“No.” He placed his hand on my leg, prompting me to sit back down.
We sat in silence for a while. “Does this lake belong to you?”
“Yes. It’s part of our property.”
“Wow.”
Something amazing occurred to me in that moment. Well, I wasn’t sure if Reed would consider it amazing. But the wheels in my mind were turning. Apparently my joy was transparent.
“What do you have going on in that head of yours, Charlotte?”
“I feel like I’m ready to burst. I’m getting this urge to do something crazy.”
“Now?”
“I added a couple of things to my Fuck-It List recently. And one of them involves a lake. It just feels like the opportunity is being presented to me right now.”
“What you mean, ‘involves a lake’?”
“Go Skinny-Dipping in a Lake at Night. I’m never at a lake at night. God knows when it would happen again. This just feels like fate. But I don’t want to freak you out if you’d prefer I didn’t do it.”
“You seriously didn’t just make that shit up? That was really on your list?”
“I swear.”
He shocked me when he said, “Then I think you should do it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It would be the most fitting ending to this bizarre night.”
“Do you think anyone will venture down this far? I wouldn’t want to get caught.”
“I doubt it. But make it fast. I’ll stand guard. And I won’t look.”
“You’re really encouraging me to do this?”
“Call me insane, but I need all the distraction I can get tonight, even if it comes in the form of your crazy. I don’t feel like going back to the party yet, so we might as well pass the time. I’m turning around now.”
His back faced me. I squealed in delight as I swiftly got out of my clothes before jumping into the water, which was surprisingly warm.
Once my body was immersed, I called out, “Safe to turn around!”
Reed stood with his hands in his pockets as he watched me bounce around the water. He didn’t move from his spot and kept his eyes on me, occasionally looking back to make sure no one was coming.
I yelled over to him, “See . . . that’s one of the differences between a fuck-it list and a bucket list—the spontaneity factor. The fuck-it list is more spur of the moment. Part of the mantra of the fuck-it list is that if the opportunity comes to you, you need to take it. And that’s what I’m doing.”
It felt exhilarating to be naked at night on this property. It was also thrilling because it seemed so naughty, given that Reed was standing just feet away from me. My nipples hardened at the thought.
I was proud of myself for seizing the moment. I likely wouldn’t have considered doing something so spontaneous during the time I was engaged to Todd. In that sense, surviving the breakup had not only made me stronger but also more adventurous.
After I’d had my fill, I said, “I’m coming out!”
Reed turned his back to me. I slipped my dress back on over my wet body while the reality of what I’d done started to sink in.
“How do we explain why you’re all wet?” he asked.
“I don’t know. How are you going to explain it, Reed?” I grinned impishly.
“You’re going to put this on me, Darling? Is that a challenge?”
“If you want to take it.”
When we arrived back at the party, thankfully, it seemed Allison had left the premises.
People were looking at us, confused, particularly Max and Jared. Everyone was perplexed except for Iris, who was beaming.
“What on earth happened to you, Charlotte?” she asked.
I looked at Reed and waited for his response, trying my best not to lose my shit.
He finally answered his grandmother’s question.
“Charlotte and I took a walk to discuss business. She sees this squirrel run right into the lake. It was dark, and the rodent was flailing its little arms and legs for dear life, trying to stay afloat. She then decides to go and pull a Charlotte, didn’t even think twice, jumped right into the lake and saved it . . . set it free, saved its life.”
Reed deserved an Academy Award, because he delivered that ridiculous story with unwavering seriousness.
“Charlotte, you never cease to amaze me,” Iris said.
“Yeah, she’s pretty amazing.” Reed smiled.
I kept waiting for him to add something to ruin that sweet sentence, something like “pretty amazing for a crazy person.” But he never did.I felt like I owed Reed big-time. He’d assisted me with my lake jaunt and played along so well after. Now that I knew how great it felt to knock that first item off my list, I was even more motivated to start helping him with his own bucket list.
The following Wednesday, I stayed at the office late to research choirs in the state of New York.
It felt like I’d hit the jackpot when I stumbled upon the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. I immediately sent an email to inquire as to whether they were accepting new members.