He looked over at her and then back at the road. “Then why do you want to go?”
“Because music at the beach is amazing.”
“What if it’s a heavy metal band?” he teased, the corners of his mouth going up and that playful affection in his eyes.
“Sunset Grille would not have a heavy metal band.”
“Okay. You got me. Promise me you won’t get the fishbowl drink.”
“I’m going to get us both one, and you’re going to hold mine while we dance together.”
Jake laughed and shook his head.
The sun was setting, and, even though Faith had had a very full day, and she was nearly exhausted, the sight of the pink and blue sky with a blaze of orange slashed through it, the colors dancing on the water below making the pier and gazebo nothing but a black silhouette—they made her feel alive. She was so happy to be there. She could hear the band already—steel drums and maracas, not heavy metal—as they walked up, and she grabbed Jake’s arm. He looked down at her hand but then looked back toward Sunset Grille, not saying a word.
He told the hostess they were there for the band, and she sat them outside, close enough that the music penetrated the air all around them but far enough away for them to have a conversation.
“This is nice,” he said with a smile, leaning back in his chair a little.
“I thought it would be.”
A few couples had gotten up to dance. The breeze of the Sound blew through Faith’s hair.
“I’ll be back,” Jake said, getting up. “You okay for a sec?”
“I’m just fine,” she smiled. She watched him go but then turned back around to see the band. The music filled her chest, danced in her ears, and made her tap her foot against the wooden deck. She wanted to get up and sway to the music. She wanted Jake behind her, his arms around her, as they stood with the water and the fiery sunset all around them.
It was so nice to experience the Outer Banks as an adult. There were so many more places to explore, so many things to do that she’d never even considered as a kid. But her thoughts didn’t stop there. She wanted to travel. She decided she was going to see Key West. If anything, out of principle. She should get out more, enjoy life, meet people. Life was bigger than her work, and while her job was very important to her, finding a balance was also important.
One song bled into another, until she started to notice that Jake hadn’t returned. The waitress had been by several times, bringing water and topping it off, but Faith kept saying she was waiting for him. Now, she wondered what was going on. Was he sick? She scanned the bar—it was full of people—but she couldn’t find his familiar frame. She eyed the outdoor hostess station, trying to see if he’d gotten caught talking or something. He wasn’t there. She wanted to continue to enjoy the music, but the more she sat, the more she worried. When he finally showed, she was sitting on the edge of her seat.
“I’m so sorry. I had to check my phone—I didn’t want to be rude and do it at the table, and then I had an unexpected business call. I had to take it.”
He was apologizing, and she knew he was probably very sorry, but sitting there on that deck with no one to enjoy the music with her had made her think. She thought about her ex-boyfriend, Patrick and how he’d always told her she worked too long. And then she thought about Scott, and how he must feel all by himself when he should be here with the family. This trip had taught her that life wasn’t about working.
“I’ve learned that work doesn’t make someone successful, being happy does.” She eyed the phone in his hand, trying to drive home the message.
“What if work is what makes me happy?” he challenged her.
“When we first met, I confided in you that I felt like I had to prove to people that I’m happy. Do you remember that? If I recall correctly, you’d said that you knew exactly how I felt.”
“And your point?” He looked down at his phone again to check it, and she wanted to grab it and throw it into the ocean.
“Building your big hotels doesn’t convince me that you’re happy.” She only felt happy when she could be with people she enjoyed, making memories, and having fun. She looked up at him, and he was looking at his phone again.
“Well, it does make me happy. And, I’ve said before, I don’t have to prove to you that I am.”
She wasn’t convinced.
“But just because my business makes me happy, doesn’t mean that I need to be on the phone tonight. If you can sit tight one more sec…” he said. He dropped his phone into his pocket. “I’ll be right back, I promise.”
She thought again about Scott and Casey. Jake had only taken one work call tonight and had apologized for that, but it had already unsettled Faith. Where had he gone now? Is he sneaking in another business call? What must Scott feel about Casey? No wonder he hadn’t responded. If Casey could just make him see that she was serious. She looked around for Jake, and took in a deep breath as she realized she’d lost him again in the crowd. She looked up at the sky to try and calm herself.Please let him redeem himself after all this, she prayed. Was it too much to ask him to switch off from work and have a little down time?
The music was fast—a Bob Marley cover—and she wanted so badly to be able to just relax and enjoy herself. She scanned the bar again but stopped when she saw him, and then she smiled, her heart nearly ready to explode. Sloshing in his arms—straws and fruit skewers bouncing everywhere—were two enormous fishbowls of green liquid. He smiled at her as he wobbled toward her.
Gingerly, he set them down. He kneeled in front of her, his eyes meeting hers. “I’m sorry that I left you here,” he said. “I put my phone in the car.” Right then, she knew that actions spoke so much louder than words, and with that one gesture, he’d made her feel better.
“Thank you for this,” she said, still smiling and pointing to her fishbowl.
