Chapter 6: Slightly Buzzed, Fully Awkward

NADIA

It was only the first day and I had already embarrassed myself several times. Luckily, I couldn’t screw up dinner—I just had to shove food in my mouth and not speak.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks. Is this on the company? Because if it isn’t, I want to pay you back.”

“It’s on the corporate card I have, so don’t worry about it.”

“Do you want to move to a table closer to the water?” I asked.

“Sure.”

We slowly moved to a table that was right up on the water. There was a slight breeze, the heat wasn’t too bad, and the view was amazing.

I felt at peace, and I hadn’t felt at peace in years. I had never sat in the ocean like this before.

Nate would love this—he would do this in a heartbeat. He had always wanted to travel.

He talked about going on vacation one day, and it broke my heart knowing we couldn’t afford it.

“What are you thinking about?” Theo’s tone was soft and concerned.

I turned my head toward him, and he was staring at me. His eyebrows were furrowed, and I could see the concern on his face.

“About life.”

“Are you always thinking about something?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s hard for me to relax. There’s so much going on.”

“I know we’re working, but you can enjoy yourself. Check in with Nathan when you need to, but he’s a good, strong kid—he’ll be all right while you’re gone.”

Theo didn’t wait for me to reply. He left the table and headed toward the water.

I watched him take off his shoes and roll up his pant legs, then walk into the tide. He motioned for me to join him, so I did.

The water and wet sand on my feet felt amazing. “This feels nice,” I stated.

“It does. The beach is one of my favorite areas, especially if it’s not crowded.”

He took a few steps back and sat on the sand. He sat where the water could still run over his feet when the waves came in, but the rest of him remained dry.

I decided to take a seat next to him, and we sat in silence. The tension between us briefly melted away, and we were finally enjoying each other’s company.

The weight of our unspoken words seemed to dissipate as we sat side by side, basking in the comfortable silence that had enveloped us. As we sat there, I couldn’t help but steal glances at him, taking in every detail of his face.

The lines etched upon his forehead seemed to soften, and the worry that plagued his eyes had momentarily subsided. His lips curved into a gentle smile, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

***

Our first day here was a mix of ups and downs, but I think it ended on a good note. I stretched, preparing myself to get out of bed, and noticed that Theo was no longer on the couch.

I sat up and concentrated on the sounds in the room to see if I could hear him in the bathroom, but it was silent. Just as I went to get out of bed, Theo walked into the room with a tray.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I would get breakfast for us.”

My pulse picked up from the guilt that shot through my chest. He probably didn’t sleep well because of the couch.

“Was it the couch?” I asked.

“It was multiple things, but one reason was the couch,” he replied.

“I’m sorry. We could rotate. You can have the bed tonight.”

“Nope. You’re going to keep the bed,” he said.

I let out a huff before dropping the subject. “What are we doing today?”

“I signed us up for a trolley tour of the city, followed by a local wine tasting, and ending the day with a couples cooking class. I figured tomorrow will be a relax-on-the-beach day, and then the day after we can spend the day exploring the town and do some local shopping,” Theo said.

“You have it all planned out.”

“It makes things easier. I also recommend that you spend some time each night writing, so things don’t start running together,” he suggested.

“I know how to organize my writing, Theo.”

“I’m not saying you don’t, I’m just saying this is new territory for you,” he said.

He had a point. I had never had an assignment like this, or one that lasted this long.

We ate breakfast in silence before we took turns in the bathroom to get ready for the day. As we waited for the trolley, I took out my phone and sent a quick text to Nathan.

Nadia

Just checking in. Hope you’re doing okay. I’ll call you later tonight.

Nathan

Chill, sis. I’m fine. Have fun and talk to you later.

I let out a sigh and pocketed my phone. The trolley ride was nice, but kind of boring. Listening to the tour guide for an hour and a half was almost enough to put me to sleep. Theo even had to elbow me once.

“Thank god that’s over,” I said as we left the trolley.

“Yeah, it sounded cooler on paper, but now we can get our drink on at the winery.”

The winery was beautiful. We were given a tour before we were seated at a private table for two with cheese and several small bottles of wine.

“Is this better than the trolley ride?” Theo asked.

“It is. I like that it’s more hands-on.”

“I didn’t think the trolley tour would be that bad. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I did leave you to plan this alone.”

“Are you ready for the first taste?”

“Yes, but I don’t drink often, so I shouldn’t do a lot of tasting.”

Theo chuckled at my response. “That means it’ll just be more fun for you since you’ll get a buzz pretty quickly.”

Theo was right. One glass in and I was already feeling relaxed.

“How did you end up here?” I asked.

“I lucked into it. I always wanted to travel, I always felt trapped when I had to stay in one place.”

“I landed an internship in college, and my boss suggested that I apply after graduation.”

“How about you?”

“I saw a newspaper advertisement for local writers, so I applied. It doesn’t pay what I need it to, but I like it.”

“My brother-in-law is a lawyer and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind helping you with the custody issue so you can put Nathan on your insurance. He could tell you what you need to do.”

“I couldn’t ask that of someone I don’t know. Besides, I can’t afford to take my mom to court to terminate her rights.”

“Well, if you change your mind, the offer will still stand.”

“Thanks.”

After a few more glasses of wine, we were ready to head out, but I was feeling a little giggly and tipsy.

“Are you drunk already?”

“No, you’re drunk.”

Theo took my hand and led me to the front where a cab waited. I thought he would let go of my hand once we slipped into the cab, but he continued holding it.

He held it all the way to the inn we were staying in. I didn’t know if it was the alcohol or my true feelings, but I liked the way my hand felt in Theo’s.

The warmth of it was calming, and it felt natural.