“That is pretty much what did it. Although he dealt himself the final blow.”
“How so? Did you see him? He lives around here?”
“No. He is still at school. I called him to let him know that I felt it just wasn’t working out,” I said.
“Why do you all use that line? Is it in the handbook?”
“Don’t feel too sorry for him. I didn’t even get to use it. Some girl answered the phone and gave me the hushed voice he can’t come to the phone stuff, so I told her good luck, enjoy, and that she can now come over at any time. I really didn’t have to do anything.”
It occurred to me that in addition to opening myself up to two guys I had passed on previously, I had also rid myself of stupid boyfriends in a far more empowered manner than I had before. I had pretty much sniveled through this one before, just like I did with Dave. Now, I was putting them in their proper places, as they deserved. I wondered how that was going to play out. Dave and Tim were two of the several who hurt me, or broke trust with me, or generally made me feel like hell for things they did. They were also part of the baggage I toted around in my current lifetime. Maybe this was not just to find me my true love, or whatever I was supposed to be, but to show me how to be a stronger person and demand appropriate treatment from the people in my life. Specifically, the men in my life.
“What a foolish and sad little man.” Seth shook his head.
“Why do you say that?”
“Why would he cheat on someone like you? I don’t understand it. I practically threw myself in front of a train just to get you to call me. Sad, sad little man.”
“Enough of Tim. He’s the past.” I leaned into him, smiling.
“Ancient history. But here we are, swirling in the waters of fate, waiting to see where we land.”
“Dear lord. What are you reading that you keep slipping into Courtly Love 101?”
He laughed. “I am in a lit class that’s studying Shakespeare, as you so astutely guessed. And horror! Jane Austen! Way too many manners, although some of them are kind of appealing.”
“It sounds like an intro Brit-lit class.”
“It is. I’m squeezing in a few requirements that I sort of missed along the way. I want to get that all out of the way before next year.”
“You can’t hate it that much,” I said. “It comes into nearly everything you say.”
“Well, I am a natural idiot as well. This seems to fit with that.”
“I think you’re being too harsh. I wouldn’t say idiot...”
“Really? Progress! What would you say?”
I tapped my finger on my mouth. “Entertaining?” Everything seemed bright and cheerful and full of possibility. All we were doing was sitting on a restaurant patio, but I felt at the edge of something big. Something more. Maybe it was all the Tibby-based insight I was gathering as I went along? I’d have to think about that later. I’d been right about him all those years ago. The potential was there, waiting for me to come along and take a chance with him.
“That is a spectacularly neutral comment.”
“I’m taking things one step at a time.”
“No whirlwind then?” He looked a little disappointed.
“I just told my boyfriend to hit the bricks after meeting you last night,” I said. “What more do you want?”
“Oh, I want it all.”
I looked—really looked—at him when he said that. His face was serious. Please whatever god may be above, don’t count this as a crossroad! I want to be here longer. I waited for a moment, waiting to see if I would end up back in my bedroom or if I’d suddenly see a flash of the trademark Dhameer glitter. When it didn’t happen, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Sighs already? That usually doesn’t happen until the third date. I’m losing my touch.”
“Oh, no, no, it wasn’t that at all.” I didn’t want to get into my issues “That’s a pretty big statement based on less than three hours knowledge of someone.” Maybe I could shift the focus away from me for a bit. Maybe that would keep Glitter Boy from popping in and ruining an upcoming perfect moment.
“I agree. What fun is life if you don’t take a risk and see what’s out there?”
Oooh. That was not so good. The swan song of the playboy. Time to get down to business here. Be careful what you wish for, huh?
“How so?” I asked, keeping my face neutral.
“Well, take the fact that we are sitting here together. Neither of us had any idea when we walked into that pizza place that we would be here, single, holding hands. I certainly didn’t.”
“Neither did I,” I said.
“I took a chance in sitting next to you, and in continuing my pursuit of you even in the face of Tim, and again when I thought to stun you with my manly kisses. At any point, you could have shot me down.”
“True.”
“You took a chance in letting me kiss you. Cover aside, you didn’t have to. I was just looking for a quick way to get a kiss out of you without getting all awkward.”
“To stun me into insensibility?” I teased.
“If it worked, why not? You took another chance by ending things with the late, lamented Tim,” he bowed his head.
“You are having way too much fun with him.” I couldn’t help but smile. It was funny.
“I’m the conquering hero. It is the appropriate time to bask in my glory.”
“Shall I move over so I don’t get in your way?”
“Only if you come sit next to me.”
I leaned over and looked at his bench seat. It was a small one, like mine. “Seth, these are not two-butt seats.”
“You could sit on my lap, little girl. I have candy.”
I burst out laughing. “I bet you do. I just bet you do. Maybe save your candy for later?” I batted my eyes. And to think I’d been mocking Danni for doing this just last night! I switched gears so he didn’t think I laughed at him. “I can’t argue with that. So why did you take all those risks? Did I have Sure Thing tattooed on my forehead?”
“Just the opposite. It was more like Not Available. Makes it more challenging.”
“All right. Fair assessment. Is this the way you tend to operate most of the time?”
“Not really. I take more calculated risks. I prefer to be more sure of the outcome. I didn’t know if I was going to have any success trying to get a date with you, but I kept thinking, there is something special about this girl, and I will kick my own ass if I don’t at least try.”
“That’s kind of funny. I thought the same thing. You’re someone I would regret not giving a chance to.”
He gave me one of those megawatt smiles. “Really? That makes me very happy to hear.”
I had to laugh again. Seeing his smile made me so damn happy! “Let’s stop this now before we analyze it till it screams for mercy. Tell me about where you’re from.”
He was from Maine. He was an only child. Pretty well adjusted for an only, which I knew was my large family bias coming into play. His whole family had been in either the Navy or the Marines, and everyone had wanted to see him go to the Academy.
“What if you didn’t want to?” I asked.
“My dad and granddad both fly. I’ve been flying small planes since I was sixteen. Where else can you get to fly jets and blow your hair off as your daily job? The Academy was a smart choice for me.”
“Um, maybe I’m an idiot, but wouldn’t you go to into the Air Force for that? Isn’t the Navy all about ships?”
He gave me a look of deep disdain. “How little you know! As if the Air Force has better pilots!” He sniffed, and glared over my head in mock indignation. All the while, his thumbs caressed my hand. It made it a little difficult to concentrate.
His parents were both IT people; his grandparents did something with shipping.
“I would think indoor professions were the best. Isn’t it beyond cold in Maine?”
“It can be. We have a cabin up in northern Maine, up near the border, and it’s like goi
ng back two hundred years when we go there. We have a well and no electricity.”
“Please tell me you’re not still using outhouses.”
“We have one, but Dad found these composting toilets, and he moved the business indoors.”
“Big fireplace?”
“Huge. But the cabin is small, so it warms up the whole house. I love to go up in the winter because it’s even quieter than the summer.”
“You won’t get to be there much once you graduate.”
“No, but it’s where I’ll go when I get out.”
“Do you want to stay in for life?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. If I get accepted to flight school, it’s definitely a strong possibility. What about you? What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“Didn’t I tell you last night? I don’t know. I like the idea of law school. I’d also like to get paid to write, but that’s even harder than law school to get going.”
“What kind of law?”
“I am not sure. Family law, although that’s really messy, or maybe maritime law.”
“That’s a pretty big gap.”
“I know. That’s why it’s not a sure thing right now. I am also looking into working for museums. There are lots of avenues, in spite of what my dad says.”
“Why? Doesn’t he like your I love history major?”
“No. He calls it useless for making a living.” I laughed. “I don’t argue anymore. I let him rant at me, and then when I don’t fight back, he throws up his hands and walks away. I wouldn’t get anywhere anyway, so I don’t waste my energy.” Those were times I thanked myself for scoring a scholarship. If my dad had paid for college, he’d have cut me off. Of course, that’s only if he stayed sober.
“Wise strategy.” He smiled at me. “I still argue with my dad. Although, since I’m almost grown up in his eyes, he doesn’t really yell at me anymore.”
“I’m not sure when I’ll hit that point with my dad. It’s all right. He irritates me with his snotty attitude, but I know it’s because he’s worried.” I laughed. “That’s another reason I don’t argue. He makes me so mad sometimes, I don’t want to say the first thing that pops into my head.” Why was I whitewashing all of this?
Maybe that qualified as a major insight as well. Maybe it wasn’t so black and white with my parents. Maybe there was a middle ground. I focused on Seth again.
“Ah. Have a temper, huh?”
“Oh, yes. It’s quick to flare, and then it fades just as quickly. I don’t stay mad long.”
“So Tim will be forgiven?” He had a sly expression on his face.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“I said I wouldn’t be mad. Nothing in there about forgiving and forgetting. I won’t even see him that much. He’s a junior, and we aren’t the same major.” I shrugged. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, when you go back to school,” He stopped, and looked away nervously, all slyness gone. “Are you going to forget about your weekend fling and run back to Timmy?”
“I don’t think my now mandatory trip to the health clinic is a way for him to woo his way back into my good graces.” I looked directly at Seth. He looked a little more hopeful.
“Good.” I got to see the megawatt smile again. Then, with his nerves—and mine—settled, we moved onto other topics. I was fairly neutral as far as politics, meaning I disliked a lot of them on both sides. He was a mix. Socially pretty liberal, and fiscally conservative. I could live with that. He didn’t seem extreme. He was more of a dog person, I liked cats better.
By the time our coffee was done, the waitress had been around several times to see if we were “okay” which really meant she wanted to drop the check.
I said, “Why don’t we get out of here and walk? I feel like I am glued to the seat.”
“I was planning to ply you with more food and drinkables. But your wish is my command.” He caught the eye of the anxious waitress, and she all but ran over. I stifled a laugh. Having waited tables, I got it. Before I could even think about it, Seth had taken the check, tucked a card in the little sleeve, and handed it back to her.
“I think we kept her here after she planned to be gone,” I said.
“She’ll live,” he said. “Can’t she see this is the all-important first date?”
“That’s kind of mean,” I said. “Have you ever waited tables?”
“Indeed I have. My parents feel it’s an excellent way to start in the working world. I started as a busboy, also known as kitchen indentured servant.”
“I bet you rake in the money.”
He looked at me with his head sort of tilted. “Why do you say that?”
“You’re very witty. I know I would enjoy you as a waiter, obvious reasons and charms aside.”
“Well, thank you. I was a smashing success. However, since the U.S. Navy owns me most of the summer, I don’t work on my measly few weeks off.”
“Really? What do you do all summer?”
“Go on cruises. It gives you an idea of where you might want to go when you graduate. This is my last year for one. Not sure where I’ll be.”
“Hmmm. Good to know.”
“Is that bad?”
“No. It’s good to know. I like to have the facts.”
“I should know in a couple of months where I’ll be. At least, I hope so.”
Whatever I might have said next was interrupted by the waitress returning with the bill. Seth signed it quickly, and then tossed it on the table. He rose and took my hand.
“Thank you for a wonderful lunch. Company and food.”
“Anytime, Tibby.”
We smiled at one another while leaving Middleton’s. “You want to walk down by the water?” He asked.
“Yes. Isn’t that the touristy thing to do?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then yes, let’s walk to the water. I love being a tourist.”
He looked at me, which was kind of a feat as we dodged the traffic in spite of being in a crosswalk. “Why?”
“Because you get to see all the best sort of things of a place. I also like to hit the dive restaurants and the pokey little shops, but I love the touristy stuff.”
“Then I have a treat for you.”
I raised a brow. “Do you now?”
“Indeed I do. Massive tourist attraction coming up.”
“Lead me to it.”
He smirked at me. “I like the way you say that.”
“If I keep talking that way, do I get candy?”
“All the candy you want, little girl.”
“You have a really bad side, don’t you, Seth?” I couldn’t help laughing a little.
“I can.” Surprisingly, for what I had seen of him, he only smiled a bit, and didn’t say anything more. That was…I don’t know, sort of odd. It was a flash of something deeper. Another thing I would have missed at twenty. Was it good or bad? Was there a pile of shit behind all this attractive window dressing?
I made myself stop worrying. I’d find out. That was the point of the wish. To find out, for good or ill. And I knew I wasn’t stuck here if it went bad. Not forever. So just go with it.
We held hands and walked in comfortable silence down the dock. There was a little canal where boats were moving lazily up and down to our left. It looked like the old cruising strips you saw from fifties movies, only on the water.
However, I wasn’t comfortable, even if the silence was. His hand felt like holding one of those Fourth of July sparklers. You know it won’t hurt, but it still puts off sparks that shock you. Seth felt exactly like that.
I started a little as I realized Seth had said something and was looking at me expectantly.
“I’m sorry, Seth, I was lost in thought. What did you ask?”
He looked at me with what seemed like concern, but said only, “I was asking if you’re a water person.”
“I am.”
“Well, good. Here it is, in all its touristy glory.” He waved a hand. We had reached the end of the doc
k and were standing in front of…well, a boat.
It wanted to be a New Orleans river boat. That’s what the idea was. It didn’t quite make it. Gave it a good try. It was super touristy. I loved it immediately.
“You have delivered on your promise.”
“I thought you would like it. Let’s get tickets.”
We had a small scuffle at the ticket booth. I tried to pay for the tickets, but Seth wouldn’t let me. I hate when people argue over a bill, so I conceded graciously, thanking him for treating me. He smiled at me, but didn’t say anything.
There was still time before the boat left, but they let us on early. Seth led me to the upper deck. It was warm, with a little breeze. I was glad I had a jacket. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though. We sat together on a bench towards the bow of the boat. He put his arm around my shoulders, and I scooted a little closer to him. It felt nice, very nice.
“You take all your dates here?”
“Only my mom,” he said.
“Not sure how I can compare with that,” I said teasingly.
“Mom is a high standard.”
“As she should be.”
“Glad to hear you appreciate mom.” He smiled.
“I do. I love my mom, even though we fight like cats and dogs sometimes.” Mostly because she won’t stop drinking, leave Dad…oh, loads. I made a promise to myself to not go home if I could avoid it during this do-over.
He rolled his eyes with a great deal of exaggeration. “Women.”
“Are wonderful,” I said.
“Yes they are,” he agreed. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Water would be good. Anything else would be too much.”
“I’ll go and grab us a couple of waters. Be right back,” he said, and he headed for the stairs. I watched him as he disappeared below.
This felt different. With Rick, it was warm, and sweet, and comfortable. Of course, that wasn’t entirely fair to Seth. I had known Rick for a couple of years before my do-over moment. With Seth, I was starting from scratch. In spite of that, there was something different. I don’t know. I know I was paying a lot of attention to things he said because I was trying to see where the do-over might go. Poor guy, because I basically had an agenda. Thing was, he seemed like he was doing the same thing. Weird. Maybe this was a midshipman thing? I remembered Danni saying they were pretty focused. I gazed out over the water, wishing I was out on a sailboat, refusing to contemplate all these deep thoughts that would not get out my head when Seth returned.
Three Wishes: Time Traveler Romance (Heart Of The Djinn Book 1) Page 8
