CHAPTER 25
“Tickets?” the woman at the dock asked.
“Here you go.”
Gabi held up her phone.
“Have a good night,” the woman said, having scanned the QR code.
Gabi took Sarai’s hand again, and they walked up the ramp onto the boat.
“So, what do we do?” Sarai asked. “I’ve never been on a dinner cruise.”
“Not even in Amsterdam?”
“No. I did the tours, but not the cruise. Besides, those boats are so much smaller than this one. You couldn’t really move around.
Arlowe took Eline on one – or, I guess, Eline took her on one – and she said you pretty much just sit still and look out the windows while you eat. This boat has decks on it.”
“I think we just do whatever we want. There’s assigned seating at the tables, and it said six to a table online, but we’re not required to sit and eat.”
“But you paid for us to eat,” Sarai said.
“No, I didn’t. I paid for us to have a good time. I don’t care if we eat or not. Like I said, we can stop for food on the way home, if you want.”
“Let’s just see what it all looks like. I kind of want to eat alone with you and not with four strangers crammed in with us at a table.”
“Want to grab a drink?” she asked, nodding toward the bar straight ahead of them.
“Sure.”
They walked up to the bar, where they had to stand in line for a few minutes before they both ordered a glass of wine, and Gabi nodded toward an open doorway leading to an exterior deck.
She’d been on boats a few times in her life, but never one this big, so she was trying to play it cool, but she had no clue what they should do for the thirty minutes before dinner would start, and now that Sarai was telling her that she didn’t want to eat dinner with strangers, she didn’t know what to do with the other hour and a half of the tour.
“Wow! It’s really pretty out here,” Sarai noted, leaning over the railing a little.
Gabi stood back and took her in. Sarai was perfect, and she still couldn’t believe that she was on a date with the woman she’d thought about so many times over the years.
It felt like she’d been waiting her entire adult life for this night, but when she’d noticed how nervous Sarai had been, she’d decided that one of them had to keep it together.
Unfortunately, her nerves hadn’t gotten the memo to do that for at least the next three hours, and just seeing Sarai leaning over, looking at the opposite shore, wearing that very nice dress, had Gabi swallowing hard and wondering how she was going to pull this thing off.
“It really is,” she agreed, but she wasn’t talking about the view.
“Why are you standing so far away?” Sarai asked when she turned back to look for her.
“I was staring,” she replied with a shrug. “Couldn’t help it. I’ve wanted this for a while.”
Sarai turned all the way around to face her, took a drink of her wine, and held out her hand.
“Scale of one to ten?”
“I’m creeping up to a five,” she admitted, taking Sarai’s hand and stepping a little closer.
“What happened? You were doing so well.”
“I got a glance of you in that dress in this romantic mood lighting,” she told her with a smile. “And I don’t know what you’re doing here with me.”
“What are you talking about?” Sarai asked and set her wineglass on the railing before she turned back to her and put her hands on Gabi’s waist.
Then, the boat promptly started to move, and the wineglass fell into the water below.
“Well, I could’ve predicted that.” Gabi chuckled. “We can share mine.”
“I’m good,” Sarai said, pulling her closer. “Don’t want to move my hands right now. You’re so beautiful. Can I just say that I really like you in glasses?”
“You do? God, why? I hate them, but I can’t stand the idea of getting contacts because I do not want to touch my eyes.”
“I think they’re sexy,” Sarai replied. “And contacts are not that bad. I have them now.”
“Is this you trying to help move me down from a five to a four?”
“I was going for a three, actually.”
“You’re doing great so far,” Gabi said and then looked around.
“What are you–”
Gabi found a table right next to them, leaned down, and set her glass on it before she stood tall again and wrapped her arms around Sarai’s neck.
“I see you went with the less risky, table option,” Sarai joked. “But I think me putting my glass on the ledge there, taking the risk that I might lose my drink, shows some personal growth on my part, don’t you?”
Gabi laughed a little and replied, “Yes, so much growth in so little time, babe.”
They stood there, staring at one another for a long moment, and Gabi licked her lips, hoping to give Sarai the hint that she was more than ready for their first kiss.
“I want to get a picture before we get too far away,” Gabi heard someone say from behind her.
“We can take one on the way back,” someone else said.
“It’ll be too dark by then.”
Gabi felt a little bump and turned to see a couple trying to take a picture right next to them. She nodded for Sarai to move over a little bit, and they did, but the couple only got closer to them.
“I’m so sorry. We were hoping to get some pictures for our followers.”
Gabi looked over and noticed two people who looked to be in their early twenties. They were very dressed up and with some pretty intense makeup for a basic dinner cruise on a river.
“We’re influencers, reviewing this dinner cruise thing.”
“We’re on a date,” Gabi said. “Trying to enjoy the view. Do you mind maybe taking pictures about five feet that way?”
“Sorry, the light is perfect here, and we’re contractually obligated to post from this spot, so…”
“It’s fine. Let’s just go,” Sarai suggested.
“Are you sure? We can wait. Not like they’re going to be here forever.”
“We’re about to set up the ring light behind you, so…”
“Do you end every sentence in so?” Gabi asked, getting irritated.
“Not every sentence, but since we’re technically working for the cruise company tonight, I can get someone out here to ask you to move, so…”
Gabi gritted her teeth, preparing to fight for their right to enjoy the spot they’d taken first, but then, she heard Sarai laugh, so she looked back at her and saw the wide smile on Sarai’s face, which calmed her immediately.
“You won. We’re leaving,” Sarai said to them. “But you might want to try enjoying an experience instead of just taking pictures of it on your phone for likes and views.”
“You sound like someone with no followers,” the girl stated.
“I have a hot date, though, so I’m all good.” Sarai took Gabi’s hand. “Let’s go, babe.”
Gabi smiled at Sarai using that term for her, left her wine behind, and they decided to take a stroll around the deck hand in hand as the world passed by the boat that slowly moved down the river.
“So, if you really want to work in hardware, why are you essentially volunteering your time and ideas to us? I know the market is tough, but you went to MIT and have the perfect degree for it.”
“When I got out of school, I needed something right away, and I couldn’t find anything in hardware.
I had a few interviews for places I really wanted, but one of them decided to go internal with the position instead, another gave the job to someone with five years of experience, which I couldn’t argue with, and the third one was in medical tech, and I wasn’t really interested in that.
I made it to the final round of interviews, but I bombed it because my heart wasn’t in it.
By that time, I’d already applied for a few software roles, and I knew I had one pretty much in the bag, so I went that route thinking I’d work my way back to hardware. ”
“What do you like about it?”
“I like that something didn’t exist before, but then, I build it, and it’s there. I like creating things. Software is cool, but it’s all inside a computer unless you use it to run something physical, like smart glasses, for example.”
“But you could be designing smart glasses for anyone and make real money, Gabi.”
“I don’t need more money. I’ve got a job that pays me really well.”
“How well, exactly?”
“Sarai Kaplan, are you trying to find out if I can be your sugar mama?”
“Yes, you’ve found me out: I’ve waited more than ten years to go on a date with you to find out if you’re rich.”
Gabi laughed and said, “I’m not rich. My mom is well-off, technically, but I don’t take any of her money.
My dad left me some, but since I didn’t get a scholarship to MIT, I used it to put myself through school and pay my expenses until it ran out.
I do make good money at my job, and I try not to spend outside my means.
I want to save and have money for things I’ll want or need in the future.
I could probably afford a down payment on a very small house, with how much I’ve saved up, but the interest rates are nuts right now, so I’m not about to do that, and renting an expensive apartment would just be throwing my money away.
I set a budget and couldn’t find anything in my price range, so my plan was to go up with that budget if I had to, but I really didn’t want to.
Then, I saw you at the bar, and now, I’m here, saving money on rent, on a date with you, which is way more important, and better off because of both. ”
“Good one,” Sarai replied.
“It’s the truth. I’m way better off than I would’ve been otherwise.
An expensive apartment might have been nice, and living alone gives me quiet and privacy, but living with you guys has been great.
I somehow made instant friends, and on top of that, you and I are here.
” She squeezed Sarai’s hand. “And I’m really happy, Sarai. ”
“Me too,” Sarai said with a smile.
“Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is now served on deck B. Please refer to the table and seat assignment on your ticket and locate a steward if you need help finding your seat,” someone announced over the loudspeaker.
“So, what’s the verdict? Table with strangers, or stay out here and eat later?” Gabi asked.
“Let’s go check out the table situation,” Sarai said.
“Off to deck B, then.”