“It’s hard to steer!” Steph cries.
“It won’t be once we get going. Let me get on mine, and you can follow me out.”
“I think we’re going to die.”
“I think if that was going to happen, it would have happened already.”
“You’re probably right.”
I take that as a vote of confidence, and I get on my machine and idle out past the docks and other boats and jet skis. Steph follows me, trailing far enough behind that there’s no danger of us knocking into each other. I go slow when I give the jet ski any gas, and Steph follows. Once we’re out into the open area, with nothing around to hit, I can’t help myself. I give it more gas and do a couple of spins. The jet ski has a ton of power. It pulls at my arm and shoulder muscles to keep it under control, and I manage to soak myself, but I never felt like I was going to fall off. I idle up to Steph after.
“Show off,” she mutters.
I grin. “You could do it too. It’s actually quite fun.”
“No! Never!”
“Well, should we ski around for a bit? You can follow me.”
“Do I have any other choice?”
“Not really. We have these things for two hours.”
“Should have booked for two minutes. I’m ready to get off.”
“No! You haven’t even tried them yet. Come on. Follow me. Actually, you lead. I’ll follow you or drive beside you. You’ll get comfortable enough to give it some gas. I promise.”
Steph nods in a defeated sort of way, and I feel bad for forcing this on her. I didn’t think I actually was. Forcing it, I mean. I thought she wanted to give it a try. I thought it would be fun. I really did want to make up for the pretty shitty trip it’s been so far, even if I don’t feel like it’s been shitty. I think this might be the best trip I’ve ever been on, all the mishaps included.
And I’ve been on some pretty good trips in the past to some pretty cool places.
Steph suddenly takes off, so I quit thinking about that and chase after her. As I predicted, within a few minutes, she’s clearly having fun. She’s jumping waves, going through her own wake, and even spinning a few, not so tight circles. Her hair comes free and streaks out behind her, and she lets out little excited screams and shouts of enjoyment.
We chase each other like that for a long time, spinning around, jumping each other’s wake, just letting go, and racing across the lake, though not racing each other. We just race into the wind and sun. By the time our two hours are up, we’re both exhausted from hanging on but exhilarated too.
Steph’s face is flushed, and her hair is totally knotted from the wind. Her eyes are glistening, and she has on the hugest smile that I think I’ve ever seen. She gets back on the dock after I tie up my jet ski and help her tie hers. She unbuckles and unzips her lifejacket, looks at me, and laughs.
“Okay, that was pretty fun. I have to admit I had a good time.”
“Good. I knew you would.”
“I’ve never done anything like that before. And nothing bad happened. It was just…it was really good. I…thank you. Thank you for suggesting it and for getting my butt in gear. It was scary at first, but you were right. They aren’t hard to drive, and they’re actually a lot of fun.”
There’s this crazy part of me that wants to buy Steph her own jet ski just to see her smile like that. To hear those cries of startled and unexpected joy, and to see her skin glow and her eyes shine like that. I imagine a little cabin on some lake somewhere. Our cabin. Our lake. As we take our own jet skis out, relax on the beach, and lie out on our lawn at night, staring up at the stars. Campfires. And not getting sunburned.
I take Steph’s lifejacket and give my head a shake.
A cabin? Who am I kidding? We’re both city people. And there’s the whole bit about us never being together that I’m clearly forgetting.
Lines, Adam. There are lines, remember?
Unfortunately, I do, so I shake off that crazy notion and the unexpected longing it produces, and suggest we go over to the public dock and just sit. Steph agrees, and just like that, the morning of our second last day is over, with everything going pretty well this time around.
CHAPTER 15
Stephanie
Somehow, we survived an entire day without any mishap. No accidents, no blood. I’d call that a success.