Adrift

by Robin Wainwright

home. Their talk was light, mostly about the amazing dinner they had shared and a little about the local Scuttlebutt. Daniel loved the fact that the natives justified their natural tendency to gossip as honoring the traditions of their nautical ancestors.

  All too soon, they were standing at the stairs to Heather’s apartment. Feeling shy Heather asked Daniel, “Would you like to come up for a cup of coffee? It won’t be as good as Jennifer’s, but it’s not bad.”

  “Not tonight, but can I have a rain check?” Heather nodded surprised that she felt a sense of disappointment.

  “Would you be willing to walk me though the lighthouse tomorrow?” Daniel asked.

  “Yes of course. And I promise to not go wandering off by myself.”

  Daniel grinned, “Lesson learned huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “It only takes once. But that’s a good thing because there is no recovery from falling off the top of a lighthouse like yours.” Heather nodded.

  “How about 1:00? That gives me time to make sure Java Junction is up and running and that Jennifer doesn’t need me. Not that she ever really does, but she humors me.”

  Daniel smiled, “1:00 it is.” Then he quickly swept in and pressed his lips against Heather’s.

  At first, she was startled and froze, but when he didn’t press his advantage, she found her arms winding up over his shoulders and her fingers threading through his hair. She heard him give a small groan and his arms came around her as well. His fingers wove into her hair as he pressed her closer and deepened the kiss.

  His mouth tasted of the chocolate they had shared and the feel of his tongue made her body tremble. Finally, he broke away and rested his forehead against hers while he panted lightly.

  “Wow,” he said.

  “Wow,” she agreed. “You sure you don’t want that coffee?”

  “Tempting,” he responded pulling away until they were just holding hands. “Very tempting, but I think I’ll keep that rain check. I’d probably want desert to go with that coffee and I’m not sure I’m up for dessert tonight after eating that Molten Mountain.” Heather found herself blushing again.

  Daniel raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek. “See you tomorrow.” Then he turned away and began walking down the street whistling to himself.

  Heather laughed quietly when she realized what he was whistling Katy Perry’s, “I Kissed a Girl.”

  12

  The next morning, Heather was surprised when she opened Java Junction and Jennifer was nowhere in sight. Usually Jennifer was waiting for her at the door, but not today. Heather went in, turned on the lights, checked that the tables were clean and the floor was swept. When she was finished, Jennifer still had not arrived.

  Heather was in the storage room checking the supplies when the front door jingled.

  Jennifer swept in calling out, “Guess who has the number one spot in this morning’s Scuttlebutt?”

  Heather groaned, “Please say anyone but me.”

  “Nope, can’t do that. You are the star of this morning’s Scuttlebutt.”

  Heather hid her face in her hands. “Dare I ask?”

  “Oh yes, please ask. Actually don’t bother I’ll just tell you. It seems the new manager of Java Junction was seen walking around town with a handsome stranger. Who happens to be the owner of the company that wants to renovate the lighthouse. Not only that, but, later she was seen having a romantic dinner with the same guy, and Miss. Barbara said she saw them necking outside said manager’s apartment. It’s a scandal!” Jennifer sang out, “You might as well have a seat and give me all the gritty details, ‘cause otherwise I’m just going to have to make up more stuff. ‘Cause you know that the Junction is going to be a key stop today for the Scuttlebutt.”

  Defeated, Heather took a seat at her favorite table and looked out the window as Jennifer finished the coffees she was making. Talking with Jennifer was out of the question when Big Brass Betty was chugging away. Jennifer finished wiping down the steam wand and brought two cups of coffee over to the table.

  “Okay, scoop.”

  “The Scuttlebutt isn’t too far off the mark.”

  Jennifer let out a whoop. “I knew there was a spark between you two.”

  “You barely saw us.”

  “Yep, but it only takes an instant to recognize that spark. And only a moment for that spark to become a bonfire.”

  “Oh stop it,” Heather laughed.

  “It’s true. When my Mom and Dad met, they said that they looked into each other’s eyes and that was it. Within a year they were married and they’ve been happily married for almost 50 years.”

  “Well I’m not looking to get married, Jennifer. I’m only here through September.”

  “I know, I know. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have some fun while you’re here. Now stop protesting and give me the facts.”

  Heather filled Jennifer in on her day with Daniel, including her almost falling from the widow’s walk and the steamy kiss at her stairway.

  Jennifer sighed, “And you get to see him today, too. Well take my advice and don’t ever do anything in public that you don’t want shared on the Scuttlebutt. Next time, take him up to your apartment before you ravish him.”

  “Ravish him?”

  “Well it sounds like you gave as good as you got.”

  “True,” Heather grinned.

  “Heather, he sounds like a good guy. Sensitive, funny, handsome, employed…” Heather laughed and Jennifer continued, “Just consider it a summer fling.”

  “A summer fling?”

  “Sure, like when you went to summer camp and fell passionately in love with a boy you’d never see again.”

  “I never went to summer camp.”

  “Well now’s your chance to experience what you missed. Just enjoy yourself, and him.” Jennifer waggled her eyebrows and grinned. She raised her mug. “To summer flings.”

  Laughing Heather clicked mugs with Jennifer. “To summer flings.”

  Promptly at 1:00, Daniel opened the door to Java Junction. Jennifer smiled and said, “She’ll be right down; she just ran upstairs to change.” Jennifer handed Daniel two large to go cups and grinned.

  “Thanks Jennifer. You’re going to spoil me.”

  “Well you just make sure to spoil Heather and we’ll call it even.”

  Daniel looked suspicious, “I see…the Scuttlebutt?”

  “Yep, the Scuttlebutt.”

  Daniel just shook his head, “Is it bad?”

  “Nah, not bad. Just detailed. Like I told Heather, ‘Don’t do anything in public that you don’t want shared on the Scuttlebutt.’”

  “Thanks for the advice and the coffee.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Heather stepped into the room and smiled at Daniel. Smiling back, Daniel handed her a cup of coffee and reached to hold open the door.

  “Jennifer, if you need me I have my phone.”

  “And I have the Scuttlebutt,” laughed Jennifer. Shaking their heads Heather and Daniel left for the lighthouse.

  As they approached the light keeper’s cottage Heather looked up and saw the missing piece of railing around the widow’s walk. Her body gave an involuntary shake and she stopped in her tracks.

  “Hey Heather, are you okay?”

  Heather kept staring at the missing railing. “Yeah, just thinking about yesterday.”

  Daniel put his arm around her shoulders and glanced up at the widow’s walk, “It was a close one. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Then she remembered the loud bang that had followed her near fall. “Daniel, what was that loud bang yesterday? The one in the cottage.”

  “Oh yeah I meant to tell you. You know that room with the swollen door, the one I’d propped open with that chair?” Heather nodded. “When I went back down to check it out that door was shut. A strong gust of wind must have knocked over the chair and caused the door to slam closed. I tried to open the door but it was jammed shut again. That’s one of the first things my c
rew will have to do, fix that window and resurface the door.”

  Heather nodded and shook off the uneasy feeling that her memories had caused. “Well let’s see what surprises the lighthouse holds.”

  “Agreed,” Daniel casually took Heather’s hand in his and lead her to the lighthouse.

  Daniel looked at the loose chain hanging from the lighthouse door and shook his head. “Dangerous,” was all he said as he pushed open the door.

  He looked at the mess scattered around the ground floor and shook his head. “No respect,” he mumbled under his breath.

  Heather decided not to tell Daniel that she had already been inside the lighthouse. She didn’t want to be lumped together with the other trespassers who had littered and vandalized the inside of the structure.

  Daniel began his thorough inspection of the ground floor of the lighthouse and Heather stood back by the door sipping her coffee watching.

  Daniel grabbed the railing of the spiral staircase and gave it a good shake. When it barely moved he began his careful ascent.

  Heather wondered if her legs could handle another hike up the stairs, and she decided that she would rather wait down here and enjoy her cup of coffee. When Daniel called down that it was safe for her to come up, she let him know that she’d wait for him downstairs.

  “Are you sure? It’s bound to be a spectacular view.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Okay, I shouldn’t be long.” Daniel was disappointed, but soon he was absorbed in his task.

  Daniel poked, scraped, and took photos and copious notes.

  The watch room was in fair shape with just a little graffiti on the walls. He took notes and tried to keep his anger at bay. He couldn’t understand how anyone could take pleasure in defacing