“Okay, I’ll be back with your drinks and a round of water.”
The vibe is laid back, with everyone wearing beachwear and sandals or flip-flops. It's my kind of place.
We both open up the menu and browse it. The lobster roll is calling my name. I close the menu and gaze out onto the beach. People watching at its finest. Kids playing in the sand, people walking around, some alone, some in groups, and others holding hands. It’s a mix of everyone doing their thing.
“Let’s play a game.”
He looks at me with his head tilted. “A game?”
“Yeah, people watching is fun; add another layer and we have out-of-this-world fun.”
“You had me at fun. What’s this game all about?”
I move closer to him and whisper, “You pick out a couple and tell their story.” I nod my head to a couple of tables over. “She’s his boss. He was her intern. They’ve been hiding it for a year. She’s about to tell him she’s pregnant.”
He gasps and presses his hand to his heart in horror. “She’s pregnant? You went there.” Laughing, he adds, “and he’s about to tell her he applied for a job in Florida.”
“See? You’ve got the hang of it already. Okay, it's your turn to pick a couple.”
Swiveling his head around, he searches for the right couple, and then I see it too. A couple close to the boardwalk. They look like a hot mess; tension roils between the two as they talk face-to-face.
“She’s a yoga instructor, and he wanted to get close to her, so he signed up for one-on-one classes. Now, they are stuck in the are we dating or are we just getting sweaty together phase. She wants more, but he’s emotionally stunted from his last relationship.”
I can’t help but burst out laughing. “Kind of reminds me of someone I know.”
“Bold, very bold. I’m more selectively…open.”
“Such a lawyer answer.” Shaking my head at him, I lean back in my chair.
The waitress is at our table with our drinks. I mouth to him, ‘saved by the bell’.
“Thank you,” he says politely.
We order. Surprisingly, he ordered fish and chips. I wouldn’t have pegged him as a fried fish guy. I shrug. Once she leaves, I say, “Alright, my turn.” Scanning the unsuspecting couple, there they are: the woman, dressed in a crop top and shirt; she tosses her beach-wavy hair as he talks to her. Biting her bottom lip, sheleans in further to him. He looks like a preppy boy, wearing blue board shorts with a crisp, collared white polo.
“She likes him…a lot. They met while in college, and now that they’ve graduated, they’re seeing if they work off campus. He’s not sure if she’s it for him. See how his body language is reserved, and hers is engaging?”
“Interesting observation. Want to know what I see?”
I nod my head and mumble, “Yes.”
“We’ll stick with their meeting in college. You think she is totally into him, but I see she’s overcompensating for something. Her body is practically on the other side of the table. He’s questioning why she is over the top while out in public.”
“Skeptical much?”
“I call it like I see it. Something is up with those two. One of them is going to break it off tonight.”
“Don’t you dare send bad juju to that couple!”
He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m not sending bad juju.” His tone sounds apologetic, so I’ll let it go, but there’s more to this story. And I’m going to find out what.
“What would people say if they saw us?” I ask, my chin in my hands, looking at him with dreamy eyes.
“They’d say you’re hooked, can't get enough of me, and we’re going home together.”
“Arrogant, yet you sugarcoat it with confidence.” I shake my head.
We are interrupted by the waitress placing our lunch in front of us. The oversized lobster roll stuffed with chunks of lobster that I can’t resist picking up and taking a huge bite.
