4. Chapter 4
Ajax
Iwaited.
On my couch.
With my phone in my hand.
When I still didn’t get a text or an email, I gave up.
Not because I thought she was ignoring me or something.
It was the Fourth of July, of course she was busy.
She probably had some plans I didn’t know or something, and that was fine.
But tomorrow, the fifth, was our birthday.
And I wanted to book her up for the whole day.
So, since she refused to text me first, I did the only thing I could think of.
I requested her.
Did I look desperate?
Oh, I have no doubt.
But you know what? I don’t care.
I wanted to talk to her without all the stuff and noise in the background. To be able to really reconnect. Because if there was anything that I noticed over the course of the event last night, besides how beautiful she had gotten, it was the fact that I missed my friend.
That I wanted to bond again.
I wanted to talk.
And I knew she wasn’t going to do it there. I wouldn’t have wanted to, actually.
Last night’s event was about just being with her while working. Okay, maybe I was with her a whole lot more, but I didn’t mind.
And from the way everyone responded to her when she talked to them, they loved her. I’d have to have her with me again for my next writer’s convention of whatever. She charmed the room and I don’t know if she noticed that.
So, I typed up the response, figuring she wouldn’t mind the price point, and given that she liked my boat, or should, she probably wouldn’t say no.
I hit send once everything was in and then waited, a smile on my face. Okay, so maybe I was a little desperate, but really it didn’t matter to me at this point.
Hours later, I smiled as I saw the notification that she accepted, but nothing more. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to actually text me with something or not, but I didn’t mind for the moment.
The following afternoon, I parked at the dock, glancing at her.
“Ready for this?”
“Sure. I just don’t know why you had to request it?”
“Really?” I asked, grabbing our bags. “I mean, I waited by my phone with bated breath hoping you’d text all day on the fourth, and I heard nothing. And since I didn’t want you to spend your birthday alone, I had to do the only thing I could think of.”
“You know, AJ, that seems a little bit much.”
“You’re welcome to think whatever you’d like. If you were in my shoes, I have no doubt you would have done the same thing.”
She grabbed her bag that had her telescope, a pensive look in her eyes.
“No, I don’t think I would have, actually. Because that might have been scary and I might have been terrified that, oh I don’t know, the person might have had plans.”
I grinned as I walked over to my boat, climbing on and then helping her in.
“Honestly, the thought did cross my mind, but I still did it. Figured if you did have plans, you could have said no. Or if you didn’t want to. But you did and I made it pretty clear it was just us. So, part of you wanted this too, Spy, don’t deny it.”
She opened her mouth as she sat her bag down, ready to say something, but then shut it and I grinned even more.
“Don’t get any hot-headed ideas.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, woman. Go ahead and take a seat while I take us out of the bay. There is some food and drinks for us later on.”
I watched as she took her shirt off, leaving her in her bikini top and took a seat. Once more, I was amazed at the beauty that she had become. Spy was really the ultimate package in a woman, and I couldn’t understand how someone hadn’t snagged her up.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad about that, but it also made my heart hurt for her. Though I was ready to try and rekindle our friendship again.
She pulled her shades down and watched as I took the boat out, finding a spot out in the middle of the water to just let us float.
I cut the engine then sat down next to her.
“This could be a dangerous place,” she told me. “Ever thought about having a mystery or something on a boat?”
“I have two. One was a bigger cruise liner type ship with a murder mystery. The one had a major boat scene. In fact, that one was one we talked about when I was younger. If you ever see it, you should read the dedication; you might laugh.”
“Why is that?”
“Because it was to one young lady who was my best friend and gave me some wild and creative ideas to help with my already overactive imagination.”
She turned to look at me, a brow raised.
“You might have thought I forgot about those nights, but I never did, Spy. You were my best friend, and I hated that we drifted apart. I would love nothing more than to find our friendship again. I kind of think I could really use it.”
She let out a breath as she turned her gaze back over to the drifting sun and the clear water. I don’t know why that was hard for her to hear, but I could sense that it was.
“I think I’d like that too. I missed your stories.”
“Is that all you missed?”
“Other stuff too, I guess,” she teased.
I shoved her lightly before getting up and grabbing a bag. I handed it to her, a smile on my face. “Happy Birthday,” I told her.
She sat up and took the bag before twisting her lip.
I watched as she dug into her purse before handing me a box. “Happy Birthday to you too,” she told me.
I waved my hand for her to open the bag, smiling as she pulled out the stargazing book. “I wasn’t sure if you had one like it, but I know how you like finding stuff in the sky, and this is supposed to be the most current and up-to-date guide.”
“And not getting released until later this year. How did you do it?”
“Connections, Spy,” I said, tossing her a wink before opening my box.
I looked down at the book, flipping through the blank pages before opening the front flap.
“‘The best place to not lose your notes. A pocket friend to help you. Write when your phone dies and think of me, Spy.’ Thank you. How did you know?”
She held the book to her chest as she sat up, a grin on her face.
“An interview. You once said that you wish you had a sheet of paper at all times for you to write stuff down because you didn’t trust putting things in your phone. It always stuck with me and, well, it seemed like a perfect time to get it. And it’s lightweight, so you can always have it.”
I turned it over in my hand, not sure how I got so lucky to have this woman back in my life, but I was going to vow to not lose her again. Somehow the fates had brought us back together, and I couldn’t have been happier.