“We’re lucky there isn’t a lot of wind. The water should be perfect.”
She began to unhook one of the straps that held the paddleboards in place on the roof rack. Noting what she was doing, he stepped close to help her unhook the other straps. The muscles in his forearms moved like piano strings, making his tattoo ripple as the two of them worked side by side. He smelled like salt and wind, clean and fresh. He lifted the top board off, leaning it against the car before doing the same with the other, propping the two against each other.
“How’s your balance on the board?” he asked.
“Pretty good. Why?”
“Because I packed a small cooler,” he said, gesturing at it behind him. “I was wondering if you’d be able to put it on your board. I’m not sure my balance will be good enough at first.”
“It’s not that hard,” she said. “You’ll get the hang of it. But to answer your question, yes, I can put the cooler on my board, and actually, that’s perfect, since it will give me a place to put the towels. I hate wet towels.”
Opening her door, she reached for both her camera and the carrier straps for the boards, consciously trying not to stare at him. She laid out the carrier straps, then hooked them to the boards, knowing Colin was watching her and liking the way it made her feel. When she was finished, he grabbed his backpack and both boards. Maria picked up the towels and cooler as they started toward the point. “What’s in the cooler, by the way?” she asked.
“Snacks, basically. Fruit, some nuts, a couple bottles of water.”
“Healthy,” she commented.
“I’m pretty strict about what I eat.”
“And the backpack?”
“A Frisbee, a Hacky Sack, and sunscreen. If we hit the beach or whatever.”
“I’m not very good at Frisbee. And just so you know, I’ve never touched a Hacky Sack in my life.”
“Then we’ll both be trying something new today.”
On the beach, the sand glowed almost white in the sunlight. Aside from a man tossing a ball to his golden retriever in the waves, the beach at this end of the island was deserted. Maria raised the cooler in the direction of the inlet. “That’s Masonboro Island,” she said.
“Until you mentioned it last night, I’d never heard of it.”
“It’s rustic. There are no roads or picnic areas. In the summers, a lot of boaters go there, but lately, I’ve had the place to myself. It’s quiet and beautiful, and it’s a great way to kick off my week, especially one like this one. My partner has a trial later this week, and I’ll probably be working late every night to make sure he has everything he needs. I’ll head in earlier than usual, too.”
“That’s a lot of hours.”
“Gotta get ahead, you know,” she cracked.
“Why?”
“If I don’t do my job, I’ll get fired.”
“I wasn’t asking about doing your job well. I understand that. I was just wondering why it’s important to you to get ahead.”
Maria frowned, realizing that he was the first person who’d ever asked her the question and she was at a loss. “I don’t know,” she finally answered. “I guess I’m just wired that way. Either that, or it was all my parents’ fault. Isn’t that what people say in therapy?”
“Sometimes. And sometimes it’s even true.”
“Don’t you want to get ahead?”
“I’m not sure what getting ahead even means,” he said. “Bigger house? Better cars? More exotic vacations? My parents have all those things, but I don’t get the sense that either of them is really happy. There’s always something more out there, but where does it end? I don’t want to live like that.”
“How do you want to live?”
“I want balance. Work is important because I have to support myself, but so are friends, health, rest. Having the time to do things that I enjoy, and sometimes doing nothing at all.”
The cooler thumped gently against her leg. “That’s very… sensible.”