“It’s perfect for you,” Sterling said, sipping his third glass of red wine. He was still licking his wounds from our night with Finley. Contrary to what he’d said when he’d invited me over, Sterling wasn’t the least invested in ideas for me to find a job in Estes Park.

“A bartender?” I said. “The people in this town know who I am—most of all the bartenders. They will laugh me out of the building if I go looking for a job. They won’t believe that I need one.”

“They can’t discriminate against you, Ellie. If you’re qualified more than anyone else who’s applied, they’ll have to give it to you.”

“That’s not how this works. They hire grandsons and nieces in this town. And, no. Not a bartender. I just got kicked out of Turk’s. They’ll be afraid I’ll drink up their stock. Especially now that José has been ordered to remove all the liquor from the house.”

“Really?”

“Really,” I grumbled.

“What the hell did you do, Ellie? It can’t be worse than the time you—”

“It wasn’t. A painting was broken. A few vases and a table. Some vomit on the floor … nothing the cleaning crew couldn’t handle.”

“Then it’s not about the money.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re fucked. They’re not trying to teach you responsibility or appreciation, Ellison. They’re trying to save you from yourself. Betsy March’s parents did the same thing to her. You have no way out of this. You might as well give in or end it all now.”

My mouth fell open. “You are an unbelievable asshole.”

He took another sip of wine. “People keep saying that. I’m inclined to believe it.”

I looked up at him, my cheeks already burning from humiliation. “You don’t need a … um … an assistant or anything, do you?”

“Me? Fuck no. I already have four. Oh. You mean … hire you?”

My eyes fell to the floor. “Only if you need one. I don’t want charity.”

“It would never work, Ellie.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re friends, and I want to continue to be friends.”

“You just told me to kill myself.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t mean it.”

“Fine.”

He pointed at me. “That’s why.”

I frowned. “What are you talking about now?”