I nod to the waitress and she pours us each a glass before leaving.
“Did she say nineteen thirty-six?” Maya whispers, leaning over the table and giving me a glimpse of that spellbinding cleavage. “Like the year?”
I smile and nod. “Yes, nineteen thirty-six the year. Do you like fine wine?”
“A fine wine for me is one that costs nineteen dollars and thirty-six cents. I’ve never had anything like this before.”
“Well, drink up,” I say as I raise my glass. “It’s another first of many firsts tonight. Cheers.”
We clink glasses and I watch as she takes a sip. Her eyes fall closed as she savors the smooth dry wine.
“I could get used to this,” she says with rosy cheeks.
“Good, because I have a case of it in my cellar downstairs.”
“You have a cellar?” she says, her face dropping in shock. “On this yacht?”
“We haveeverythingon this yacht.”
She smiles as she looks around like she’s seeing it all for the first time again. “What is she called?”
“The yacht?”
“Yeah, what did you name her?”
“What would you have named her?”
She thinks about it and grins. “Probably something ridiculous like Yachty McYachtface.”
I shake my head and laugh. “Where were you when I was picking names? That’s certainly memorable.”
She does a little bow as she grins at me. “So, what did you call her?”
“Eterna.”
“Eterna?” she says, tilting her head. “Is that the name of an ex-girlfriend? Or… a current girlfriend?”
“No,” I say a little too fiercely. “There’s no one else, Maya. No one has ever made me feel even close to what you make me feel. Eterna is Italian for eternal or unfading. I was in Italy when I bought the yacht and… I don’t know, it just felt right. I honestly don’t know why I chose it, but it’s all starting to make sense now.”
Our eyes are locked on one another as the yacht gently sways under us and the stars shine over our heads.
Eterna is what I would call this moment. Eternal. Unfading. Forever.
“I like it,” she says as she reaches across the table and puts her hand on mine. “It’s a good choice.”
She turns to gaze out at the ocean and then gasps.
“What is it?” I ask as she leaps up from the table and rushes over to the railing. I’m right there beside her, heart pumping and grabbing her arm so she doesn’t fall over.
“Dolphins,” she says, pointing at the water. “Look!”
A pod of dolphins are swimming alongside the boat. They get closer, leaping in and out of the water as Maya watches in awe.
After a moment, I turn my attention onto her, watching her take in the sight with tears in her eyes and a smile of disbelief on her face.
She presses a hand to her chest like she’s afraid her heart might burst right out of it. “They’re beautiful,” she whispers.
“Stunning,” I say, but I’m not looking at the dolphins. I’m admiring my future wife.
