You’re the boss

“You’re the boss,” you reply smoothly, offering Jaxson a lazy, mock-respectful salute that drips with easygoing charm. He gives a grunt of approval, completely missing the sarcasm as you turn your back on him to hoist the heaviest camera cases onto your shoulders.

You gesture for the trio to follow you, leading the way out into the crisp, damp spring air. The mountain trail is steep, slick with melted frost, and slicked over with thick patches of dark mud.

“Watch your step,” you call back over your shoulder, easily navigating the rough terrain. “The spring thaw makes the earth soft up here.”

A loud, furious hiss cuts through the sound of the wind. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

You glance back to see Jaxson freezing in place on the trail. He is staring down at his right foot in pure, unadulterated horror. A tiny, dime-sized splatter of wet mud has kicked up onto the pristine, white leather edge of his designer sneaker. He looks like he’s about to cry.

“Babe, chill out, it’s just dirt,” Skylar groans, not even looking back as she continues to scroll through her phone while walking.

“It’s not just dirt, Skylar, these are custom!” Jaxson snaps, his face twisting in a scowl as he desperately rubs the side of his shoe against a patch of damp grass, only to make the smear slightly wider and darker. He lets out an aggressive growl, glaring up at the mountain like the terrain is personally insulting him. “This place is a joke. Paige! Give me a wet wipe or something!”

Paige, who is walking right behind you, flinches slightly. She quickly drops her gaze and mutters, “I... I don’t have any in my pockets, Jaxson, they’re packed away in the main rig case...”

“Of course you don’t. Useful as always,” Jaxson sneers, stomping his foot heavily, which instantly kicks up a fresh, even larger wet glob of mud right across the top of his left toes.

He stops dead in his tracks, his chest heaving under his tight t-shirt as his face turns an angry shade of crimson. “Are you serious right now?! Look at this! This is sabotage!” He glares fiercely at the back of your head, his alpha-male bravado completely crumbling over a little bit of mountain earth. “Hey, guide bro! Why isn’t this trail paved properly? I’m not taking another step until I can wipe these off!”

You reach into your back pocket and pull out a clean, heavy-duty microfiber cloth, one you always keep on hand for wiping down muddy patio chairs or quick cleanups around the resort.

Stepping forward, you extend it toward him with a calm, helpful expression. “Here, use this. It’ll take that wet mud right off before it sets into the leather.”

Jaxson glares at the cloth for a second, his pride visibly warring with his **** desire to save his shoes. With a sharp, aggressive yank, he snatches it out of your hand. “About damn time someone around here was useful,” he grunts.

He stands on one leg, teetering precariously on the slick trail as he violently scrubs at the white leather of his sneakers. The microfiber cloth does the trick, lifting the dark mountain muck easily, but the frantic motion causes his other foot to slide. With a loud gasp, his clean shoe plops straight down into a deep, gooey puddle of fresh mud, burying the entire toe box in brown sludge.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Jaxson roars, his face turning an angry shade of purple as he completely loses his mind. He throws your cloth onto the ground in a childish fit of rage. “This is a joke! A total joke! Look at this place! I am going to sue this whole resort!”

Skylar doesn’t even pause her walking, her eyes glued to her phone as she lets out a bored sigh. “Jax, stop yelling. You’re ruining the nature vibe for my story.”

Paige shrinks back slightly, her hazel eyes wide with anxiety as she looks at the ruined cloth on the ground and then up at you, silently apologizing with her eyes for her boss’s pathetic tantrum. You simply offer her a small, reassuring wink, letting her know she doesn’t need to worry.

Scooping the cloth back up, you look at Jaxson, who is currently breathing heavily and staring at his mud-soaked foot like it betrayed him. “Well, the top of the ridge is only about ten more minutes up,” you say, your voice dripping with casual, unshakable calm as you gesture up the trail. “We can either turn back now, or you can power through. What’s the play, boss?”

“Turn back? No way, bro. I don’t quit,” Jaxson snaps, his fragile alpha ego flaring up at the mere suggestion that a little mud could beat him. He glares at the heavy-duty microfiber cloth in his hand and hurls it straight into a nearby patch of thick sludge. “Keep your trash.”

He stomps past you, his ruined designer sneakers squelching loudly with every step as he angrily leads the way up the remaining incline. Skylar follows without a second glance, completely absorbed in her phone screen, while Paige shoots you an intensely apologetic look before hurrying to keep up.

Ten minutes later, the dense tree line breaks open as you reach the summit. The mountain ridge offers a breathtaking, panoramic view of the valley below, engulfed in the rolling white waves of the morning mist.

You effortlessly set down the heavy rolling equipment cases and the tripod bag on a dry patch of gravel near the clearing. Stepping back, you give the trio a polite, professional nod.

“Alright, you’re all set up,” you say smoothly, directing your attention toward Paige while keeping your tone casual. “I’ll excuse myself to give you guys some privacy for the shoot. Paige, just text me whenever you’re all finished up here, and I’ll come right back up the trail to help you carry everything down.”

Paige’s hazel eyes light up with immense relief, and a soft, incredibly grateful smile touches her lips. “Thank you so much, Mark,” she says softly, her voice laced with genuine appreciation. “I really appreciate it.”

Jaxson just scowls, turning his back to look out over the ridge as he waits for you to leave. You offer Paige a reassuring nod, turn on your heel, and head back down the misty mountain path, leaving them to their work.