The Men Next Door

Ch 16 - Luca

The shrill sound of my alarm woke me up bright and early on Saturday morning. Well, maybe dark and early is more accurate — the sun was still below the skyline and the sounds of the city were nothing more than a murmur.

Normally, I'd be pissed about the early ass wake up call. But that day, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. What was there to complain about when I was going on a date with Campbell?

I rolled out of bed and searched my jumbled dresser for a warm base layer. It was November after all, and even though it was in the 50s that morning, I knew it would feel colder out on the water.

Whose brilliant idea was it to go jet skiing in autumn again? Couldn't have been me.

Once I found something suitable to wear, I brushed my teeth, scarfed down a quick breakfast, and headed to my neighbor's apartment.

"Hi," she whispered groggily when she answered the door, half dressed in a long sleeve top and her underwear. "Why'd we have to get up at 5:00 AM for this?"

I admired the view of her bare legs, but shook off my naughty thoughts. We really did need to be out the door soon.

"Hi." I placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "The earlier we get out there, the better chance we have of being the only ones on the water. It'll be much nicer that way."

She muttered out a half-hearted protest before getting ready to go. Of course, that included making herself a latte. I gave her shit for her coffee addiction, but I knew I'd be in the same boat if it didn't fuck with my ADHD meds. Caffeine was the only way I could keep an office job before the doc ordered Adderall.

We took an Uber to the river since we didn't trust the subway in the dark, and before we knew it, we were at my friend Hayden's business. I spotted him through the front window and waved as I opened the door. The bright chime of a bell greeted us from above.

"Luca! What's up, man? It's been too long."

I walked over and pulled him in for a hug. Hayden was my first roommate when I moved to Jersey City after high school, and I still viewed him as one of my closest friends. We were always in each other's corner — even if we didn't make as much time for each other as we used to — and he was more than happy to set me up on the river when I pitched the idea to him.

"It really has, man. Thanks for meeting us out here this early. This is my... Campbell." I wasn't quite sure how to introduce her. My neighbor? My friend? My date?

Her left hand was in mine, and she reached out to shake Hayden's hand with her right. After they got acquainted, he led us into the back room to get fitted for wetsuits.

"These will keep you warm and dry," he explained as we stepped into the clingy fabric. "But it's still important to be careful out there. Your head won't be covered, and that water will feel like ice if you go under."

Hayden went through his typical safety spiel and had us sign waivers before handing off a pair of keys. "The sun's just coming up, so there shouldn't be anyone else out doing water sports. But keep an eye out for boats, just in case — and don't go past those buoys," he warned, pointing to some red dots in the distance. "Since Luca knows how these jet skis work, I'll leave you to it. There's a walkie in the dry box in case you break down or get stuck for any reason."

And with that, Bella and I took off on the water. The sunrise was casting a pretty orange glow all around us, and we really were alone out there. Even so, the splashes of the river and the hum of our motors would've made it hard to hear each other. I was thankful Hayden set us up with some headsets at the last minute.

"Bet you can't beat me to the buoys," I taunted Bella through my microphone once we'd drifted several yards from the dock.

"Bet you're wrong," she replied boldly. She took off like a rocket before I could lay any ground rules.