I glanceat the boat while we wait to board. This is exactly what I need, a distraction from real life.
“It’s hot as a witch’s tit out here,” Sharon complains, making me and Jessa laugh.
“I don’t know that me or my hair will ever get used to this humidity,” Jessa says, taking the hair tie off her wrist and pulling her hair up into a ponytail. I watch Aiden stare at her with stars in his eyes. If he doesn’t make a move soon, I just might shake him.
“I’m so ready for a cocktail,” Sharon says and I hum in agreement. I know I’ve been drinking a little too much to cope with life, but right now I don’t give a shit.
“If anyone needs an Uber tonight, it’s on the company,” Aiden says, and I immediately know I’ll be utilizing that tonight.
“Do you guys do this every year?” Jessa asks.
“Oh, we’ve done a tiki ride, a BBQ, and a crab feast. This is our first year going on a big boat like this,” I reply.
“This is so awesome. I’ve never been on a boat like this,” Jessa says excitedly.
“I booked it,” I reply with a shrug of my shoulders.
“You did a good job, Pen,” my cousin says, and a sense of pride fills me over a job well done.
It clicks for me that my favorite part of my job is the event planning. Hmm, I’ll have to take a deeper dive into that once I’m feeling a little better.
We finally get on the boat. I grab a bacon wrapped scallop and Jessa by the arm.
“Come on, let’s go get drinks,” I say, all but hauling her over to the bar.
“What should we get?” she asks as we glance at the menu for the night’s event.
“All of it, it’s all on the company dime,” Sharon says, and I nod my head.
“Sharon gets it.”
“Oh shit, there’s my ex, Hugh. I’ll be right back, ladies,” Sharon says, forgetting about the drinks and running off to chase her next conquest.
Jessa grimaces and I think back to the other week when I saw her upset outside of the office on the phone with her ex.
“Not chasing after your ex anytime soon?” I ask.
“Hell no, he’s a bastard,” she groans, leaning against the bar.
Jessa and I get our drinks and look around at the people milling about. I keep watching Jessa glance longingly at Aiden, and I sigh.
“How's the cottage coming along?” I ask her.
“Eh. I haven’t done anything about all the egregious lighthouses yet.”
“I could come over and help you sometime.”
“I’d love that.”
“It’s your fresh start,” I tell her softly.
“What do you mean?” she says with a furrow of her brow.
“Your ex, all the bullshit you dealt with, isn’t here. You can be anybody you want here, you get to start over. Take chances, be bold, reinvent yourself,” I tell her, even though the pep talk is absolutely for myself.
Jessa looks back at Aiden, and I wonder if my message clicked.
The rest of the event goes on without a hitch, minus Jessa’s bio brother and Tabitha making a complete ass of themselves and being rude.
