Chapter 9
Nine
March 19
“But guys”—Suzanne’s tears are dripping into her mai tai—“I’m not ready to leave yet.” Sarah looks at me from behind the bar; our little tribe is disbanding just when I’ve formed special friendships.
I know I’m being selfish, but I don’t want Suzanne to go. I need her quirkiness in my life. Plus, she’s headed back to a place that’s miserable for me.
“We can live anywhere, so why can’t we live here?” She sets down her drink, then wraps her arms around me. Her tears dampen my neck. “I don’t want to fly out tomorrow.”
After being here only a month, I completely understand why she doesn’t want to go back to Maine : snow, snow, and snow. Oh, and my ex-husband. But why would she want to stay with us instead of going back and being with Henry? Her new husband? Her husband who she’s supposed to be on her honeymoon with right now?
I’ve been so caught up in my own drama, I haven’t paid much attention to Suzanne’s situation, mostly because she never mentions Henry and I’ve never met the guy. I honestly forgot she was married.
“Don’t you miss him?”
“I guess so.” She pulls herself off me and sits up. “I wish he planned to stay home after we get back, but no, he’ll just leave me there, then go to his next business meeting someplace far away like Copenhagen.”
“I’m sorry, Suzanne. You’ll be able to come back down any time, though, right?”
“And you can come up and visit! Stay with me, the both of you.” She clasps her hands and looks pleadingly at me and Sarah.
“Of course,” Sarah says, discreetly showing me her crossed middle and fore fingers. Sarah, it turns out, owns We Be Jammin’. The only way she’s going to leave the island is if a category five hurricane heads directly toward it and a mandatory evacuation order is in place.
“I think we need to have a little going-away party tonight.” I’m trying to sound upbeat and lighten the mood. I’ve been the one who has been moping around, and Suzanne has been the pick-me-up. Now it’s my turn to reciprocate. “Too bad Henry returned your charter. Let me text Jack; maybe we can hang out up at his house?”
“You mean your house too?” Sarah reminds me as she rejoins us.
“I guess you’re right.” I’m not used to the idea of me and Jack, let alone me and Jack living in the same house. I pull out my phone and start texting to planning our farewell party:
Hey, whacha doin?
Jack texts an immediate response:
Thinking about you
I send a few emoji hearts and get a few in return. It’s easy to let my guard down around Jack, with everything being hearts and kisses. I’m pretty sure he’s trustworthy—wouldn’t the paparazzi have dug up all his dirt for Suzanne to read about in her magazines?
Suzanne is flying home tomorrow
would it be ok to have a small get together
tonight at the house so we can say good bye
Promptly, Jack responds
I’ll have someone run into town to
pick up food and restock the liquor cabinet
What else can I do to help?
We figure out the details, and I work out a time with the girls.
“You’re moving better,” someone says behind me. “Looks like we got them all.”
“Hi! Yes, thank you!” I’m a little caught off guard, but in a good way. “Dr. Easton, I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Simon, Please. Jack and I are friends; we like to go deep-sea fishing when he’s on the island.” He bends forward and whispers, “But I think he really wanted me to check in on you.”
“I’m doing well. My foot is healing up a lot faster than I thought.”
“That’s what I like to hear! Do you mind if I have a look?”
“No, not at all. It would save me a trip back to the clinic.” Simon puts one hand on the small of my back and holds his other arm across his body so I have something to grip. With his support, I walk over to a sofa by the pool, where I plop down and swing my leg up. Simon pulls off my flip-flop and unwraps the bandages that Jack helped me put on this morning.
“Nice. You’re a fast healer.” Lifting my foot, he brings his face inches from it. Examining it very closely, he says, “How long have you been able to put weight on it?”
“A few days.” I watch him closely in case he changes his expression and my foot isn’t as healed as he first thought.
“There’s no sign of infection at all; the wounds are healing nicely.” Simon’s face is full of satisfaction. “But I think you should let Jack pamper you a bit longer. How are you feeling with your other situation?”
“The pregnancy? Oh, I’m doing OK.” It doesn’t seem real to me. Plus, with everything going on, staying on the island, and moving in with Jack, I haven’t had time to process it. “Is there a possibility it could’ve been a false positive or something? I don’t feel like I did with my other two pregnancies. I don’t feel any different at all.”
“There’s always that possibility. We can retest. Would you be able to come in tomorrow morning?” He sets my foot back down on the sofa. “Where does Jack keep the bandages? I’ll wrap you back up.”
“I put them in the cabinet next to the sink where all the cases of Sharpies are.” I point through the open wall that allows the outside to be inside and vice versa.
“Sharpies?” Simon asks. “But you don’t have a cast to sign.”
“No, they’re Jack’s.” I chuckle; obviously I don’t have a cast and I wouldn’t have cases of permanent markers to sign one. “ They’re for signing autographs for his fans.”
“Ahh, I see. Sometimes I forget what he does for work.” Simon rises from the sofa and disappears into the house. When he returns, he has an armful of supplies to rewrap my foot.
Jack joins us as Simon finishes. “How’s the patient?”
Simon stands and pats Jack on the back. “Doing great. Healing up nicely.” Then he directs his next comment to me. “No marathons in the next week or so.”
I giggle. As if a marathon was ever on my agenda. “Nah, I much prefer to read. I’m looking forward to getting back to the library.”
“Oh? You like our little library, do you?” I nod, and Simon continues, “I run the literacy program. We work with kids and adults, teaching them how to read and write.”
At this point, Jack pulls a chair over and waves Simon into it. “Looks like ya two have a lot to talk about. Take a load off, Simon, and twist my girl’s arm just like ya twisted mine.” He slaps Simon on the shoulder and wanders off to help Ramone move patio furniture, and I turn my attention back to Simon with the raise of an eyebrow.
He acknowledges my curiosity and says, “My goal is to make sure that on our small island, everyone has the opportunity to learn how to read and write.” His foot is tapping. “Would you like to volunteer with our program once you can get around again?”
Easiest. Decision. Ever. “You can count on me. I would love to help. I used to volunteer in our library back home.”
“That’s great!” Simon’s smile stretches from ear to ear. “We had a couple, husband and wife, volunteers. They just moved back to the States, and we have no one to replace them. Give me your contact info, and I’ll be in touch about scheduling your orientation and getting you on the schedule.”
A thrill of excitement runs through me as I share my little-used email address and phone number. Simon’s joins the five in my contact list: Jack, Suzanne, Sarah at We Be Jammin’, Ben, and his parents, the Cushings. My heart aches at the thought of my boys. If I called Ben right now, would he be at home or at work? Who’s watching the boys? Who tucks them in at night and tells them they’re loved when their father works late? I rub my chest to ease the hurt, and Simon’s gaze sharpens.
“Are you OK? It’s a little early in your pregnancy to be feeling heartburn, but it does happen.”
“No,” I wave off his concern and push thoughts of the boys out of my head, “it’s nothing. Just getting thirsty.”
“Then let’s get you something to drink.” He swivels as if to check whether beverages have been set out, but Jack’s coming our way, full glasses in hand. “Looks like our host has everything under control,” he says. “I’m going to duck out.”
“Thanks again, Simon. I appreciate your care and your offer.”
Simon rubs my leg before standing up and walking over to a table where Ramone has set out some hors d’oeuvres for Gabrielle, who’s busy in the kitchen.
“Scoot up a little; I’ll sit with ya.” I bend forward while Jack slides in behind me, then lean back and rest against him. He hands me a glass of yellow liquid, and I sip slowly from it. Pineapple with some sort of fizzy drink. Soda, maybe. The slightly acidic sweetness hits the spot, and I sigh, cuddling into Jack’s firm body.
Ramone and Gabrielle have been busy hanging lights, cooking, setting up the bar, and arranging the patio for Jack’s local band buddies. It’s a lot of commotion for a little going-away party. “How many people are coming?” I ask when I see all the food that’s been prepared.
“Only about twenty-five or thirty.”
“I thought that it was just going to be me, you, Sarah, and Suzanne?”
“Oh no, a party is a party.” I spin my head around and look at Jack, who is grinning from ear to ear. “I love spending time with friends, and besides, now I get to show you off.”
I take hold of his hand draped over my shoulder and enjoy the moment. The sun is setting over the sea, the warm breeze is blowing salty floral scents into our faces, and we’ll be surrounded by people who are a big part of Jack’s life here on the island. But we’re saying goodbye to my only tie to my prior life, saying goodbye to Suzanne, and I’ll miss her being around. I say as much to Jack, even sharing the worries I had earlier about who’s taking care of the boys.
“Why don’t ya have Suzanne check on your boys when she gets back to Maine?”
“Jack! That’s a great idea!” Suzanne could be like an undercover spy and feed me information about how the boys are doing, good or bad.
“Well, ya said she lives in the next town over from where the boys are living, and Frank doesn’t know she’s friends with ya.”
“Frank?”
“Your ex-husband.”
“Ben.”
“Whatever the guy’s name is. It would be the perfect way to get some updates on your boys. Seems like she’ll need something to do up there; this will be a perfect mission for her.”
I spin around just enough to put my arms around his neck and look into his haint-blue eyes. “It’s perfect. A perfect idea.” I’m overcome with excitement, and I press my lips hard against Jack’s. I’m unprepared when his hands move up to hold my head as he presses his lips back against mine. He keeps me there, unable to escape. I’m pulled between making everyone go away so Jack and I can be alone and for Suzanne to hurry up and get here.
The outside preparations invade my senses when Ramone drops a glass and pulls us out of our cloud. I sit back. “When is everyone getting here?”
“Any minute.” He sounds out of breath.
“Finish this later?” I let my hand follow the buttons of his Hawaiian-print linen shirt until I get to his khaki shorts.
He grabs my wrist. “Are ya sure ya wanna stop?”
“Guests,” I remind him and kiss his tanned cheek. “We’ll have guests any minute.”
The doorbell rings, Ringo barks, and soon we have a house full of friends.
Suzanne, of course, is crying. “I don’t want to leave.” She sips from her mango mimosa between sobs. “I don’t have any friends up there.”
“Suzanne, we just went through this.”
“I know, I know.” She takes a bite of the pineapple that garnished her glass. “This. is. so. good.” She lets out a sob and plops herself down with me.
“I have a job for you once you get up there.”
“A job? What kind?” She sniffles but manages to focus on me.
“I need you to check on things with my boys. Make sure they’re okay.” I hope she realizes how important this is to me.
“Of course I can do that. I can get all the information you need.” She wipes her eyes and hugs me. “Give me the prick’s address; I’m on it.”
“I’ll text what I have.” Suzanne looks happy now, maybe because she feels like she has a purpose.
The party is a wonderful send-off for Suzanne. I spend most of my time on the outdoor sofa, propped up against Jack with his arm wrapped around me. We listen to the music and watch everyone dance and have a great time. Ringo is curled up at our feet, unbothered by the noise around us.
“How’re ya doing?” Jack whispers in my ear.
“I’m going to miss her.”
“I know you are.” Jack’s squeeze makes me feel like everything will be alright. It’s amazing to have the support of someone I can trust. Someone I’m falling in love with because of his kindness and generosity. “How about finding a distraction? Something to do with your time?”
“That’s a great idea, once my foot heals. I helped at the library back in Maine.”
“That’s perfect! Once Simon gives ya the all-clear, he can get ya set up as a volunteer.”
“Simon?”
“Yeah, we don’t just fish together.” He winks, and I’m confused, but I set aside my questions as a guest comes over to say hi to Jack.
As more and more people arrive, the party soon reminds me of a middle-aged men’s version of a fraternity party. Is this how Jack’s parties are all the time? Rowdy frat party after rowdy frat party? I wonder when Jack will ditch me on the couch and go party with his friends.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, anything.”
“Why do you have a limbo pole?”
Jack laughs. “I don’t know, something fun to do at a Caribbean pool party? It came with the house, by the way.”
The limbo pole crowd is in a circle, toasting as they’re about to take a group shot of tequila.
“To nipples, because without them, boobs would be pointless,” a man with a blue Hawaiian shirt and a chrome dome screams as he holds up his glass.
“Here’s to condoms and rattlesnakes, two things I don’t fuck with. Cheers!” another man screams, tapping his glass to chrome dome’s.
“These are your friends?” I turn around and look at Jack to see his reaction to how offensive his “friends” sound.
“Acquaintances,” Jack answers me.
“Good.” Returning to watching the zoo, I realize that my moving in has required a 180-degree change in Jack’s lifestyle, and I’m unsure he’ll be able to sustain it. I settle back in Jack’s arms just in time to see Suzanne’s latest attempt.
The limbo bar is set the lowest it has been all night. Suzanne downs a shot of tequila, squeezes her breasts together, and yells, “Girls, don’t let me down now!”
“Her cheering days are far behind her; she’ll be feeling it on the plane.” I shake my head.
“You’re probably right,” Jack says. “And there’s no way she’s gonna squeeze under there.” His eyes are fixed on the main event. “If she does, it’ll be a new Lido Deck record.”
“Lido Deck?”
“That’s what I call my pool deck—the Lido Deck.”
“Oh, cute.” The band starts playing a familiar limbo song I remember from when I was a little girl in elementary school. “You should write a song about the Lido Deck.”
“No.” Jack playfully tickles my ribs and makes me jump. “Maybe you should.”
Chants from Jack’s drunk friends start in. Blon-die, Blon-die, Blon-die. Suzanne bends back awkwardly and inches her feet forward. To give herself more clearance, she pulls her breasts to the sides and lets her head fall all the way back so her nose clears the pole too.
Her audience is quiet as though they’re watching a golfer tee-off at a golf tournament. And when she breaks the Lido Deck Limbo record, they go wild. “Great form!” “Amazing balance!” and “Limbo Queen” are shouted from Suzanne’s smitten fans.
Sarah joins us on the sofa, laughing at the frivolity. “Where have you been?” I ask.
“I was over there.” She points across the pool to a man sitting at a table. “I’ve been talking to Roger, and we’re going to go for a walk on the beach.”
Jack and I look over at the same time, unable to keep from being obvious. “Did you guys just meet?”
Sarah is all smiles. “Yes! Wish me luck.”
“You won’t need it,” Jack says. “Have fun.”
And he has gigantic muscles , Sarah mouths as she gives me and Jack hugs, then spins around and rushes over to Suzanne to tell her goodbye.
Jack catches me yawning, so he gives the band a signal by drawing his finger across his neck. “Let’s call it a night,” he says into my ear. His hot breath makes me shiver with delight. “Suzanne already won a trophy that doesn’t exist.”
The head of the band makes an announcement, saying, “It’s getting late, and the new Limbo Queen needs to catch a plane tomorrow.” This is immediately met with boos from Suzanne’s new following. “Thank you all for coming out to the Lido Deck. As always, we’ll help you get home safely if you need a ride.”
“What does that mean?” I ask Jack.
“Ramone will drive anyone who had too much to drink home. I don’t want anyone drinking and driving.”
“I like that.” It’s a great idea to take care of overserved guests. “Suzanne should stay here.”
“The Limbo Queen? Yes, she should.” Jack moves me forward a little so he can climb out from behind me. “I’m going to thank everyone for coming and then we can go to bed.” Jack softly kisses my lips and walks over to a group of his happy, drunk friends.
Suzanne came over and sat with me. Ringo still hasn’t moved. “Did you see me?”
“Oh, boy, did I ever.” I put my hand out for Suzanne to pull me up.
“I have the record.” Suzanne bounces with excitement—and tequila—and hugs me.
“Why don’t you stay here tonight?” I hold her close. I don’t know when I’ll see my newest and dearest friend again. “That way we can have breakfast together and take you to the airport.”
“I don’t want to go.” Suzanne cries and hugs me harder. “I don’t want to go back.”
What is Suzanne expecting to go back to? Her life can’t be as horrible as mine was. She only just got married. Is Henry really that awful of a man? As a husband? I can only wish she had a haint-blue protector of her own. “Come on, let’s go inside.”
I hardly use Suzanne for a crutch while walking into the house. If Suzanne wasn’t so upset, I would make a joke about “taking a step in the right direction.” But she isn’t in the mood for jokes right now. She’s too drunk and sad.
“Thank you for being my friend,” Suzanne says before she drifts off to sleep in the guest bedroom. I brush her hair off her face and wipe the tears off her cheeks with my thumb and cover her up, then make sure she has a glass of water on the nightstand. She will need it if she wakes up in the middle of the night. I shut the light off and hobble off to find Jack with Ringo close behind. Moving better has returned some of my independence to me. If I heal too quickly, though, will I have to leave Jack sooner?
The alarm on Jack’s phone makes an obnoxious noise at six a.m.
“Why?” I mumble into my pillow.
“Good morning, cutie!” Jack combs my hair off my neck and tickles the exposed skin with his soft wake-up kisses. I feel the tingles all the way in my toes, and he is all I need to be instantly alert.
“Why are you awake?” I ask with a groan.
“Morning workout. Zeus will be here soon.”
“You work out with a guy named Zeus?”
“Well, I nicknamed him Zeus. His name’s really Roger, but Zeus is more fitting.”
“Does he carry a lightning bolt or something?”
“Maybe not a lightning bolt, but definitely a barbell.” Jack bends over and kisses me. More incentive for me to get up. “What time does Sleeping Beauty need to be at the airport?”
“Not until later afternoon.”
“Good, good. We have some time.” Jack pulls on a light gray T-shirt and sits on the bed beside where I’m lying. “I’ll make you some breakfast.”
He kisses my lips and disappears out the bedroom door.
By the time I make it downstairs, a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs with veggies and toast is waiting for me. The handsome chef and I sit down to eat, and I marvel that this is my life. We finish up just as Zeus arrives.
I completely see why Jack calls him Zeus. Well over six feet of perfectly defined muscle capped with long, luscious blond locks. I’m certain I saw him on the cover of a romance novel in the grocery store back in Kennebunk.
“Nice to meet you.” I extend my hand to shake his.
“Are you going to join us this morning?” My hand is engulfed in his, which is more than double the size of mine and one hundred times stronger.
“Ah, no. I’ll sit this one out.” My foot is still healing, and I don’t want to make a fool of myself. “Maybe next time.”
“I hope so.” His overly bleached teeth blind me when he smiles. “I make working out lots of fun.”
“Well, you guys go do that.” I wave Zeus away, then give Jack a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m gonna check on Suzanne.”
“We’ll be on the Banana Deck.” Jack points over to the side of the house that includes the bedroom where Suzanne is sleeping. “You can come watch if you want.”
Banana Deck? Cute. He names all his outdoor living spaces.
The guys head out for their workout, and I decide to clean up after breakfast.
Gabrielle and Ramone take care of Jack so well. There’s no sign that last night’s tequila and going-away party ever happened. But I want to familiarize myself with the kitchen. If I’m going to live here, I want to know my way around.
I go through all the drawers and cupboards, learning where the glasses, dishes, and silverware are kept. Everything in this kitchen, from the French porcelain dishes to the All-Clad pans to the La Cornue range screams high quality.
I don’t think Jack can cook anything other than eggs. Gabrielle must have outfitted his kitchen for him. She has nice taste.
Once everything is picked up, I head back to the guest room.
Knocking on the doorframe, I poke my head in to see Suzanne, who’s spread eagle on the bed, snoring. At least she’s alive after all she drank last night. She should be thanking Jack for ending the party before she ended up naked in the pool. I wonder if she will remember anything from the evening.
I close her door and find the Banana Deck.
Outside, a roof with a haint-blue ceiling covers a porch where Jack is running on a weird treadmill—instead of the base being flat, it curves up at both ends. “I know you can run faster than that!” Zeus yells at Jack.
Jack’s fresh gray T-shirt he put on this morning is now dark gray and soaked with sweat. “Thirty seconds,” Zeus announces. When the thirty seconds are up, Jack hops off and bends over; he’s out of breath and his sweat is dripping on the ground.
“Good job.” Zeus goes over to a digital stopwatch mounted on the wall and programs it. “Get set up for the AMRAP I wrote on the board.”
Now that I’m no longer mesmerized by Jack’s movement on the treadmill, I can look around the Banana Deck. A whiteboard mounted next to the stopwatch contains a list of what I assume are workout instructions.
“Tater Tot”
18 Minutes
AMRAP
6 205-pound Power Clean
6 24-inch Box Jump
6 Toes to Bar
Geeze, I know I don’t want to start my morning with Zeus yelling at me. I’m dying to find out what an AMRAP Tater Tot is, though. Is it some treat Zeus gives Jack for finishing his workout?
Jack, still out of breath, loads weights on a metal bar and fastens them on with a clip. He leaves the ensemble on the floor and puts a wooden box next to it.
“Three. Two. One.” Zeus starts the wall-mounted stopwatch with a remote, and Jack is off. “Remember, lift with your legs, not with your back,” he calls as Jack lifts the weights bar to his neck and drops it to the ground. Even though a thick rubber mat covers the entire area, the weights still make a loud crashing noise with each release.
Then Jack jumps onto the box six times and jumps up on his jungle gym and hangs while he swings his toes up to touch the bar six times. He goes back and starts the weights again.
Zeus is encouraging, but mostly a hard-ass, making sure he does all the moves correctly. If his toes “almost touch,” the move doesn’t count toward the six needed.
After eighteen minutes, Zeus calls time, and Jack falls to the ground. He rolls over onto his back, soaked in sweat, his chest heaving. Zeus leaves him to die and comes over to me.
“I think you should really give this a try.” Zeus flashes his neon whites at me.
“I definitely could not do this.”
Suzanne appears, rubbing her eyes like she’s adjusting to the daylight, looking like hell. Her hair is tangled, and she’s still wearing her clothes from last night.
“Is someone drilling a well or something?” I guess the dropping of the weights woke her up. Still unable to see, she walks into Zeus. Her fists, still at her eyes, are at pec level, and as if by reflex, she opens her hands to feel what she’s against. Zeus flexes his pecs, and Suzanne squeaks. “Oh, my God,” she says under her breath and turns around and runs back into the house.
“That’s our friend, Suzanne,” I explain. Jack is still lying on the ground.
“I’d be glad to help her any day.” Zeus winks.
“She’s leaving today, and by the way, didn’t I see you with Sarah last night?” The tanned skin of his cheeks turns dark and he looks away as I walk over to Jack. “Do you need some water?”
“Water…” He reaches straight up with one hand. “I need water.” I bring him his water bottle. “Thank you. He makes me get it myself.”
“Yes, he should get it himself,” Zeus says, back to his arrogant self. “It builds character.”
Jack sits up and sips his water. “How’d I do?”
“A little better than the last time you did Tater Tot.” Zeus is reading from his iPad. “At least you didn’t get worse. Let’s go, you have more to do.”
Jack gets up from the floor, leaving his outline in sweat, and goes over to turn on a big industrial-size fan.
“Wow!” I say, looking at the wet floor. “You sweat a lot.”
“If I don’t leave a sweat angel, I didn’t work out.” Jack gets his phone and takes a picture of his sweaty outline. “Right, Zeus?”
“You’re not done yet. Put your phone away,” Zeus says.
“I gotta go.” Jack gives me a kiss and goes back to his torture.
As I leave the Banana Deck, I notice an open chest freezer full of water and ice tucked in a corner. “Jack? What’s that for? Are you having people over for beers?”
“Nah, that’s an ice bath for after my workout.” I look at him with disbelief. “It helps with recovery.”
“You get in there?” I have flashbacks of miserable blizzards, sleet, whiteout conditions. “You get in there with the ice?” I’m probably the only kid in Maine who hated snow days. I greatly preferred to be in school than in the outdoors.
“Yes!” Jack says with way too much enthusiasm. Where is he getting his energy? “No pain, no gain.” He jumps up and down in place.
Why would anyone do this to themselves? “What if your body temperature drops and you become hypothermic? Do you have an electric blanket?”
“I only stay in for four minutes. I won’t be in long enough to become hypothermic,” he says. “It will be okay, Isa. I do this several times a week, and I have yet to become hypothermic.”
Why would someone escape the cold and move to the islands only to take a bath full of ice? It just doesn’t make sense. I wouldn’t willingly subject myself to an ice bath. Maine winters are more than enough for me.
“You can watch me and do the countdown if you want,” Jack suggests. “Then, if I get into trouble, you’ll be right here to help me.”
“You are crazy, but all right.” I can’t believe I’m going to watch someone willingly get into a tub of ice.
“I’m going to go check in on Suzanne. She needs to get herself ready to catch her flight.” I give Jack a quick kiss on his sweaty cheek and trace my finger down his chilled abs before heading toward Suzanne’s room. I’m really going to miss her. I haven’t had a friend in a long time, and even though we’re very different, I’m glad that she recognized me and came over to talk at Snorkels. I’ll be sad when she leaves later.
I knock softly on her door before pushing it open. There she is, back in bed, her small figure curled up under the sheets. She drank way too much last night and is obviously feeling it this morning. Without thinking, I crawl in beside her, the mattress dipping slightly under my weight. The smell of old tequila on her makes me gag a little.
“You okay?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “Can I get you anything? Some Advil or something?”
Suzanne opens her eyes a tiny bit to look at me and smiles. “I feel fine, just thirsty. A little hungry. And I’m so tired. My head hurts.”
“That’s what happens when you drink as much as you did last night.” Geeze, I don’t think I’ve ever been that drunk, but I don’t want to tell her that when she looks like she’s feeling this bad. “You need to leave for the airport soon. Do you want me to help you get ready?”
I don’t want her to leave, but she’s meeting Henry. I’m tempted to help her miss her flight for my own selfish reasons, but instead, I offer the only thing I can: routine. “I’ll make you something to eat. Why don’t you get showered and come have breakfast?”
“You’re my best friend, Isa.” Suzanne’s eyes are closed, and she sounds like she’s on the verge of falling back to sleep. “I don’t want to leave yet.”
“I don’t want you to leave either, but Henry is going to be waiting for you.” Has she forgotten she’s married? She certainly didn’t act married while putting on the limbo show. I don’t understand their relationship. I know that when I was married to Ben, we spent a lot of time apart and now I know it was because he had other women. Is that what’s going to happen with Suzanne and Henry? Where he “works” all the time and Suzanne is home alone? God, I hope not. I don’t want Suzanne to go through what I did when Ben would stay out and screw around with other women. I don’t know Henry at all; I hope he isn’t like Ben. “He is waiting for you, right?”
“Oh, yes. He’s picking me up at Logan and then we’re headed up to Maine.” Suzanne smiles. Good, she is happy to be seeing him later.
“You know, I don’t know much about him. He’s good to you?” I want her to have a healthy, thriving marriage, not like mine.
“Yeah, he’s very good to me.” She struggles to sit up. Once upright, she yawns and stretches her arms up toward the ceiling. “Who is that god? I can’t believe I squeezed his pecs. He made them dance !”
I chuckle. “Jack calls him Zeus.”
“I can see why.” She wiggles her eyebrows and laughs.
“Go take a shower, then come eat something.” I grab her hands and pull her up to stand with me. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Later, we sit outside on the Lido Deck while Suzanne eats her breakfast, the ocean breeze ruffling her hair as she slowly regains some color. I sip my coffee. “Tell me about Henry. How did you two meet?” They’re so different. Henry is much older than Suzanne and acts it, whereas Jack is much older than me but doesn’t act it.
“I really haven’t told anyone, but he was my teenage crush.” She narrows her eyes, as if preparing to defend herself against anything negative I might say. “He was best friends with my father, God rest his soul. I grew up with his kids.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I say automatically. There’s another thing Suzanne and I have in common: we’ve lost our fathers. But the implications of the other things she said hit me, and I blurt, “What? He dated you while you were underage?” The thought of Suzanne sitting in class next to me and being in a relationship with a pervert all that time turns my stomach.
“It wasn’t what you think,” she snaps. “I was the one who had a crush on him. He had no idea, and if he had, he wouldn’t have done anything. He isn’t like that.”
“You liked him?” I try to picture Henry ten years ago. I doubt he’s changed much; he’s still old.
“Yes, I did. A lot.” Suzanne looks tired, not shocked, by my reaction. She’s probably seen it from everyone. “I ran into him when I was in Paris, and we fell in love. The rest is history.”
“Oh, Paris. That sounds romantic.”
“It really was.” Suzanne’s smile is wistful. “But reality sucks. His kids don’t like me very much anymore. Growing up, I was friends with them, and now I’m technically their stepmother.”
“I can see why they would be upset.” Wow, that sounds awkward. I can’t imagine my father marrying a friend my age, let alone having a relationship with her.
“But Henry says he loves me and that time will heal, and hopefully soon his kids will come around and we can be friends again.”
“I hope they do.” Although I can’t see how they will. Not from what I’ve read at the library. “I want you to be happy. I wasted too much time on the wrong person, enough for me to question any future relationship, including one with Jack.”
“Jack’s a sweetheart. He’s nothing like what I’ve read about him in the magazines.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Very good. It’s obvious he’s infatuated with you.” Hearing that makes me blush. This is all new to me. A friend who’s looking out for me. A man who seems to genuinely like me. It makes me feel good. “And when I get back to Maine,” Suzanne says, her voice stronger now, more protective of me, “I’ll find out everything I can about Ben and the boys,”
“I know you will.” A knot of anxiety twists tighter in my stomach as I’m reminded of my boys. Suzanne is now the only connection I have left to Maine, to the mess I left behind.
“Don’t worry,” she says, leaning over to me and pulling me into a hug. Her embrace is warm, solid. I squeeze her back, relishing the friendly affection. Zeus yells at Jack from the other side of the house, and the sound jolts us from our thoughts. Suzanne and I pull apart and settle back into our chairs.
“I can’t believe he pays someone to do this to him,” she says with a laugh.
“Jack?” I shake my head, the absurdity of it all finally bringing a smile to my lips. “He said that he needs to stay in tip-top shape for his concerts. They’re physically demanding.”
“And what’s with the Greek god drill sergeant?” Suzanne mocks a salute.
“I don’t know. He tried to recruit me into his torture sessions this morning.” I laugh, imagining myself doing push-ups while Zeus counts loudly. No way am I expending that kind of effort.
We chat quietly, soaking up the morning sun and savoring the last moments we have together. When it’s time to take Suzanne to STT, our laughter fades, replaced with the solemnity of an impending farewell. Jack loads her suitcases into the back of the Expedition and drives us to the airport.
“Thanks for the party last night.” Suzanne hugs me tight. I cling to her, not wanting to let go. “I’m glad I was a great source of entertainment for everyone.”
“You were more than that,” I whisper, my throat tight with emotion.
Jack unloads Suzanne’s bags at the curb, and the skycap checks them in.
“Oh, you were entertaining, Limbo Queen,” Jack teases, joining us in a final group hug.
As Suzanne walks into the terminal, she turns and looks back, her expression serious. “I’ll keep you posted on what I find out about the ass.” She blows us a kiss, and we wave back.
Jack puts his arm around me as we watch her until she disappears into the crowd. He opens the door to the Expedition for me and I climb in. We catch the car ferry and drive on board.
As we wait for departure, Jack is thoughtful. “To be honest, I really liked not being part of the party last night. I liked just hanging low with ya.” Jack reaches over and rests his hand on my knee.
“I like just being with you,” I say, content. “This could work, you and me.”
“I really want it to.” Jack squeezes where his hand is resting. “More than anything.”