excuse me,” he replied, grabbing his T-shirt from the floor and putting it on over his head before taking the catwalk to the back of the boat to help John get the other coolers.
Darcy and Char were left with Ben’s date, who stood awkwardly on the prow, trying to cover herself with her arms. Darcy nearly pitied her, until she recognized the girl as the waitress from the other day.
“Of course,” she muttered.
“What?” Char whispered.
“Nothing,” Darcy replied and hesitated.
She didn’t want to get too near Ben. She had no desire to start a conversation with him at the moment. She also didn’t want to talk to the waitress. Darcy couldn’t imagine what she’d have to say to her. In Darcy’s mind, she and the waitress could not be more different.
Darcy knew she’d feel rude standing on the front of the boat, chatting merrily with Char and pointedly ignoring the girl. She knew Char would do it for her; ice out this girl. She’d do it for Char if their situations were reversed. But it didn’t feel right to her.
“Do you want to get changed? Did you bring any clothes?” Darcy asked.
“Um, yeah, I think I will,” she said barely meeting Darcy’s eyes before slinking around the side of the boat.
Char’s eyes grew wide as the girl retreated.
“Well, aren’t you glad you wore makeup?” Charlotte teased.
“Come on, let’s clean up this boat, so we can actually enjoy ourselves. Did you bring the sangria?”
“I did. Are you actually going to have another drink?”
“Maybe I’ll have two tonight.”
“Let’s hurry up then, shall we. This is something I have to see.”
“Char, I…” Darcy shook her head, unsure how to continue.
“What is it?”
“I’m a little worried about you and I don’t know how to bring this up without hurting your feelings.”
“That sounds ominous,” Char frowned.
Darcy took a few steps forward, leaving no more than a few inches between them. She didn’t want to have this conversation. But she worried more about not having it at all. Putting her arm around her best friend, Darcy kissed Char on the forehead.
“Do I need to be worried about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“The drinking. Is something going on that you want to talk about? I’ve never seen you… It just seems like a lot lately.”
Char blew out a sigh. “I get it. To be honest, I’ve been letting myself unwind this summer. Law school has been a lot more than I bargained for and I’ve been looking to blow off steam.”
“Can’t you do that in another way?”
“Yes. I can. And I’m working on it. But you know what? I haven’t had a summer off since college and it’s been nice to relax and unwind.”
“I get it.”
“It also doesn’t help that I get buzzed after one drink and am wasted after two.”
“I understand that,” Darcy muttered.
“Come on. Let’s get this cleaned up. And I promise, I won’t leave a mess like this.”
Charlotte and Darcy gathered the scattered cans, twenty in all, and carefully navigated to the back of the boat to throw them away.
“Ah, nice. It looks like it was quite the afternoon cruise,” John commented as they reached the trash can near the captain’s chair. “I’m sorry about this situation.”
“It’s okay.” Darcy replied. The cans clanged against each other as she and Charlotte dropped them into the trash can, one by one.
“Are we taking a stowaway?” John asked pointing down the stairs to one of the two sleeping cabins.
“I think she’s getting changed,” Darcy offered.
Char held up her hands in surrender. “Our hands were tied. Where is he?”
John pointed to the bathroom.
“Before we shove off, shall we have a cocktail?”
“Yes please,” Darcy replied, pulling out three red cups from a paper bag in the corner.
Char pulled out the pitcher of sangria she’d made earlier in the day and filled each cup.
“Cheers,” Darcy said quickly as the waitress reappeared from below deck in a crochet dress that
Darcy and Char were left with Ben’s date, who stood awkwardly on the prow, trying to cover herself with her arms. Darcy nearly pitied her, until she recognized the girl as the waitress from the other day.
“Of course,” she muttered.
“What?” Char whispered.
“Nothing,” Darcy replied and hesitated.
She didn’t want to get too near Ben. She had no desire to start a conversation with him at the moment. She also didn’t want to talk to the waitress. Darcy couldn’t imagine what she’d have to say to her. In Darcy’s mind, she and the waitress could not be more different.
Darcy knew she’d feel rude standing on the front of the boat, chatting merrily with Char and pointedly ignoring the girl. She knew Char would do it for her; ice out this girl. She’d do it for Char if their situations were reversed. But it didn’t feel right to her.
“Do you want to get changed? Did you bring any clothes?” Darcy asked.
“Um, yeah, I think I will,” she said barely meeting Darcy’s eyes before slinking around the side of the boat.
Char’s eyes grew wide as the girl retreated.
“Well, aren’t you glad you wore makeup?” Charlotte teased.
“Come on, let’s clean up this boat, so we can actually enjoy ourselves. Did you bring the sangria?”
“I did. Are you actually going to have another drink?”
“Maybe I’ll have two tonight.”
“Let’s hurry up then, shall we. This is something I have to see.”
“Char, I…” Darcy shook her head, unsure how to continue.
“What is it?”
“I’m a little worried about you and I don’t know how to bring this up without hurting your feelings.”
“That sounds ominous,” Char frowned.
Darcy took a few steps forward, leaving no more than a few inches between them. She didn’t want to have this conversation. But she worried more about not having it at all. Putting her arm around her best friend, Darcy kissed Char on the forehead.
“Do I need to be worried about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“The drinking. Is something going on that you want to talk about? I’ve never seen you… It just seems like a lot lately.”
Char blew out a sigh. “I get it. To be honest, I’ve been letting myself unwind this summer. Law school has been a lot more than I bargained for and I’ve been looking to blow off steam.”
“Can’t you do that in another way?”
“Yes. I can. And I’m working on it. But you know what? I haven’t had a summer off since college and it’s been nice to relax and unwind.”
“I get it.”
“It also doesn’t help that I get buzzed after one drink and am wasted after two.”
“I understand that,” Darcy muttered.
“Come on. Let’s get this cleaned up. And I promise, I won’t leave a mess like this.”
Charlotte and Darcy gathered the scattered cans, twenty in all, and carefully navigated to the back of the boat to throw them away.
“Ah, nice. It looks like it was quite the afternoon cruise,” John commented as they reached the trash can near the captain’s chair. “I’m sorry about this situation.”
“It’s okay.” Darcy replied. The cans clanged against each other as she and Charlotte dropped them into the trash can, one by one.
“Are we taking a stowaway?” John asked pointing down the stairs to one of the two sleeping cabins.
“I think she’s getting changed,” Darcy offered.
Char held up her hands in surrender. “Our hands were tied. Where is he?”
John pointed to the bathroom.
“Before we shove off, shall we have a cocktail?”
“Yes please,” Darcy replied, pulling out three red cups from a paper bag in the corner.
Char pulled out the pitcher of sangria she’d made earlier in the day and filled each cup.
“Cheers,” Darcy said quickly as the waitress reappeared from below deck in a crochet dress that
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