Little Miss Lovesick (29 page)

I briefly met Matt’s eyes, smiled a bit, and hightailed it back down the hall. I heard an “Ow!” behind me and a lot of whispering.

Oh, geez, this is beyond embarrassing!

I sat down in GT’s office and put one hand over my eyes. What am I doing? That was so stupid. I should’ve emailed him or — or left him a voice mail or something. Please, please, please, don’t let GT mention it!

GT entered and sat down behind his desk. “So, what’s the good news?”

Back to business. Business, I can handle. In fact, this particular piece of business made me fairly excited. I leaned forward.

“Well, you know that house we drove past a few weeks ago over on Sunset?”

“The one I said I liked? With the big yard?”

“Yes, that one.” I chuckled. “I don’t know if you realize how many times you’ve brought it up. You want a yard like that one, shade trees like that one—”

“Is it for sale?” GT leaned forward excitedly.

I smiled. “Yes and no. To make a long story short, I took a chance and called the owners, asked if there was anything that would entice them to move.”

“And?”

“If the price is right and you’re willing to wait for them to find what they’re looking for, they’re willing to talk. To you. They weren’t planning on putting it on the market for another year or so.”

GT thumped his hand on the desk so hard Matt probably heard it in the kitchen. “Well, let’s go get it!”

I laughed.
I
reall
y
love my job!

CHAPTER 34

“I THINK he thinks I’m getting senile, but I found out for you,” said Patty a few days later.

I’d been waiting breathlessly for her call. (Literally having a hard time breathing!) It was the key to the final phase of The New Plan. Emily was right. Things were working much better now that I had friends helping.

“He can’t go out this weekend because they’re working overtime. Next weekend is Labor Day, so the whole crew has the weekend off. He’s planning on taking the boat out on Saturday.”

“Any idea when?” I made notes on a pad from my briefcase.

“I asked him if he wouldn’t mind taking Bob and me out,” said Patty, “but that we wouldn’t know for sure until that morning if we could go. He figured he’d probably leave about seven and get back around one or two. The boat doesn’t have a cover, so it gets hot out on the water in the middle of the day.”

I blew a breath through pursed lips. “Wow. Thanks, Patty. I owe you!”

“If this works, the only thing you owe me is bringing him over here for dinner.”

I laughed. “Deal!”

“Now, are you sure you know where you’re going?” she asked. She’d already explained it to me twice, but she said the marina where Matt kept his boat was a frustrating maze of docks.

“I’ll go down tomorrow when Matt’s working and make sure I can find it.” I underlined the directions on the pad. Then I put a star next to them. Then I wrote “Matt” next to the star. I curbed the urge to doodle any more. If this didn’t work, my heart…well, I couldn’t think about that right now.

“All right," Patty said. "Don’t forget to call me and tell me how it all works out. And you come over for dinner one night with or without that scallywag, understand?”

I really, honestly, truly love Patty. What a great friend! “I will,” I promised.

I hung up and stared at my notes. My stomach lurched. I hugged my knees up against my chest. Did I have the courage to do this?

I dialed Emily. “Hey, you have a minute?”

“Did you find out?” She sounded breathless, too.

“Just now.”

“Where are you?”

“At the kitchen table, feeling like I’m going to vomit.”

Em laughed. I grinned.

“In some sick way, that’s probably a good sign. Okay, here’s the deal. Geoffrey and I are going to keep you busy as much as we can until it goes down. By the way, when will that be?”

“Not until Saturday of Labor Day weekend.” I underlined the date on my pad. Over and over again. Oh, getting nauseous, need to stop.

“Okay, that’s only about ten days. No problem. Anyway, come over to my place tonight about six. We’ll have dinner and watch a movie. Brace yourself, though. No chick flicks.”

“Aww, you’re kidding. Well, I don’t think I can make it then.”

Em giggled and lowered her voice. “The good news is he loves sci-fi as much as me!”

I laughed. “If you make me watc
h
Alien
3
tonight, I won’t come to the wedding.”

“Sydney!
”
she said in a loud stage whisper.

“What? He can’t hear me. Wedding, wedding, wedding!” I all but shouted. It echoed in my kitchen.

She giggled. “Six tonight at my place. Bye!”

“Bye.” I laughed and hung up. Now that I was getting used to Emily-in-Love, I was getting a big kick out of it. She was just as fun, but easier to tease.

SATURDAY of Labor Day weekend. That’s today.

I rolled over in my bed and put a pillow over my head. I didn’t have the courage. I couldn’t do it. Even if I could make myself get there, I’d throw up on his shoes — or worse!

What if he says yes?

What if he says no?

What if he say
s
yes, insisted Little Miss Lovesick
.
I won’t know what to do.

No
w
tha
t
would be a shocker.

I pulled the pillow away and stared at the ceiling. Every time I got cold feet in the last ten days, Emily would remind me that if I want the best in life, I have to take risks. Did I think Matt was the best I could do in the “happily ever after” department? Then I had to try.

“He’s better than the best,” I whispered to myself.

I made a scared whining noise in the back of my throat and got up to take a shower. It’s a good thing Emily knows me so well. She insisted that I go to breakfast with her and Geoffrey. They’d entertain me (i.e., babysit me, i.e., make sure I don’t run away) until eleven or so. Then they’d take me down to the marina and wait for my call.

Geoffrey loaned me a folding fishing pole that I could stuff in my backpack. Em made sure I had plenty of water and sunscreen. I tossed in a book to keep my mind occupied during the potentially long wait.

They dropped me off around noon and waited to make sure Matt hadn’t returned earlier. I called and told them to go, the boat wasn’t in the slip. Then I got set up and tried to relax.

“You can’t fish in the marina.” A big burly man paused behind me.

“Yes, I know. I’m waiting for someone.”

He grunted and moved on.

I couldn’t concentrate on my book. I was afraid I’d get too involved and suddenly he’d be standing there and I’d mess it all up. After an hour and a half of living hell, I thought I saw Matt’s boat motoring through the entrance to the marina. I stuffed the book and the water bottle into my backpack. I stood up and nearly tripped over my phone. I’d forgotten I had it in my lap thinking I’d call Emily for an extra dose of courage. Too late for that.

I shoved the phone in the backpack and pulled out a yellow plastic fish. It looked a little like Flounder i
n
The Little Mermai
d
, but not as cute. I made sure the Zip-lock bag was wedged tightly into its mouth, then I inserted the hook in the little hole I’d made.

I carefully lowered the fish into the water. I’d put rocks inside it so it wouldn’t float. I watched it disappear under the water and my stomach filled with butterflies. So far, so good. I let out the line just enough so Matt wouldn’t be able to see the fish. By the time I finished, I could see him heading my way. He definitely hadn’t seen me yet.

You could still run!

For a split second, I considered it. On the one hand, Emily and Geoffrey were waiting to rescue me. On the other hand, I was afraid they’d just deliver me back to the gallows again. No, I was going to follow through with this. And then I woul
d
choos
e
to accept whatever happened.

Matt looked over and saw me. I felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Danger straight ahead! Can’t move a muscle! I couldn’t see his expression well enough to know how to act. Should I smile and wave? Get ready to talk fast and try to convince him? I realized I was chewing on my lower lip when I bit it too hard.

The boat glided into the slip. Matt stood less than ten feet from me.

Absolutel
y
positiv
e
I was going to hurl.

“Hey,” he said. He smiled a little and looked at my fishing pole. “Thought you didn’t like to fish.”

Perfect! He’d made an opening. Now I was supposed to say — Damn! I couldn’t remember
!
Shit!

“Depends on what I’m fishing for.” Something like that. What was the rest of it? “Some things are worth the trouble.” Geez, I hoped he fel
t
I
was worth the trouble.

“You know you can’t fish in the marina, right?” He threw a rope around a pylon and tied up the end of his boat.

“I’m fishing for something very special, though.”

He grinned. “Oh, really?” He tied the front of the boat to a pylon attached to the dock.

I finally really noticed him when I wasn’t trapped in his gaze. Wow. Swim trunks. I mean, duh, of course he was wearing swim trunks. He was out on the water. But that’
s
al
l
he was wearing. I’d never seen so much of him before. His dark hair was wet and slicked back. His entire body was a glowing island brown.

That should be a new Crayola color. I’
d
definitel
y
start coloring again.

When he turned toward me, I noticed his chest was — well, wow. His muscles stood out everywhere. And he had just the right amount of dark hair on his chest and stomach. Oh, how my palms itched…

He chuckled. “You okay?”

He saw me staring. My eyes jerked back to his again. “Of course, yeah, fine.” I was babbling. Remember the script! What was I saying? Oh yeah. “Maybe you could help me out.”

His friendly attitude fueled my hopes that this could work. I gave him a cheeky grin. “Do you have a fishing net?”

Matt finished tying up the boat and stood looking down at me, hands on his hips. “I might,” he said, returning my grin.

He picked up his net and I pretended to reel in my catch. “Oh, look! I caught something.” I made a funny face of pretend shock. It had the desired effect — Matt laughed.

“That’s some, uh, fish,” he said. “Gee, let me help.” He scooped the plastic fish out of the air.

“You know how I am about fish,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “Could you take it off the hook for me?”

Matt raised an eyebrow and did as I asked. I was trying not to laugh and trying not to faint at the same time. I was supposed to tell him to open the fish’s mouth now, but I was too nervous. I just stood there, grasping the fishing pole in a white knuckle grip, trying to get the words to come out of my mouth.

“Oh, look,” Matt said, playing along, “there’s something in the fish’s mouth. I wonder if I should take it out?”

“Oh, interesting.” I heard my voice sound higher than usual. I think because my throat was closing up. What should I do? I didn’t know if I could watch him read my note. Maybe I should tell him to read it later and call me.

Actually, that sounded like a brilliant idea. No pressure on Matt. Why didn’t I think of this earlier? He doesn’t like pressure and the point was to show him I don’t want to pressure him. I just want to let him know that I’d like to stick around, see if things could—

He’s reading the note
!
yelled a Voice.

Stop him
!
yelled Sergeant Pride.

Insert disaster story here.

I leaped toward the deck of his boat. “No, wait, I—”

The heel of my sandal caught in a crack in the dock. By the time my shoe came loose, I’
d
completel
y
lost my balance. My last thought before I hit the water was, whatever you do
,
don’t lose Geoffrey’s fishing pol
e
.

I held my breath right before I hit the surface. Disgusting dirty water closed over me. I tasted gasoline and dirt and dead fish. Fought my way to the surface. Need clean air. Gasping and sputtering and coughing, eyes burning. The fishing pole! Ah, still in my hand. Good job.

I fought to stay above the water and heard another splash. The gasoline-tainted marina water stung my eyes and I couldn’t open them. I started trying to swim with the fishing pole still in my hand.

“Sydney!” Matt yelled from behind me.

I turned in the water but before I could swim toward his voice, I felt his arms around me. Safety. I felt myself relax.

“I got ya.” Laughter bubbled behind the words. “What a land lubber.” Matt swam a couple of yards to his boat, pulling me along with him. Despite the disgusting water and embarrassing display of gracelessness, it felt great to have his arms around me again.

I knuckled my eyes until I could see out of one. “Am not!” Then I realized how ridiculous it was to argue that point. I giggled. “Maybe.”

Matt grabbed the ladder at the back of his boat and pulled me over so I could climb up. He took the fishing rod from my hand and carefully tossed it onto the seat. Safely up in the boat, he pulled me into a rough hug. “Are you okay?” He laughed. “You are such a klutz!”