Under any other circumstance, this would be a dream come true. Christian captaining the boat I’ll be on for the day? Um, yes please. But with my parents on board and Malcom tagging along to make things extra awkward, it’s a complete nightmare.
How am I going to keep my eyes off him?
How are we going to pretend like we don’t know each other after what happened last night? After all that magic…
“Okay, here we go!” I hear Christian call out as we shove off and get underway. I don’t have much experience on boats, but thankfully, I don’t get seasick, as I’m sure I would immediately be leaning over the side to puke my guts out on a day like this with all the extra awkwardness and pressure.
It doesn’t take long for Malcom to find me at the front of the boat, a drink in hand, surveying the lake like he’s calculating how much it would cost to buy the whole thing.
“Sure is nice to be the ones being driven and not one of the ones having to do the driving, wouldn’t you say?” he asks with a smug grin.
Growing up as I have, I’ve been surrounded by people who have been very sure of themselves my whole life, but Malcom’s arrogance is on a whole new level.
“I don’t know, I think it would be fun.” I shrug. “And do you drive a boat or do you sail it?”
“I don’t see a sail on this boat,” Malcom chuckles, pulling up the cooler-looking thing and taking a seat beside me. “You know, I’m glad we’re getting this chance to spend some time together, Katherine. I don’t want this to sound…indelicate, but if we’re going to be spending the rest of our lives together, you can’t be running off on me. We must get to know each other.”
I can feel my eyes fighting to roll back in my head, but I do my best to fight it as I stand.
“Will you excuse me? I just remembered I have to go talk to my dad about something.”
Before he has the chance to respond, I walk quickly to the back deck where my mother and father are sitting in matching chairs, mimosas in hand. Above them, on a slightly raised area, is Christian, looking quite professional in a pair of khakis and a red Polo shirt. I do my best not to let them see me staring at him as I pass.
“Did he really have to come?” I moan to my dad as I slump down on the deck beside him.
“Oh, honey, he’s a great young man,” he replies. “Went to Princeton, he’ll be partner at his father’s firm—”
“She’s just being difficult,” my mother chimes in. “Sweetie, why don’t you pour yourself a drink and relax.”
“A drink, Mom? I’m only eighteen.”
My mom glances around. “I don’t see any police here, do you?”
Unbelievable.
Just to avoid any argument, I go to the little mini-bar and pour myself a glass of whatever is left over from what my parents have made.
Looking up at the deck above us, I see Christian gazing down at me, and my heart is instantly in my throat. If only my parents weren’t here. If only Malcom wasn’t here.
I want you,he mouths to me, causing my heart rate to leap.
Oh God, this is too much.
I want you too, I mouth back. But I have to turn away as I can feel myself starting to blush and my entire body heating up with excitement. Why can’t it be just us on this boat!?
The restof the afternoon is a dance—a game of me doing my best to avoid Malcom as much as possible while not trying to seem rude, trying to make semi-pleasant with my parents (who I don’t feel like being around right now either) while also doing my best to not stare at Christian every chance I get. By the time he turns the boat around and starts heading back to shore, I feel like I’m about ready to collapse with simply the mental exhaustion of juggling all these things at once.
I’m the first one off once we reach the dock and am halfway up the hill to the house when I hear my mother call out to me.
“Katherine? Can I speak to you, please?” I wish she wouldn’t even bother asking. I really have no choice in the matter. I can’t even imagine how mad she would get if I said no and went up to my bedroom.
“What is it, Mom?” I ask, glancing at the setting sun. Christian and I have plans for tonight, and I do not want to miss them after today’s surprise nightmare.
“Sweetie, you know that mothers know their daughters, right? We know them.”
“Uh, okay?”
“I saw how you were looking at that young man on the boat today.” Oh God. “And I just wanted to remind you that—”