?”
Ashley looked down and nodded. “Gwen called me into work on Saturday. I ran into him by mistake in his office, and . . .”
Kelly tapped the table with her hands impatiently while Ashley gathered her thoughts.
“It was weird. At first, we were having a really good conversation, and I felt like I was finally seeing him clearly. I don’t know why, but I felt like I could trust him. You know that feeling you get when you just want to be with someone? All day long, I just wanted to see him again, and then, once we started talking, it felt like everything was right with the world.” She looked down, her cheeks starting to burn. “But I think I ruined things between us.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sure it isn’t as bad as you think. What happened?” Kelly’s voice was thick with concern.
“I kissed him, or maybe he kissed me. I don’t know which way it happened, but we kissed. And then I freaked out and ran.”
“What did he say?”
“He said nothing. I actually got up and left as soon as we stopped kissing.”
Kelly inhaled quietly. “Have you seen him since then?”
“No. I also haven’t texted or called him, and he hasn’t contacted me. I think it’s over between us.”
“Ash, it’s not over until it’s actually over. Why don’t you just call him and explain?”
“What is there to explain?”
“Do you want to be with him?”
She shrugged.
Kelly sighed loudly. “Ashley, I’m going to tell you something that you might not like, but I’m only going to say it because you are like a daughter to me.”
Ashley hung her head. Kelly had only given her a talk once before, and she knew better than to try to avoid it.
“I’ve watched you sit by and wait for a graduate school to accept you. I’ve watched you waste your talent as a cook because I always figured that, sooner or later, you’d find the path you were meant to travel. But this . . . this is too much. A man like Michael won’t be available forever. You’ve got to start figuring out what it is that you want, and go for it.”
She paused to catch her breath. Ashley waited to see if she was done. After a minute of silence, she decided it was safe to speak. “Chef Jeff offered to let me interview for a job at his restaurant.”
Kelly smacked the table lightly. “It’s about time you took your cooking talent seriously. When’s the interview?”
“I didn’t agree to interview.”
Kelly’s head dropped, and she spoke softly, with concern. “Do you really want to stay here forever and end up like Gwen? Or keep chasing graduate school? Is that going to make you happy?”
Ashley blinked hard. “I don’t know. I’m just confused. It’s complicated.”
“Honey, sooner or later, I hope you decide to trust me, or anyone really, enough to talk about why it’s so complicated.”
Ashley’s phone started buzzing. She looked at the screen, and her eyes started to sting. “It’s Gwen. My break time ended five minutes ago. I have to run.”
Kelly nodded. “I’m here for you if you ever need anything. You know I love you as if you were my own child.”
Ashley nodded and tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat. “I know.”