The campsite was not exactly the "luxury lakeside lodge" Jake had implied when pitching the idea. It was more like "damp pine-scented chaos with bonus mosquitos." By the time the sun dipped below the trees, Claire had dirt on her jeans, a questionable marshmallow stain on her hoodie, and enough secondhand embarrassment from the group tent assembly to last a lifetime.
They had managed to get a fire going—mostly thanks to Sophie bribing the intern with a protein bar and Jake finally admitting he had no idea how to light a fire without YouTube.
Claire sat on a folding chair, balancing a paper plate of burned hot dog and slightly less-burned hot dog bun. Across the fire, Jake was poking at marshmallows with the intensity of someone performing surgery.
Sophie plopped down next to Claire, already mid-eye-roll. "Karen just tried to organize a 'gratitude circle.' I pretended to have explosive diarrhea to get out of it."
Claire choked on her hot dog. "You what?"
"She bought it. HR fears bodily functions."
From across the fire, Jake called out, "We're doing scary stories later, just FYI. Karen's bringing a flashlight and everything. It's like summer camp, but with less supervision and more unresolved trauma."
Claire raised an eyebrow. "You telling one?"
"Only if you promise not to judge my dramatic voice."
"No promises."
He smiled—easily, warmly—and Claire hated how much she liked it.
As the night deepened and the stars spilled across the sky, the group settled around the fire. Karen, true to form, was clutching a flashlight under her chin. The intern looked terrified. Sophie was sipping wine out of a reusable coffee cup like she'd just invented camping couture.
Jake finally took the flashlight and cleared his throat. "Okay, mine's not a ghost story. But it is terrifying. It's about my first week at this company... and the group email fail heard round the office."
Claire leaned in, smirking. "Oh, this I have to hear."
He told the story with flair—hand gestures, dramatic pauses, and a truly terrible British accent for his old boss. Laughter echoed through the trees, and for a moment, everything felt simple. Easy.
Later, as the fire died down and people drifted off to their tents, Jake caught Claire's eye. "Walk with me?"
She hesitated only a second. "Sure."
They walked along the gravel path lit by moonlight, not talking at first. The silence wasn't awkward. It was the kind of quiet that stretched, comfortable and open.
"You're different out here," Jake said.
Claire looked over at him. "So are you."
"Better or worse?"
She smiled. "Definitely not worse."