Just Friends

“Stop bringing it up and I’ll be fine.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He let her go up the ladder first. Uncle Roy met them at the top, and between him and Zack, Rachel made it over the edge and immediately headed for the lounge chair planted the farthest away from both port and starboard. If it had a seatbelt, she would have strapped it tightly across her lap.

Aunt Lorelei and Judith sat with her while Uncle Roy offered to help Zack drive. With Rachel settled – and surrounded by women with calmer dispositions toward the open water – Zack was free to focus on his vessel and the oncoming day out at sea.

And what a gorgeous day it was! The sun was bright and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. A healthy breeze kept things cool while the summer heat pulsed against the deck. Zack held off until they were a good distance away from shore before indulging in a midmorning beer. Everyone else had a case of IPAs and wine coolers to share. Except Rachel. She turned down every drop of alcohol and only accepted bottled water at Zack’s insistence.

She was surviving, but to say she was enjoying herself was probably only a half-truth. Even so, Zack appreciated her making the effort to see through her phobia. Really, it was a testament to how much she trusted him now. Trust that he had amassed in as little as two months.

Strange to think that he was so used to jumping into bed with women that he had forgotten what it was like to enjoy taking one’s time. Maybe Rachel had been right after all. Hell, she had to be right! They were together now, weren’t they? Zack may not have been able to appreciate this moment if he hadn’t pined after her for so long.

He sat with Seth at the end of his vessel while the others bickered over whether it was better to go to Barbados in the summer or the winter. (Roy would not let up about summer. In fact, the whole one-sided discussion began because he was lamenting about not being in Barbados right now.)

“Seriously, though,” Seth said the moment Zack opened himself up to conversation. “When’s the wedding?”

“On our fifth anniversary at this rate.” Zack sighed into his glass bottle of Coke. “Fine with me. I don’t mind enjoying things for what they are in the meantime.”

“I hear that. I’m rather shocked that she hung around after getting to know you.”

“My charms worked on you, didn’t they?”

“Stop, you.”

Zack looked toward Rachel, who clutched her tote bag to her chest as if it were going to fall into the ocean and float away. “Humor me and say that she’s the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen.”

“I know better than to dispute that.”

“I’ve spent the past year blowing adoration up Judith’s skirt, so it’s only right.”

“As I seem to recall, you often joked about hiring her for one of your parties.”

“That’s what we do, man. Good natured ribbing.” When Seth gave him a serious look, Zack continued, “That was the interim me. I’m past that ridiculous stage of my life now.”

“Interim you? You’re not even going to suggest that it was the old you?”

“No, I’m back to being the old me. You didn’t know the old me. The guy you met was still getting over some bad shit.”

“Uh huh. Let me guess. You’ve found the woman of your dreams that you didn’t even know existed until you met her.”

“You get it!”

Seth shook his head. “You’re unbelievable sometimes, Feldman. If she’s half as sweet as she seems, you can bet that… well, Judith is already making fast friends with her. Break your girlfriend’s heart, and it’s not her BFFs you’ll have to fear.”

Zack could already see Parvati bounding out of Opal’s, ready to clobber Zack over the head for daring to walk by her café. Indeed, though, Judith would probably be the first one to pop up at his place and slap him across the face for being terrible to someone as sweet as Rachel.

Assuming Zack hadn’t berated himself enough by then.

“Like you knew that things were going to be great with Judith if you worked for it, I know things will be awesome with Rachel. And I’m not gonna lie, I have to work at it more.”

“I’m sure you do. I can only imagine all the gaffes you’ve made in the past day alone.”

Zack cringed. “I did say I love you for the first time when my dick was in her mouth.”

“TMI, Feldman.” Seth was still shaking his head. “But yeah, that’s bad. Sounds exactly like something you would do, though.”

The rest of the afternoon was a sweet escape from the hectic lives most of them belonged to back on shore. This was what Zack sought whenever he undocked from the marina and spent the better part of a summer’s day out at sea with his closest friends and family. I hope Rachel can come to like it, too. Zack would be fine with having her at his side every time he went out or having her only come out once in a while. There was something to be said about having some peace and quiet to himself. He wasn’t quite an Uncle Roy, but he definitely valued his alone time outside of the studio.

That reminded him of the sketch he drew during the midnight hour.

“Check this out.” Zack passed his phone to Seth. On the screen was the snapshot he took of his finished sketch. “What do you think? Should I do something more with it?”

Normally, he didn’t fish for Seth’s praise or other opinions, even when it came to art. Sometimes Seth made a positive comment about Zack’s projects, and other times he kept his criticisms simple or unvoiced. This was the first time in many months Zack handed his friend a rough draft and asked for his honest opinion.

It didn’t help that Seth took his time studying the phone screen, beer growing warm in his hand.

“I would be the last man on Earth to tell you to cut the sappy shit out.” He handed the phone back to Zack. “I did a whole series of paintings about Judith being naked.”

And it will probably be the best thing you’ll ever do. There was a reason for that, and it wasn’t because Judith was jaw-dropping gorgeous – especially with her clothes off. Seth had real skills, and the emotions he felt for his subject screamed across the canvas. Zack could only hope to reach that level if he ever got around to making art about Rachel.

“Clearly the only suggestion to make here is that we get both of our women naked and collaborate on the greatest piece of art to ever hit mankind.”

“Ah, there he is. The crass, stupid Feldman I’ve always known.”

“Admit it. You thought about it just now.”

Seth scoffed. “Like I would ever admit to something like that.”

Zack took everything he said into consideration. When he glanced at Rachel again, laughing at one of Uncle Roy’s jokes, he decided it was a sign that he was on the right track.

***

The Priss & Moan pulled into port around four in the afternoon. Nothing had gone wrong. Rachel didn’t have any panic attacks, although she made it clear that if any water touched her, the day was over.

Everyone made plans for dinner. Seth and Judith had reservations for two at one of the nearby marina-side restaurants. Aunt Lorelei offered to cook her brother dinner, because she apparently made chili that had won blue ribbons in three different counties.

She invited Rachel and Zack as well, but Rachel expressed a desire for a quiet evening at home. Zack was inclined to make those dreams come true.

He lowered the ladder onto the dock. A man stood a few feet away, coat over his arm and sunglasses coming off his face.

Zack froze, blocking the only exit off his boat. “Dad?”

Isaiah waved up at him. “Was wondering when you would get back into town.” He smiled, as if that was supposed to make Zack feel better. “Is your uncle with you?”

Roy poked his head over the edge. “Can I help you?”

“If it’s fine with you, I’d like to take you out for dinner, Roy.”

Roy chewed on a response until Lorelei joined him by the ladder. “Hello, Isaiah,” she said with a soft smile.

“I’ll come if she can come with us.”

“Of course.” Isaiah exhaled a sigh of relief. “I was hoping we could go with her as well. We have some catching up to do, don’t we?”

Zack cocked an eyebrow between his uncles. Last time the gang was together was at that ill-fated family dinner. Eloise had done everything in her power to make everyone miserable that night, and Roy had borne the brunt of it.

This was seriously the least Zack’s dad could do.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Zack and looked down at his father. “What’s going on? We’re having dinner with your dad?”

“Oh, yes!” Lorelei said. “It would be wonderful if Zack and his girlfriend could join us!”

“Girlfriend?”

“Yeah, so, uh…” Zack whipped Rachel around and planted a large kiss on her forehead. “It’s official. You can tell mom and make her piss herself at any moment.”

“I’d rather not talk about your mom tonight, if it’s all the same to you.” Isaiah gestured to his driver waiting on the dock behind him. “I brought the big car!”

Zack and Roy managed to convince Isaiah that dinner was best served under a string of Christmas lights behind the best barbecue place on that side of town. Isaiah was woefully overdressed in his tailored suit, but Uncle Roy was woefully underdressed in his scuffed tennis shoes and stained T-shirt.