"More like a goal. We'll see if I get there." He shrugged. "You?"
"I don't have one yet. I'm a college sophomore. Everyone keeps asking what I want to do with my life like I'm supposed to have an answer."
"You don't need an answer yet. Just keep asking the question."
They sat together in silence for a minute. The hedge rustled in the breeze. A radio played from inside, nineties rock, a song her parents would know.
"There's a thing tonight," Ryan said. "Some people from work, some locals. Bonfire down by the jetty. Nothing fancy, just hanging out."
Brittany studied him. "A bonfire?"
"It's kind of a tradition. Every couple of weeks, when the weather's good. The summer people have their deck parties. We have this."
"And you're inviting me."
"You work here. That makes you one of us." He finished his water. "Come if you want. Don't come if you don't. No pressure."
He stood, collected both glasses, and headed back toward the bar.
Brittany stayed on the patio for another few minutes, watching the hedge sway.
The bonfire was down past the jetty, south of the main beach, in a stretch of sand that belonged to no particular street or address.
Brittany had told the moms she was meeting some people from work. The moms hadn't pried. Sophie had given her a look—she'd already drawn her own conclusions—and Brittany had ignored it.
She walked down the beach as the light faded, sneakers in hand, the sand still holding the day's heat. The town was settling into evening behind her, the boardwalk thinning out, the restaurants winding down from dinner, families heading home to shower off the salt and sun.
The bonfire glowed ahead, throwing shadows onto the jetty rocks.
They were spread out on blankets and towels, maybe fifteen people, maybe more. Someone had a cooler. Someone else had a speaker playing something mellow, acoustic guitar and a voice that blurred with the crash of the waves. A few faces she recognized from the club. Most she didn't.
Ryan was already on his feet, walking toward her. He moved loose and easy, like he had nowhere else to be, and it caught her off guard.
"You made it." He stopped in front of her, looking genuinely pleased.
"I almost talked myself out of it three times on the walk over."
"But you didn't."
"But I didn't."
He smiled. The fire caught his face at an angle, and she noticed his eyes were more gray than blue.
He led her to the group, introducing her to names she knew she wouldn't remember. Jess, who worked at the surf shop. Miguel, who was a lifeguard on the north beach. A girl named Dana who apparently bartended at a place on Landis and had been doing this bonfire thing since high school.
"First summer down?" Dana asked.
"First summer working," Brittany said. "I've been coming to Sea Isle my whole life."
"Different when you're behind the desk," Dana said.
"Very different."
They made room for her on a blanket near the fire. Someone passed her a beer, and she took it. The waves rolled in steady and regular, catching the last light before darkness settled completely.
"So." Dana stretched out on the sand, propping herself on her elbows. "Beach club. That's rough."
"It's not that bad."
