Strangers in the Storm ✔

Chapter 9: Strangers at Midnight

ROXANNE

Once again, Roxanne wondered if she was a complete fool for giving another man another chance. But unlike most, this man had a good reason for being on edge, so she decided to let it slide and let him take her to the small wooden sailboat moored to the dock.

The night was surprisingly calm and just warm enough to crave escape to the seas. Roxanne sat on the bench on the deck and watched Damien as he untied the boat from the dock. The fact he owned a boat didn't surprise her, but the patience with which he worked around it and how calm he looked did.

Roxanne took in his form; his strong hands, surprisingly gentle with the wooden boat, his focused eyes and a few sweat beams forming on his forehead. She remembered how carefully he plucked the glass from her shoes last night.

He looked serene, at ease, at home. It made her lean against the wooden backrest and take in the warm thick air. Being here with him felt good, it felt like an escape from her usual troubles.

"Tell me about him." Damien said suddenly, further surprising her, as he walked away from the deck and climbed up to the helm.

"Who?" Roxanne faced him.

"Your ex." Damien started the engine; the night was too windless to sail.

Roxanne chuckled, "You want to know about my ex?"

Damien shrugged, his hands on the old-fashioned, pirate-typed helm, "I feel like I've been complaining about my problems ever since we met. It's only fair you share your burdens with me."

As the boat moved, wind tickled Roxanne's neck, sending chills through her body. Perhaps she wanted to share, but she was afraid it would push Damien away. After all, her relationship with Mike told much more about her than Mike.

But she didn't like lying and she couldn't bring herself to come up with something neutral.

"He left me." Roxanne sighed and leaned against the backrest again, deciding that staring at the calm, black water was easier than facing the man at the helm. "There's nothing much to it, you know? He said he didn't love me anymore. You can't hold that against someone."

"I'd be pretty pissed." Damien said.

"Not if you were the one to blame." Roxanne whispered and realised immediately she's never said it out loud like that; she was too busy blaming Mike for being an asshole.

"Was it your fault?" Damien asked and the boat moved to the open sea.

The moonlight reflected off the surface, white and silver and sparkling, contrasted by the sea's complete blackness.

"I tolerated too much." Roxanne answered, her jaw clenching on its own. "I guess it bored him eventually."

"What did you tolerate?" Damien continued his Q&A unapologetically.

"Do you have something to drink?" Roxanne changed the subject, not appreciating the sudden interest.

How could she tell him? She knew him for twenty four hours exactly. The failing of her relationship and everything she should have done differently would leave a certain impression.

"Yeah, just a second." Damien drove the boat further away from the shore, until all they saw were tiny lights in the distance and a light pollution cloud above.

After a few minutes, he climbed down to the deck with a bottle of wine and put two glasses on the wooden table in front of the bench. Roxanne let him pour the wine, enjoying being served for once.

"Marcassin Pinot Noir from 2002." Damien said as he poured the wine. "It's nice."

Roxanne smiled, "Wait, it's not the cheap one from the store?"