Page 4 of Doink (Rainbow Dorset University)

DANA

T he sky is clear as we pull up to the lake, save for some clouds in the distance. We’re surrounded by mountains on either side. Trees have lined the road for the past twenty miles.

I step out of the truck and breathe deeply. The air tastes different up here. Zero pollution. There’s no noise. It’s absolutely stunning.

The lake stretches on forever.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Peyton asks, stepping beside me.

“I’ve never seen somewhere so beautiful,” I say. “The clouds beyond the lake look enchanting. The way they’re backlit and billowy but kind of dark. I feel like I’m looking at a painting.”

“I’ve wanted to come out here since I was accepted to RDU. Something always comes up when I think about making plans, though.”

“You’re here now,” I say.

He grins, nudging his shoulder into mine. “We’re here now. Let’s get the kayak. Grab our backpacks from the cab, will you?”

I nod, turning for the truck. In the back, I find both of our backpacks on the floor. There’s a plastic bin on the seat. “Do you need this tote?” I call.

“Yes. That’s lunch.”

Nodding, I slide it toward me. With both of our backpacks slung over my shoulder, I grab the tote and nudge the door shut with my hip.

Peyton has the kayak on the ground and is loading different things under the bungee cords. “Set the tote in the middle and grab one of the rubber bags for your backpack.”

I do as I’m told. Peyton joins me and secures his backpack in a rubber bag as well. Then we have them tied down.

“I have an extra set of water shoes, or you can brave your sneakers,” he says.

I look at my feet. “I think I’ll brave my sneakers. We don’t plan to roll the kayak, right?”

He laughs. There’s something about it that every time I hear his laughter, my chest flutters with excitement. “No. Not on purpose, anyway. But that’s why we have life vests.” He tosses one at me and I catch it.

We put our vests on and continue to waterproof everything else. Our phones, his truck keys, and another bag.

“All right. Ready. Grab that end. Time to get in the water.”

I pick up the end of the kayak and follow him toward the water a few dozen feet away. It looks like we’re the only ones here, which I’m not sad about at all. I’m not sure if this is a romantic date or not. I’m not sure this is even a real date.

Either way, I’m glad we’re alone.

We set the kayak at the edge of the water, the front half in. “Get in,” he says. “I’ll bring us into the water before getting in, so your sneakers stay dry.”

It’s awkward getting into the kayak. It tips easily and rocks wildly.

Peyton laughs. “You’re going to have to use your core muscles, hot stuff. You need to stay balanced. Kind of like riding a bike. And don’t overcompensate or you’ll send us into the water.”

“I think maybe I should have done some research on how to kayak,” I say, feeling incredibly self-conscious right now.

He chuckles again as he pushes the kayak out. It wiggles a lot, which I realize is in response to how my muscles shake when he puts his hand on my shoulder.

“Relax, Dana. The more you concentrate on it, the more difficult it’s going to feel. You need to be fluid and move with the water. You can’t control the water, so you need to be flexible and move with it.”

Right. That sounds like a bunch of mystical shit.

Peyton is still chuckling when he climbs into the kayak with me. Suddenly, I feel like we’re going to tip over—and I’m going to be the one tipping us.

“Calm down, hot stuff,” Peyton says. “Here. Take the paddle. Just relax and look around, and I’ll row us around for a bit until you stop focusing so much on tipping over. You can swim, right?”

I nod. “Thank fuck for that,” I mutter.

He laughs, and honestly, if he keeps laughing, I’ll probably calm down quicker. I love his laughter. I love that I’m actually here with him. In the middle of nature, the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. With the most handsome man I’ve ever met.

“Funny that you chose a kayaking date when you’re so worried about getting wet,” Peyton muses.

He hasn’t figured it out yet. I don’t give a shit about the date. It’s about the man that I’d be on the date with. This seems like a bad place for that confession. I don’t want it to be awkward on the kayak. That’ll just make me more nervous.

“College is about firsts, right? Might as well have my kayaking first.”

Peyton snorts. “Right.”

Minutes pass, and I try to keep my attention on the trees and water surrounding us. Peyton points with the paddle he’s using to move us. “See that island in the distance? It looks tiny from here, but you see it?”

“I think everything looks like a foreign shore,” I tell him.

He laughs. “Okay, well, trust me when I tell you there is one out there. It’s small. Less than a square mile. But I thought it’d be fun to have a picnic out there.”

“Sounds romantic,” I say. Does he hear how breathless I sound?

“Right?” Peyton asks. “That’s what I thought.”

The only sounds surrounding us are those of the quiet disturbance of the water as Peyton moves us through it. There are birds in the distance, but otherwise, it’s just nature. I didn’t know the world could be so beautiful.

“I have an idea for what you can do after football,” I say and chance a glance over my shoulder. His eyes meet mine and, yep, my stomach flutters.

“What’s that?”

“Kayaking tours. I can’t express just how breathtaking this entire lake is. Everywhere I look.”

“That’s an idea,” he says, though I don’t think he’s serious. “I do love kayaking. Why not?”

We move along peacefully for a long time without conversation. After a while, I push my sunglasses up, and it feels like I’m in a new world again, rediscovering the lake with a new hue. Everywhere I look, it feels like a picture-perfect moment.

“If you’re feeling comfortable, you can try using your oar,” Peyton says. “The lake is pretty calm, so there isn’t much fight right now.”

The paddle, or oar, I guess, is lying across my lap. I’ve been holding it there with one of my hands. “I’ve never oared,” I say.

He laughs. “It’s pretty intuitive. Give it a try.”

I nod, and I think I’m more of a hindrance to our progress than I am a help to him. I know I splash him several times, which only makes him laugh and me burn with a blush and stammer over continuous apologies.

“I should have been in the back,” I lament.

There’s still laughter in Peyton’s voice when he answers. “You’re doing fine. But I’m more than happy to tour you around, hot stuff.”

I huff. “You’re really good at it,” I point out. “All those muscles. It’s like your arms are made for oaring.”

Once again, he laughs, and I smile in response. I love everything about his laughter.

I can feel it in my chest, making me all warm and happy.

The quiet of the lake settles around us, and I have this overwhelming feeling of I can’t believe I’m here! I’m on a date with Peyton Brady!! It feels unreal. My stomach hasn’t stopped doing acrobatics since he pulled up alongside the café.

I’d planned to be waiting with drinks when he arrived, but, as usual, I felt like I was running late and didn’t want to take a chance that he’d be outside waiting.

All kinds of questions had plagued me. What if it took too long, and he didn’t want to wait, so he left?

What if he thought I was just offering curbside service?

What if he didn’t want a Brat Tamer today?

“Is the place you used to kayak like this?” I ask to take my mind off my rambling thoughts.

“Have you ever been to New York?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No. Never been east of the Rocky Mountains.”

“Oof. Okay, first lesson. Every inch of New York outside of New York City is called Upstate.”

I glance back at him over my shoulder. “Seriously?”

He laughs. “Yep. Stupid, right? More than ninety percent of the state is considered Upstate because it’s outside the city.

But anyway, about mid-Upstate, in the fatty belly portion of the west, is a group of lakes that look like fingers from an aerial view.

Thus, they’re called the Finger Lakes. When I was super young, my family used to rent a house on Keuka Lake.

I have memories of my dad taking me on a kayak when I was really small.

I think the first time I paddled on my own was when I was four. ”

“That’s adorable.”

He grins. “When I was ten or so, my parents bought a house on Seneca Lake, which is just to the east of Keuka, but much, much bigger. We were there almost all summer, every summer. I’d go to football camp and come back.

And I spent every day on the lake. It’s much like this, but with fewer mountains surrounding us.

There are still a lot of trees, but there are also a lot of people close by in every direction.

It’s well populated in that area. There were always a ton of people on the water.

Some days, the lakes felt busier than the streets. ”

“Wow. I can’t imagine it that busy.” There’s no one but us here. Not a soul. I try to imagine what it would look like with a hundred other people on kayaks. Would we even see the water? Would we be able to move at all?

“This right here is perfection. The absolute perfect place to be. Stunning nature. A different, more beautiful scene in every direction, and not another human for miles. Uninterrupted views. No noise or air pollution from people talking, cars, or even campfires. This is my ideal spot, hands down.”

“I can’t believe you haven’t been here before.”

“I know. Now I feel like I’ve wasted a lot of time.” Peyton laughs. “College is almost over, and I could have been spending weekends out here.”

“You’re here now,” I say. “And you don’t graduate this year, right?”

“Next year, though, I’m hoping to be drafted this year. My agent says my name is being thrown around, so it’s possible. We’ll see.”

“That’s cool.” Also sucky. I can’t imagine not seeing him almost every day at the café. “But there are a handful of weekends left this year. Still plenty of time to visit.”

“Yep. I’m going to need to invest in my own California kayak.”

“Is that a special kind of kayak?” I look down at the one we’re in to determine what makes it a California kayak.

He chuckles. “No. It just means that I don’t have to transport one from the East Coast to the West Coast.”

“Ah. Yeah, that seems like a pain.”

“It’s far more troublesome and expensive than just buying one and then selling it when I leave the state.”

I don’t even want to think about him leaving the state. Ugh.

I don’t notice the kayak rocking more than it had been until a cool breeze whips against me. I feel like I’m flung backwards, and the kayak shifts on the water. The water ripples in the wind. That’s when I hear the distant roll of thunder in the sky.

I look up, noticing for the first time how dark the sky has gotten. With my face turned up, I feel the first drop of water on my forehead.

Oh no.

Fear climbs in my chest, and I twist around to look at how far we are away from shore. Except, I have no idea where we came from. I can’t see the truck.

Fear turns into panic.

“Easy, Dana. We’re closer to the island than we are to the truck, so we’ll head there and wait out the storm.”

I nod. He doesn’t sound concerned at all. I’m determined to take that as comfort and turn forward again. “Want me to try paddling too?”

He chuckles, despite the storm clouds rolling in rapidly now. “Just sit tight. I’ll have us there in no time.”