Beth was even more confused when she pulled up to the address on the day of the date only to find herself at a small private marina with one other car in the parking lot.
Liv leaned against the hood of a mint green lifted classic Ford Bronco.
“So you’re the owner of the Landrover. I keep seeing it around town and can’t help but admire it from afar. It’s such a good-looking car,” Liv said with a smile, pulling her sunglasses down over her eyes, wisps of red hair twirling around her in the light breeze.
“Guilty. I’ve been restoring it for years. But look at you. This is, what, a first-generation Ford Bronco? I’m guessing 1967, but I might be a few years off.” Beth looked closely at the car Liv still leaned against, denim shorts exposing lanky, toned legs, and Beth couldn’t help how her eyes lingered for a moment before finding Liv’s gaze.
“1968. I do appreciate a woman who knows her vintage cars, but you don’t strike me as a car type, so who was it? Your dad? A brother? An ex-girlfriend?”
Beth smiled, sliding her hands into the front pockets of her high-waisted linen shorts. “It was actually my grandfather. I’m an only child, and both my parents are psychology professors—more about books and philosophical debates than cars. I spent a lot of time with my grandfather as a kid. The Landrover was actually his. He left it to me.”
“I’m sure he’d be pleased seeing the condition you’ve gotten it to.” Liv stepped away from the Bronco, walking towards the dock and motioning for Beth to follow. “So, are you ready to goon a little adventure?” She nodded in the direction of a small seaplane tied to the end of the dock, weather-beaten boards creaking beneath their feet as they walked, causing a handful of seagulls to take flight.
Beth raised a brow. “This doesn’t look like a restaurant.”
“Excellent eye, it’s not,” Liv said, picking a small duffel bag up off a bench as they moved towards the plane. “Thought we’d skip brunch. Pancakes feel a little overrated when you have the chance to fly over actual whales.”
Flying? In a tiny plane? Whales?
“You’re not afraid of flying, are you?” Liv asked, stopping in front of the plane.
“No,” Beth said quickly. “You have a license, though, right?”
“Yes, Beth, I have my pilot’s license.” Liv chuckled, opening the door to the plane, tossing the duffel bag inside. “Don’t worry, you’re in excellent hands. I promise. And I even packed snacks,” she added, holding out a hand to Beth to help her step into the small aircraft.
Beth had never been in a seaplane before. Her nerves hummed beneath her skin as they ascended, the island shrinking away beneath them. But Liv quickly eased her nerves as Beth watched her, smooth and self-assured, at the controls of the aircraft. Her voice came easily through the headset she had given Beth as they chatted.
As it turned out, she and Liv had a fair amount in common. A deep appreciation for vintage cars, a love of art, and an insatiable love for brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tarts.
“I’m convinced they put something addictive in them,” Liv declared as they reached their cruising altitude, heading up the Puget Sound. “Oh, amazing! Look down and to your right. Do you see that?”
Beth looked down into the water beneath them. Sun sparkled across the surface, broken only by the tiny whitecaps of waves. “What am I looking at?” she asked, still searching below.
“There!” Liv gestured with her hand.
That’s when Beth saw it—a small group of humpback whales at the surface of the water.
“Oh my god, how cool is that?” She looked over at Liv, who was smiling at her, watching her with a look of pure joy.
“Pretty cool indeed.”
They spent an hour flying over the sound, chatting, one occasionally interrupting the other when they thought they spotted something interesting. Silence wove its way between their chatter, but it was always comfortable. That part surprised Beth more than anything.
She had left all of her expectations for today at home. The goal was simply to get herself here without overthinking it. And Beth was surprised how easy that had been. Almost alarmingly easy.
Liv leaned closer, her voice dropping. “So, I’ve got a burning question for you.”
“Burning, you say?” Beth smiled, shooting her a glance.
“How is someone like you still single?”
Beth’s stomach dropped as she hesitated. “I could ask you the same question,” she said quietly, buying herself a little time.
“And if you did, I would tell you it’s because I’m looking for something very…specific… Something I’m willing to wait for until I find it,” Liv said with a wide grin.
Beth looked out the window, unsure how best to answer Liv’s original question. She could lie, make something up, or deflect. But Liv’s easy charm and the lack of pressure she put on her today made Beth want to try the truth instead. There was no reason to hide from it. “One could say I’m single due to a series of unfortunate events, if you want a more dramatic response.But the straightforward version is that my girlfriend died of cancer a little over a year ago.”
Her eyes locked on the horizon, not daring to look over at Liv, waiting to see how she would respond to that truth. Talking about a dead ex really didn’t make for the best first date convo, and Beth knew that.
