Page 38 of Her Eternal Mate

“Speaking of laying eyes on things, how is it that you always get the best lake houses, cottages, and chalets? It’s like you have a gift for this sort of thing. You know, if we’re serious about leaving this life behind, you might want to start thinking about a legitimate career. And what better career than having your own tourism company where you guide people to the best places in the States?”

Will’s eyes were shining bright when he turned around to face me. There was so much hope on his face, so much light, that it made it impossible for me to look him in the eyes. It was like seeing the face of a man born anew.

“Can someone really do that? Is that an actual career path?” Will asked, his voice soft with anticipation.

“Will. This is the 21stcentury. People get paid for all sorts of weird stuff. Being a tour operator is still a very safe career option compared to, you know, deejaying or being a yoga instructor.”

“Until now, I had never realized that this was my dream all along. This is what I really want. I can rent boats, planes, and cottages and create these elaborate tour plans for people. There are tens of thousands of places that I know about in America where people can go and enjoy the sights. It hadn’t actually occurred to me that I could make it work as a career.”

“The world runs on gig economy these days. Gone are the days of nine-to-five jobs and stereotypical jobs like being a doctor, engineer, or lawyer. You can earn money however you want as long as you are good at it. And as someone who knows you, I can say with confidence that you’re good at arranging these special romantic getaways,” I said, kissing him on the lips.

Then I descended the ladder and headed to the kitchen, eager to make my man a nice meal for all the effort that he had put into this getaway.

Will followed me down, now observing me candidly from the other side of the room.

“Tell me more about this whole thing. If I become a tour operator, what will you do?”

I had hoped that he’d ask me this. I had thought about it for a long time. Years, actually. Now, for the first time, I was sharing this intimate and secret part of me with Will.

“I’d be an interior designer. There’s nothing I love more than good interior décor. Remember how I keep showing you those pictures on Instagram and Pinterest?”

“I don’t know the names of the applications, but I do remember you showing me pictures on your phone,” Will said.

“Right. So, people pay decent money to an interior designer for sprucing up their homes,” I said. “If we settle into a fancy city like LA or San Francisco, I can earn six figures doing something like that.”

“It will be a perfect life,” Will said dreamily, staring into the distance, a smile on his face, scotch in his hands. “Me, operating tours in California, and you decorating people’s houses. We’ll have a nice house of our own in the suburbs, somewhere near Palo Alto or Pasadena, or Calabasas. Those are the perfect towns to live in. Safest in all of America. And we’re still young. I mean, you still are.”

“Hey, as long as I’m with you, I don’t care if I’m in Calabasas or Calcutta.”

Will laughed out loud, startling me.

“What happened?”

“It just occurred to me that I could someday expand my touring business to international tours and take people to China, India, Thailand, and Japan. Wouldn’t that be the best?”

“That would be the best,” I said, looking at his handsome body lounging on that sofa, sunlight glistening on his abs, his pecs bulging as he lifted his scotch glass to his lips.

I loved that man immensely.

He knew what he had to do to make me feel normal again. I hadn’t felt this great since the time he proposed to me.

***

The lake’s water was cold but a welcoming cold. Going in there felt like I was letting go of all the tiredness that had accumulated in my body over the past week. It was refreshing, being out in this deep, clear water, swimming completely unencumbered by things like swimsuits. I was naked in the water, and so was Will.

We were floating on our backs, looking at the sun peeking at us from behind the clouds.

“I bet there’s a storm blowing through Fiddler’s Green right now,” I said, looking at the calming scenery all around me.

“Why do you think I chose this weekend of all the weekends for this getaway?” Will asked and then burst out laughing. It was hilarious enough that I joined him too.

We laughed and swam, doing lengths around the lake, deep diving to the bottom, and just letting our bodies float on the surface.

It wasn’t until the sun had gone down did we feel the necessity to go back inside the cottage. As evening fell, the lake water became unbearably cold, making me wonder if it froze every night.

Once inside, we dried ourselves in our towels, then put on our comfortable loungewear. I made hot chocolates for both of us. We spent the evening looking at the moon’s reflection on the surface of the lake, drinking our steaming drinks, and talking about the most random things.

“Tell me this doesn’t feel like heaven to you,” Will said, running his fingers through my hair.

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