“Damn near?” I flirt, and then realize he must be referencing my non-commitment elephant sidekick.
“You don’t like pickles. That’s sacrilegious, but I’ll let it slide since you like the water. Join me?” There’s a hesitation in his voice that I’ve never heard before. I take the passenger seat this time, and, I can’t lie, the ride down to the marina is blessedly short and terribly awkward. It’s like we’re trying on clothes that just don’t fit.
“Ev…” I begin, knowing one of us has to start this conversation.
“Let me ask you a question, Molls.”
“Okay.”
“You like being out on the water?”
“I do,” I say, repeating my sentiment from five minutes ago.
“Good. Do you want to go sailing with me for an hour or two tonight?”
“Yes,” I begin.
“Good. Then that’s what we’ll do. No big talks, no declarations, no decisions. Just my three favorite things: you, me and my boat,” he laughs.
It’s so strange not to have a plan. It feels a little odd to be hanging in this no-man’s land. We’re not friends, but we’re not lovers anymore, either. But the thought of leaving makes me want to cry, so I take his hand, and we walk down the dock.
In a matter of minutes, we’re leaving the slip and setting sail. The bay is gorgeous tonight, and the view from the boat is unreal. I pull out my phone to snap a few pictures. Ev photobombs one of my shots, and I laugh.
“Can I get you a drink?” he asks, gesturing to the cooler under the seat.
I nod.
“This is awkward as hell, isn’t it?” Ev shakes his head. “Nate would be so disappointed in me. I’m the exact opposite of smooth right now.” He leans against the rail, and I sit opposite him, curling my legs underneath me.
“Same here. Ava would be less than pleased with me, too. Seems there are very definite rules about if you can text and when you can text and how much you can text.”
“Yea, that uh, text you sent a few days ago?”
“OMG. So not cool. Winn stole my phone and asked if we were still on for next week, just because I wanted to know if we were still on for next week.”
“Nate figured either someone stole your phone or you were drunk. The typos did not fit with your signature style.”
I laugh. “How’s work been? And how is Nate?”
Ev takes a seat across from me, as the waves rock against the boat. We’re idling now, just enjoying the gentle sway of the boat.
“Nate’s great. And work is, too. Actually,” he clears his throat, “Nate and I are branching out on our own. We’re starting a financial advisory firm here in town.”
“What? Wow, that’s great. But, it’s such a change of pace for you.”
“Yea, turns out, I’m tired of the rat race. And Nate and I work really well together. There are a lot of businesses here in town, so we figured our expertise will be put to good use.
“That’s fantastic,” I tell him, and I mean it. I catch him up on Winn and Ava and Chesapeake Shores. Before I realize it, I’m next to him at the wheel, and the sun is setting, as we make our way back to the dock.
Wrapping his arm around me, Ev says, “Look, Molly, I’m sure this is breaking all the break-up rules, but damn, do I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, Ev,” I say, letting the cool breeze blow against my face, as I curl up into his strong, solid body.
It’s been a week since my boat ride with Molly. We haven’t seen each other since, because she’s been busy with her family, and Nate and I have been scouting locations and clients.
But we’ve been texting steadily. It’s clear that we can’t give each other up, but we’ve yet to have ‘the talk’ that we both know is coming.
In fact, it’s coming today.
