Page 36 of Not that Sea-Rious

Beau

A fantastic evening followed by a wonderful breakfast had Beau feeling optimistic.

He had a week to get his life in order and figure out how he and Marissa could continue to see each other.

Honestly, the whole thing with Megan felt like a distant memory.

Their unexpected breakup hadn’t even been a week ago, but he looked forward to bigger and better things.

The only discomfort he foresaw was continuing the business with Jordan.

As partners in their two-man consulting firm, there wasn’t much hope for distance, but it could work.

Beau would find a way. They didn’t have to be in the same room often.

They had different contracts and managed separate franchises.

In actuality, they almost never met up in person. Everything could be handled via email. There were plenty of people in business together who didn’t particularly like one another.

It was doable.

It had to be.

He didn’t have an alternative. A lot of his assets were tied up in this business. They were grown-ass men. This didn’t have to be any messier than it already was.

Filled with positive vibes while arm in arm with Marissa, Beau held his head high as they strolled toward the luggage. Parting briefly, they each secured bags and assisted the others in their group with what they needed. With little drama, he escorted Marissa to the waiting van.

While the driver loaded their luggage and her friends worked out who would sit where, Beau cupped her face and gazed into her soft brown eyes. This wouldn’t be the last time. He’d already secured another opportunity to enjoy her company.

Grinning, he placed a soft peck to her forehead. “I’ll see you at dinner?”

Beaming back at him, she nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

They shared an all-too-brief kiss, where he squeezed her tight against him before Carolyn barked, “We have to go. My mom’s waiting.”

Chuckling and licking his bottom lip, Beau reluctantly released Marissa. He stepped back and watched as she climbed into the van. Once she was inside, he carefully closed the door. With his hand resting on the handle of his luggage, he let out a sigh as the van pulled away.

The vacation was officially over.

Now he had to face the music. He pulled out his cell phone and saw he had several unread text messages, voicemails, and missed calls from both Jordan and Megan. He had no interest in hearing anything they had to say, so he deleted everything while walking to his car.

Tapping the screen, he found his ex’s name and pressed the button and brought it to his ear. After several rings, it went to her voicemail. Good. Not talking to her was the most desired outcome.

“Hey. It’s me. I’m headed over to the apartment so I can pack some of my things.

You can have everything else. I don’t want any furniture or anything.

You can have it all. I just want my stuff .

If you could, I’d like it if you weren’t there when I arrived.

I should be about forty-five minutes. I’m only asking for an hour to collect my things.

I’ll speak to the landlord on Monday and remove myself from the lease. ”

Satisfied he’d done what he could, he tucked his phone in his pocket and found his keys. Whistling, feeling light on his feet, he sauntered through the parking lot.

Swirling his keys around his fingers, he pressed his thumb against the button, and his black Nissan Altima blinked and whooped as it unlocked. Heading to the trunk, he opened it and shoved what little he grabbed the night he left aside.

His important papers, birth certificate, social security card, bonds, and bank statements were stored in the fire-resistant lockbox.

A duffel of some clothes and a stack of books now were his only possessions.

Hopefully, he could pack the rest of his life in the car before he headed off to his new beginning.

Marissa

“So now what?” Joyce asked from the rear row behind Marissa.

“The first thing on the list is dress fittings,” Carolyn announced. “We have to make sure we didn’t pack on too much weight drinking and stuffing ourselves on the boat.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll need some alterations,” Tina said.

Shaking her head, Joyce sighed. “No! Not that. Marissa. What happens between you and Beau?”

All eyes went to Marissa as she stiffened. “Um.” She licked her bottom lip as she considered her answer. She swore she could still taste him there.

“Are you going to see him again?” Carolyn pressed.

Swallowing hard, she tucked some of her hair behind her ear and nodded. “Yes. We’re supposed to have dinner at the hotel tonight.”

A chorus of oohs rang through the car as though this conversation wasn’t had in their presence. They did this far too often.

She rolled her eyes. “We are taking things as they come. This week I’m in Florida, but next… who knows what will happen. It’s a completely different ballgame after the wedding.”

Joyce nodded. “Of course.”

“Don’t stress too much about it,” Tina said. “Just go with the flow and see where life takes you. You never know what the next few days will bring. He might be a complete asshole now that we are on land.”

Carolyn whipped around and slapped Tina playfully on the arm. “Don’t you dare. I like Beau.”

“I’m not saying he is.” Tina half chuckled as she rubbed at her arm.

“You’re putting it out there. Don’t manifest negative stuff,” Carolyn cautioned. “It’s wedding week. Only positivity from now on.”

Tina glared. “I’m positive he has the potential to be a dick.”

Marissa could only laugh at her friends.

They were as invested in what happened between her and Beau as she was.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

Would they be disappointed if things fell through next week?

She couldn’t handle everyone being brokenhearted if Beau turned out to be lying or flaky.

It’d be bad enough for her to manage, but for everyone else? That was too much responsibility.

“I have no expectations. If he makes an effort, I will too.”

The lie fell from her mouth without a thought. Hopefully, though, it would put an end to the discussion.

She wanted to be in that position. If only she were slightly detached and ready for failure, but the truth was, she craved for it to work out.

She wasn’t sure how, but she’d already gotten attached to Beau.

Marissa needed to find a way, and if they couldn’t, she didn’t want to admit to just how devastated she would be, considering she’d only known him for four days.

Carolyn had decreed only positive vibes from now on. Closing her eyes, Marissa took a deep breath and willed herself into optimism.

Manifesting.