“You didn’t finish telling me everything,” Andy pointed out between bites of cake.
“You really don’t know any of this with your mom being close to my aunt?” Samira asked again.
“No. My mom got really upset the few times I tried to ask her about you over the years, and I didn’t dare ask your aunt.”
“Here we are in the past again,” Samira noted as she picked up the fork and helped herself to another bite of cake.
“Sorry.”
“I live in DC in a loft apartment. I’m close enough to work that I walk when the weather is nice. I’ve become close friends with my boss. Her name is Andrea, and she’s awesome. I think you’d like her. Your turn,” she said before sitting back to listen to his response.
“There isn’t much to tell. Nothing really changes here. I took over my dad’s boat when he couldn’t do it anymore. He wasn’t exactly thrilled, but he has early-onset Alzheimer’s and it just wasn’t safe for him. He’s in Shady Grove nursing home now and has good days and bad days,” Andy explained.
“That must be really hard. I’m sorry,” Samira said, placing her hand on his.
He met her gaze and opened his mouth to speak just as the band started. The crowd cheered around them, and there was no way to hear anything without shouting. Andy stood and pulled her to her feet so they could make their way up closer to the stage to see the band.
They joined the crowd and cheered or sang along. The band was much better than she had expected. She allowed herself to relax and have a great time. She stole a look at Andy, and found he was watching her with a content smile.
The band started on a classic rock ballad for the last song, and Samira didn’t object when Andy wrapped her in his arms and swayed along to the music. The logical side of her mind screamed at her to step away; instead, she folded her arms over his and leaned into him. Even though the notion terrified her, she felt content in his arms.
They stood that way after the song ended and the crowd began to trickle away. Andy tightened his arms around her, and she turned her head to look back at him. Turning her the rest of the way, he gently touched his lips to hers. The kiss was tentative and without demand. She held him around the waist and pulled him closer as she parted her lips in answer to his kiss.
Placing his hand on her cheek, he held her in place, and she responded with a need that surprised even her. He teased the edge of her lips with his tongue, and she took everything from him that he was willing to give. He pulled away just enough to break the kiss but continued to hold her as she pulled back to search his face. His green eyes were serious as he held her gaze.
“I’ve missed you,” he said quietly.
***
Andy hooked the crab pot and pulled it up out of the water and into the boat. As soon as he had it flipped over onto the table, Eddy replaced the bait. Together they shook the crabs out of the pot and onto the table. Andy tossed the pot back out into the water, and Eddy quickly sorted the crabs, tossing them into the separate baskets as Andy directed the boat toward the next pot.
“So, how’d it go?” Eddy asked, just loud enough to be heard over the engine.
Andy took off one glove and picked up his travel cup of coffee. He took a sip of the hot liquid before setting it down and turning back to look at Eddy. The sky was pink with sunrise, and Andy was still trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. He had stayed up too late, once again.
“How’d what go?”
“Shuh,” Eddy said with a laugh. “I know you saw her again last night after the race. So, how’d it go?”
Andy knew the island was small, but he had expected it to take longer for word to spread. He used his gloved hand to lift his hat, so he could smooth his sandy brown hair underneath. He wasn’t sure how to answer Eddy. Even though he trusted the conversation would stay between them, he still hadn’t figured the whole thing out yet.
“It went alright, I guess,” Andy answered.
“You guess?” Eddy prodded as he replaced the bait in the next pot.
“Yeah. I guess.”
They worked in silence for the next few crab pots. Andy used his time on the boat to think, and Eddy had worked with him long enough to know it. They worked together in unison well enough that speaking wasn’t necessary. They each knew what they needed to do and when.
“I don’t want to screw this up,” Andy finally said. “After the way things ended, I tried to just forget about her. And I did. Well, I thought I did anyway.”
“What happened between you guys?”
“I’m not even sure anymore,” Andy said before shaking his head. “We’d had a fight and broke up. We would break up for a day or so then get back together all the time. But this time, she wouldn’t take my calls. Come to find out my dad and her dad got into it. Then she up and moved.”
“You ever ask your dad about it?” Eddy asked.
“I didn’t want to talk about it for a long time. The few times I did ask, Dad would just tell me I was better off without her. Then life, you know. Her parents died in that car accident, then Dad got sick. Now, I’m not so sure I should go digging things up. Maybe just start over and leave the past there. Hell, I don’t know,” Andy finished with a sigh.
