[Truyện Tiếng Anh] On The Rocks

On the Rocks
On the Rocks Page 40



“What are you doing here?” I turned in his arms. I hoped he hadn’t showed up to rile me up. I wasn’t sure I could handle it.

“I’m here to help of course.”

“To help?” I hadn’t even considered asking him to help. He’d suffered through weeks of the online course and drink quizzing. He’d definitely done his boyfriend duties.

“Yeah. I told you I was going to help you with this.”

“Yeah—by sitting through those bartending classes with me.”

“Well, I’m here tonight too. I figure I’ll be able to distract the female customers while you work. You’re mostly going to be on your own with the men.”

“Is the thought of my boyfriend flirting with other women supposed to make me feel better?”

“Who said I was going to flirt? All I need to do is smile and look pretty.”

I groaned. “Not everyone likes to sit around and admire you all day.”

“Nope, that’s just what I want to do to you.”

“Just stare?”

“Of course not.” He moved behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist again. “You know the kind of things I want to do to you.”

My breathing picked up. “If I make it through tonight, do I get to find out?”

His hands slid lower, eventually cupping my ass. “Of course. We’ll get through the evening.”

I turned in his arms and kissed him lightly on the lips. “You really are the best.”

“Remember that next time I do something stupid. Maybe we can count this as a preemptive get out of jail free card.”

I laughed. “Were you planning to do something bad?”

“No, but I’m sure I’ll mess up eventually. It’s bound to happen.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome… and just so you know, contrary to what Maddy tells you, I’m not here to make sure guys don’t hit on you.” He grinned.

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Maddy might think so?”

“She might, but that’s really not why I’m here.”

“Does it make me anti-feminist if that doesn’t bother me?”

“No, it makes you a good girlfriend. You don’t like having other guys hit on you. That’s a good thing.”

“Your flirtations are more than enough.”

“I know.”

I laughed. “Okay, let’s do this.”

“Too bad we can’t have a drink first.”

“Nope. No drinking on the job.”

My first customer was Colin. You’ve got to love a big brother who shows up exactly at the right minute to put you at ease.

He had a big goofy grin on his face, and I knew something was up.

“Why are you smiling?

“I got you something.” He pulled a vase of purple lilies from behind his back. “I think these are still your favorite.”

“Aww, thanks Colin!” I walked around the bar to give him a hug.

“Of course, but I think you might like the first night gift your boyfriend got you better.”

“What gift?” I turned back around where Macon stood with his own goofy grin. “I’ll show you later.”

“Okay… if you insist.” I fake pouted. Knowing there was a surprise waiting might help me make it through what I knew would be a busy night.

I thanked Colin for the flowers by mixing him a perfect Manhattan without him having to tell me what he wanted. I could thank Maddy for that little tip.

He sipped the drink. “Nice job, little sis.”

“You can go watch Maddy if you want. I’m sure you’d rather be out there.” I knew he was especially worried about Maddy bartending now that she was pregnant.

“I can stay here if you want.”

“I have back up.” I patted Macon’s arm.

“You do. I’ll see you later.” Colin waved before heading back down the stairs.

Busy was the understatement of the century. Max must have done some serious PR work getting the word out about the new bar, because I’d never seen so many people in one place. With the picturesque view of the water, I could understand the draw.

“There’s no way I could have done this on my own,” I whispered.

“And there’s no way you would have had to. I told Max I’d be here. Otherwise he’d have been up here himself. You know that.”

“All right, let’s do this.”

I got lucky at first. I served about a dozen beers before someone asked for a mixed drink. Thankfully it was one I knew well because I loved them, a Cosmo. I decided the girl wouldn’t mind if I put my own twist on the garnish, and I added a flower petal.

“Thanks.” She took the drink and walked off with her boyfriend. I tried to look over people’s heads so I could watch her drink it.

“She’s smiling, you’re good.” Macon patted my back lightly. His height came in handy.

Things picked up even more, and Macon and I were bumping into each other trying to keep up. I messed up once giving a guy a whiskey on the rocks when he wanted it neat, but that was more about the noise level than anything else. At least that was an easy fix—I just poured a new one.

Around midnight I thought I was about to pass out. I’d never worked so hard in my life. I grabbed a bottle of water and downed it. I hadn’t realized how dehydrated I’d become. Max appeared through the crowd. “Why don’t you head home? I have this.”

“Did I do something wrong?” I slipped off my shoes for a moment. They may have made me feel ***y, but they weren’t particularly comfortable.

“Of course not, but I’d rather you still want to come back tomorrow night.”

“Are you sure?” I felt bad deserting, but he was my boss, he had the final say.

“Absolutely. I haven’t been behind the bar in a while. I’m looking forward to it.”

I would have doubted him if it wasn’t for the smile on his face as he moved behind the bar. I grabbed my vase of lilies and let Macon lead me through the crowds and out back to the Tiki bar.

“Hey!” Maddy called over the loud music.

“I did it!”

Colin laughed and pulled me into a hug. “I’m strangely proud.”

“Strangely?”

“I never thought I’d be proud of my sister for bartending, but you set your mind to it and learned something new. That’s a cool thing.”

“In other words I’m rubbing off on him.” Maddy grinned.

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I hugged her over the bar. “Thanks for all the help, Maddy. Max said we could head out.”

“Have fun.”

I stepped back. “I think I’m going right to bed.”

“Uh huh,” Maddy arched an eyebrow and pointed to Macon. “Are you so sure about that?”

I laughed. “My brother’s here.”

“Yes I am.” Colin crossed his arms.

“And we’re leaving. Night, guys.” Macon waved before leading me back through the bar and out to the car.

We were already back at the condo when I remembered Macon had a gift for me.

“Do I get to find out what my present is yet?” I kissed him on the cheek.

“Absolutely.” He took my hand and led me down the hall to my room. That was a change as we always slept in his room. I was about to say something when I saw the envelope on my dresser. I quickly opened it. “Dan Croll tickets! How? This show sold out months ago.”

“I have my ways.”

“Thank you!” I hugged him around the neck.

“You can thank me by taking me with the second ticket.”

“Was that even a question?”

“Hey… you never know.”

“Are we sleeping in here tonight?” I gestured to my bed.

“Do you mind that we don’t?” He glanced at the tiny mattress.

“No. I prefer your giant bed to this one anyway.”

“Same here, plus this still feels like Maddy’s room to me.”

“I get that.” I held the tickets and walked out into the hall.

“How happy are you with me right now?” His voice came from right behind me.

“Very.”

“Happy enough that you’d join me in the shower?”

“What’s with you and asking questions you already know the answer to?” I reached back and grabbed him through his pants.

“Hey, it’s dangerous to assume. It’s always worth asking.”

“Can I ask a question then, too?”

“Of course.”

“What are you waiting for?”

“Nothing.” He picked me up and threw me over his shoulders. “I finally get to say I took the bartender home.”

I laughed. “I took the bartender home too.”

“That you did.” He set me down in the bathroom, closed the door, and turned on the water.

While he was distracted I completely undressed. He turned back and grinned. “And look, my present came unwrapped.”

“Mine didn’t.” I set to work undressing him completely.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Macon

Brody was the only guy who’d have ever been able to convince me to drink Pabst beer. The first time we’d gone out fishing he’d insisted on it. Evidently it had been a tra***ion when he went fishing with his brothers, and I decided to be a good sport and go along with it. Two years later, I couldn’t imagine a day of fishing without it. Fishing was really the only “guy” thing we did together. We’d done it on a whim one day when he first moved in, and it had become a semi-regular thing for us.

The sun way already high in the sky by the time we pulled the canoe out. Usually we left early in the morning, but I’d had trouble leaving my bed again. When you have a girl like Carly begging you to stay a few more minutes, it can take an army, or in my case an annoyed roommate, to pull you out of the sheets. I left the condo with a promise that Carly would be around that night. She’d been spending more time with Maddy lately. Combined with the extra shifts she was working now that she was bartending, and the fact that I worked days rather than nights, finding time together could be tough.

“Think we’re going to catch anything today?” Brody stretched out as much as he could in the canoe.

“Maybe. Either way, I’m glad you dragged me out here.”

“I know she’s prettier than me, but man it’s hard to pry the two of you apart.”

“She’s a hell of a lot prettier than you.” I took a long sip of my beer.

“Yeah, I’m not going to argue there.”

“So what’s going on with you? I feel like all you’ve been doing is working.”

“I’m trying to save up a little until I figure out what to do next.”

“Do next? Were you planning on doing something different?”

“Aren’t you? I know you own the place, but are you going to stay out here when Caleb takes over the shop?” Brody wasn’t the type to beat around the bush.

“I have no clue.” I had no idea how I could rationalize staying around if I didn’t have a job at the shop.

“I guess the better question is whether Carly’s sticking around.”

“Who knows? It’s not like we’ve been together long.” It sure didn’t feel that way though.

“Yet she’s slept in your bed almost every night for weeks now.”

“I can’t get enough of her. She makes everything seem better, like I’m not a complete **** up.”

“You’re not a **** up. Did you decide what to do with Wharton? Aren’t you out of deferrals now?”

“I’m not going.”

“You do understand that getting an MBA would help you with more than just your family business.”

“I just don’t want it anymore.”

“Then what do you want? Other than Carly and spending your life diving?”

“I have no clue. I’ll figure something out.” I tried not to think about it anymore than I had to.

“Same here. My parents are bugging me to go home. My brother Gavin thinks I should move to Wilmington where he is.”

“He’s the one getting married, right?”

“Yeah. He’s coaching a minor league baseball team and someone’s wife owns a restaurant he thinks I should work at while I go to culinary school.”

“Wouldn’t that be a good opportunity?”

“In theory, but I don’t know, I just want to do something on my own I guess. My family’s great and all, but they can get overbearing.”

“And he probably just wants you around so you can babysit when they inevitably get pregnant in the next few years.” I let some cynicism slip in.

“Speaking of pregnant—Maddy’s really having a baby, huh?”

“Looks that way. She seems surprisingly excited about it.”

“It’s not that surprising. She loves Colin.”

“Yeah, but she’s the one who usually overthinks everything.”

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“I guess this comes more naturally.” Brody cast his line.

“I guess so. Maddy a mom. Seems crazy.”

“Right now I’m going to focus on the fact that she’s getting married. That’s crazy enough.”

“Have they set a date yet? She told me her parents took all the news well.”

“They did. Her parents are cooler than she’d let you believe, and they like Colin. Maddy’s trying to convince Colin to do something really small though. He’s convinced she’s only pushing for that because she’s pregnant, but I think it’s actually what she wants.”

“Are you going to talk to him?”

“I’m going to let Carly take care of that. Colin usually listens to her.”

Brody laughed. “Yeah, let your girlfriend do the hard job.”

I shrugged. “She doesn’t seem to mind. I think she likes being part of everything.”

“What’s the deal with her family? I never wanted to ask, but I’m guessing you know.”

“It’s all sorts of messed up. All I’m going to say is that if I ever see her brother-in-law he’s going to get hurt.”

“That bad, huh?”

“That bad.” I pulled off my t-shirt. The sun was roasting.

“You’re going to get sunburn.”

“You sound like Carly.”

“Yeah, but unlike Carly I’m not going to help you with the aloe.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what Carly would say too.”

***

Three hours was a really long drive to go to a show, but I knew how much Carly loved the group. We’d decided to get a hotel in Virginia Beach for the night, and I was looking forward to it. As much as I loved having Brody as a roommate, I was looking forward to some more privacy for a change.

“What’s your view on listening to a band on your way to go see them, yay or nay?” Carly sat happily in the passenger seat. She was dressed in my favorite dress. It was navy blue and shorter than she usually wore. I mentioned how good she looked in it, and she seemed to be wearing it a lot more. I enjoyed knowing I had that kind of influence more than I’d have admitted out loud.

“I’ve never considered that important question before. There’s always the risk of getting tired of the music before you get there, but could you even get tired of listening to Dan Croll?”

“Never.” She turned on her Bluetooth and the music blared through the radio. I smiled to myself. Sometimes Carly was so easy to please.

I’d been expecting a large venue, but the show was in a really intimate place off the beaten path. My interest in watching the show rose exponentially. I always preferred when you got to be up close to the performers. There was something so much more satisfying about it. Being that close made it worth the price and effort of seeing them live.

“I’m so excited!” Carly stepped up on her tippy toes trying to see over the people in front of us as we waited in line.

“There’s nothing to see yet, babe.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you trying so hard?” I teased. I loved how excited she was, it made the drive seem like nothing.

We turned over our tickets and walked in, ordering some drinks before making our way closer to the stage. Carly watched the bartender like a hawk while he mixed them.

The opening act was surprisingly good, and I found a comfortable spot with Carly leaning against me. Standing room only wasn’t bad when it involved Carly in close proximity.

She got so into the music. She sang along to the songs as her body moved against mine.

Carly suddenly froze. “Let’s go.”

“What? He’s not even done with the first set. What’s wrong?”

“Please. Let’s go.”

“Are you sure?” I looked at her nervously. Something had spooked her, but I had no idea what.

She took my hand and pulled me toward the door. We got stuck in a crowd by the bathrooms, but made it out to the lobby. The music was faint outside the main doors.

“Running away from me, Carly?” A voice called.

She squeezed my hand, and I turned around. I came face to face with a guy in his mid-to late twenties. “Who the **** are you?”

He ignored me and focused on Carly. “Just like when we were kids, you always spied on me and ran away.”

Carly turned. “I wasn’t spying on you. I’m obviously here with someone. And if I find out you’re here with someone God help you, asshole.”

Whoa. Carly didn’t curse much. Whoever the hell this punk was he’d rubbed her the wrong way.

“Oh yeah? Are you going to go crying to Kim again? Look at what good that did last time. Just made a mess of things for all of us.”

Kim? A light bulb went off. This was her brother-in-law. “Don’t even talk to her, you jackass.”

“I see you found yourself a new friend. How long’s he going to last? You were never good at keeping boys around, were you? Even in high school you always scared them off.”

“What the hell would you know? You were in college by the time I was in high school.”

“That didn’t stop you from chasing after me back then.”

“Shut up, Jasper. I was a kid. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re leaving.”

“Leaving?” He laughed dryly. “The show’s barely started.”

“And you successfully managed to ruin it for her. Don’t say another word.”

“Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?”

“Her boyfriend. Now get lost.”

“Boyfriend? Well let me do you a favor, cut your losses. She’s just a little tease. She’s not worth your time.”

“What did you just say?”

“She’s a tease. Always has been, always will be. She ****s everything up, and even her family knows it.”

“Oh yeah? Is that why you were hitting on her? Coming on to your wife’s little sister, real classy.”

“I was only offering Carly what she’d wanted for years.”

I looked at Carly. I was so tempted to punch the asshole, but I was also realizing there was so much more to the story. Either way, none of it was Carly’s fault. I knew that.

“Let’s go.” I took her hand. “Let’s catch the rest of the show.” I wasn’t going to let the idiot ruin our night.

“Not yet.” She squeezed my hand. “There’s something I need to say.”

“Is there?” He sneered. “Is this where you finally confess what we both already know. If it weren’t for Colin none of us would be in this mess.”

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Colin? He was involved too? I forced myself to stay quiet. Carly was holding my hand. If she wanted me to get involved I would, but right now I needed to just support her.

“Colin was protecting me, the way a brother should.”

“No. Colin screwed things up. You felt the same things I did. Don’t even try to lie.”

“Did I have a crush on you back then? Yeah, but what girl doesn’t crush on her older brother’s best friend at some point? It’s human nature.”

Brother’s best friend? Whoa.

“It was more than a crush, and it went both ways.”

“It was a crush. I was sixteen and stupid. Colin did the right thing keeping you away. And what, six months later you were dating Kim? Clearly you didn’t care that much.”

“Didn’t you ever wonder why?”

“Wonder why? No. You ended up with the perfect one. The one who did everything right. I hated Kim for a year when you guys got engaged, but then I realized I was being stupid. She deserved to be happy, and if it was with you, then fine.”

“The perfect one? Not quite. Do you realize how hard it’s been for me? All those stupid family events when you’d show up with shmucks like this one just to piss me off.”

I bit down the response I wanted to make.

“I wasn’t trying to piss you off. I’d moved on. You were married to my sister. My sister, who also happens to be the sister of your best friend.”

“We’re not friends anymore. You know that.”

“That’s your own fault. What did you expect him to do?”

“Back us up. He’s the reason we’re in this position.”

“Stop saying that. You’re in this position because you’re a jerk.”

“How am I a jerk? You spent that whole night watching me. You kept giving me those looks of yours, and you wanted me to follow you home.”

“No. I had absolutely no interest in sleeping with my sister’s husband. I’m not that kind of person, and frankly I can’t believe you’ve become that type either.”

“Don’t act like I’m a monster. It’s not like I’m sleeping around on her. Although she thinks I am. You went and told and now she’s checking my phone records, and I swear she’s hired a PI.”

“You came on to me, Jasper. You tried to talk me into having *** with you when you were married to my sister. I never said you were a monster, but you’re a jerk. You tried to guilt trip me, play on my insecurities. You know how much I wish I was Kim, how I wish I could be half as successful and perfect as her, but I’ll never be. Go home. You’re lucky she kept you in her life. She sure as heck didn’t keep me.” Tears spilled down Carly’s face, and I’d had enough.

“Just admit it, Carly. You’re in love with me.” He stepped closer to her. “You always have been.”

“No.” Carly wiped away her tears and stood up straighter. “I’m not.”

He leered at her. “We’ll see what you say when I see you without your boyfriend next time.”

My fist made contact with his face without me thinking about it. His words were the last straw.

Security moved toward us at lightning speed. They watched us, clearly deciding how to intervene.

“We’re leaving.” Carly held up her hand, and they backed off. “He was just protecting me.”

She grabbed hold of my hand and rushed toward where we parked. We didn’t speak until we were in the car and on our way back home. **** the hotel, I just wanted to get away from this place. I could tell she was upset. She tried to hide them, but I noticed the tears. I wanted to give her time before asking any questions.

She put a hand on my leg. “Thank you.”

“You never told me the backstory.” I wasn’t mad, she didn’t owe the whole story to me, but I wished she’d trusted me enough to tell me everything.

“I didn’t want you to think even less of me.”

“Why would I think less? That just makes the guy even more of a creep. He went after you when you were sixteen.”

She turned to look out the window.

“He didn’t. I mean I’m hoping when he said tease that means you didn’t sleep with him back then.”

“No… we came close, but you heard what he said about Colin.”

“My respect for your brother just rose again.”

“I still don’t get why she married him. She’d never liked him growing up. I was the one who did.”

“Maybe that’s exactly it. She wanted to prove she could have him.”

She turned to look at me. “But why? What did that matter?”

“I don’t know Kim, but maybe she feels the same way about you that you feel about her. Maybe she’s jealous of you.”

“That’s impossible.” Carly slumped down in her seat.

“No, babe, it’s completely possible.”

“I’m sorry this night was such a mess.”

“I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have punched him. We should have just gone back in.”

“I’m glad you did. I wish I’d had the courage to do that myself.” She stared down at her hands in her lap.

“You were awesome, Carly. You stood up for yourself and didn’t back down. I’m glad I was able to witness that.”

“Do you want me to drive? You drove so much today already.”

“No, I just want to know you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.” She squeezed my arm. “I have you.”

My heart swelled. This amazingly beautiful girl found strength and comfort from me. Maybe I wasn’t completely worthless.

“Tell me about your childhood. It had to have been more interesting than mine.” She traced small circles on my arm.

“Are you sure about that? Your late teens kind of sound like they belong on a TV show.”

“Very funny. Come on, what were you like? That first night down on the beach you told me you weren’t always cool. Were you a nerd?”

I put my arm behind her seat. “A nerd? No. More like a geek.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Yes. A nerd is all bookish. A geek is just into geeky things. And I was the kind of geek who didn’t look like one on the surface.” I passed a slow moving truck before settling back into the right lane. I wasn’t in a huge rush, but I was ready to get Carly home.

“Really? No glasses?”

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“I had glasses, but they made me look cute, not geeky.”

“So you say.”

“Just ask Maddy.”

“I had braces for five years.”

“Really? I can’t even picture that.”

“Yup. The first time I made out with a guy I cut his lip.”

I laughed. “Seriously? You were a dangerous kisser?”

“I guess so. Looks like you met me at a better time.”

“I think we met each other at the perfect time.”

“Me too.” She leaned into my arm, and I turned up the music. We didn’t have to worry about listening to too much Dan Croll.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Carly

As I stood on the shore preparing for my first dive, I was questioning my unwavering faith in Macon. Brody had come with us supposedly for moral support, but I think he was doing it to make sure I didn’t chicken out. In some things I was fearless, but scuba diving wasn’t one of those. I wasn’t afraid of the ocean and was a decent swimmer, but I didn’t like the idea of my breathing being completely dependent on a tank. What if something went wrong? Macon had reassured me he’d be with me every step of the way, but I was still nervous. I knew I could just say no, but I didn’t want to. Hiding from my fears wouldn’t make them go away. Besides, diving was Macon’s passion. If for no other reason, I needed to try for him.

“All right. This is a good spot.” Macon started handing me all sorts of gear. It was go time. No turning back. I took the advice Maddy had given me: deep breaths and a positive attitude. I wasn’t sure that advice applied specifically to scuba diving, but it would probably work in most situations.

“I’m going to be watching the whole time. I promise that even if you don’t trust Macon, I’m here.” Brody was of course joking, but he had to be one of the nicest guys I’d ever met. After a few months of living with him, I still couldn’t quite comprehend how he was single. Maybe it was by choice. I was dying to know what held him back, and I hoped to learn more, but right before diving into the ocean didn’t seem like the best time. I was already panicked enough. Three more deep breaths did nothing to calm me down. I shivered underneath my wet suit even though I was dry and the sun was out.

“Okay, you have to breathe, Carly.” Macon put his hands on both of my arms. “I already told you that’s the most important thing. Today we’re going to be in shallow water so it’s not a huge deal, but on a deeper dive it’s more important.”

“What he means is that on a deeper dive it could kill you.” Brody chuckled.

“Kill me?” I stepped back from Macon, ready to throw the mask and snorkel at both of them.

“Thanks, asshole.” Macon glared at Brody.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Just kiss her Macon. That might speed up her heart, but it will probably get rid of her nerves.” Brody winked.

“No. That’s okay. No need to do that now.”

Macon grinned. “I think that’s a great idea.”

Two seconds later his lips were on mine, two minutes later I was underwater. Admittedly we were in fairly shallow water, but I was doing it. I was putting faith in Macon and the equipment. He was right, it was remarkably easy to breathe through the regulator when you stayed calm.

I didn’t see anything at first. The water was murky from the sand, but eventually I got used to the sensation and noticed a few fish. Wildlife aside, I was doing it. I was diving.

We didn’t stay under for long.

“I did it!” I wrapped my arms around Macon’s neck as soon as we surfaced.

He laughed. “Yes you did, babe.”

“Aren’t you proud of me?”

“Yes, very.” He rested his hands on my hips. “So proud I’m going to insist you get your certification so we can really start diving together.”

“You’re pushing it.”

“Am I?”

“At least let me revel in the excitement tonight.”

He laughed. “Okay.”

We celebrated my first taste of scuba diving by going out for ice cream. We walked down the beach eating overflowing waffle cones. Macon had insisted I get three scoops. I usually didn’t even finish the single. I preferred the cone to the ice cream anyway.

“I can’t believe it’s August.” I hated to even think about how fast the summer was going, but ignoring it wasn’t going to help either. It’s not that we’d ever really discussed what was going to happen at the end of the summer, but we all knew things were going to change.

“Tell me about it. This summer is flying by.” Brody polished off all but the last bits of his ice cream. He’d gone with mint chip.

“Can I just ask the question that no one’s asking?” I licked some of the chocolate chip cookie dough on my cone.

“You can ask anything, doesn’t mean I’ll answer.” Macon took a bite of my ice cream even though he had plenty of his chocolate left.

“Is there an eviction date or something? Do I get kicked out on a certain day?”

“You do realize you’re sleeping with the landlord, right?” Brody half laugh, half snorted. “I doubt you’re getting kicked to the curb anytime soon.”

“Why are you worrying about this now?” Macon slung an arm over my shoulder.

“Because I still don’t know where I’ll go.”

“And you honestly think I’m going to throw you out?” He gaped at me.

“No, of course not, but if you’re leaving…”

“Brody, can you give us a minute?” Macon gave him a knowing look.

“Sure. Meet you back at the car in a few.” Brody took off down the beach.

“I’m not disappearing on you. I’m not using you. I’m not getting bored. I have no idea what I’m going to be doing, but that doesn’t mean I don’t plan to still be with you.”

“Okay. That’s what I needed to hear.”

“Good. Now get back to work on that cone, it’s starting to melt and we’re not going home until you’re done.”

“I’m not finishing this whole thing.”

“Why not?”

I stared at the monstrous mound of ice cream. “Because it’s huge.”

“I thought you liked huge things.”

I pushed his side. “Don’t start, Macon.”

“What? I’m taking about how much you love big cars.”

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“I told you I want a mini coupe.”

“Okay, bad example.”

“Stop while you’re ahead.” I licked my ice cream again. “And if I were you I’d help me finish this cone.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because I’m still hyped up over that dive. I want to get out my energy.”

“Does getting out energy involve me?”

“I’d like for it too.”

“Then, give me that.” He grabbed my cone. “Let’s go find Brody and get out of here.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Macon

Get here now. Carly needs you.

Maddy’s text nearly gave me a heart attack. I’d just gotten in my car to head home after work. Before starting the car I texted back. Where?

Colin’s.

I didn’t waste any more time asking questions. I pulled out of the lot and onto the road. I didn’t get far. The traffic was horrible. With only one major road, high traffic times were a problem at the beach. Waiting wasn’t going to work. If Carly needed me I was going to get there—fast. I was still close enough to work I could get my car back. I drove over the curb and parked my car on the sidewalk. It would be quicker to run at the rate I was going.

My mind ran a million miles a minute. What could be going on? If Carly needed me she normally would have texted me herself. Why did Maddy have to do it?

I was sweaty as all hell by the time Colin’s place finally came into sight. I ran up the driveway. There was an unfamiliar car parked out front. I ran right to the front door and didn’t even bother to knock.

“I don’t understand why you’re supporting your sister making such a stupid decision. You know as well as we do that running away is never the answer.”

I walked into the living room just in time to catch a middle aged man going off on Colin. The familiar resemblance left no question that it was his father.

Carly stood huddled in the corner of the room with her arms wrapped around her chest. She hadn’t noticed me enter.

“I support Carly. That’s more than what you can say.” Colin glared at his father.

I took in the room. The dad had his arm resting on the leg of a woman that I assumed was their mother.

“We support all of our children, but we can’t just gloss over what she did to Kim.”

“What I did to Kim?” Carly stood, her eyes blazing with anger. “I did nothing.”

“Are you really going to keep this up? Something happened with you and Jasper.”

“Yes. Something did. He came on to me, and I said no.” She clenched her teeth.

“Are you sure you made that clear?” her father asked.

I didn’t think. I just stormed into the room. “Are you really going to talk to your own daughter that way?”

“And who are you?” Her dad eyed me with disdain. I’m sure I looked like hell, but I didn’t care.

I walked across the room and put an arm around Carly. “I’m Carly’s boyfriend.”

She glanced up at me. A look of relief crossed her face.

“Boyfriend? Carly doesn’t have a boyfriend,” her mother said snidely.

“You’d know she did if you actually bothered to talk to her once in a while.” Colin glared.

“Is this why you asked to speak to us? You wanted us to see Carly was playing around with some guy at the beach?”

Playing around? I would have gone off on Carly’s dad if she hadn’t squeezed my hand. She wanted me to stay out of it.

“No. That’s not what I wanted to talk about, and I didn’t ask you to come here. I told you I’d come to you.”

“We decided *****rprise you.” The mother turned back to Carly and me. “And what do you do? Are you also wasting your time?”

“I knocked up Maddy.” The entire room went quiet after the words left Colin’s mouth. Maddy looked pale as a ghost.

“Excuse me?” his mom asked.

“You heard me. Lay off Carly. Let’s talk about me.”

Maddy buried her face in her hands. I knew she was annoyed, but Colin had actually just jumped about a thousand respect points in my book. He threw me a look, and I knew what to do. I tugged on Carly’s hand and headed toward the door.

“Pregnant? Are you really that irresponsible?”

“They’re getting married. Congratulate them.” Carly spoke just loudly enough that her parents could hear.

Her mother nodded and a look passed over her, like she was actually seeing her daughter for the first time. She turned back to Colin. “We’ll have to move fast with the planning.”

Carly headed to the front door, and I followed. Her family situation was seriously messed up.

“Just get it over with,” She mumbled the words as she searched around in her purse.

“Get what over with?” I stood right beside her, trying to come up with the right words. That conversation with her parents made me mad. I couldn’t imagine how she was feeling.

“Breaking up with me. I’m surprised you didn’t do it after Jasper, but this was even worse, huh?”

“What?” I turned her, putting my hands on either of her arms. “What are you talking about?”

“Now that you’ve seen how messed up my family is, don’t you want to run?”

“No. I want to wrap you up in my arms and keep everything else away.”

She gazed up with at me with tear rimmed eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

“Absolutely, can I have the keys?”

She pulled her clunky keychain out of her purse and handed it to me. I wordlessly opened her door.

I didn’t say anything until we were almost back to the condo. “When we get inside go pack enough stuff for a few days. I’ll call Max and my boss.”

“Wait, where are we going?”

“Do you trust me?”

She nodded. “One hundred percent.”

I pulled into her usual spot. “Then just pack. Nothing crazy, just the basics.”

“Okay…” She opened her door.

We walked upstairs quietly. I wanted to talk to her about everything, but not yet. I needed to keep us both focused so we could get out of town quickly.

I threw together a small duffel while I convinced Ralph to cover me at work and called Max.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Max. It’s Macon.”

“And to what do I owe the honor of this phone call?” He was definitely intrigued.

“Can you find someone to cover for Carly this weekend?”

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“That depends. Why am I doing it?” His question came from curiosity and concern. He was going to give her the time off no matter what.

“She needs a weekend away more than anyone, and she deserves it.”

“I’m going to trust you on this one.”

“I can tell her it’s fine?”

“Absolutely, but is she okay?” he asked worriedly.

“She will be.” I’d make sure of it.

“Good. Take care of her.” He hung up.

“I’m all packed,” Carly called from outside my room.

“Great, let’s go.”

“You really aren’t going to tell me where we’re going?” She leaned against the door frame.

“Nope. I’d rather show you.” I took her small suitcase from her and led her to the front door.

***

After a quick stop to move my car back into a parking space at the shop, we got on the road. We drove through a heavy rainstorm, but otherwise it was an uneventful trip. I hoped Carly enjoyed the surprise.

I’d never brought anyone to the cabin before. My grandfather had left the old place up in the Blue Ridge Mountains to me, and even though my parents suggested I sell it, I knew I never would. Bringing a girl there had never crossed my mind, but I had a feeling it was just what Carly needed, and I wanted her there. I wanted to show her my little sanctuary that even Maddy hadn’t ever seen.

“Wow, this place is awesome.” Carly looked around at the small cabin with awe, and I knew instantly I’d made the right decision. On the surface Carly didn’t look like an outdoorsy girl, but she also didn’t shy away from it. She seemed right at home in the rugged place. “Is this yours?”

“Yeah, my grandfather left it to me.”

“It’s great.” She surprised me by hugging me from around the waist. Her eyes were brighter again—she was back to being Carly. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

I closed the door and set down our bags. “Ready for the tour?”

“Sure!” Most girls would have made a comment about not needing a tour of a two room cabin, but not Carly.

“This is the kitchen, sitting room combo, and the bedroom is through here.” I gestured for her to walk through the small archway. The small room was filled with a queen sized bed and a dresser. Nothing fancy, but that was the whole idea.

“Perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better surprise getaway.”

I pulled her into my arms. “And I couldn’t have asked for a better girlfriend.”

She rested her head on my chest. “I guess we should unpack the groceries.” She headed back into the kitchen.

I started unpacking the paper bags. We’d stopped for dinner on the way up that night, but I wanted to make sure we had food for the rest of the weekend.

With the food unpacked, we went to sit out on the porch swing. I opened one of the bottles of wine I’d remembered to tuck in with my stuff. My grandfather would have laughed, but when given the option, Carly wasn’t a beer drinking kind of girl.

“Do you come up here a lot?” Carly’s voice broke through the nearly silent night. One of the reasons I loved the cabin was the quiet. The only sounds came from the crickets and rustling leaves at night. I liked the solitude, but having Carly’s company was even better.

“I try to come up a few times a year when I need a break.” I pulled her legs up onto my lap. She kicked off her flip flops.

“Do you usually come alone?”

“Always. This is the first time I haven’t.”

“I’m honored you brought me.” The light breeze blew the tendril of hair that had escaped her ponytail.

“It feels right to have you here.”

“I feel at home if that makes sense.”

“Perfect sense.” I ran my hands down her jean clad legs. As much as I wanted to touch her skin, I was glad she was wearing pants. The one downside of the place was the bugs.

“Do you want to talk about earlier?” I didn’t want to push it, but I needed her to know she could tell me anything.

“What’s there to talk about? My parents hate me.”

“They don’t hate you.”

“Ok, they don’t hate me. They just love me less than Kim.”

“Not that I have any interest in defending them, but I don’t think that’s it. And I’ve already weighed in on my bet about how Kim feels about you too.”

“Then what is it?” She pulled her legs from me. Not what I wanted.

“They’re confused. They don’t understand what happened. Maybe they do view Kim as more successful than you and somehow can’t accept her husband screwed up. Have they always liked Jasper?”

“They love him. He was the perfect friend for their son.”

“They don’t want to believe they were wrong about him. They’re angry at themselves for supporting the marriage. At least that’s what I think.”

“Maybe. I guess it doesn’t matter. I just wish they didn’t view me as the loser all the time.”

“Let me guess. Kim was the one who won awards for everything.”

“I thought you were an only child?”

“I am, but I had a cousin who was more like a brother. He was also better at everything.”

“Had?” She eyed me warily.

“He died when we were in college.”

“Oh. That’s where the pressure comes from. He was your uncle’s son.”

“Yeah…”

She moved behind me and slipped her hands underneath my t-shirt and started to run her nails gently down my back. I’d never had someone give me a back scratch like that, and it felt really good.

“Was that around the same time you stopped dating girls seriously?”

“We weren’t talking about me.”

“You’re right. We were talking about us. Both of us.”

She was right. “Yeah. His death changed me I guess. I didn’t want to keep searching for the one when I wasn’t even sure who I was.”

“But you’re dating me.”

“Because it’s different with you. There’s no searching. I can be myself with you in a way I’ve never been with someone before.”

“I feel that way too.”

A slap of thunder had Carly jumping behind me.

“Looks like that storm followed us up here.”

“I guess so.”

Even with her behind me I could tell she was tense. Was she afraid of storms? “We can go inside if you want.”

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“Not yet.”

She moved back around and settled into the crook of my arm. We sipped our wine and watched the rain start from small drops to a steady downpour. Silence had never felt so natural before.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Carly

I was in love with Macon. The realization hit me like a freight train as I curled up with him watching the storm. Every part of me felt whole with him. He got me. He didn’t judge or over glorify the good parts, but he also didn’t focus on the bad. We joked about being perfect, but the reality was neither of us wanted that. I didn’t want perfect, I wanted real and strong. He’d finally opened up to me. It had taken nearly the whole summer, but it had happened.

“What are you thinking about?” His lips tickled my neck. He kept the swing moving. My legs were curled up under me.

“You and me.”

“Anything I don’t already know?”

I gazed up at him in the hazy light from the single bulb porch fixture. “Nope. You already know all of it.”

“I have no clue what we’re going to do at the end of the summer, but I’m not giving you up.”

“Considering I have no plans of giving you up, you’re good.”

“You’re going to stay with me? Follow me to the ends of the earth?”

I crawled into his lap. “Yes.”

“Good.” He brushed his lips against mine in that way of his. He did it all the time, and at first I thought he just did it because he knew it sent a thrill through me. Later I figured out it was his way of testing the waters.

I reached up and ran my hands through his hair. “I may even have an idea.”

“Oh?” His lidded eyes gazed into mine, and I knew it wasn’t the time to share my plan yet.

“But I don’t want to talk about that.”

“What do you want to talk about, Carly?”

“I don’t want to talk.”

He grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.” His lips crushed into mine, moving against mine until he lightly bit my bottom lip and pushed his way into my mouth. I gladly let him in. He slipped a hand under my t-shirt and bra, fondling my breast while his mouth continued to explore mine.

He broke the kiss long enough to discard my shirt and bra before returning his lips to mine. I used the break to pull off his t-shirt. I wanted his bare skin against mine. We were outside, but there was no one else for miles. There was something so thrilling about being intimate while the rain poured down inches from us.

His lips moved down to my neck, and I leaned my head back to give him better access. His lips continued their descent, stopping on my breasts. I fumbled with his belt, unbuckling it before moving on to the button of his cargo shorts. I slipped my hand inside while he lifted me off his lap enough to unbutton my jeans. I stood up, and he slowly slid my dark jeans down my legs. While his eyes took me in, I got rid of his shorts and boxers in one movement. He slid off my underwear before he sat back on the swing taking me with him.

I gently stroked him while he slipped two fingers inside of me. I gasped at the sensation, but he didn’t take long before removing them. I was about to protest when he thrust inside of me. The movement rocked the swing, getting it moving again. I gasped again as he moved the entire length of him inside me, back and forth.

He pulled out the hair tie from my hair, letting it spill down my back. I always felt ***ier that way. I pressed my lips into his neck, trying to control the urge to scream.

“I love you, Carly.” The words came out in short bursts as he moved.

“I love you, Macon.” I didn’t plan to tell him in the heat of passion, but sometimes that’s when we’re most honest.

“I’ve never heard a three word combination I liked more.”

I kissed him. I needed my lips against his. He kissed me back, continuing to move inside me. Right before he pushed me over the edge his lips moved to my ear. “Do you love me enough to stop holding back how you feel?”

“Of course.” I closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy the pleasure of our bodies joining, and when the time came I let out the scream I’d have normally fought down. That did something to him, and he reached his own release moments later just as a bright streak of lightning lit up the sky.

“I love you so much, babe. So freaking much.” He held me to him, his hands grasping me like he thought I’d disappear if he ever let go.

***

“Twelve. It’s definitely twelve.” Macon counted the small red dots on my body. We’d moved inside.

“I’ve had twenty bug bites before, this is nothing.”

“I don’t have any.”

“I guess my blood is sweet.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised. Every part of you is sweet.”

I laughed, loving how comfortable I was lying naked in front of him. Macon wouldn’t have it any other way. He liked to look at me, and although at first I was embarrassed about it, I loved to look at him.

I held up our entwined hands, squinting to see them in the near darkness of the room. “That was worth it though.”

“I hope so… it was incredible for me.”

“For me too.”

“Just in case you didn’t get the full effect since I had you distracted, I love you.”

I smiled. “It was actually an even stronger effect, but I don’t mind you repeating yourself.” I leaned up on an elbow. “And, I love you, Macon.”

“See, I was right. There is no better word combination then hearing that from your lips.”

I laughed. “I’ll try not to overuse it and ruin the effect then.”

“You could never over use it.”

“Good.” I kissed his shoulder.

“All right, I think this calls for ice cream.” He hopped out of bed and headed out of the room.

“Aren’t you going to get dressed first?” I didn’t bother to get up. He’d bring the ice cream to me.

“Nope, but we do have a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” I asked, squinting to see him in the dark.

“The power’s out.”

“I guess that means we’ll have to eat a lot of ice cream.” I laughed.

“It’s incredibly awesome that you just said that. Do you realize how many girls would be freaking out?”

“Stuck in a cabin without power with a hot guy? Uh, most girls wouldn’t care.”

“When you put it that way…” He laughed. “I know I have a flashlight somewhere.”

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“Just use your phone.”

“Oh yeah.” He grabbed his phone off the dresser and walked into the kitchen. He returned with a container of rocky road ice cream and two spoons.

Outside the storm still raged, but that just made the cabin feel cozier.

He settled in next to me, pulling the sheets and blankets up over us. I took the spoon he offered. “I’m not sure how I got so lucky, but I’m not going to complain.”

“You and me both, babe.”

“What kind of mood are you in?”

“The happy as a lark kind.”

“Okay. Then it’s a good time to discuss my plan.”

He took a bit of ice cream. “Ok, let’s hear this plan.”

“Why do you want to run your family’s business? What is it about the job that made you want it?”

He set aside the container of ice cream. “This is your plan?”

“Just answer me.”

He put an arm around me, and I rested my head on his chest. “I knew I could do more for the company. I could make it bigger, help it grow. I also like the idea of being my own boss.”

“But you really aren’t into risk management?”

“No. But it doesn’t matter what the industry is.”

“But wouldn’t it be better if the product or service was something you loved?”

“What are you getting at?”

“You said your boss at the scuba shop is handing over the business to his son at the end of the summer, right?”

My mood soured at the mention of Caleb. “Yes. There better be a reason you’re bringing up that asshat while we’re in bed.”

“There is.” I put a hand on his arm. “Just bear with me. What if you made an offer?”

“An offer?”

I sat up, wrapping the sheet around my chest. “Or rather, what if we made an offer.”

“An offer? Like to buy him out?”

“Yes. Really all you need to buy is the building and dock since it’s such a great location. And I guess the boats would help.”

“Carly, I love you babe, but do you realize how much all of that would cost?”

“I assume a lot. We’d need capital.”

“You keep saying we.”

“I want to go in on this with you. I’m great at marketing. That’s what I majored in, and I know with your expertise we can make this work.”

“Says the girl who’s only been scuba diving once.”

“You have enough passion about it for the both of us.”

“You’re ready to go into business with me?”

“I’m already sleeping with you. Don’t you think that was a bigger step?”

“The fact that you’d say that makes me very happy.” He pulled me back against him. “But where are we going to get this money? There’s no way I’m asking my parents.”

“Colin.”

“Colin?” He appeared to mull it over. “I know he’s got some cash, but not that much and he’s not going to hand it over easily.”

“We have to get him in on it. He has some capital and he’d be able to get a much bigger loan than us.”

“Where’s all this coming from?” He turned me so I could look at him.

“I just like to find opportunities where they don’t seem to exist.”

“Do you really think we can convince Colin to join us? It would be a huge risk and with the new baby and all.”

“I think he would if we made it worth his while. He’s the only one in my family who’s ever believed in me, and I feel good about this. I know we can make it huge.”

“All right, but we need to set up one thing before we go any further with this idea.”

“What?”

“You need to try to dive again. You can’t tie your future to something you don’t know anything about.”

“I didn’t mind the shore dive. Can we do that again?”

“Sure, and then maybe after that you’d want to get certified.”

“If I did a boat dive, would you be with me the whole time?”

He brushed hair away from my face. “Would you ever doubt that?”

“No. I wouldn’t.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Macon

The days were ticking down. As August dragged on, I knew the summer was ending, and I was about to get booted from the only job I’d ever really enjoyed. Carly seemed convinced she could come up with a way for us to buy the shop, but I wasn’t sure if her enthusiasm would be enough. I gave her the space and time she needed to develop her business plan, but I wasn’t giving her space of the personal kind. With the end of summer came the possibility of the end of our nights together, and I was going to enjoy every last one of them.

I didn’t even mind the grunt work around the shop as much as I used to. Part of me would even miss that. I was filling some tanks when Ralph walked into the back.

“Get ready. We have a last minute dive.”

“Get ready? Aren’t you going to do it?”

“Nope. She requested you specifically.”

“She?” I groaned. Having a female customer request me specifically probably wouldn’t be a good thing in Carly’s eyes.

“Yes. She’s doing a certification.”

“Do you mind doing it?” The last thing I needed was to get in trouble with Carly. I wasn’t wasting a second of our time together fighting.

“I really think you’re going to want to handle this one.”

“Fine.” I sighed. There was no reason to put it off. I walked back into the front of the shop and did a double take.

“Carly? What are you doing here?”

She grinned. “I’m here for my first dive or dives or whatever. I already did all of those video thingies Ralph said I had to do first. I passed all the tests.”

“You’re the client?”

“I heard you’re really good at what you do.”

I laughed. “So you’re really in? You’re letting me take you on a boat dive?”

“Can’t we do another shore dive?” She gave me her most charming smile.

“Nope. Boat dive.” I picked up her hand. “If you suffered through the videos you might as well get to do the real thing.”

“Okay, but we have to wait a few minutes.”

“Why?” I looked at Ralph. Was there something up with the boat I didn’t know about?

“Because Brody’s running late.”

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“Brody’s coming?”

“Yes. He’s coming for moral support. He said he figured you’d make me go out on the boat.”

I took her face in my hands. “I’m not enough moral support?”

“You’re plenty, but it never hurts to have a little bit extra.”

I shook my head. “You’re crazy, but I love you. Let’s get you ready.”

***

We surfaced after the first dive, and Carly immediately pushed up her mask. “Wow, that was crazy.”

“Crazy good, crazy bad?” I helped her climb up the ladder back onto the boat.

“The good crazy mostly.”

“Mostly?” I took off my gear and went to help her, but Brody was already doing it.

“I’m a little bit tired.”

Brody looked at me. “You know what the answer to that is, get her nitrox trained.”

“Uh, no more training right now. But I am starving.”

“Oh, yeah. There’s stuff in the cooler.”

She opened the cooler and pulled out a wrapped sandwich. She made a face as she unwrapped it. “Peanut butter and jelly? I just dove and this is what I get?”

I laughed. “Sorry if our offerings don’t work for you.”

She took a small bite of the sandwich. “Do you have anything else?”

I shrugged. “Crackers.”

“And how long do we have to wait before the next dive?”

I unzipped my wet suit and pulled my arms out. “About forty minutes.”

“Oh.” She carefully wrapped up the sandwich. “Can I get something to drink?”

“Sure. We have bottled water and juice boxes.” I looked in the cooler. “There’s just grape left.”

Brody nudged her shoulder. “If he really loved you he’d have brought you some apple.”

“We’re out of them. Customers always choose that flavor.” I handed her a bottle of water. I assumed she’d prefer that. She accepted it and took a sip before setting the bottle down and unzipping her wet suit. I tried not to get too distracted by how good she looked in her tiny bikini top.

Brody rested his arms on the side of the boat. “They choose apple because no one over the age of eight likes grape juice.”

“The water’s fine. I’d prefer a fruit smoothie, but what can you do?” She took another sip of her water.

“A fruit smoothie? What were you expecting, gourmet food?”

She froze. “That’s it. Oh my gosh, Macon, you’re a genius!” She flung her arms around my neck.

“I know I am, but why are you suddenly realizing it?”

“Gourmet. That’s what’s missing. That’s what our company needs.”

“Uh, am I missing something?” I stared at her blankly.

She sat down and turned to Brody. “And you, you’re perfect.”

He gave her a funny smile. “Thanks… I think.”

“Guys, focus. Who’s your usual clientele?”

“Young to middle aged people looking to learn to dive or just to do a few dives on vacation,” I answered automatically. I knew the details of the business pretty well.

“Who’s it missing?”

“What are you getting at, babe?” I didn’t bother starting the boat. When Carly was hit by inspiration you couldn’t rush it.

“Diving’s fun. It’s recreation, yet educational, it’s fairly easy once you get the hang of it, and it’s the perfect activity for a beach vacation.”

“I’m glad you finally see it my way.” I took a swig of water.

“But it’s not glamorous. You feed people like fourth graders. I mean pre-made sandwiches and juice boxes?” She wrinkled up her nose.

“Don’t forget about the crackers.” I walked over to the cooler and held up a bag.

“That’s not any better, Macon.”

“If you want fancy you do luxury live-a-boards.”

“But why? Why not bring the luxury to the average diver? Provide gourmet food and after dive ****tails. I’m telling you, there’s an audience for that. A big one.”

“That’s actually a really good idea.” Brody turned to her. “And I’m guessing that’s why I’m perfect, huh? I’m going to be providing my culinary services?”

“Who better?” She put a hand on his leg, and I ignored the small jolt of jealousy that went through me. She was just excited.

“Ocean Quest Gourmet.” The name came to me out of nowhere.

“AHHH that’s perfect.” She hopped up and literally jumped into my arms. “It plays on the active ocean part, but also the gourmet. I love it!”

“I can tell.” I kissed her lightly.

“So let’s do it. Let’s make this happen.”

“And you really think Colin’s going to help?” I hated to even question her when she was this excited, but without more capital we couldn’t buy the shop. We’d briefly considered setting up a competing business, but buying the existing one just made sense considering the market.

“Yes. We can do this.”

“Yes we can, but first you need to do another dive.”

“Now? But I have plans to make.”

“Make them after you look at the fish.”

“Fine.” She gave me a fake pout. “But we’re getting something decent to eat after this.”

“Deal.” I turned on the engine and headed toward another perfect dive spot.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Carly

The upstairs of the Grille was packed again. It wasn’t a surprise. I hadn’t worked a single night without it being that way. The thing about a beach bar during the summer season is that every night of the week is busy. Weekends were still heavier, but even weeknights could take you by surprise.

I’d finally fallen into a routine. I remembered to check the supplies and kegs before my shifts. I’d memorized well over a hundred drinks and for everything else I managed to inconspicuously look it up on the app. It had taken awhile, but I’d finally gotten it down to an art. Of course if things went well, I’d be working the bar less and the scuba business more. I’d practiced my presentation on Max twice that day during my breaks. He seemed amused by my carefully prepared PowerPoint slides. His approval gave me the extra boost of confidence I needed. I knew that Ocean Quest Gourmet could be big. We just needed to find someone with money to believe in us too. The problem was we were almost out of time. Once Caleb took over, there was no chance we were getting the shop.