Page 33 of Last Fall

“Yeah, yeah, that’s what you all keep saying.” But the thing was, this was my whole life. I didn’t work for a corporation. If things fell apart it wasmewho fell apart with it. All the blocks would come tumbling down. I hated the feeling of putting my future in someone else’s hands, even if it was small littlethings.

“My youngest mentioned her aunt and uncle were holding hands at her birthdayparty.”

And there it was. Eve went straight from icebreaker to what she really wanted. “She didseethat.”

“Andwhywere you and Erik holdinghands?”

Because I liked it. “We’re...getting to know each other. Slowly.” I shook my head and sat back in the chair, putting a little extra space between us. “He was being sweet and somehow we wound up with our hands together right when Maxshowedup.”

“That’s all?” She sounded genuinelydisappointed.

“Sorry. I don’t have anything more salacious thanthat.Yet.”

She perked right up. “Really?”

I wasn’t sure if it was because Eve and I spent more time together or if surviving the hurricane had bonded us in a different way or what, but I found it a lot easier to talk to her about Erik. “There’s something there. I can’tdenythat.”

“I knew having dinner tonight was a good idea.” She practically vibrated. “After Max described you as happy and Erik as having heart-eyes, but that no one else saw any of this, I figured you two might need a reason to be in the same place at thesametime.”

“Heart eyes?” Gosh, I lovedthatkid.

“Yeah, she said it was just like in the cartoons when the characters fall in love and have hearts in their eyes. It was hilarious. Jake almost fell off the bed he was laughingsohard.”

“I can imagine. Thanks for this. It was really nice to see Erikagain.”

“Then what are you doing in here? I know I’m fun and all but shouldn’t you be making heart eyes at himrightnow?”

I had a feeling “heart eyes” wasn’t going to go away any time soon. “Hedisappeared.”

“I think I saw him head out back with Marie. They’re probably talking shop. You should interrupt that.” Then she pointed out the back door and gave me a verysternlook.

I wandered onto the porch, a little nervous, a little excited. A symphony of crickets chirped loud and proud. Tiki torches around the pool gave the tropical yard a warm glow. The porch ceiling fans squeaked in a pattern as the fan blades spun and string lights wove back and forthabove.

That’s when I heard two voices in the distance. One male, onefemale.

“You’re healthy?” It wasMarie.

“Better than ever. Why?”DefinitelyErik.

I started toward the sound andstoppedcold.

“I’ve been asked if you would be interested in atrade.”

Silence.

Lots of silence. Except for the thudding of my own heart inmyears.

Finally, “How do I say this politely?Fuckno.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that so that’s what I told them, but I thought I’d better run it by youanyway.”

“Are the Mantas not happywithme?”

“Oh no. Don’t you worry about them. They love you. Are you kidding? You’re the one keeping the teamtogether.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “Okay good. You had me worried there for a second. Like maybe I had no idea what was reallygoingon.”

“Nope. They love you and it would be a fight if you wereinterested.”