The Arrangement

The Boat

We were waiting for Daniel when he returned. I had walked Hershey and she was snoozing on the porch until she heard her person.

I looked at him differently after my morning of enlightenment.

"What?" He snapped.

"Nothing. Go get ready. We're waiting."

Their speedboat was moored over by the fish market. The wind blew my hair as David opened the throttle once we were on the open water. It had been years since I felt this exhilaration. The boat bounced over swells in the current. It was frightening and exciting at the same time.

The two brothers sat up front looking almost like twins with their sunglasses and matching tattoos. Neither had much color from the sun, but Dan had more than David, who worked nonstop inside the hospital.

Eventually, David cut the engine. "Should we chill out here for a while?"

Dan grabbed beers out of the cooler and handed them out. I took a sip. It tasted and felt like summer ─ the sun and the gentle rocking of the boat. I rubbed sunscreen on my shoulders and arms. As I undid the straps to my top, I watched as Dan quickly went to sit in the bow.

David caught my eye and smiled at me. Apparently, I did have an effect over him. What this meant and what I wanted to do about it, I wasn't sure.

Eventually, we went back to shore. David suggested we go out to The Beach House, the bar right on the beach. I would prefer stayed in, but agreed.

The deck was crowded and I found a corner while Daniel went to get drinks. We had to stand so close I could smell a potpourri of the brothers' aftershave. The combination made me feel heady. Daniel was pressed against my side and I felt a pulse run through my body in response.

A rebellious part of my brain wanted to turn into him and take in his scent. I could no longer deny I was physically attracted to him. David watched looking amused. Meanwhile, Daniel kept attempting to move his body away. Smiling, I thought of my new information. As the crowd pushed me into him again, he steadied me by putting a hand on my waist. My knees felt weak and almost buckled as he just as quickly pulled his large, strong hand away.

After one drink, I yelled, "It's too crowded. I'm going home." Daniel nodded and the brothers followed me.

As I lay in bed, images of Daniel filled my mind. I saw him when he picked me to play baseball. I wasn't wrong, he did like me. Then I saw him turn away from me on the boat, just as David predicted. Because of his sunglasses, his expression was masked, but his mouth was a thin line. I remembered the feel of him next to me as the crowd kept pushing me closer. The physical attraction was there, but I was uncertain if I really liked him. Because of our working relationship, it could never be just sex.