by Parker, Ali
“Has he told you what we’re going to be doing yet?” Hunter asked, and I shook my head.
“No, he hasn’t,” I admitted. “Do you know? Can you tell me?”
“It’s meant to be a surprise,” Hunter replied mysteriously, and I pulled a face and then grinned.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to wait and see then,” I conceded. “Is it fun? Can you at least tell me that?”
“It’s really fun,” he beamed excitedly.
“That’s all I wanted to hear.” I patted him on the shoulder and got back to my feet. I’d noticed a couple of the other kids looking in our direction, and I didn’t want any of them overhearing our conversation and assuming Hunter was getting special treatment that they weren’t. I went back to my spot at the head of the dining hall, keeping an eye on proceedings, but I couldn’t keep the smile from my face as I imagined what might be in store for me over this weekend.
I headed back to my classroom, where I had a free hour before my next group came in. I turned my attention back to the grade curves, the numbers already dancing in front of my eyes before I’d even gotten started. When Zoe appeared at the door, I closed my books at once, glad to have a chance to put them off a little longer.
“Hey.” Zoe slipped into my room and leaned on one of the little chairs opposite my desk. “How’s it going?”
“Pretty good,” I replied. “Got some time to myself and trying to catch up with those grade curves.”
“So what you’re saying is, you’re looking for someone to come in here and distract you?” She grinned.
“Please.” I smiled back. “How’re things with you?”
“Yeah, not bad,” she replied. “I saw you talking with Hunter at lunch. Is everything all right with him?”
“I think so. I’m a little worried about him. You know how it is. He doesn’t seem to have many friends around, and I think it’s starting to get to him.”
“Ah, yeah, I noticed that too.” She grimaced. “Do you think he’ll grow out of it, or do you think it’s a more long-term thing?”
“It’s hard to say right now.” I shook my head. “It seems to be coming more from him than the other kids, so that’s at least something.”
“Yeah, fair point,” she agreed. “You up to anything interesting this weekend?”
“Actually, I’m seeing Holden” I told her, without thinking. I had declined to mention my thing with Holden and Hunter to her earlier, but it slipped out before I could stop myself. She raised her eyebrows at me.
“Oh yeah?” she prompted. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, Holden suggested we spend some more time together,” I replied with a shrug. “To see the two of them together before I go setting him up with anyone.”
“So what you’re saying is, he’s taking you out on a date,” she remarked, eyebrows raised. “What exactly are you guys up to?”
“I actually don’t know yet,” I admitted. “He says he wants it to be a surprise.”
“A surprise date,” she continued. I shook my head at her.
“It’s nothing like that,” I told her off, using my best teacher voice in the hopes that she would get the message. “Do you really think he’d be asking me to set him up with other people if he wanted to date me? Pretty counterintuitive, no?”
“Fair point.” She held her hands up. “Or maybe this is a way for him to get to know you better without the pressure of actually dating.”
“Look, his son is going to be there with us,” I reminded her. “What kind of date would that be?”
“One where he has plausible deniability and can claim it’s platonic?” she suggested with a teasing smile. I gave her a look, and she held her hands up.
“Look, I’m just saying, this guy seems to want to spend a lot of time with you and involve you in a lot of his life,” she explained.
“Yeah, you do that too,” I protested. “It’s what being friends is about.”
“Yeah, but I don’t sweep you out on super-secret special dates,” she pointed out. I had to concede that point. I leaned back in my seat and shook my head.
“It’s nothing like that,” I replied firmly. “He just wants to get to know me better, and I want to as well, to make sure I’m picking the right woman for him.”
“And you couldn’t be that woman?” She squeezed in one more jibe and then shook her head. “Sorry, sorry, I’m done.”
“It’s just a get-together,” I assured her and realized I was talking as much to myself as well. It was hard for me to convince myself that this really was platonic, but I had to get that through my mind. It was what he wanted, and it was what would be best for me as well. Both of us were so inexperienced with dating, out-of-touch with how it worked. We would surely wind up fucking it up if we tried to hook up with each other.
“Of course.” She nodded. “I hope you have a great time.”
“Me too,” I agreed, and I felt that fuzzy little rush of excitement once more at the thought of spending a whole day with Holden. I ignored it and asked about her weekend plans to distract myself, hoping those feelings would have faded by the time my date with Holden came around.
17
Holden
“All right, you almost ready to get going?”
It was Sunday morning, the day of my trip on the yacht with Autumn, and I was having a hard time containing my excitement.
“Yeah!” Hunter emerged from his room, already in his jacket and sneakers, ready to hit the water for the day. I grinned at the sight of him. He had been talking about this for days, and now it was finally here.
“You looking forward to this?” I asked, and he nodded.
“She’s so nice,” he gushed. “I want to know what she’s like outside of school. I’ve never seen a teacher out of school before.”
“You got a little crush, buddy?” I teased, and he went bright red but couldn’t help smiling.
“No!” he exclaimed pointedly back, but I knew he was fibbing to me. It was actually pretty sweet. I didn’t blame him for being a little sweet on her. If I’d had a teacher like her back when I’d been his age, I would have felt the same way. And it was nice to see him so excited about something for a change. Sometimes, he would retreat to his room and hang out there for an evening, no matter if I offered him a movie or TV or to spend some time with me. I was looking forward to getting some quality time with him, even if it did include Autumn as well.
In fact, especially if it included Autumn as well. That wasn’t the part of this that should have excited me, but I was so looking forward to showing these parts of my life to Autumn. I had worked so hard for everything I had, and it was cool to be able to be a little proud of them, to use them to impress. Not that it mattered if she was impressed or not, of course. I wasn’t doing this to make a point to her. But it might raise my stock in the eyes of the potential dates she had picked out for me, and that could only be a good thing, right?
I heard a knock at the door, and I patted Hunter on the shoulder and went to answer it. I had given her my address and asked her to meet me here, so she wouldn’t guess what we were doing today. I wanted to see the look on her face when she figured it out.
I opened the door and found her standing there in a pale blue sweater and a pair of jeans. She grinned when she saw me and gestured to her outfit.
“I tried to pick the most all-purpose thing I could think of,” she remarked. “But if you’re planning on taking us to a fancy restaurant, we might be a little screwed.”
“No, you look perfect,” I blurted out before I could consider how it would sound coming out of my mouth. I quickly stepped aside and gestured for her to come in. She brushed by me and smiled, so close that I could smell her perfume. I swallowed and tried to keep my shit together.
“Here, let me show you around.” I grinned at her, and she glanced around the entrance hall. I was seriously proud of this house, given how hard I had worked for it, and I was looking forward to letting her see it properly.
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�Yeah, sure.” She seemed a little reluctant despite nodding. I wondered why but didn’t linger on it. This was a little unconventional, of course, but surely, she would be able to overcome that. She had been the one to come here in the first place, after all, to agree to this day together.
I showed her around the house as Hunter finished getting all his stuff ready, and I could tell by the time we got to the third room that she was a little bored. She wasn’t rude about it, but she simply followed along politely, clearly waiting for it all to be over. I was put out but didn’t show it. I knew how expressive and enthusiastic she could be, and this was the direct polar opposite of that. Maybe interior design wasn’t her thing. I designed for a living, after all, so I liked everything in my house to be just so.
“Are we ready to go?” Hunter asked, bouncing up and down on the spot as we came back to the entrance hall. I glanced at Autumn, who nodded.
“I am if you are.” She grinned. “Can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned for me.”
“Then let’s get going,” I suggested, and we all headed out to the car. She slipped into the front seat next to me, with Hunter chatting away to her excitedly in the back seat. She listened and interjected where she could, and it was clear the two of them had a strong bond. She knew exactly what to say to keep him talking, to get him excited about whatever it was he was enthusing about.
I tried not to let her lack of reaction to the house get to me. It showed that she wasn’t a materialistic person, which made sense. She had never come across that way to me before. I hoped it didn’t come off as bragging. But I wanted her to see that I was a success, that I had managed to build this life up from the ground for myself and my son, so that anyone she wanted to set me up with would have a better idea of the kind of life I lived, the kind of lifestyle I could maintain.
“So do I get a clue as to what’s happening today?” she asked me when we were out on the open road and headed down to the waterfront. “I tried to get it out of Hunter when we were at school, but he wasn’t very forthcoming.”
“I’m good at keeping secrets!” Hunter exclaimed, and I grinned at him in the rearview mirror. I did wonder if he might slip up and come out with something he shouldn’t before I had the chance to surprise her, but he seemed as invested in this day going well as I was.
“Yes, you are,” she agreed, and then she turned to me again, raising her eyebrows. “If I’m not much mistaken, we’re headed down to the water, right?”
“Right.” I tapped the side of my nose and grinned. “But you’re going to have to wait and see what I’m taking you to.”
“If any of this involves me getting dunked in water, I’m going to be less than impressed,” she warned me playfully. “This sweater is dry clean only.”
“You’re safe, don’t worry,” I assured her, and a few minutes later, we had arrived at the dock, and I headed down to the cabin where the administrator took care of my keys for me. As I came back from picking them up, jingling them excitedly in my hand, I noticed Hunter and Autumn chatting animatedly at the other end of the pier. Autumn tossed her head back and laughed at something my son had said, and he beamed up at her, clearly delighted by her approval. I paused for a moment, watching the two of them, enjoying their interaction, and then remembered that I was meant to be heading down there to join them.
“We’re ready to go.” I held the keys up to Autumn, and she cocked an eyebrow.
“And what are those for?” she asked, and I took her by the shoulders, turning her around, and pointed to the yacht we were now facing.
“That,” I told her, and her jaw dropped. This was the moment I’d been looking forward to, the one where I got to stun her with something this crazy and luxurious.
“Don’t tell me you own that thing!” she exclaimed, a grin cracking across her face.
“Sure do.” I held my hands up. “Got it five years ago, but I don’t get a chance to take it out as much as I’d like. Though Hunter and I manage a few fishing trips a year, don’t we?”
“Yeah, I love fishing,” Hunter said, and Autumn smiled down at him.
“Shall we get on?” I suggested. “We can take her out for a spin, see how you like the water.”
“I’ve never been on a boat before,” she admitted. “What if I get seasick?”
“We won’t take her out too far,” I promised her. “If you start feeling bad, you let us know. But I think you’re going to like it. It’s like nothing else in the world, I promise you.”
“I can believe that,” she murmured, and I led her on to the yacht and guided it out of the harbor. I had learned to sail on this thing, and I still wasn’t the best in the world at it, but every time I got behind the wheel, I felt a little more confident than I had before.
I could hear Hunter explaining all the stuff that was going on in the boat as we sailed, and it was so cute to hear him speak so authoritatively, even when he couldn’t quite pronounce every single nautical term correctly. But Autumn encouraged him and continued to chat with him, following him around the deck as he explained this and that to her, and I watched them with a warmth in my chest that mitigated the cool breeze rolling in from the water.
Eventually, Hunter went to get something to eat from the cabin, and Autumn came up to join me. She had her arms wrapped around herself and was gazing out on to the water, a strange expression on her face.
“You feeling all right?” I asked. She blinked and turned to me as though she’d half forgotten I was there.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m doing fine,” she assured me. “Just a little overwhelmed, I think.”
“What do you mean?” I furrowed my brow at her, and she gestured around us at the boat.
“I guess I never imagined you would have something like this,” she admitted. “This is… this is, like, seriously rich stuff. Really rich stuff. I knew you were well-off, but between this and the house….”
She shook her head as though she was having trouble wrapping her brain around it. I had a feeling something was off with her again. Maybe this kind of luxury made her uncomfortable. If you weren’t used to it, it was a lot to take in. I had earned it from the bottom up, and Hunter had grown up with it, but this was all new to her. No wonder it was a lot for her to wrap her head around.
“But I bet there’s plenty of women out there who would love something like this.” She smiled at me kindly. I felt a little drop in my stomach. She wasn’t including herself in that statement, and that bothered me, even though it shouldn’t have—because I’d told myself and anyone who would listen all this time that there was nothing between us, that this was simply a platonic trip out for the three of us. With Hunter right there, how could it be anything different?
“Right.” I tried to ignore my disappointment that this didn’t seem to impress her. Maybe I had misread her. Clearly, that was the case. I needed to pay closer attention, figure out what would get me in her good books and in with her good friends.
I glanced over at her as she shifted forward to lean on the railing before us, her gaze turned out to the water, which lay out in front of the boat like an endless wash of calm. With the wind whipping through her hair, she looked like she belonged here. Like she was the figurehead on the front of a boat, too beautiful to exist in real life. And once again, I had to remind myself that this was only a friend of mine. That anything more I felt for her was wrong. And that was that.
18
Autumn
“So, what about that over there?”
I pointed to a boat about two hundred feet from us, and Hunter narrowed his eyes and gazed at it for a moment, trying to place it.
“I don’t know that one,” he confessed. “But I’ll look it up and find out and tell you at school.”
“You do that,” I agreed, and I fought the urge to ruffle his cute little head.
“Hey, Hunter, mind if I borrow Autumn for a minute?”
I turned around to find Holden approaching us, a glass of wine in his hand for me. I raised my eyebrows
as he handed it to me, and I took a long sip.
“Mmm, that’s good,” I sighed, as Hunter vanished back into the cabin to give us some space. Probably to look up the name of the ship so he could impress me.
“So, how are you liking it?” he asked, coming to lean on the railing close to me. I was so distinctly aware of how near he was to me right now that I could have shifted and pressed myself against him, and I pushed it to the back of my mind. Useful thoughts only, please.
“Uh, yeah, it’s really cool.” I nodded, but he cocked an eyebrow, and I could tell that I was hardly convincing him.
“It’s not that bad, is it?” he asked. It was obvious he was trying to keep a game face on, but I had seen how disappointed he had seemed when I hadn’t been super-impressed with the yacht as soon as we got on it. It wasn’t that it wasn’t cool. It was incredible that somebody I actually knew was part of the super-rich club to the point that they had their own luxury yacht. But there was something about it that made me a little uncomfortable. It was so conspicuous, like he was making a point about his cash and flashing it around every chance he got.
“No, not at all.” I shook my head. “It’s very neat, it is. And the fact that you can sail it even more so. But… this wasn’t where you were thinking of bringing the women I set you up with on your first dates, was it?”
“It had crossed my mind.” He shrugged, furrowing his brow. I took another sip of the wine, letting the flavor linger on my tongue for a moment before I swallowed. It was good wine, expensive, but then that probably went with the territory, right?
“You don’t think that’s a good idea?” he prompted me, and I shook my head.
“I think it’s a little much,” I told him gently. “It feels like you’re trying to compensate for something. Or that you think they’re just in it for the money.”