Over the Line

Chapter Three

Once Sam gave her the all clear she slid her sunglasses on and threw the boat in reverse. Remi was confident handling the boat since she'd been raised on the lake. Scott taught her the ins and outs well before she could take the boat out on her own. He wanted to know that she could handle herself, especially if she was ever in a situation where she was with someone who had been drinking. They stressed the importance of safety and responsibility when getting behind the wheel of any vehicle.

Once the boat was a safe distance from the dock and shore Remi started cruising towards one of their favorite spots. There were a couple inlets they liked to chill in that were great spots to swim. There was another one that had a rope swing that you could only get to from the lake. Remi knew that'd probably get crowded and didn't want to deal with a lot of traffic, so she opted to check out the inlets.

"Say cheese!" Yvette squealed as she took a picture of Remi behind the wheel."
Remi knew she could probably find that on Instagram later if she looked. "Damn, a woman who can handle big machinery. So fine!" Then she was off to snap a selfie at the front of the boat.

Sam sat down next to Remi to keep her company while the others took up post at the front of the boat. His blonde hair was normally a shaggy mess, but he had cut it shorter on the sides and the top was a little longer so he could sweep it to the side. It was a very polished look for him. He also wore a white polo and some light blue swim trunks which was a far preppier look than the boy Remi remembered from her childhood. He had those same blue eyes that reminded her of the ocean and goofy smile that reminded her the boy she'd always known was still in there.

"So, what have you been up to lately? I feel like I haven't heard much from you." Remi asked. They were all in a group text that blew up constantly, but she still tried to check in with everyone regularly. 

"The new business has been keeping me really busy. I'm working on a massive deal right now which could really help us build the credibility we need to take off. And other things are just keeping my plate really full." He replied almost mysteriously. Sam was always an open book with Remi, but she could tell he was holding something back.

"What is it you're not telling me?" Remi stared at him quizzically.

"I don't know what you mean. I'm just swamped with work." He practically scoffed which tipped Remi off to keep pushing.

"Sam, we've been friends for how long? Since we were in diapers. I know when something's up." Remi persisted. If he really didn't want to talk about it she wouldn't make him, but she wanted to make sure her friend was okay.

"Okay, but can it stay between us for now?" Sam peaked towards there other friends who were wrapped up in their own conversations and couldn't hear over the wind or the music.

"That depends, what's going on?" They had a strict policy that they wouldn't keep anything big from one another.

"I've been seeing this girl. And before you say anything, no it's not Hannah." He quickly said and looked out over the water trying to avoid Remi's shocked expression.

Hannah had been Sam's on again off again girlfriend through the majority of college. The crew had come to a consensus that she was only interested in Sam for his money and the status he could provide her. They had dated as recently as Thanksgiving, but broke up right before Christmas. They had all hoped Sam would finally see the light, but he had everyone worried there for a bit that he'd go back.

"So who is she?" Remi was hugely relieved it wasn't Hannah, but she was a little worried because Sam didn't have the best track record with girls.

"Someone I met through the business. And before you start down that path, she doesn't work for me and she's not a client." He held up a finger to try and keep Remi from jumping to conclusions.