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Thirty-Five

Stella

The salt breeze has turned my hair curly and wild, and the freckles form a dense network on my face.

I like myself more like this, in my natural state from the sun and sea.

We’re going out to celebrate tonight, so I add a little mascara and lip gloss, fluff my hair, and head up top.

Even though I rinsed my dress, it’s a little crunchy from the dip in the sea water.

I make do since it’s all I have, but Zoe shakes her head at me.

“No,” she says. “That’s not going to work.”

“Is it the hair?”

“Definitely not the hair. The hair works. It’s giving wild lion mane and I’m here for it. What I am referring to is your dress. It’s a disaster that looks like you pulled it up with the gold today and it hasn’t aged nearly as well in the elements.”

“To be fair, gold doesn’t oxidize in the ocean, so it will look pristine forever, but I get your point. The problem is that this dress is all I have, unless you’re going to lend me one of your sophisticated muumuus?”

“You wish. Stella, I love you and you’re glorious, but you’re too petite to pull off this look.

It works better on a fuller figure. Not to worry, I’m going to take you shopping.

Gus and the guys are going to take care of securing the gold at the safe deposit box, and we are on a mission to get you a new outfit. My treat.”

I know enough not to argue with Zoe. When we dock in Key West, she and I head off in one direction and the men head in the other.

We try not to show our excitement too much.

Treasure salvage is not without risk, and even though Key West is a fun and casual community, there are people around who would love nothing more than to figure out what we found and where we found it so they can beat us to the rest. And there is more.

I’m sure of it. Based on the research that we’ve done over the past several years, we are envisioning millions of dollars’ worth of treasure.

Not just gold, but the Elephant’s Heart Diamond and massive quantities of other uncut gems. We have to be careful and hold our secret close.

Zoe and I stroll through a few boutiques before finding an upscale secondhand store that has a cool mix of unique clothes ranging from casual daily wear to gorgeous special occasion dresses.

I run my fingers over dresses in a kaleidoscope of colors until I find the perfect one.

It’s a short, pleated A-line dress with a tight bodice and sweetheart neckline, made of a soft, glistening gold fabric.

I hold it up.

“Zoe, what do you think of this one?”

She nods. “Wholehearted yes. You must try it on, it’s perfect.”

I slip into a dressing room and put the dress on. The top is snug to the point that I’m not sure that I will be able to zip it, but once it’s on, it’s light and comfortable. I do a little twirl and it flares out. Zoe’s face says it all when I step out of the dressing room.

“The top’s not too small?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “It’s just the right amount of tight to make your boobs look amazing. Huck’s going to choke.”

I scoff. “I doubt it. And I don’t care.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. You don’t care and he’s not going to wish that he’d found you instead of those coins earlier today. His gorgeous golden treasure.”

“I’m getting it,” I tell her. “But only because I love it, not because of what Huck will think when he sees me wearing it.”

“I love it too.” She rubs her hands over my bare arms affectionately.

“Stell, I’m going to tell you something and you might not like it but at least hear me out.

I know Gus and I have both been teasing you during this trip and saying there is something brewing between you and Huck, but I’m positive that he has real feelings.

You both do. And you are good together. I feel like he brings out something different in you—”

“Annoyance?”

“And you definitely bring something out in him. I’m not saying you should run off to city hall or anything, but maybe you can talk or finish up whatever you were starting in that stairwell. Don’t give me that look. You know you two were kicking something off during that storm.”

“I don’t think so.” I shake my head. “I will admit that I’ve been tempted on this trip.

Huck’s very pretty and smart and there is this weird magnetic pull between us.

And I guess I am tired of being on my own and having nothing more than occasional casual hookups.

I want something more. I think maybe I’m ready for it finally.

Just not with Huck, no matter how attracted we are to each other.

Things ended so badly before and whatever’s left—it’s not enough.

I want someone I can count on who won’t bail on me.

Someone who is loyal above everything else. ”

“I don’t know. I think he’s pretty loyal.”

“Yeah, maybe to Teddy.” I laugh half-heartedly.

“Maybe.” She turns to a saleswoman. “Can she wear this out?”

“Sure. I can cut off the tags at the counter when you pay.”

We’re quiet as we follow the staff member to the cash register, where she removes the tags and Zoe refuses my money and plops down her credit card. “Next time, you can buy me something fancy,” she says. “Since you’re going to be rich.”

“Even split, remember?” I say.

Outside, Zoe uses her phone to locate the restaurant where we’d made reservations on a map. “It’s this way,” she says. We start off together.

“I take it you’re not going to finish reading the book either?”

I shrug. “I thought about it, but I don’t think so. It was too hard reading about this couple that felt like us but wasn’t. I loved reading it, but it hurt too much.”

“I can understand that. And I know you don’t need advice. You’ve always walked your own path and I love that about you. But if you can, try to keep an open mind.”

“About the book or the author?”

“Both.

We have some time before we need to meet the guys, so we stop at the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, where we watch the two flamingos standing on single legs in a shallow lagoon while hundreds of multicolored butterflies float through the air around us.

Zoe must look like a flower in her bright fuchsia-and-orange gown because several butterflies land on her.

I snap pictures and text them to Gus and Ted.

Gus texts back something about his glorious queen, and Teddy sends a set of tilted action shots and selfies of him, Gus, and Huck touring Truman Annex on rented bicycles and one picture of them posing outside of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, captioned Look, it’s us!

Zoe and I get lemonades and drink them by the ocean while we watch the sun set, and then we head over to First Flight for dinner.

Despite a day spent biking around in the humidity, the guys look clean and fresh when they arrive at the restaurant.

I realize they’ve all bought new shirts.

Teddy’s wearing a straw fedora with a black band that matches the fine embroidery on his shirt.

Gus has on an orange shirt that perfectly complements Zoe’s dress.

Huck is dressed plainly, in a white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

The cream color against his tan skin looks surprisingly good.

Teddy goes to talk to the hostess, and Huck and I stand facing each other while Gus twirls Zoe around.

“You look beautiful,” Huck says to me, his voice low. “New dress?”

“Oh.” The comment catches me off guard. “Yeah, thanks. Well, new to me. My other dress got kind of ruined in a salt marsh, so…”

He nods slowly. “I see. I also ruined an outfit in a salt marsh. What are the chances?”

There’s that smile. It’s gentle, inquisitive. Like he wants to know how I’ll respond before he lets himself be completely happy.

“I’m probably a little overdressed.”

“I don’t think so. I think you’re perfect.”

And there it is, that soul-crushing ache in my chest and butterfly wings fluttering in my belly.

“Our table’s ready,” Teddy calls, and then disappears into the garden. The daylight is waning and the lights hanging in the patio flicker on. Huck and I catch up with Teddy while Gus and Zoe lag behind, walking hand in hand.

“I like your hat,” I tell Teddy.

“Huck bought it for me,” he says. “I’m the only one who can pull a hat of this nature off.”

“You know, you and Zoe are very confident in your fashion. She told me that I couldn’t rock one of her caftans earlier.”

“Good thing she did,” Ted says. “Then we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy you in this magnificent gold dress. Very apropos. I dig it.”

“Solid pun,” Huck says.

I do a delighted twirl. “It felt like the right choice under the circumstances.”

Teddy pulls out my chair for me and I sit. Huck takes his place on my left, Ted on my right, and the lovebirds sit across from us.

“This place is paradise,” Zoe says, settling into her seat. We all agree, admiring the tropical foliage, the trees that feel ancient.

Gus rests his arm gently on the back of Zoe’s chair while we all exchange tales of our expeditions and our friendships like war stories.

I like watching them together. There’s that easy understanding we all have with each other, but the warmth in their expressions, the volume of their laughter at each other’s jokes?

It’s special. It makes me wish I had that too.

Teddy orders for everyone, champagne, appetizers, and main courses to share.

He even arranges a special dessert that will be brought out before the night is over.

I eat so much and laugh so hard that I worry my dress might split.

We savor our delicious food beneath a canopy of palms and the glow of soft white globe lights hanging from the trees.

At some point, soft music starts playing and Gus rises and holds out a hand for Zoe.

“It’s a perfect night,” she says, as she stands and heads with him to an open space to dance.