“Remarkable?” He throws me a grin, then unties the boat. He gets it started and then pulls away, his back to me, the sun caressing his skin.
“Oh, and, Alice?” he calls, looking over his shoulder. “About that list of yours. Consider number three your birthday gift.”
I don’t remember what number three is, but IknowI should be embarrassed that he does. I stare at Charlie’s yellow boat as it soars across the bay, clutching a shirt that smells like summer.
12
Read a smutty book.Number three.
Of all the people to have seen my silly list, it had to be Charlie. I throw my notebook onto the bed and pick up the Barry’s Bay T-shirt to take it to the laundry. I lift it to my nose without really thinking, and Nan catches me.
“It smells weird,” I tell her, and she gives me a knowing look.
I try to push Charlie out of my head, but Nan spends the entire evening gushing about him.
So handsome. Charming, in a devilish sort of way. Reminds me of Robert Redford inThe Way We Were.And those arms!
She’s chattier than she’s been since we arrived. When she retires to her bedroom for the night, I go down a highly unadvisable vortex of vintage Robert Redford photos. My mind keeps drifting back to the moment on the dock, when Charlie turned to me and said, “If you don’t want me to come, Alice, just say so.” It’s the way he looked at me, the way he knew what I was thinking.
Shaking my head as if I can knock him out of it, I text Luca and Lavinia.
Me:I’m going to throw a little party while you’re here.
Luca:Who is this?
Lavinia:Why have you stolen my sister’s phone?
Luca:You can’t fool us, scammer. Ali hates parties.
After ten minutes of razzing, the twins settle down. They promise to bake a cake. We’ll eat the leftovers for breakfast, the way Mom always let us when we were kids. Luca has already started a playlist. Lavinia is on wardrobe. I’m on decorations.
Sequins, Lavinia texts now.
Feathers, Luca replies.
Glitter, I write back.Like Heather used to wear.Number fourteen.
With some reluctance, I fill in the twins on Charlie.
Me:It’ll be the four of us plus the guy who’s looking after the cottage.
Luca:Is he hot?
Lavinia:Is he single?
Luca:Send us a photo immediately.
Lavinia:Do they have internet up there?
Luca:What’s his name?
Lavinia:What’s his star sign?
Me:Very. I think so. Don’t have one. Obviously. Charlie. Don’t know but big Leo energy.
Lavinia:Swoon.
Luca:Dibs.
