The Weight of Forever: (Grand Harbor: Book Two)

by Randileigh Kennedy

  “So if you enjoy it, why can’t you do that forever?”

  “It’s not a career, according to my family, which is obviously their gracious way of telling me that’s too disappointing of a choice after they put me through college. I’m sure it reflects poorly on them amongst their rich circle of friends. Also, as much as I like it, I suppose it’s also a little depressing. It’s kind of an old townie bar. Sure, on a Friday or Saturday night, you have young drunk people trying to impress each other, or getting into fights over the dumbest things. It’s entertaining. You see relationships start and end in the same night. But then you have all these other people who come in because they have nothing better to do, and it’s just sad. I can’t imagine watching the same person drinking their sadness for the next forty years. That’s a little heartbreaking.”

  “The entire world is full of heartbreak. You can’t control that.” He took a small sip from the bottle, and then handed it to me. I took two full slugs.

  “What about you? What do you do?”

  He hesitated. “I’m an investor. That’s the easiest way to explain it.”

  “So, like, you work for a bank? Or one of the investment firms downtown or something?”

  “Not exactly. It’s a bit more…freelance.”

  “Yeah, I don’t understand that,” I replied, narrowing my eyes at him. I took another sip from the bottle.

  “I make people money,” he began cautiously. “They give me some funds, I give them a timeline and some growth expectations, and then I turn around a profit.”

  “How do you make the money?”

  “By making wise investments.”

  “What, like in the stock market?”

  “That’s an option, yes. I explore a few different avenues though, to maximize profits and turnaround times.”

  “Why does it sound like a secret?”

  “It’s not, really. It’s just insanely boring and most people don’t care about the details. These people don’t necessarily care how I get the money, they only care that I’ve returned their investment with whatever profit margin we agreed to. The rest of it isn’t important to them.”

  I mulled over his words. I hadn’t even started the Roth IRA my dad spoke to me endlessly about, so I was far from an expert on the subject. Still, his explanation sounded a little vague to me. Maybe he was just sparing me from boring math. That was a win.

  “Is it illegal?” I knew it was a blunt question, but that’s really the only thing that concerned me. I was all about a new adventure, getting tangled up with some handsome guy who was nothing like me. That was all fine and good. But I also wasn’t a fool, and knew better than to attach myself to anything remotely criminal.

  “Of course it’s not illegal, I’m not that guy,” he said in a reassuring tone. “I have no business risking what I have in that way. It’s just a little…unorthodox. That would be a better word for it. It’s inventive. Unique. And certainly not for everyone, which is why these people trust me to handle their funds for them, instead of dealing with it themselves. It’s a bit multi-layered, so it would be time consuming for people to do it all on their own. So really, I just facilitate things in that regard, and I get a cut of their profit. It’s all legit.”

  He smiled back at me and his face was so charming. No doubt someone would be willing to trust him with their money. He was personable and sweet and well-mannered. I also realized though, he was temporary. He’d only stick around for what, six months? He said a year, tops. Did I care? After all, I dated the wrong guys all the time because it lessened the heartache by knowing the end was inevitable. Was it possible that dating the right guy, knowing there was already an end date, wouldn’t that lessen the heartache as well, still knowing that this would, in fact, end?

  Perhaps Miles was right. There was no freedom in forever, which made this temporary love story that much more appealing. I stared out across the dark water, so many questions swirling through my head. There were so many things I wanted to know. He still hadn’t given me a valid reason for leaving the charity auction so abruptly. I didn’t buy the embarrassment line, there had to be more to it. No doubt he wasn’t being overly forthcoming with the details of his job either, but I couldn’t decipher whether that was because he was really sparing me the boring details, or whether he found no point in divulging too much. There is no freedom in forever. He said so much in that simple statement.

  “Can I take you somewhere?” He had his hands on the keys, waiting for my approval.

  “Sure.”

  He started the car back up, driving for only a few minutes until we were pulling behind a questionable Motel 6.

  “I know this looks suspect,” he began, clearly hoping to calm the fear on my face, “but it’s a hidden gem. Do you trust me?”

  “Of course not. I know nothing about you,” I snickered. “But lucky for you I’m feeling reckless after the Blanton’s, and quite honestly this still doesn’t look like the dumbest decision I’ve ever made on a Tuesday night, so I’m in.”

  “You are like the other half of my brain,” he teased, shutting off the engine. We exited the car and he grabbed my hand, leading me around the side of the motel. Moments later we were standing on the edge of a beautiful dark pool overlooking the lake.

  “Ah, I see,” I said, shaking my head confidently, “this is your move, right? Skinny dipping under a full moon? A little booze, and clothes are flying off three minutes later… That seemed easy.”

  “Are you crazy? I barely know you, I’m not getting in there naked,” he said with a playful grin, setting down the Blanton’s bottle. “I’m the guy in the rented suit, remember? Clearly I have sophisticated standards to uphold. I’m keeping on my boxers. But I know better than to tell a girl like you what to do, so you can make whatever decision you want.” I loved how playful he was, and how completely charming he was. He stripped off his jeans, threw his black vest down on a pool chair, and peeled off his grey long-sleeved shirt. The moon gave off enough light for me to see every perfect curve of his bare torso. “I know you’re coming in.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  He walked up next to me, putting a gentle hand on my hip. “Because you don’t look like a girl who’s ever stood on the sidelines while something incredible is unfolding right in front of her.”

  “What makes you think you know anything about me?” I narrowed my eyes at him as I asked.

  “I crashed your party the night we met, and was too embarrassed to admit it, yet you invited me to stay anyway without knowing my intentions. You started this night wanting to set fire to some angry feeling that was burning through you over some guy you convinced yourself you had feelings for, yet a small black car and the promise of surprise lured you away without question. And…the real truth – as soon as we turned the corner and you saw the pool, you instinctively grabbed at the zipper of your sweatshirt, as if it was inevitable that open water under a starry night sky means you can’t help but dive in at the mere suggestion of it because it feels exciting and fun and that’s exactly what you think you’re missing. You’re not the only one who can read people, Olivia.” He cocked his head, staring back into my eyes, waiting for my response.

  “Answer a question first.”

  “Okay,” he replied with a skeptical nod.

  “How warm is the water?” I pushed him into the pool, and the splash from his body crested over the cement edge, soaking through the bottom of my pants. I could tell right away that the water was at least heated. “Bonus points for catching my hand on the zipper when we walked around the corner,” I admitted as he surfaced, “but that’s all I’m admitting to. The rest of that was presumptuous and off base.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t care about your car for one,” I stated, peeling off my sweatshirt and sliding down my jeans. I was thankful to be wearing boy-cut shorts tonight instead of skimpy underwear. As I slid off my shirt I realized my bra didn’t match, but it was pretty dark out so I really didn’t care
. It covered as much as any swimsuit I owned. “And two, you’re mistaken that your company is necessary for this to be exciting and fun. I’ve jumped in a hotel pool before completely alone and I had a blast, so don’t get cocky just yet.” I stepped back, then leapt into the water. It was colder than I expected, but the surge was enticing nonetheless.

  “Maybe I’m not as good at reading you as you are me,” he said as I came up to the surface, standing next to him. “That’s what I like about you. I can’t quite figure you out.”

  “Maybe stop trying.” I winked at him, then splashed back underneath the water. I swam to the other side of the pool and rested my arms along the edge, overlooking Lake Michigan. The air felt cool on my skin, but the heat from the water was enough to keep me from being too chilled. He finally came up next to me.

  “What do you guys do around here for fun?” he asked innocently.

  “Well, hotel pools count. There are quite a few good ones around town. I’m surprised I’ve never been to this one, this wasn’t even on my radar. The rooms here are only like sixty bucks a night, and they have a pool with a view like this? Seems like a pretty well-kept secret to me. My friends and I love the beach, mostly. We play a lot of volleyball. Also the Grand Sun River is fun, you can rent rafts and tubes and float around. Why? Are you thinking about sticking around town?”

  “I like it so far,” he said with a shrug. “Just trying to get an idea of what this place is about. Obviously crashing charity parties isn’t the best way to introduce myself into the community. I work sporadic hours, so I guess I need to figure out where to spend my free time.”

  With me. That’s all I could think, but I wouldn’t dare say it. I barely knew anything about him.

  “I can show you around if you want,” I offered. “Apparently now I’m single, so my schedule just opened up.”

  “That would lead to us getting to know each other. I seem to remember you explicitly not being interested in that kind of thing when we met.”

  “Yeah, well, tonight at the bar with Garrett’s hands all over someone else – that’s proof of my track record. Relationships apparently aren’t my thing. As long as things stay friendly, I can manage. Just don’t try anything.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Turn around,” I suggested.

  “Wait, it sounds like you are the one trying something on me…”

  I laughed. “Not exactly. I saw a tattoo on your shoulder earlier, and I’m just curious. What is it? Someone’s name?” I first noticed it when he set his clothes down before I pushed him into the water. I could see the script on his back left shoulder blade. I swear it said Maycie. I hated the way I instantly wanted it to be his mom’s name, or even his grandma’s name, versus a story about someone he used to be with.

  “Just a reminder of my life at seventeen,” he said dismissively, not turning around. He offered no further details.

  “Are you going to make me ask for more?”

  “I thought you wanted to take things slow, but I could be talked into....”

  “That’s not what I meant,” I interrupted with a smirk.

  He stared back at me through the darkness, the only light on his face from the moon and the dim hotel lights about forty feet back. He looked vulnerable and uncomfortable, but moved in close to me.

  “It’s not an ex-girlfriend or anything,” he finally replied as his lips curled. “Is that what you thought?”

  “Maybe.” I felt weird admitting it out loud. “I was just curious about it. Four minutes in a pool with you and I have so many questions.”

  “You really want to know more about me?” He reached out under the water and put his hand on my waist. He ever-so-gently pulled me closer to him.

  “You seem interesting. I’m strongly considering it.” I stared back at him, feeling conflicted. After the way my night started, I knew the last thing I needed was another guy fogging up my brain. Yet this guy – that hair, that face…a guy up for an adventure like this at midnight – I had to admit, he was growing on me. Sadly, that’s what always got me into trouble. I needed to clear my head. “This is probably a bad idea.”

  “It just so happens I’m drawn to bad ideas,” he said quietly. He tilted his face, slowly moving his lips toward mine.

  All of a sudden, there was some commotion coming from the back hotel entrance. A flashlight quickly blinded me before I knew what was happening.

  “Pool closed at eight,” a stern voice said from the edge of the water. “Is that alcohol? Are you minors? If you’re minors, I have to call the police.”

  I blinked multiple times, trying to regain my eyesight. Seconds later, a few bright lights turned on around the pool and a second security guard came out.

  “Out of the pool, now,” the second man barked, sounding less polite than the first.

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize the pool closed so early,” Miles began, swimming toward the small metal ladder. In one swift motion he lifted himself up out of the water. Meanwhile, I was taking my time, hoping the bright lights would leave me alone for a more graceful exit. Despite the outdoor lights turning on, the guards were still both shining their flashlights directly at us.

  “If you’re not a guest here then you’re trespassing, and I’m calling the cops,” the gruff guard said, putting a hand on his hips. “Get out of the pool, miss!”

  “I’ve got this,” Miles said sympathetically, “I’m a guest here, I just missed the pool times. I really apologize. Just please give her a minute to get out.”

  “You missed the pool sign, and the dress code?” The guard was not amused, staring back at us in our underwear. He flashed his light over at our pile of the clothes on the open deck chair, and then picked up his radio. “Kathleen, we have two people trespassing, call Mitch down at the station.”

  “I’m telling the truth. I really am a guest here,” Miles urged.

  The guard wasn’t buying it, and turned his gaze on me. “Wait, are you Richard Prescott’s kid? You’re not a guest here. I know who you are.”

  “Room 219,” Miles said quickly. “She’s not staying here, but I am. Please, just let her get dressed and I’ll come inside and you can look it up.”

  The guards politely turned around, but didn’t leave us. I climbed out of the pool and walked over to where my clothes were sitting, awkwardly stretching them over my wet underwear. I felt like I was at Girl Scout camp in third grade all over again, trying to discreetly get dressed in front of people I didn’t know without showing them any revealing part of me. It was definitely uncomfortable, especially after being identified as Richard Prescott’s daughter. I couldn’t go anywhere in this town without people knowing who I was.

  As I finished pulling on my sweatshirt, I could see the red and blue lights from the cop car pulling into the motel lot. Thankfully the sirens weren’t on, but the flashing was embarrassing enough.

  “Hands up. Put ‘em where I can see them,” a commanding voice said from the pool entrance.

  Great. Nothing like getting arrested the moment I think I’ve found an interesting guy. Just my luck.

  Chapter 4

  The policeman turned on his flashlight, shining it directly on my face. He stepped closer.

  “Olivia? Olivia Prescott? What on earth are you doing here?” the officer asked, sounding amused.

  Of course. Recognized by someone else in Grand Harbor. I couldn’t escape it. Apparently this was just too small of a town for anonymity.

  He took the light off my face, and I could finally see who it was. “Darrin? How have you been?” I said politely. I hadn’t run into him in ages. Apparently he’d gone through the police academy, which was a little surprising, given he was a dorky band geek all throughout school. Not exactly the career path I imaged he’d take.

  “I’ve been great. I’ve been on the force for three months now, can you believe that? I’m paying my dues working graveyard, but otherwise things are pretty good,” he said casually, as if we were catching up over coffee. “I hear
d Sophia’s engaged, that’s cool.” He’d always had a crush on her in high school.

  “Come on Officer Swartz, they’re clearly trespassing,” the younger security guard interjected, clearly annoyed. “This isn’t an alumni reunion.”

  “Charlie, it’s the pool at a Motel 6. You guys don’t even get to carry weapons, get over yourself,” Darrin replied, trying to sound cool. They looked displeased, raising their hands up in the air as if they expected a harsher response. “No disrespect,” Darrin added quickly, probably realizing he’d overstepped a bit on that. “Who are you?” He was pointing at Miles.

  “I’m a guest here,” he replied, reaching into the pocket of his jeans. “Room 219.”

  “Will you stop with the room number, kid? We don’t have a 219,” the older guard huffed back. “Are you going to handle this, Officer Swartz? They’re trespassing, and I want them off the property.”

  “Fine, I’ll get them out of here,” Darrin replied, looking back and forth between Miles and me. Please, don’t take us to the station. My dad wouldn’t be thrilled by a phone call this late. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll give Ms. Prescott a ride home. Miles, either book a room or find an open pool. Good?”

  Miles nodded politely back at him. “Can I just have a quick minute with Olivia?”

  “Off the premises,” the older guard sneered.

  “Let’s head out,” Darrin suggested. “We should get off their property before they create a bigger fuss about this.” Miles grabbed the bottle of Blanton’s and we followed him over to his cop car. Darrin climbed in, shutting off the flashing lights, which I was thankful for. I was about to reach for the door handle, when Miles grazed his fingers across mine, causing me to pause.

  “Sorry this didn’t exactly go as planned.”

  “The best nights never do,” I said earnestly.

  “I’m sure I can talk him into letting me take you home,” he suggested, motioning towards Darrin who was just awkwardly sitting in the car, waiting for me.