Page 80 of Saltwater Memories
Chapter 29
Rain hovered over the island like a dark omen for the rest of the week. Will felt like the continuous downpour was washing everything away – from the progress on the estate’s walking paths (that he was no longer in charge of), to his hopes of a booming career in finance, and finally, to his chances with Amanda.
It had to mean something that she came back to save him, didn’t it? Maybe she just felt guilty. Maybe she reallywasassociated with the mob, or she was an undercover cop or something…
He didn’t know. He regretted asking her if she was in the mob; that clearly made her uncomfortable. She ran off, and now he couldn’t get her attention again.
He’d texted her that evening to see how she was doing. She brushed off his questions about her well-being and instead expressed how sorry she was that he’d lost his job, and that she had a lead on a new company for him.
It was exceedingly kind of her to find him a job opportunity, but also a bit confusing. Why was that her primary concern? Sure, he applied to the job – though he didn’t have much hope that Gordon would provide him with a reference – but he would’ve preferred being able to sit down and talk to her. He wanted to acknowledge the craziness that they’d just experienced – it was crazy, wasn’t it? Or was this her normal life?
He wanted to finally take her out to that dinner, but the Sunday that they’d spent sitting between the rows of lavender seemed like it was years ago.
Amanda was polite, but distant. Perhaps she and her boyfriend had gotten more serious; perhaps she just didn’t like him.
Whatever the reason, it was obvious that she wanted to be left alone, and Will felt like the least that he could do was honor her wishes.
He planned to move back to his Seattle place full-time, and find someone to sublet the apartment he’d gotten on the island. He had enough savings that he could get by for at least four months without a job, but havingtworents to pay, along with his parents’ mortgage, wasn’t ideal.
That week, he occupied himself with getting the apartment ready and was surprised to get a call for a phone interview from Amanda’s lead.
It went well but somehow, even that couldn’t cheer him up.
On Saturday evening, he decided to take his sulking to the brewery. It was packed, as usual, but he was able to get a seat at the bar.
It was there, as he stared into his beer, that he felt a tap on his shoulder.
“Will?”
He turned to see Morgan, smiling broadly. He straightened, looking around to see if Amanda was nearby. “Hey Morgan, how are you?”
“I’m good! I just did some pictures here for a surprise engagement.”
“Oh, that’s nice.” Ah. So she probably wasn’t with Amanda. He could stop looking.
“Glad to see that you’re alive,” she said.
“Thanks, I try. How’s everything? How’s…Amanda?”
Morgan let out a sigh. “Oh you know, stomping around. As she does.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, not really. She broke up with her boyfriend – well, her pseudo-boyfriend. I don’t know, he was extremely annoying.”
“Oh really?” Will shifted. No need to look too eager. “She…broke up with him?”
Morgan nodded, drumming her fingers on the bar. “Yeah, likerightbefore she rescued you from Lenny. It seemed like she was finally going to turn her life around, but then…”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know,” Morgan said with a shrug. “She’s been so quiet. She won’t talk to me. Maybe she’d talk to you?”
He laughed. “Right. I wish.”
Morgan cleared her throat, causing the man sitting next to Will to turn around. She smiled, asking, “Excuse me buddy, can you slide down?”
He shot her a puzzled look and she waved him down until he obliged.
