Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Why Sam thought it was a good idea to have Taylor over for dinner, she had no idea. She rechecked everything was in place for the third time and looked over at the clock. At the rate she was going, she’d have driven herself crazy by the time Taylor actually arrived.
She’d never been this nervous for a catch-up before, not with friends, or even dates. She was the person who’d talk anyone’s ear off at the shop. Why did this feel so… big ? She held her fingers up to her pulse. Her heart was already racing.
“This is ridiculous,” she said under her breath as she tucked a corner of her jumper into her jeans.
She’d gone with her favourite outfit tonight—an oversized sage knit that popped against her leggings and grippy tennis shoes. The whole thing was comfy, cute and movable around the boat. She was missing her usual sailing gear already, but she’d wanted to feel a little dressed up for the night ahead. She was so excited to show off Manny out on the water, and take him for a run since she’d finally finished up the electronics, well, since Taylor had finished them.
She checked her weather app again. It was a warm day for late September, and she was thankful there was a light breeze to sail out on, one that would drop off by the time they anchored for dinner.
Her phone buzzed, letting her know Taylor was here.
Her stomach dipped as she grabbed her keys and headed out.
Walking up to the gate, she spotted Taylor waiting on the other side, almost stopping at the sight. It was the most dressed up she’d seen her. The chinos and muscle-fit shirt hugged all the right places, highlighting her athletic frame. She’d even managed to tame her messy hair with a neat side part which made Sam want to mess it up all over again.
She hit the button to open the gate and to let her in. Taylor whirled around at the sound.
“Hey.”
She was greeted with a huge smile as Taylor stepped forward, and they sunk into an easy hug. Sam was hit with a tantalising mix of fresh shampoo and Taylor’s signature sandalwood scent, which ran a little more woodsy tonight. Elevated. She had to stop herself from diving in closer and making a fool of herself.
“You ready?” Just like at mini-golf, she didn’t give Taylor a chance to reply before she wrapped her hand around her wrist and dragged her down the pontoon. She’d been waiting long enough.
The weather was just as idyllic as Sam had hoped. The wind gently whipped at her long hair as they glided out past the rocks to one of her favourite spots just out by the coast. From the viewpoint she had in mind, they’d be close enough to see the cars driving along the Esplanade, all the way down to the jetties near where Taylor lived.
The only sounds were from the water lapping at the sides of Manny’s hull as they cruised along and a light flap or tink from the sails overhead. Sam couldn’t have asked for better conditions and she thanked the universe it had aligned tonight to show this off for Taylor.
Taylor looked over at her then. She’d taken off her shoes, rolled up her cuffs and sat off the edge of the boat taking in all the sights. She looked relaxed, her chin resting on her hands as she leaned over the railing. What was it about this woman that had her so captivated? She was someone Sam felt so completely at ease with, yet her stomach swirled like the water below. The anticipation of the unknown both scared and excited her equally. She hoped tonight would help her find some answers.
With a little direction from Sam, Taylor made the perfect deckhand as she helped Sam drop the anchor and pull down the sails when they reached their destination. Now that they’d arrived, Sam felt like she could finally chill a little. But first, dinner.
They moved to the front of the boat. It wasn’t glamorous by any stretch, but it did have the most room and best views up top. Taylor laid out the blanket while Sam brought out their first course.
“You can’t have a boat dinner without a charcuterie board. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I threw on a bit of everything.” Sam carefully popped the board down between them. “Now, I’ve got red, white or beer in the fridge below. What do you want?”
“Wow. This looks amazing, Sam.” Taylor eyed the board she’d stuffed with fruit, nuts, cheeses, meats and crackers, picking up a grape to pop in her mouth while Sam tried to not watch too closely. “So good!” Taylor said, mouth full. “Also, I’d love a beer, thank you.”
“Coming right up.”
Sam poured herself a white and passed Taylor her beer before sitting down next to her on the blanket. Taylor tipped her bottle towards her. “Cheers.”
She clinked her glass, offering Taylor a shy smile alongside it. “Cheers.”
“Well, this is nice.” Taylor leaned back with a sigh, resting her arm against the skylight hatch as she crossed her legs.
“You look very relaxed there.”
“Oh, I am.” Taylor grinned. “So, do you do this a lot?”
“Sometimes. I like sitting up here to eat in Summer, or getting out the blanket and reading a book over an afternoon. It’s so nice when there’s literally no one around—no tech, no people, just the sound of the water or the odd gull.”
“That’s how I feel when I’m out on my board. It’s like the whole world finally slows down and I can think clearly.”
Taylor made herself a salami-and-cheese sandwich between two crackers, adding a pickle on top for good measure.
“Exactly.” Sam’s finger traced the rim of her wine glass. “Like being in the middle of the forest, it’s one of the few places you can truly feel alone. At peace. Or just have some space from the hustle and bustle of life.”
“It definitely feels like a little oasis in this spot.” Taylor let out a slow sigh. “We’re so lucky where we live. The sun hasn’t even set yet, and it’s already gorgeous over the horizon.”
“Agreed. Did you grow up by the beach? I feel like we haven’t really done any of those ‘get to know you’ questions. We’ve been too busy talking about everything else.”
“Ooooh, it’s getting serious now.” Taylor smirked, pretending to sit up straighter. “I actually grew up in the country, moved out of home at eighteen and lived near the beach from then on. I like living outside the city, the calmer pace, especially by the water.” She took a swig of her beer. “Maybe that’s why I kept to the coast while travelling in the van. I never wanted to venture too far from the water. Always had my paddleboard strapped to the top too, of course.”
“Of course.” Sam smiled back as Taylor reminisced.
“I get that. Being by the water…”—she paused as she looked back out at the ocean—“it has this pull. Like my heart sings when I’m near it. Out here, I feel more in tune with myself than I do on land.”
“Maybe it’s the wildness of the ocean? That uncontrolled unknown that is so vast, and makes you feel so small, it reminds you that you’re this tiny human at its complete and utter grace.”
Sam tried to smother a smile, her fingers flying to her lips.
Taylor looked at her, perplexed. “What?” She started wiping the corners of her mouth and looking around. “Do I have something on me?”
“No,” Sam reached out, touching her arm. “I’m sorry, we just got super deep, and then…” Her eyes started watering at the thought. “I started picturing a tiny, ant-sized Taylor on a paddleboard, floating around.”
Taylor laughed along with her as Sam wiped at the edges of her eyes.
“So much for easy starter questions like ‘ What’s your favourite colour ?’” Sam stated, finally calming down.
“Right!”
“It’s blue by the way.”
“Huh. Me too.” Taylor stared then, to the point of making Sam start to squirm.
“I should go grab the next course before we lose the light,” Sam said, breaking the moment and rushing back down into the cabin. She leaned on the kitchen counter once she was down below and took a deep breath.
Why did this feel like a date? More importantly, did she want it to be a date? She closed her eyes, flashes of her dream swirling with new images. Her kissing Taylor on the boat. Touching her. A pull that started to travel down from her belly button told her everything she needed to know.
“And here’s our main. It’s roasted cherry tomato pesto pasta.” She handed Taylor her bowl, her hand brushing Taylor’s as she let go. The hairs stood up on her arm.
It’s not a date, she reminded herself .
“Oooh, sounds fancy.” Taylor eyed the dish as Sam sat back down next to her, their knees bumping. That, she did on purpose. Taylor made no effort to move either.
“It’s the absolute opposite, which is why I love making it on the boat. I just air-fry the tomatoes, then mix them through with some cooked pasta and a dollop of pesto, and voila.”
“My mouth is literally watering at just the description. I feel like I need you to cook for me more often,” Taylor joked, stabbing a pile of pasta and tomatoes onto her fork and stuffing the whole lot into her mouth.
“Ohmrrghh,” she said around the food.
Sam grinned. The thought of cooking for Taylor again didn’t sound too bad at all.
“You like it?”
Taylor threw her head back in bliss, eyes closed as she chewed, an obnoxious hum escaping her lips.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” She laughed, scooping up a bite for herself.
Taylor swallowed and took a quick sip of her beer. “Seriously. Jess brings food home straight from the restaurant , and it has nothing on this.”
Sam shrugged. “What can I say? I love cooking, especially simple dishes with loads of flavour. Dad wasn’t the best cook growing up. Mum was amazing, and he tried to do his best…”
Taylor gave her a pitying smile.
“I pretty much took over after a few years when I was older and could make more than just pancakes and spaghetti bolognese.” She pierced the last few bits in her bowl. “I had Mum’s recipe books, so I’d pick out the ones I remembered and make Dad shop for the ingredients. We’d cook them together, and that worked so much better.”
“Sounds like you and your dad make quite the team.”
“‘ You and me against the world, and Mum watching over us both,’ ” she mimicked her dad, a line they’d shared a thousand times over the years.
“Aww, that’s really beautiful.” Taylor put her dishes down beside her and gave Sam’s knee a gentle squeeze.
“Yeah, it always made me feel better. I remember so many nights spent on his boat. We’d be up on deck like this, and he’d ask, ‘Where’s the brightest star ?’ I took my job very seriously. I’d look and look, pointing when I found it, and we’d shout together, ‘ There she is !’.”
“Your dad sounds like an amazing guy. I wish my dad was as caring and thoughtful.”
“You haven’t talked about your parents much.”
“Not a lot to say really. They are…”
Sam waited as Taylor’s brows furrowed.
“…not the kind of people I want to be around,” she finished. “They’re selfish people through and through, on the rougher side of life. More interested in themselves than raising a kid. We almost seemed to be in mutual agreement when I moved to the other side of town. We still text on birthdays, that sort of thing, but that’s about it.”
Sam was gobsmacked. “I can’t even imagine… to have those who raised you not care like that.”
Taylor shrugged. “I’m just glad I left, took control of my life, and never looked back. Best decision I ever made for myself.”
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“Now there’s a simpler ‘get to know you’ question,” Taylor said, bumping Sam’s shoulder with a wry smile. “It’s just me.”
“How did we get from cooking to another D I drove here tonight. Well, not here here.” She laughed, gesturing at the water that surrounded them and shook her head. “Ah, you know what I mean.”
Sam bit her lip as an idea sprung to mind.
“Soooo… question.”
Taylor raised an eyebrow.
“As it’s a pretty calm night, would”—she cleared her throat—“would you want to stay on the boat overnight?” She hated that she almost squeaked out the last word.
She saw Taylor physically swallow and tried not to let her eyes trail down her throat at the movement, down to—she flicked her eyes back up. What are you doing? The air seemed charged at what she originally meant as an innocent question amongst… friends? She had no bloody idea now.
A smile spread across Taylor’s face, replacing the serious moment.
“Hell yeah! Do you know how long I’ve wanted to sleep on a boat at sea? I’ve worked on them enough times and only ever slept in my van on my big road trip.”
“Well tonight’s your lucky night!”
She realised what she’d said too late, the double meaning hanging in the air between them.
“That’s what she said,” Taylor said with a wink.
This really was her kind of girl.
Sam grinned. “So, that drink?”
“Yes, please.”