Page 24 of The Trip

My pulse flutters. Damn, he’s hot. He’s even more attractive up close.

“I can’t imagine that person being your spouse,” he adds.

“It sucks,” I say.

He gestures toward the lower deck. “At least you’ve got some great friends here to help you through it. Seems like you’ve all known each other a long time.”

I follow his gaze. “Since we were kids.”

“You’re lucky. I’ve lost touch with all my friends from high school. You and Beth seem really close. Not everyone has that.”

I nod. “Yeah, we are. Can’t imagine going through this without her.” I turn toward him, not sure how we fell into such deep conversation. I’m suddenly self-conscious of saying too much, expecting him to be looking for an excuse to return to the helm. But he looks completely relaxed as his kind eyes seem to search mine.

“That must be nice to have a group of friends that you can confide in.”

“Well,” I think of Gigi and Emma, asleep in their separate cabins. “It’s just Beth actually. The others don’t know yet about my split from my husband. It just happened, and honestly, their lives just seem so perfect, I couldn’t—”

“Don’t worry,” he places his hand on my forearm before getting up. “You’re secret’s safe with me. We’re all guilty of not being exactly who we present ourselves to be at some point or another. And if I had to guess, their lives aren’t as perfect as they’re letting on either.”

I shift in my seat. “Why do you say that?”

The companionway door flies open, revealing Gigi’s top half. Her blond hair is a mess of waves. Eye patches are stuck beneath her eyes, and she’s wearing tiny satin pajamas that could double as lingerie.

She looks past me without so much as a greeting. “Hey, Adam. Could you make me an almond milk latte and a veggie omelet? And can you put more veggies in the omelet today? I’m not one to complain, but yesterday’s was a little heavy on the egg whites.”

“Sure,” he says.

“And maybe less mushrooms, more spinach,” she adds.

After Gigi disappears below, he gives me a playful wink. “Just a hunch.”

Half an hour later, I go below. My coffee mug is empty, and I’d been sitting in mostly silence with Nojan ever since he got up to replaceAdam at the helm. My stomach grumbles as I descend the steps. I felt too seasick to eat much yesterday, and I find myself suddenly hungry.

Adam looks up from the dinette table where he’s cleaning off Gigi’s dirty breakfast dishes. I cringe inwardly, seeing Gigi on the couch transfixed with her phone screen. Even my nine-year-old twins know to take their dishes to the kitchen when they’re done eating.

“Can I make you something?” he asks.

I separate a banana from the bunch on the counter. “No, thanks. I’ll start with this.”

I sit beside Gigi, but she doesn’t look up. I glance at her screen as I peel my banana, surprised to see she’s not on social media.

“Since when have you played chess?”

“Oh.” She glances at me for the first time since I came below deck. Her cheeks flush. “Most of my life, I guess. My dad taught me when I was six.”

I sit back. “I never knew that.”

“Well, it’s not exactly something I’m proud of. It’s kind of nerdy.”

I take a bite of my banana. “I don’t think it’s nerdy. I’m impressed.”

“Well, thanks.” Gigi pushes a pawn deep into enemy territory in what looks to be a sacrifice, then turns to me. “But don’t tell anyone, okay? It doesn’t exactly fit with my brand.”

She returns her attention to her game as I watch over her shoulder and take another bite. “What’s that?” I point to the number in the corner of the screen.

“My winning streak.”

I nearly choke. “You’re on a streak of forty-one?”